Canadian teenager cries in Guantanamo interrogation video

[smartcard]

How can we help this child to come out of this hell?
Is this democracy?
Is this peace?

A sobbing Canadian teenager begged for help as he was interrogated at the US "war on terror" camp at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, in the very first video glimpse of any such questioning released on Tuesday.

The video was posted online by attorneys for terror suspect Omar Khadr, who is shown being questioned at the prison by Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) agents in February, 2003.

Khadr is the youngest detainee at Guantanamo, accused of killing a US soldier in a firefight in Afghanistan.

He has been held at the US facility naval since his arrest in 2002, when he was 15 years old, and faces an upcoming US military commission on terrorism charges.

"Help me, help me, help me," Khadr says in the video, weeping, holding his head in his hands.

The footage covers seven and a half hours of questioning over three days. It depicts a dejected young man, tense from the pang of injuries suffered in a brush with US soldiers six months earlier.

In one excerpt, Khadr tugs at his hair, and pulls his orange prisoner suit over his head to show his interrogator his battle scars.

"I lost my eyes. I lost my feet. Everything," he says.

The US government alleges Khadr was the lone survivor of a four-hour US bombardment of an Al-Qaeda compound in Afghanistan in 2002, who rose from the rubble and killed a US sergeant with a grenade.

Khadr's US lawyer Lieutenant-Commander Bill Kuebler instead described him to a Canadian Commons committee as a "frightened, wounded, 15-year-old boy ... who sat slumped against a bush while a battle raged around him."

During the melee, Khadr was shot at least twice in the back by US soldiers and was about to be executed when another soldier intervened. He is said to have no vision in one eye, and sight in the other is deteriorating because of shrapnel embedded in the eye membrane.

"You look like you're doing well to me," the interrogator says in the video, his face blurred. "I'm not a doctor but I think you're getting good medical care."

"You say this is healthy?" Khadr asks. "I can't move my arm."

"No, you still have your eyes, and your feet are still at the ends of your legs," his interrogator replies, urging him to cooperate.

"You don't care about me," Khadr tells the interrogator. "Nobody cares about me."

An eight-minute video was initially posted on the Internet and a complete version was due to be issued later on Tuesday by Khadr's lawyers, following a Canadian court order.

In the video, apparently shot through the flaps of a ventilation shaft, Khadr is asked what he knows about Al-Qaeda and questioned about his Islamic faith.

At one point, an interrogator tries to calm Khadr, who is clearly distraught, saying he needs to get a "bite to eat" and adding: "I understand this is stressful."

When Khadr complains his compatriots have not helped his case, the interrogator replies: "We can't do anything for you."

The video shows no beating or physical abuse of Khadr.

But his Canadian lawyer Nathan Whitling said US authorities "manipulated Omar's environment outside the interrogation room before Canadian interrogations to induce cooperation within the interrogation room," citing documents released last week.

According to files from the Foreign Intelligence Division of Canada's Foreign Affairs department, Khadr was forcibly sleep deprived by his US captors in Guantanamo Bay to soften him up for questioning by Canadian officials.

"At three-hour intervals he is moved to another cell block, thus denying him uninterrupted sleep and a continued change of neighbors," said the files.

The documents also said that after Canadian officials met with Khadr in March 2004, he was due to be placed in isolation for three weeks before being interviewed again.

A Canadian federal judge studying the documents said Khadr's treatment violated international laws on human rights, and ordered them released to Khadr's lawyers last month.

Human rights groups have also demanded Khadr be released from Guantanamo, saying his age at the time of capture precludes any war crime proceeding.

"The treatment of Omar Khadr throughout his detention violates the USA's obligations under international law," said Amnesty International. "No one who was a child at the time of their alleged crime should be tried by military commissions."

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper told reporters at a G8 summit in Japan earlier this month that he would not ask the US government to repatriate Khadr.

 

[Keltoi]

What do you expect? He was captured after killing a medic with a grenade. The video of this interrogation doesn't show any form of abuse or mistreatment. Are you suggesting he should simply be freed? On what grounds?

 

[The_Prince]

the evidence speaks for itself, hes 15, lone survivor in a compound, the americans come in, what do you think a teen in such a condition and experiance would do? go out laughing and wanting a hug from them? get a life will you, this is what you call the war on terrorism? keeping a 15 year old in jail for more than 6 years? well seeing that you americans and israelis have killed thousands and thousands of 15 year olds, its good you only kept this one in jail and spared him, there is hope! hopefully the next step will be that you stop oppressing 15 year olds and leave them alone PERIOD!

 

[smartcard]

What do you expect? He was captured after killing a medic with a grenade. The video of this interrogation doesn't show any form of abuse or mistreatment. Are you suggesting he should simply be freed? On what grounds?

What do I expect....

