Omar Khadr: The Youngest Terrorist?

Was Only 15 Years Old When He Was Captured In Afghanistan

(CBS)  Omar Khadr seems an unlikely poster boy for the war on terror. Khadr is a Canadian citizen, he likes Harry Potter, and he was only 15 years old when he was captured by the U.S. Army in Afghanistan. And that's what makes his case so controversial: his age.

As correspondent Bob Simon reports, Omar Khadr is the only person in modern history to be charged for war crimes he allegedly committed while a minor.

60 Minutes got a rare glimpse into a Guantanamo case -- one of the first that will be prosecuted. Consider this: is Omar Khadr a hardened terrorist -- a bad seed, or an obedient son, led astray by his family?

---

The U.S. accuses Omar Khadr of murdering an American soldier, conspiracy, spying and more, all done, they say, when he was just 15 years old. Khadr has been detained in Guantanamo Bay for five years, much of it in a maximum security prison, in a cell with no windows, awaiting a military trial. His lawyers say that due to his age when he was taken prisoner, he should have been considered a child soldier and shouldn't be there at all.

As is, the U.S. calls him an unlawful enemy combatant, a euphemism for terrorist. 60 Minutes was not allowed to speak to Omar Khadr. But Dennis Edney, one of his lawyers, has visited him in Guantanamo several times.

"He's been in confinement for five years. Think of that. Think of locking a dog in a cage for five years. That's what’s happened to Omar Khadr," Edney tells Simon.

But Omar Khadr faces serious charges and, if convicted, could face up to life in prison. He was captured in eastern Afghanistan, a region notorious for harboring members of al Qaeda and the Taliban. In July 2002, U.S. Special Forces were patrolling the area when they got a tip that some al Qaeda members were holed up nearby.

Back then, Layne Morris was Sergeant Layne Morris. When his unit approached a walled compound, he says al Qaeda gunmen opened fire, killing Morris' interpreters.

"These guys just shot them point blank in the face," Morris says.

He says two interpreters were killed instantly. And then Sgt. Morris felt something hit his right eye.

"A piece of the hand grenade shrapnel cut the optic nerve," he says. "So I'm blind in one eye."

The fighting went on for hours. By the time it was over, the compound was completely destroyed by 500 pound bombs.

Morris didn't think anybody inside the compound could still be alive. "The assumption was that everybody's dead in there," he says.

But when soldiers went in, someone threw a hand grenade at them. One of the medics, Sergeant Christopher Speer, was killed. Then they found Omar Khadr, barely alive, lying in the rubble and blinded in one eye, just like Layne Morris.

"He's lucky," Morris says. "Because he killed one medic. The second medic saved his life."

Asked if the medic described the kid, Morris tells Simon, "All he said was, 'Man, we got up on that kid and he begged us to kill him.' He said 'Just kill me.'"

And he said it in perfect English.

The U.S. Department of Defense declined to give 60 Minutes an interview about the Khadr case, so Simon spoke to retired General John Altenburg, a lawyer who reviewed the initial evidence against Khadr and counseled the military to put him on trial for war crimes.

"I understand that the evidence reveals that a grenade was thrown over a wall, but that nobody saw him throw it," Simon remarks.

"I think it's fair to say that no person saw him actually throw the grenade," Altenburg replies.

So why the charges?

Says Altenburg, "Because there is circumstantial evidence that would indicate he was the one who threw the grenade."

Meaning no one else was found alive who could have thrown it.

[tedrivington]

In the story on Omar Khadr, 60 Minutes kept referring to him as Canadian. As a Canadian, I am offended by that. He is not Canadian. His family emigrated here but that is it. He is not Canadian, he does not think like a Canadian, and he does not represent Canadians.

[xtradk]

I was so moved by this story that I had to comment. The soldier that was killed lost his life to the defense of his country and only got a mere mention. The young man lived and is now using the laws of our country to try to get him out of prison. In his country he may be a hero for the murder of a U.S. soldier but now that he is in our country let him be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. He sure had no problem wiring the bomb he was making on the video so I have no problem watching the wiring of the electric chair.

[rita48]

I am shocked that, during this segment, you broadcast a picture of a dead person who had the back of his head blown open. BOTH of Janet Jackson''s breast do not insult or shock anywhere near to that picture. I suspect that if it had been the picture of a dead American soldier, the government would be all over your case. Shame on you for doing that.

