Omar Khadr: Now he's Obama's Problem

I always knew that the Canadian government's shameful treatment of Omar Khadr would come back to haunt us one day.

But who knew it would rise up out of the unspeakable darkness of Guantanamo and haunt Obama?

Right groups challenged president-elect Barack Obama Monday to stop the war crimes trial of Canadian Omar Khadr, the first terrorist suspect scheduled go on trial at Guantanamo only six days after the inauguration.

“Obama is at risk of becoming the first president in U.S. history to prosecute a child soldier for war crimes...”

Which would force him to take action sooner than he wants to:

Last weekend, he seemed to hedge even on closing the notorious Caribbean prison, saying “it is more difficult than I think a lot of people realize.” He admitted it would be “a challenge” to get Guantanamo closed during his first 100 days in office.

Or risk damaging his reputation. And all because Stephen Harper didn't do the right thing and bring Omar home.

The Harper government – unlike all other western governments with citizens held in Guantanamo — has steadfastly refused to seek his release, saying Mr. Khadr must answer to the war crimes charges again him and declining to ask for him to be treated as a child soldier.

Uh oh. Something tells me Obama is not going to be too happy with Great Bush Leader. First he tried to sabotage his primary campaign by leaking stuff about NAFTA. Now he's trying to sabotage his inauguration....and RUIN his image.

I think it's going to get ugly...














But of course Harper's not the only one who is going to be embarrassed. We ALL are.

The whole affair is going to put the case of Omar Khadr in the international spotlight. And people are going to ask some embarrassing questions like the ones I asked the other day.

And some will probably remind the world that back in 2002 Canada was the FIRST nation to ratify the so-called Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child that requires signatories to give special consideration to child soldiers.

To rehabilitate not punish them. And of course not torture them like Omar was.

Which is sure to have a lot of people all over the world wondering whether Canadians are hypocrites, idiots, Bush stooges, or just racist child hating weirdos. You know the people who let a child be tortured in a place like Guantanamo because they HATED his family.

And all because Great Bush Leader didn't do the right thing and bring Omar home.

I tell you.... the longer Stephen Harper stays in office, the more he degrades this country.

The more he degrades us all....