Guantanamo's final days

America prepares to shutter the infamous prison camp and Jihad looms

Comments (0) By Tim Elfrink and Jesse Hyde Wednesday, Feb 25 2009

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Khadr's family has other plans. His mother recently said the family dreams of starting a farm after he returns. They will raise animals, she says, "far away from the pressure of the media and the pressure of the community who are so confused about our life."

Back in Salt Lake City, Layne Morris isn't buying any of it. He points out that one of Khadr's sisters has publicly advocated jihad and a brother has admitted to smuggling weapons to Al-Qaeda and plotting to kill the Pakistani prime minister. Most recently, Khadr's family showed up at a Toronto courtroom to show solidarity for a terrorist cell accused of planning to use truck bombs to blow up buildings in the city's downtown.

photo courtesy of the Khadr family; drawing by Janet Hamlin

Omar Khadr was 15 years old and near death when captured by U.S. forces in Afghanistan in 2002. The Toronto-born Canadian citizen is accused of throwing a grenade that blinded one Army soldier and killed another.

courtesy of Layne Morris

Staff Sgt. Layne Morris, of Salt Lake City, lost his right eye in the 2002 firefight with Omar Khadr.

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"People have a short attention span, I guess," Morris says. "9/11 was what, seven years ago? And already we forget about what we lost. I'm not complaining. There's so many other guys who made greater sacrifices than I have. Christopher Speer had a wife and two very young children, and that speaks for itself.

"Omar Khadr? People say he's a confused kid, but he knew exactly what he was doing. The way I see it, he should stay in jail for as long as he remains a threat to America."

Email tim.elfrink@miaminewtimes.com, or call 305-571-7566