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 Harper takes Canada's international reputation for a nosedive
November 21, 2007
Posted by Stuart Trew
It has been an embarrassing week for Canada. But even more embarrassing for Prime Minister Harper, who is not getting off easy for his government's tacit support for the death penalty and for the U.S. version of the Soviet show trial.
First, as reported in the Ottawa Citizen today, The Council of Europe's secretary general, Terry Davies, "likened the Harper government to Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor who 'washed his hands' of the decision to crucify Jesus Christ because a mob demanded Christ's execution."
Davies said that by refusing to seek clemency for Albertan Ronald Smith, a convicted murderer facing the death penalty in Montana, Harper was essentially "subcontracting" out capital punishment, "exactly the same way the United States of America has sent people to places like Afghanistan, where they are subject to torture and inhuman and degrading treatment in order to get them to give evidence when Americans themselves couldn't do it in America and no Europeans would do it."
Second, the Toronto Star is reporting today that Radhika Coomaraswamy, the UN Special Representative for Children in Armed Conflict, has complained to the U.S. secretary of state's top legal adviser, John Bellinger, about the implications of trying Omar Khadr with war crimes.
"She raised her concerns about the creation of an international precedent where an individual is being tried for war crimes with regard to alleged acts committed when he was a child," said spokesperson Laurence Gerard, as reported in the Star.
Canada, "has taken a hands-off approach to his case, saying he's accused of serious crimes that include spying, conspiracy, attempted murder and material support for terrorism," writes the Star. "Other western countries have intervened to get their citizens out of Guantanamo, including Britain."
Finally, and this is triply embarrassing, Khadr's lawyer, U.S. navy Lt.-Cmdr. William Kuebler, having failed to convince Canada to do anything for one of its citizens languishing in the legal black hole that is Guantanamo Bay, is urging Britain to put pressure on the Harper government to intervene.
As the Star article reported: "In August, [British] Prime Minister Gordon Brown demanded the release of five men other were British residents... Defence lawyers contend that if Khadr is prosecuted at all it should be in a civilian court. Kuebler said Khadr does not merit the designation as an 'unlawful enemy combatant,' which is required for his case to be heard by a U.S. military tribunal."
Several organizations, including the Council on American-Islamic Relations in Canada and Amnesty International are encouraging people to write to Harper to demand that Khadr be brought home where he can be tried in a fair and open manner.
Canada's reputation abroad is taking a deserved nosedive based on Harper's lack of action. The international pressure is mounting for the Prime Minister to do something, anything, beyond what he is doing now, which can only be interpreted as propping up Bush's name at any cost to human rights and common sense notions of justice.
Thomas Walkom, writing in the Toronto Star a few days ago, makes the case beautifully. According to the columnist, Harper is willing to go to bat for Canadians facing unjust punishment in countries that Bush doesn't like -- Huseyin Celil in China -- but keeps mum when the punishment is from a U.S. ally -- Bashir Makhtal in Ethiopia.
Walkom also links this selective concern for human rights with the case of two U.S. war resisters -- Jeremy Hinzman and Brandon Hughey -- who were denied an appeal to stay in Canada by the Supreme Court last week.
"For the two U.S. deserters, none of this is good news," he says. "Their ability to remain in Canada depends on the federal government's willingness to accommodate U.S. war resisters. Alas, there is little likelihood of this. This government won't protect even its own citizens without U.S. clearance. It is unlikely to help Americans trying to escape Bush's wars."
It is also unlikely to raise Canada's stature around the world, which is being seriously damaged by this minority government.
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