my question is this ... why does throwing a grenade in a time of war make him a high-value prisoner? Is he being held to pressure the father? And since when is *this* ok?
On Jan 19, 2008 8:19 AM, Larry Lyons <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Saw this in today's Washingtonpost: > > http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/18/AR2008011802076.html > > Canada Manual: US Prisoners Face Torture > By ROB GILLIES > The Associated Press > Saturday, January 19, 2008; 12:02 AM > > TORONTO -- A training manual for Canadian diplomats lists the United > States as a country where prisoners risk torture and abuse, citing > interrogation techniques such as stripping prisoners, blindfolding and sleep > deprivation. > > The Foreign Affairs Department document, released Friday, singled out the > U.S. detention center at Guantanamo Bay. It also names Israel, > Afghanistan, China, Egypt, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Mexico and Syria as places > where inmates could face torture. > > The listing drew a sharp response from the U.S., a key NATO ally and > trading partner, which asked to removed from the manual. > > "We find it to be offensive for us to be on the same list with countries > like Iran and China. Quite frankly it's absurd," U.S. Ambassador David > Wilkins told The Associated Press. "For us to be on a list like that is just > ridiculous." > > He said the U.S. does not authorize or condone torture. "We think it > should be removed and we've made that request. We have voiced our opinion > very forcefully," Wilkins said. > > Michael Mendel, the Israeli Embassy spokesman, said Israel's Supreme Court > "is on record as expressly prohibiting any type of torture. If Israel is > included in the list in question, the ambassador of Israel would expect its > removal," he said. > > A Canadian citizen, Omar Khadr, is in custody at Guantanamo, but Canada > has long publicly said it accepts U.S. assurances that Khadr is being > treated humanely. > > The government inadvertently released the manual to lawyers for Amnesty > International who are working on a lawsuit involving alleged abuse of Afghan > detainees by local Afghan authorities, after the detainees were handed over > by Canadian troops. > > Canada said the manual is for training, and does not amount to official > government policy. > > "It is not a policy document or any kind of a statement of policy. As such > it does not convey the government's views or positions," said Neil Hrab, a > spokesman for Canada's Foreign Affairs Department. > > "The training manual purposely raised public issues to stimulate > discussion and debate in the classroom." > > Human rights groups have long called on Canada to pressure the United > States to return Khadr from Guantanamo. They say Canada has not done enough > for Khadr, who has been in custody since he was 15. Khadr is accused of > tossing a grenade that killed one U.S. soldier and wounded another in > Afghanistan in 2002. > > He is the son of an alleged al-Qaida financier, and his family has > received little sympathy in Canada, where they've been called the "First > Family of Terrorism." > > Dennis Edney, one of Khadr's lawyers, said the foreign affairs document > shows that Canada says one thing publicly but believes something else > privately. > > "Canada was well aware that Omar Khadr's allegations of being tortured had > a ring of truth to it. Canada has not once raised the protection of Omar > Khadr when there are such serious allegations," Edney said. "What does that > say to you about Canada's commitment to the rule of law and human rights? It > talks on both sides of its face." > > (c) 2008 The Associated Press > > > > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Adobe® ColdFusion® 8 software 8 is the most important and dramatic release to date Get the Free Trial http://ad.doubleclick.net/clk;160198600;22374440;w Archive: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/CF-Community/message.cfm/messageid:251376 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/CF-Community/subscribe.cfm Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=11502.10531.5
