Canadian not innocent, U.S. prosecutor argues

By BETH GORHAM
Tuesday, January 10, 2006 Posted at 2:31 PM EST
Canadian Press

Guantanamo Bay, Cuba — ... Chief prosecutor Mo Davis blasted “nauseating” sympathetic portrayals of Mr. Khadr, who was 15 when he was captured after a July, 2002, firefight in Afghanistan that killed a U.S. medic. Authorities could have sought the death penalty but did not because Mr. Khadr was a juvenile, Mr. Davis said in comments the day before the teen's first appearance at a pre-trial hearing ...

One of his U.S. lawyers, Muneer Ahmad, called it “astounding, shameful and appalling” that Americans are prosecuting Mr. Khadr, saying he has “reliable evidence” that Mr. Khadr has been tortured during his 39 months in Guantanamo.

He called on Canada to denounce the tribunal system set up by U.S. President George W. Bush, saying it allows confessions extracted by torture and does not afford anywhere near the kind of due process of criminal civil trials ...

Mr. Khadr will be formally represented by Captain John Merriam, a U.S. Army judge advocate with no trial experience, “even on charges of jaywalking,” said Mr. Ahmad, who is asking that he should be replaced by someone with more experience ...

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20060110.wguankhad0110/BNStory/International/

nt

this is, among other things, canada's punishment for not following bush blindly into iraq. and the age of the kid is an issue too, and i just bet they come up with a 'confession' obtained via torture. just sickening.

Khadr should be jailed for life, U.S. prosecutor says
Last Updated Tue, 10 Jan 2006 19:38:09 EST
CBC News

Defence blasts Canadian government


Ahmad leveled particularly harsh words at Canada's federal government.

He pointed out that the British government had rejected the process of military tribunals and brokered a deal with the White House under which nine British nationals held at Guantanamo Bay were returned to Britain.

"In contrast, Canada has maintained absolute public silence on the process by which its child citizen is being subject," Ahmad said.

"Can it be that British standards of due process are higher than Canada's?"

http://www.cbc.ca/story/world/national/2006/01/10/khadr-060110.html