General

Khadr “felt happy” when his grenade killed U.S. medic

Fact summary at Guantanamo tribunal reveals new details

A summary of facts read in court at the war-crimes tribunal of Omar Khadr reveals new details about the five war crimes to which the Guantanamo Bay prisoner has confessed. The summary states: “During an interview in October 2002, Khadr stated he felt happy when he heard that he had killed an American. Khadr indicated that when he would get “pissed off” with the guards at Bagram, he would recall his killing of the U.S. soldier and it would make him feel good.” Khadr also confirmed that he was a member of al-Qaeda and that the “happiest moment of his life” was when he built and planted roadside bombs aimed at killing Americans and other ‘unbelievers’ who were then in Afghanistan. The summary also describes Khadr’s father Ahmad, who was killed in raid in 2003, as a “trusted senior member of al-Qaida” who “helped raise funds and provided the funds in support of al-Qaida operations.” It also confirmed that Khadr does not fit the definition of prisoner of war under the Geneva conventions.

Montreal Gazette

Globe and Mail

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