Contributed by: evilscientist
Remember back here when Harper said he only cared about advice on military matters from people who had served in the military? This was, of course, before he appointed Peter MacKay Minister of National Defence; a man who's sole military experience is that he's currently the Minister of National Defence. Well it seems that apart from accepting military advise from someone who hasn't spent a day in uniform, against his previous statement, Harper has his minions, specifically Jason Kenny, downright attacking former generals who give them advice.Now it is true that Romeo Dallaire is now a Liberal senator, however he was a general in the CF prior to that. The Khadr case is clearly one of military import given that the events happened in a war zone. It also helps that Dallaire is also right. Right on several counts.
First he's correct in assessing that Khadr is clearly a child soldier, or at least was at his time of capture and thus is entitled to the protection of the international treaties, that Canada is a signatory of, protecting child soldiers. In fact, Khadr is the only child soldier from Afghanistan being tried in the "court" in Guantanamo Bay. Apparently the approximately 7000 other child soldiers that have been captured and rehabilitated by NATO aren't being sent to Gitmo for the same treatment. If only for that reason something has to be done about Khadr.
Dallaire is also correct when he says that we're heading down a slippery slope with respect to civil rights. To quote the general:
The minute you start playing with human rights, with conventions, with civil liberties in order to say you are doing it to protect yourself you are no better than the guy who doesn't believe in them at all. We are slipping down the slope of going down that same route.
Saying basically that by eroding away at civil liberties and protections, we're basically becoming the people we are allegedly fighting making the fight pointless.
Finally we have this exchange between Kenny and Dallaire:
Kenny: Is it your testimony that al-Qaeda strapping up a 14-year-old girl with Down Syndrome and sending her into a pet market to be remotely detonated is the moral equivalent to Canada's not making extraordinary political efforts for a transfer of Omar Khadr to this country?
Dallaire:If you want a black and white [response] I am only too prepared to give it to you: absolutely. You are either with the law or you are against the law.
Dallaire hits the nail on the head, and Kenny too, by pulling out that nasty rule of law the Tories hate so much.
This has done a couple of things for me. First it's increased my already deep respect for Gen. Dallaire. Second, it only serves to reinforce my already low opinion of the Harper Tories, who despite claims to the contrary, seem to be out only for raw, naked power, the rule of law and common sense be damned.
Evilness
http://www.evilscientist.ca/article.php?story=20080513152405166