1) Treat him while considering his age
2) Charge him under a legally and acceptable court / country
3) Respect the international court of law

At an age of 15-16 it was not his choice to fight or not to fight Americans, possibly the family environment drag him there, but the poor child should be handled with humanly

 

[Keltoi]

the evidence speaks for itself, hes 15, lone survivor in a compound, the americans come in, what do you think a teen in such a condition and experiance would do? go out laughing and wanting a hug from them? get a life will you, this is what you call the war on terrorism? keeping a 15 year old in jail for more than 6 years? well seeing that you americans and israelis have killed thousands and thousands of 15 year olds, its good you only kept this one in jail and spared him, there is hope! hopefully the next step will be that you stop oppressing 15 year olds and leave them alone PERIOD!

So what? You live with your decisions. Don't pretend this was a little boy playing with teddy bears before he was captured. He knew exactly what he was doing.

 

[Keltoi]

What do I expect....

1) Treat him while considering his age
2) Charge him under a legally and acceptable court / country
3) Respect the international court of law

At an age of 15-16 it was not his choice to fight or not to fight Americans, possibly the family environment drag him there, but the poor child should be handled with humanly

Treat him while considering his age? What does that even mean?

Charge him under a legally and acceptable court/country? What would be legally acceptable to you? Send him back to Canada and let him go of course.

Respect the international court of law? What international court of law? Are you referring to the Geneva Convention? By all evidence he was treated much better than the Geneva Convention even requires.

 

[smartcard]

Treat him while considering his age? What does that even mean?

Charge him under a legally and acceptable court/country? What would be legally acceptable to you? Send him back to Canada and let him go of course.

Respect the international court of law? What international court of law? Are you referring to the Geneva Convention? By all evidence he was treated much better than the Geneva Convention even requires.

Illegal practice. Those who think this boy’s ill treatment is justified or even funny should be ashamed of themselves. At the end of the day, in a civilized society, people should be charged and tried in court according to law, not just get kidnapped and tortured as we see now.

This is 100% Human Rights Violation The kid is 15 when he gets captured, and interrogated at age 16 when the video was shot. He has been in jail for 5 years.

 

[ayesha309]

Treat him while considering his age? What does that even mean?

Charge him under a legally and acceptable court/country? What would be legally acceptable to you? Send him back to Canada and let him go of course.

Respect the international court of law? What international court of law? Are you referring to the Geneva Convention? By all evidence he was treated much better than the Geneva Convention even requires.

I see a lot of ignorance in your talk. the kid was 15 when he went to guantanamo. more than 1/3 of his life has been spent there. while there he lost an eye, has been shot at, suffers breathing problems (he was shot near the lungs i blieve) has been beaten, etc. This is not humane treatment. if someone did that to an american, or even to an animal, to a dog for example, wouldn't animal rights be out there complaining??? and then thers weirdos like you who find this "humane treatment".
this boy is in guantanmo bay cuz he shot an american soldier. but don't forget the american soldier did kill three of his friends who wer with him. he just killed the american soldier in self-defence. if he dint kill the american soldier, the american soldier would've killed him. muder is allowed in self-defence even in international law
even if he was sent back to canada, he woudn't be free there. their laws arent soo lenient. but at least he would provided a more humane treatment in prison. perhaps his family might be allowed to see him, even if it is once a month. perhaps he may began to get treatment for the dozens of wounds he has suffered. perhaps. but unfortuantely the canadian government refuses to ask for their citizen. britain has done it, but canada is too afraid to make its ally "unhappy"; a humiliation on the part of the canadian government

 

[S_87]

may Allah help him and all of those like him

 

[Izyan]

Seeing that he's a Canadian citizen with no connection to Afghanistan, what was he doing there? A fair trial? How much of a trial was Daniel Pearl or Nick Berg Afforded. Under the Geneva Convictions he could have been executed on the spot as an enemy combatant. Don't blame the US for his predicament blame his nutty parents.

 

[Keltoi]

I keep hearing about torture and beatings, but there is nothing to suggest any of that occurred. What happens in the U.S. when an underage teen kills somebody? He is imprisoned. The length of time is the question. If he is sent back to Canada, the deal would involve a lengthy prison sentence.

As for the guy's injuries, those were sustained in Afghanistan. Not in Gitmo. He was given medical care. There is no way around this simple reality. He was captured on the battlefield after killing a Marine medic with a hand grenade. He knew exactly what he was doing and why he was in Afghanistan in the first place. Decisions have consequences. More than likely he will be sent back to Canadian custody and will spend time in prison. All things considered, he is lucky he isn't dead.