[nyckate]

How and why this kid ended up in Gitmos is the fault of his father and his family. If he was old enough to build a bomb then he shouldn''t be tried as a child. He should be out of Gitmo - and in federal lockup and spend the rest of his life with the likes of the shoebomber, end of story.

[be1850]

The business of the 72 virgins always hits an odd note. It sounds like a trip to paradise is a ticket to licentious plunder -but its the opposite. 72 is a numerical expression for the infinite and virgin is an expression for purity. Muhammad inculcated the same diciplines and virtues that Christ did and having enjoined modesty and saintly conduct upon his followers, their reward is to be attended to lovingly in a state of infinity purity. Any thought that the pleasure of the afterlife means the gratification of earthly cravings absolutely misses the power of what is really being conveyed.

[be1850]

The business of the 72 virgins always hits an odd note. It sounds like a trip to paradise is a ticket to licentious plunder -but its the opposite. 72 is a numerical expression for the infinite and virgin is an expression for purity. Muhammad inculcated the same diciplines and virtues that Christ did and having enjoined modesty and saintly conduct upon his followers, their reward is to be attended to lovingly in a state of infinity purity. Any thought that the pleasure of the afterlife means the gratification of earthly cravings absolutely misses the power of what is really being conveyed.

[downtowner97]

Thanks to what we''ve done in Iraq, we''ve created a lot more terrorists, some probably even younger.

[dixie001]

I am Candian, and take exception to the 60Minutes segment referring to Omar Khadr as Canadian. He is not - his family emigrated here & for some unknown reason we allowed them to! He is not representative of my country. It was a grievous ommission to not have even 1 comment from the family of the young soldier/medic Omar killed. One sided reporting like this is beneath 60 Minutes. Next week, let''s hear from the soldier''s family.

[artcampbell1]

Omar Khdar has killed one person. George Bush has killed thousands of Iraqis and Afghanis and nore than 4000 Americans. Why is George Bush not on trial?

[myidoncbs]

"unlawful enemy combatant", IS NOT a euphemism for "terrorist". It is an ENTIRELY BOGUS TERM, MADE UP BY BUSH''S LAWYERS TO ALLOW THEM TO TORTURE PEOPLE BY PRETENDING THEY ARE SOMEHOW "OUTSIDE THE LAW, SO NO LAWS APPLY TO THEM".

Bush is the real terrorist. He has terrorized our nation into abandoning its principles. Bush is a war criminal.

[jetranger7]

Frankly my dear, I''d just like to get my hands on "72" of those Terroists !!! Sincerely-Dr.Hannibal Lector !!

[kanbee]

To portray this TERRORIST as "only 15" only speaks to the seriousness and danger of the enemy of today''s modern world. Be naive and think of him as only a child and see how fast you die at his hands. Having been personally attacked with 19 separate IEDs, I can tell you this - Never underestimate the enemy''s vile ability to use the mask of innocence as a weapon of destruction. Any religion that touts heaven is only obtainable through the killing of other humans is NOT a beautiful religion, but if martyrdom is what they seek, I certainly agree with helping them down that road.

[feelfree1]

It''s not enough that we imprison without charge, torture, rape, soddomize, and execute people, in secret prisons and illegal detention centers like Guantanimo. We have to engage in this sub-human behavior against children as well.

What a disgraceful nation we have become.

[gordonitis]

Don''t blame the victim for the crime. Just because the murderer is 15 years old does not excuse him from his crime, whatever it is, especially murder. Nor does laying the another person. I don''t feel sorry for him at all. But those who incite others to commit crimes should be prosecuted as if they did it themselves.

[gordonitis]

Don''t blame the victim for the crime. Just because the murderer is 15 years old does not excuse him from his crime, whatever it is, especially murder. Nor does laying the another person. I don''t feel sorry for him at all. But those who incite others to commit crimes should be prosecuted as if they did it themselves.

[gordonitis]

Don''t blame the victim for the crime. Just because the murderer is 15 years old does not excuse him from his crime, whatever it is, especially murder. Nor does laying the another person. I don''t feel sorry for him at all. But those who incite others to commit crimes should be prosecuted as if they did it themselves.

