From Le Quebecois Libre:
"Now that Khadr is a free man—of sorts—perhaps he will have a chance to demonstrate whether he is indeed a victim of circumstance or the caricature of evil described by his critics. In his first public appearance after his release, he came across as articulate, thoughtful, and entirely unthreatening. If Khadr manages to build a normal life for himself and becomes a productive and peaceful member of Canadian society, it could go a long way toward changing the minds of those who see the war on terror as a Manichean conflict between the US and its allies who can do no wrong and the forces of darkness who are pure evil. If Omar Khadr—the poster-child for Dick Cheney’s shameless lie that Guantanamo Bay housed the “worst of the worst”—turns out not to have horns and cloven feet, then perhaps the entire edifice of the war on terror is rotten. And maybe—just maybe—the best way to prevent terrorism and keep us safe is not to pursue endless war and adopt draconian legal codes, but simply to mind our own business and engage with foreigners not through violence but instead only through voluntary cooperation."
A thought take on Khadr. As contemptible his parents were - and there's indeed something to be said of having been thrust into such a violent situation as a 15 year-old was unfair - he is a Canadian citizen and deserves to rebuild his image and life.
Are we not an enlightened society that believes in second chance?
I got the same impression when I listened to him. I know. You never know and I walk the 'useful idiot' line but the whole affair was mishandled by both the USA and Canada.
Time to move on.
"Now that Khadr is a free man—of sorts—perhaps he will have a chance to demonstrate whether he is indeed a victim of circumstance or the caricature of evil described by his critics. In his first public appearance after his release, he came across as articulate, thoughtful, and entirely unthreatening. If Khadr manages to build a normal life for himself and becomes a productive and peaceful member of Canadian society, it could go a long way toward changing the minds of those who see the war on terror as a Manichean conflict between the US and its allies who can do no wrong and the forces of darkness who are pure evil. If Omar Khadr—the poster-child for Dick Cheney’s shameless lie that Guantanamo Bay housed the “worst of the worst”—turns out not to have horns and cloven feet, then perhaps the entire edifice of the war on terror is rotten. And maybe—just maybe—the best way to prevent terrorism and keep us safe is not to pursue endless war and adopt draconian legal codes, but simply to mind our own business and engage with foreigners not through violence but instead only through voluntary cooperation."
A thought take on Khadr. As contemptible his parents were - and there's indeed something to be said of having been thrust into such a violent situation as a 15 year-old was unfair - he is a Canadian citizen and deserves to rebuild his image and life.
Are we not an enlightened society that believes in second chance?
I got the same impression when I listened to him. I know. You never know and I walk the 'useful idiot' line but the whole affair was mishandled by both the USA and Canada.
Time to move on.
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