 

[Keltoi]

I see a lot of ignorance in your talk. the kid was 15 when he went to guantanamo. more than 1/3 of his life has been spent there. while there he lost an eye, has been shot at, suffers breathing problems (he was shot near the lungs i blieve) has been beaten, etc. This is not humane treatment. if someone did that to an american, or even to an animal, to a dog for example, wouldn't animal rights be out there complaining??? and then thers weirdos like you who find this "humane treatment".
this boy is in guantanmo bay cuz he shot an american soldier. but don't forget the american soldier did kill three of his friends who wer with him. he just killed the american soldier in self-defence. if he dint kill the american soldier, the american soldier would've killed him. muder is allowed in self-defence even in international law
even if he was sent back to canada, he woudn't be free there. their laws arent soo lenient. but at least he would provided a more humane treatment in prison. perhaps his family might be allowed to see him, even if it is once a month. perhaps he may began to get treatment for the dozens of wounds he has suffered. perhaps. but unfortuantely the canadian government refuses to ask for their citizen. britain has done it, but canada is too afraid to make its ally "unhappy"; a humiliation on the part of the canadian government

Do you even realize how absurd that sounds? "he just killed the american soldier in self-defence. if he dint kill the american soldier, the american soldier would've killed him." The guy is alive! After killing a medic he is lucky they didn't fill him with enough led to make a human pencil. More than likely he is alive because they saw his age and had mercy on him.

 

[Ninth_Scribe]

So what? You live with your decisions. Don't pretend this was a little boy playing with teddy bears before he was captured. He knew exactly what he was doing.

Way to go Keltoi! You've just completely destroyed the propaganda the U.S. military used in Iraq this past month. They caught two teen-agers and got them to "testify" that they were forced by Al Qaeda in Iraq to train as Mujahideen! The U.S. military thought this was "disgraceful" but apparently you seem to feel that anyone at any age is fair game. They couldn't possibly have been lured into combat, as these generals have claimed, for food and shelter. To quote you: They "knew exactly what they were doing."

As for your comment that nothing suggests these boys or men were tortured, there are quite a number of people who beg to differ, but you haven't SEEN anything. Like a good little monkey, you cover your ears and eyes... pity you can't cover your mouth too.

The Ninth Scribe

 

[Ali.]

Keltoi, so you think he deserves to be where he is?

 

[Keltoi]

Keltoi, so you think he deserves to be where he is?

Absolutely. He was captured on a battlefield in Afghanistan after killing a medic...where else should he be? He should be thankful he isn't dead. More than likely he will be released to Canadian custody and will probably be able to return to society in 10 or 20 years.

 

[Keltoi]

Way to go Keltoi! You've just completely destroyed the propaganda the U.S. military used in Iraq this past month. They caught two teen-agers and got them to "testify" that they were forced by Al Qaeda in Iraq to train as Mujahideen! The U.S. military thought this was "disgraceful" but apparently you seem to feel that anyone at any age is fair game. They couldn't possibly have been lured into combat, as these generals have claimed, for food and shelter. To quote you: They "knew exactly what they were doing."

The Ninth Scribe

How does that have anything to do with the topic at hand? I'm sure Al-Qaeda is promoting teens to their cause. I agree it is disgraceful. How does that change the reality of what happens to them when they are captured as enemy combatants?

 

[Ninth_Scribe]

How does that have anything to do with the topic at hand? I'm sure Al-Qaeda is promoting teens to their cause. I agree it is disgraceful. How does that change the reality of what happens to them when they are captured as enemy combatants?

How do you know this boy wasn't lured too? Because he was caught with a gun? So were the two Iraqi boys! Yes, it's related. You can't say one is guilty without condemning them all. There is no picking and choosing between favorites. A boy is a boy. If he's considered fair game, they ALL are. Otherwise the statements contradict themselves... and you know me... I hate contradictions. I hate them in holy law and I hate them in military statistics.

The Ninth Scribe

 

[Keltoi]

How do you know this boy wasn't lured too? Because he was caught with a gun? So were the two Iraqi boys! Yes, it's related. You can't say one is guilty without condemning them all. There is no picking and choosing between favorites. A boy is a boy. If he's considered fair game, they ALL are. Otherwise the statements contradict themselves... and you know me... I hate contradictions. I hate them in holy law and I hate them in military statistics.

The Ninth Scribe

That may be fine if the "boys" weren't involved in the deaths of U.S. soldiers. Once they cross that line they cannot simply be released with a pat on the back and a Coca-Cola. Don't kill them unless you have no other choice, but it isn't very smart to simply let them go either.

 

[smartcard]

More than likely he will be released to Canadian custody and will probably be able to return to society in 10 or 20 years.

This is what I would like to end this case. Why the boy is in Guantanamo Bay where there is no law!

What is best is Canada demand him to be return back (like other countries) and do the needful law procedures according to Canadian judicial system.

 

[Keltoi]

This is what I would like to end this case. Why the boy is in Guantanamo Bay where there is no law!

What is best is Canada demand him to be return back (like other countries) and do the needful law procedures according to Canadian judicial system.

There is law in Gitmo. Many detainees have been released even recently. The military tribunals are being very strict on rules of evidence. Most of those kept at Gitmo these days are the worst of the worst. People like Khalid Sheik Mohammed.