[glaswolf]

Combatants in warzones show up at 6 years old. It is a mindset that is adverserial and dangerous, not the age of the body. Young kids would spot for ambushers at forks in jungle pathways, they sent people to their death. In our streets, young teenagers kill with abundance. Some of history''s greatest warriors began a youngster attuned to battlefields by incident. Attenburg''s should not feel anything but neutral to prosecuting Kadr, it is wrong to try to play on Kadr''s youth. Military units kill, he was part of such a unit, he is guilty of treason if he claims his Canadian identity as Canada is assisting us, as much as Canadians can given their political condition.

[gordonitis]

Don''t blame the victim for the crime. Just because the murderer is 15 years old does not excuse him from his crime, whatever it is, especially murder. Nor does laying the another person. I don''t feel sorry for him at all. But those who incite others to commit crimes should be prosecuted as if they did it themselves.

[gordonitis]

Don''t blame the victim for the crime. Just because the murderer is 15 years old does not excuse him from his crime, whatever it is, especially murder. Nor does laying the another person. I don''t feel sorry for him at all. But those who incite others to commit crimes should be prosecuted as if they did it themselves.

[feelfree1]

Re: "Says Altenburg, "Because there is circumstantial evidence that would indicate he was the one who threw the grenade."

"Meaning no one else was found alive who could have thrown it."

So we have circumstantial evidence against a child that has been held for years, in this disgraceful and illegal detention center.

What more proof do the craven terrorists presiding over this illegitimate kangaroo court need to convict and execute this child?

[gordonitis]

Don''t blame the victim for the crime. Just because the murderer is 15 years old does not excuse him from his crime, whatever it is, especially murder. Nor does laying the another person. I don''t feel sorry for him at all. But those who incite others to commit crimes should be prosecuted as if they did it themselves.

[libsluvsuvs]

It''''s not enough that we imprison without charge, torture, rape, soddomize, and execute people, in secret prisons and illegal detention centers like Guantanimo. We have to engage in this sub-human behavior against children as well.

What a disgraceful nation we have become.

Posted by FeelFree1 at 09:47 PM : Nov 18, 2007
+ report abuse

*****************

I would not be suprised that you think that way..its well documented that you think that this country is evil and islam is the next best thing since sliced bread.

(did you even read the topic?)

[gordonitis]

Don''t blame the victim for the crime. Just because the murderer is 15 years old does not excuse him from his crime, whatever it is, especially murder. Nor does laying the another person. I don''t feel sorry for him at all. But those who incite others to commit crimes should be prosecuted as if they did it themselves. Radical liberals are fond of accusing President Bush of using Nazi tactics. If that were true US combat units would go into towns, line up hundreds of people and kill them all. And if that had happened 60 minutes would surely have reported it to us the nest day.

[feelfree1]

Re: "The fighting went on for hours. By the time it was over, the compound was completely destroyed by 500 pound bombs."

"Morris didn''t think anybody inside the compound could still be alive. "The assumption was that everybody''s dead in there," he says."

Sounds like ***. If the structure was "completely destryoed", how could there be an "in there"? Wouldn''t it be simply a pile of rubble?

The U.S. has no case against this boy, otherwise he would not be waiting for 5 years for his day in a sham trial.

[gordonitis]

Don''t blame the victim for the crime. Just because the murderer is 15 years old does not excuse him from his crime, whatever it is, especially murder. Nor does laying the blame on another person excuse the perpetrator. I don''t feel sorry for him at all. But by the same token those who incite others to commit crimes should be prosecuted as if they themselves did it. Radical liberals are fond of accusing President Bush of using Nazi tactics. If that were true US combat units would go into towns, line up hundreds of people and kill them all. And if that had happened 60 minutes would surely have reported it to us the nest day. The truth is only the person directly responsible is held for trial.

[feelfree1]

U.S. soldiers had no legitimate business in Afghanistan in the first place.

Even if the claims against this boy were true, which is highly doubtful, this could easily be dismissed as a case of self defense if the building was being attacked by the U.S. forces, as appears to be the case.

What a sick joke.

[gordonitis]

Don''t blame the victim for the crime. Just because the murderer is 15 years old does not excuse him from his crime, whatever it is, especially murder. Nor does laying the blame on another person excuse the perpetrator. I don''t feel sorry for him at all. But by the same token those who incite others to commit crimes should be prosecuted as if they themselves did it. Radical liberals are fond of accusing President Bush of using Nazi tactics. If that were true US combat units would go into towns, line up hundreds of people and kill them all. And if that had happened 60 minutes would surely have reported it to us the next day. The truth is only the person directly responsible is held for trial as in this case.

