U.S. tries 15 year old as War Criminal: The most controversial trial at Guantanamo
By Monica Villamizar in Americas on August 8th, 2010
--AlJazeera.net--
The upcoming trial is one of Guantanamo's most controversial cases. Canadian citizen Omar Khadr is the only Westerner still being held at this military prison; he was detained in Afghanistan at the age of 15. He's now 23.
International law says children captured on the battlefield must be treated as victims, and not as perpetrators. Child-soldiers are supposed to be rehabilitated and given the chance to re-enter society. Omar Khadr hasn't been treated as a victim nor has he been rehabilitated because the United States says he isn't a soldier and al-Qaeda isn't an army.
It's been widely reported that the US would have preferred to have reached a plea deal with Khadr, rather than have his case go to trial. (cont...)
By Monica Villamizar in Americas on August 8th, 2010
--AlJazeera.net--
The upcoming trial is one of Guantanamo's most controversial cases. Canadian citizen Omar Khadr is the only Westerner still being held at this military prison; he was detained in Afghanistan at the age of 15. He's now 23.
International law says children captured on the battlefield must be treated as victims, and not as perpetrators. Child-soldiers are supposed to be rehabilitated and given the chance to re-enter society. Omar Khadr hasn't been treated as a victim nor has he been rehabilitated because the United States says he isn't a soldier and al-Qaeda isn't an army.
It's been widely reported that the US would have preferred to have reached a plea deal with Khadr, rather than have his case go to trial. (cont...)
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