Regardless of what side one sits on about Khadr’s innocence or guilt the trial has brought in
scary ideas and some concepts I find a bit concerting.
Quick Backgrounder:
Khadr was alleged to have killed an American medic( Sergeant First Class Christopher Speer, a 28-year-old medic with the U.S. Special Forces) and wound another soldier by throwing a grenade in a firefight outside of Ayub Keyl in Afghanistan July 27 2002. He was captured afterword and has been in Gitmo under detention for the last 7 years.
Now before anyone gets their noses out of joint, my condolences go out to the Speer family and the sacrifice that Chris has made and this article is no way meant to besmirch or undermine the great work he has done or that of the Special Forces.
The Problem:
Although the Khadr’s have been know Al-Quida supporters–
(Photo from CBS)
Omar Khadr was a 15 year old at the time. Therefore a child, a child soldier maybe but a minor none the less. Not to mention how much autonomy does a 15 year old boy of a fanatical father have? NONE.
During the trial Kahdr has plead guilty to violating rules of war- however the United States government does not recognize the Geneva Convention in the Afghanistan conflict and refused to recognize fighters there as P.O.W.’s instead anyone not in a “uniform” (which ironically is everyone fighting there that is not a part of NATO or the Afghan army) that kills a U.S. Soldier is guilty of being an “unprivileged enemy belligerent” according to the Military Commisions Act .
Sort of like tailoring the law to make the crime fit isnt it? Even the Nazi’s didn’t have it this hard in Nuremberg which in the light of later law was a kangaroo court anyway. Not to mention the history of military tribunals or courts martial someone is guilty until proven innocent.
This ruling sets a very dangerous precedent not to mention the whole Military Commisions Act as it will inevitably BE turned on the populace at large. Stay tuned to the next altercation where the military is used domestically. -EvS