[gordonitis]

Don''t blame the victim for the crime. Just because the murderer is 15 years old does not excuse him from his crime, whatever it is, especially murder. Nor does laying the blame on another person excuse the perpetrator. I don''t feel sorry for him at all. But by the same token those who incite others to commit crimes should be prosecuted as if they themselves did it. Radical liberals are fond of accusing President Bush of using Nazi tactics. If that were true US combat units would go into towns, line up hundreds of people and kill them all. And if that had happened 60 minutes would surely have reported it to us the next day. The truth is only the person directly responsible is held for trial as in this case.

[gordonitis]

Don''t blame the victim for the crime. Just because the murderer is 15 years old does not excuse him from his crime, whatever it is, especially murder. Nor does laying the blame on another person excuse the perpetrator. I don''t feel sorry for him at all. But by the same token those who incite others to commit crimes should be prosecuted as if they themselves did it. Radical liberals are fond of accusing President Bush of using Nazi tactics. If that were true US combat units would go into towns, line up hundreds of people and kill them all. And if that had happened 60 minutes would surely have reported it to us the next day. The truth is only the person directly responsible is held for trial as in this case.

[gordonitis]

Don''t blame the victim for the crime. Just because the murderer is 15 years old does not excuse him from his crime, whatever it is, especially murder. Nor does laying the blame on another person excuse the perpetrator. I don''t feel sorry for him at all. But by the same token those who incite others to commit crimes should be prosecuted as if they themselves did it. Radical liberals are fond of accusing President Bush of using Nazi tactics. If that were true US combat units would go into towns, line up hundreds of people and kill them all. And if that had happened 60 minutes would surely have reported it to us the next day. The truth is only the person directly responsible is held for trial as in this case.

[bareemperor]

Who are the real terrorists?
Google ''Krongard 9/11''

[middleman8]

What the he-ll were those US troops doing over there? By their own addmission they were killing innocent people. Then they had to call in the airforce with 500 lb. bombs. If that young boy would of had one plane there would of been another Dunkirk.

[feelfree1]

Re: "Out of the 305 detainees in Guantanamo, Omar Khadr''s case will be only the second to be prosecuted."

Obviously they have no case against these illegally held detainees, and obviously they are not the "worst of the worst", as has been claimed, since so many of them have already been released, without charge, folowing their torure and lengthy detension at Guantanimo."

Re: "The U.S. says an eyewitness has recently provided new evidence that could bolster Khadr''s defense."

If this boy was the only one found alive, how could there be any eyewitnesses?

This case is obviously garbage, even if it wasn''t being conducted at an illegal detention center by a kangaroo court of fascistic cowards.

[middleman8]

PeaceProphet

U have been reading the wrong history. Never, Never has the US went to war from a UN resolution or word of another country.The last war when there was a vote taken was WW2, by F D Roosevelt. The whole world INCLUDING THE UN WAS AGAINST ATTACKING IRAQ.

[feelfree1]

nyckate,

If a child of yours were held for years without being charged, in an illegal prison, and his captors told you over and over again that he or she was a "terrorist", would that be enough to satisfy you of their guilt?

[feelfree1]

Aren''t these terrorists even younger?

www.informationliberation.com/files/192642682_2fea4cce66_o.jpg

www.informationliberation.com/files/192642681_c4903905bd_o.jpg

[sevenveils]

Children less his age have been tried as an adult for lesser crimes.

[airjackie]

This was interesting as a young child obeyed his father and the belief to protect their country. Russia tried to invade while the US came in to make sure Russia couldn''t do it. If only the children of Afghanistan disobeyed their parents like US children do. Now if an American parent tells a kid to go out and do something most will not. While the parents of this young man have the control and know their child will do as their told. We hear kids in the US curse at their parents and even beat them up but we''re the country others should want to be like. I don''t agree with what this boy was told but the US official who showed so much hate when speaking about such a young child with no evidence to say he did anything but translate as his father ordered him to do. I pray no American child who might be overseas is ever treated the way we treat children here in the US. Right now we have more children being molested by Americans and Law Makers so we have our own problems.

[feelfree1]

Re: "Khadr is a Canadian citizen, he likes Harry Potter, and he was only 15 years old when he was captured..."

Harry Potter, eh?

Seems like if they would simply turn him over to the 700 Club, or some other Christian Taliban organization, rather than bother with a sham trial, and had him executed on live TV, they could get a few more votes in the next election cycle.

