Guantanamo, the End…at Last

The ones who thought that Barack Obama would change the world and, why not, walk on the waters, will be dumbfounded. All his nominations were done according to cautiousness, pragmatism and maturity.

The most of the new leading class stems from the Clinton era… starting with Hillary Clinton, who was promoted to the prestigious position of secretary of state. This nomination-–along with many others–proves that Obama is self-confident enough to surround himself with strong people who wouldn’t hesitate to contradict him if necessary.

Obama also had the courage to nominate Lawrence Summers at the head of the consultative committee of experts who will be assisting him in the difficult path through the economical crisis. Summers is one of the best economists, endowed with a solid experience in public administration, he’s the most qualified person for this position, although Obama would have been impressed by the different lobbies that Summers had annoyed in the past, especially the ones who reproached him his politically incorrect commentaries of the relative absence of women in scientific fields. Nay! Once again, Obama did prove that he has the necessary moral strength to face controversies, and that he doesn’t expect to be appreciated (mind you, a lot of people already like him!) but that his job is to act in the nation’s interest.

It’s pretty true that Bill Clinton’s “veterans” will count for much in this administration, and this team does need a change. However, the seriousness of the crisis the new president is confronted with would require him to be surrounded by experienced people who are aware of the wheels of government and have already worked on a national level. Where could they be recruited if not in the former circle of the one who used to be, altogether, the most well-advised out of all the Democratic presidents of the contemporary era? He, actually, hardly had a choice, as, since Jimmy Carter’s mediocre mandate (1977-1981), there has only been one Democratic presidency.

There will be some changes, though. The first document upon which the new president will append his signature will be the one stipulating Guantanamo’s closing, the outlaw confinement camp that used to be the shame of the United States.

Nonetheless, the process will he harder to execute than to declare. The definitive closing won’t take place during the first 100 days of the Obama’s government, despite what he had promised.

Indeed, a solution of substitution isn’t that obvious. The prisoners will have to be transferred to establishments that are exclusively located in the United States. Will the trials be taking place before ordinary courts of law? And what about those prisoners against whom no real evidence was found, but who can not be sent back to their birth country because they would be in danger over there? (It can be assured that the Obama government will refuse to use the hateful “rendition” system, that is to say some kind of secrete deportation.)

In all events, one of those prisoners should be certain to get back to his own country: poor Omar Khadr, this young Canadian man who should, from the very start, have benefited from the status that is usually given to child-soldiers, as he was only 15 when he was arrested in Afghanistan, where his father, an Al-Qaeda supporter, had taken him. Can a teenager be held responsible for his father’s madness?

What is more, his responsibility in an American soldier’s death hasn’t been proven yet as some documents state that the grenades could have been launched by another man.

Young Khadr is the only national of an occidental country still being detained in Guantanamo. Thanks to the unforgivable stubbornness of Prime Minister Harper, he’s still in jail, six years after his arrest. The parliamentary opposition wants him back. What is Mr. Harper really afraid of? Some grinding of teeth that the repatriation of a member of the Khadr family would cause? To speak frankly, this family is a fairly unfriendly one, and some of its members, starting with the mother, have multiplied the inflammatory statements. Is Canada not strong enough to allow the loud protests from a few fanatics?

Oma Khadr must be judged here-–in Canada–and sent back to school as soon as possible so that he can start having a normal life.