In Denial; Not His Fault

Janet Hamlin/AP file photo Omar Khadr, seen during testimony at Guantanamo Bay in October 2010, has pleaded guilty to five war crimes, including murder for the death of a U.S. soldier in a 2002 gunfight in Afghanistan. 

 

 

The U.S., having turned over a 7-hour transcript of an interview with Omar Khadr to Canadian authorities, are aghast that Maclean's has had possession of the transcript, and has published a special for its readers on the data extracted from the transcript.  What emerges from the interview is a picture of an individual, no longer a child in years, but emotionally dependent, and refusing to accept responsibility for actions he lodged a guilty plea for during his trial in the United States.

As a result of the picture that comes through of a chronological adult, but an emotional youth, it is entirely possible that the Government of Canada itself did in fact, have a hand in ensuring that the contents of the interview had some public play.  If not for emphasizing that what his interlocutor, psychiatrist Dr. Michael Welner concluded about his personality and character, then for public sympathy to stray from the plight of a 'child soldier', to that of a unrepentant young jihadist.  To enlist that public sympathy to support the government's reluctance to bring Omar Khadr "back home", which is where he wants to be.

Among his family, as it happens, for he remains faithful to his vision of having been raised by his parents just as any other 'normal' family would have raised a child.  He uncategorically rejects the common view that his father was a high-value working member of al-Qaeda, claiming that others took advantage of his father for their own means; he was simply a useful translator.  And he was raised by his father just like any other kid would be, by a father who "Hit him sometimes, punch him sometimes, talk to him sometimes.  Just like a normal father."

"I think he was just a normal dad.  He was just trying to raise his children the right way."  And what he missed most about his former life before at age 15 he was shot and captured on the battlefield by American troops in Afghanistan during a firefight in which he was involved and when he killed a U.S. medic - is that "I miss being trusted.  Nobody trusts me, and they don't trust me because of something I didn't do or I was made to do.  I was never given a chance."  Sounds as though Omar Khadr has been busy reading the sympathetic conclusions of those who iterate and reiterate that he was a 'child soldier' and not responsible for whatever happened.

He is deeply invested in denial; forewarned, so should we all be.  About his "coming home", that is.  Consider this: according to psychiatrist Dr. Michael Welner whose opinion was expressed at 26-year-old Omar Khadr's sentencing hearing two years ago, the young man remains "full of rage", he represents "al-Qaeda royalty", and he is, given his state of mind, "highly dangerous".  If/when Canada receives this young man back in this country, he will have to be constantly monitored.  It has been concluded that reuniting with his family, and resuming warm relations with them would increase the danger he poses to Western society.

He is obviously highly suggestible, still clinging to what he believes in, the classic jihadist ideology his father steeped him in, both throughout his upbringing and when he was sent to a jihadist training camp in Afghanistan where he learned the mujaheddin arts of bomb-making and weapons-handling.  His mother snarls her defiance of how they are popularly regarded in Canada; supporters of violent Islamist jihad.  Her rejoinder is that Western society is decadent, indecent and indefensible.

Which hasn't stopped her or the rest of the family - three generations' worth - make that four now, happy enough to take advantage of all the social welfare advantages of living in Canada.  And Canada, says Omar Khadr, is where he feels he will be finally at home.  So Canada is the fortunate beneficiary at the conclusion (we can only hope it is the conclusion) of this weary tale.

He will remain unrepentant; he feels he has nothing to repent for.  "I don't think I had a choice in my life to regret anything, because I didn't make any choices to regret them.  I don't blame myself for anything that I didn't have a choice to do."  Yes, he tossed that grenade at St. Christopher Speer, and yes he died, but it's just the way things turned out.  He threw the grenade, but someone handed it to him, someone told him what to do, others "started dragging me around" once the bombs began dropping.

And then this man who trained as a deadly jihadist - why else learn how to make explosive devices, why otherwise learn how to handle and to use weapons meant for combat - has this to say, 9-11 represents a "tragedy".  "No innocent person deserves to die or be killed.  Americans, Muslims, Jewish, Mormons, whatever; human soul is sacred and each that must be protected and not abused.  So for me, a human soul is a human soul, regardless of its religion, of its country.  They're all protected."

Puzzled?  Oh ye of little faith.

So, it's all right, after all.  His head's screwed on right.  And he's going to be ours, for better or for worse.  Better we be very aware that the worst is always possible.