Maligning Omar #Khadr, letter to National Post #cdnpoli

From: IanVMacdonald@aol.com
To: letters-2@nationalpost.com
Sent: 3/31/2012 3:01:05 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time
Subj: Maligning Omar Khadr

March 30, 2012

Editor
NATIONAL POST
Toronto

Dear Sir,

Omar Khadr - terrorist or hero?

Sophisticated readers wise to the ways of Western journalism will have no difficulty discerning the extreme prejudice behind the frenzied attacks on "child soldier" Omar Khadr by the media, nor will they fail to recognize the partisan origin of the vitriolic rhetoric and distortion of the events surrounding his capture.

The inconvenient facts are that Omar came from a respectable family much concerned over human rights abuses and ready to contribute in real terms to the defence of their values in Afghanistan, just as the American government was intent on imposing its values, the former, however, spurred by principle, the latter by pressure from avaricious International Oil and the Israeli Lobby.

Omar's "crime" was his alleged support of the Taliban, but the accusation rings hollow since the Taliban had been empowered by America in their defence against the Russian occupation and became "terrorists" only after they opposed an even more exploitative occupation by America. Essentially, the Taliban fought, justifiably, for the independence of their country, serving what they and their co-religionists from other countries, including the Canadian Khadrs, saw as a noble cause. The analogy of young Canadians rushing to the defence of their British kin in WWII is not strained.

To construe the isolated Khadrs' ill-fated attempt to defend themselves from a vicious attack by unidentified, much superior forces as "terrorism" is equally a case of standing reality on its head. Omar's father, an incorruptible former academic, was killed in the American-Pakistani assault, his brother was shot in the back as he lay wounded (and paralyzed for life). Omar, with exceptional courage for a 15 year old, bravely rose to the occasion - whether or not he threw the grenade that killed the (inexplicably-involved) U.S. Army medic,

Omar was imprisoned, while any American soldier showing such valour under fire and against such odds, would have been acclaimed a hero. Safely-ensconced, unprincipled journalist-critics, never facing risk greater than exposure for persistent misrepresentation, should ponder how they would have acted in Omar's situation - with far less gallantry one can be sure.

After having heartlessly betrayed and abandoned him, the Government now should show contrition and even pride in accepting Omar back. He has endured a painful and unnecessary ordeal at the hands of vindictive hypocrites; the same scheming charlatans who purport to "defend human rights" in other countries while violating and abolishing them in their own. Omar Khadr deserves a hero's welcome, generous compensation and public rehabilitation of his loyal, wrongly maligned, patiently caring family.

As ever,

Ian V. Macdonald
455 Wilbrod Street
Ottawa K1N 6M7
613 241 5389

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