Omar Khadr Appears To Be Back in Canada

After years of detention at the U.S. naval base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, Omar Khadr has returned to Canada to serve the rest of his sentence at a maximum security facility in eastern Ontario.Khadr landed at CFB Trenton Saturday morning where he was transferred, in shackles, to the Millhaven Institution, a maximum security prison in Bath, Ont. Khadr’s van was escorted by police, reported CTV’s Ottawa Bureau Chief Robert Fife. Public Safety Minister Vic Toews confirmed that Khadr was transferred to Canadian custody after 7:40 a.m. ET Saturday morning. “Early this morning, convicted terrorist Omar Khadr was transferred to Canadian authorities at CFB Trenton,” Toews told reporters during a brief press conference in Winnipeg. “Omar Khadr is a known supporter of the Al-Qaeda terrorist network and a convicted terrorist. He pleaded guilty to the murder of Sgt. 1st Class Christopher Speer, an American Army medic, who was mortally wounded in a firefight in Afghanistan on July 27, 2002 and died on August 6, 2002.”

The Department of Defense announced today that Omar Ahmed Khadr was transferred from the detention facility at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba to Canada. Omar Khadr pleaded guilty, pursuant to a pre-trial agreement in a military commission, to murder in violation of the law of war, attempted murder in violation of the law of war, conspiracy, providing material support for terrorism, and spying. Pursuant to the pre-trial agreement, the convening authority approved an eight-year sentence of confinement. The pre-trial agreement specifies that one year of confinement must be served in the custody and control of the United States, and that Khadr could be transferred to Canada to serve the remainder of his sentence in accordance with Canadian law. The United States Government has returned Khadr to Canada where he will serve out his remaining sentence. The United States coordinated with the government of Canada regarding appropriate security and humane treatment measures. In accordance with statutory reporting requirements, the administration informed Congress of its intent to transfer Khadr to Canada. Documents related to Khadr’s military commission proceedings are available on the Office of Military Commissions website at http://www.mc.mil/ . Today, 166 detainees remain in detention at Guantanamo Bay.