12°c Overcast
17°c Cloudy with showers
Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION
Letter of the Day
Repatriating Khadr 'absurd'
In this Pentagon-approved photograph of a sketch by artist Janet Hamlin, Omar Khadr listens to closing arguments Saturday, Oct. 30, 2010 in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The Toronto-born detainee pleaded guilty to five war crimes, including murder for the death of U.S. Delta Force soldier Christopher Speer. THE CANADIAN PRESS/POOL-Janet Hamlin (CP)
Send a Letter to the Editor
-
The Free Press welcomes letters from readers
To send a letter for consideration on our Letters page: Fill out our online form at the link above, or Email letters@freepress.mb.ca, or Fax (204) 697-7412, or Mail Letters to the Editor, 1355 Mountain Avenue, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R2X 3B6.
In reply to the editorial Bring Khadr home (April 20), it is absurd to suggest that repatriation will allow Canadian officials to keep tabs on the self-confessed murderer trained by al-Qaeda.
It is quite likely that Omar Khadr will slip back to his adopted home of Pakistan, where he spent a good deal of his life, even while a Canadian citizen.
According to the book Guantanamo's Child, the Khadr family spent at least as much time in Pakistan and Afghanistan as they did living in Canada. They returned to Toronto only to take advantage of free medical services for a son with a debilitating disease and for Khadr's mother to give birth to a child who benefits from Canadian citizenship and all the goodies available to Canadians, such as large dole cheques, social services and a democratic constitution, the very things the Khadr family fought to repress during their jihadist days in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
If the Obama administration, in its desperate election-year ploy, is so anxious to close Guantanamo Bay, it should issue Khadr and like-minded individuals still detained in the detention centre free one-way tickets back to Pakistan, Afghanistan or wherever in the Middle East they wish to go to continue their jihad against the West.
It is the practical thing to do, and will save Canadian taxpayers the cost of trying to repatriate an Islamist recidivist who will, at any rate, slip surveillance at a propitious moment.
DAVID SQUARE
Tyndall
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition April 24, 2012 A7
More Letters to the Editor
- Back to Top
- Return to Letters to the Editor
More Letters to the Editor
(1 of 9 articles for this week)
'Cantor Place' has nice ring
05/24/2013 9:22 AM 0View Related
Poll
Most Popular Letters to the Editor
- Have your say
- 'Cantor Place' has nice ring
- Somebody has hit a bogey
- Curves make it better
- Outdoor firepits take a heavy toll
- Hands off CBC, Mr. Harper
- Letter of the day: Beginning of a new way
- One Heart rally sparks hearty debate
- Foxes in the henhouse
- Have Your Say
Ads by Google
You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.
Have Your Say
New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.
The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010.