[likeablunchs]

'' ... what''s the difference in ruling forever because one wants to, and because one will be damned not to? whatever difference one chooses ... my soul spans forever, and i get a bad dream here or there now or then and chaos seems to rumble round till i calm inside and out and remember it was all my fault and i never truly cut anyone but myself ... i only glance at you cruelly because you are not the one i wish that i could be; though, i''m sure to be again ... ''

[asoldiertoo]

Omar Khadr is lucky to be alive, he should have been killed by US service members in Afghanistan. It is unAmerican to hold him in Cuba, but not because of his age.

[twood001]

Let us ask ourselves. How would this child be treated in our juvenile system? I know of kids who committed murder served a few years and had thier records expunges - no mention of it as adults. Why are we treating Omar any different?

The label terrorist is similiar to the communist label given to many for supposed unAmerican activities. THese are prisnoers of war. and Omar is a child soldier. As such he should be tried as child soldier who was influenced by a fauly paradies with 42 virgins awaiting hime (lured by ***).

There is no evidence showing he threw the grenade that killed the medic. It could have been thrown by one his dead counterparts. This is a sad day in America. Holding a child in prsion for 6 years without a trial is a shame. We will be hated even more by Islam.

The Bush administration has tarmished our human rights record with Guantanamo, ruined our credibility with lies of the war, placed the US dangerously in debt where we can''t provide for our own children and severly ruined international ties for decades to come. Bring this trrops home and forget this unhumane war that has cost lives and enriched Bush''s buddies.

[dmhphils]

Many of the posters on this board must be doing LSD. They sound like a bunch of the brain-fried druggies I used to know, on Mescaline, chasing imaginary sands crabs on the beach.

Sober up.

[jowand]

Seems like if they would simply turn him over to the 700 Club, or some other Christian Taliban organization, rather than bother with a sham trial, and had him executed on live TV, they could get a few more votes in the next election cycle.
Posted by FeelFree1 at 11:48 PM : Nov 18, 2007

Like it or not he''s a terrorist, got nothin'' to do with the 700 club, Karl Marx, Groucho Marx or Captain Kangaroo. It''s all about the 00 and 04 elections with you still, get over it.

[fredgrad2000]

"Let us ask ourselves. How would this child be treated in our juvenile system? I know of kids who committed murder served a few years and had thier records expunges - no mention of it as adults. Why are we treating Omar any different?"

Because he is not an American citizen in our criminal justice system. You contradict yourself; you call him a POW, which he technically is not of course since Al Qaeda nor the Taliban were ever signatories to Geneva and their "soldiers" do not wear uniforms and routinely target civilians. But, assume he was a POW (and I advocate TREATING them as such even if they are not legally), that means we can and SHOULD hold him and the others until the conflict is over; they should NOT be tried, especially in our civilian courts! When Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri surrender or Al Qaeda is killed into oblivian, then the war will be over and POWs released. POWs are released during wartime only when hostilities have ceased or in a prisoner exchange, and we know there won''t be one of those because while we give their prisoners good meals, recreation time, copies of the Koran, medical care, and prayer mats; they have no prisoners of ours because anyone they get their hands on is beheaded on the internet!!

[santa2007-2009]

It''''s Free, We love to make a little child smile, so if you have a child or know someone who would enjoy a letter from Santa Claus for there children, Please pass the word on, I found this at:

www.poconocommunitynews.com

[mbcsmith]

Posted by jh6379 at 09:14 AM : Nov 19, 2007

A 15 year old killer! Now what would a 15 year old Canadian be doing wandering around eastern Afghanistan throwing grenades at U.S. forces. Try him and lock up the TERRORIST

[notblue]

There was a fifteen year old on the battlefield in Afghanistan! ***! This is yet another example of Radical Islam at work, this is the nature of the evil spewed to brainwash these young men. Probably brainwashed by his family, Imam, and daily messages from the mosque.

[radiob-2009]

Ayman al-Zawahiri surrender or Al Qaeda is killed into oblivian, then the war will be over and POWs released.
Posted by fredgrad2000

The extremism of their ideology will not end with their capture or demise. How many more Omar Khadr have been brainwashed into believing the justice of their cause that will carry it on? One has to confront and dismantle the ideology in order to end it.

[guruknows]

Watch this kid shooting a chinese

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYjQpFAGUrQ