Heartstrings

This sad story today courtesy Colin Freeze at the Globe and Mail :

Canada, the country of his citizenship, has never been home in any meaningful way for Karim. He was a young boy when he first met Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan. At age 11, he watched U.S. bombs rain down as his family became part of the exodus of al-Qaeda-affiliated Arabs who fled the U.S. invasion to go to the tribal areas of Pakistan.

Forced from their homes, with nothing but the Kalashnikovs on their backs, they were.

There, he watched his father and seven other militants die last fall in a fierce battle with government forces. Karim, who was caught up in the battle, emerged partly paralyzed.

Caught at the extreme end of crossfire, so they say.

The towering 6 foot 3 big brother, 21-year-old Abdurahman, embraced Karim. They had not seen each other since being separated in Afghanistan.
Abdurahman’s life has also been eventful since the fall of 2001. He returned to Toronto a few months ago to speak publicly of his capture in Afghanistan, the time he spent as a prisoner in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and the international spy work he says he did for the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency.

Quote from his news conference – “We were an Al Queda family”.

Increasingly comfortable as family spokesman, he stood alone to address a battery of cameras to say he’d like to see the return of Omar, a 17-year- old brother still held in Cuba on suspicion of killing a U.S. soldier.
Abdurahman said he would like the rest of his family – his 23-year-old brother, who is a fugitive terror suspect in Pakistan, and his two sisters, one of whose wedding was attended by Mr. bin Laden – back here as well.

Can they travel by urn?

One politician, MP Stockwell Day, says it’s outrageous that some members of the Khadr family have been allowed to return to Canada. But onlookers in the arrivals area of the airport were non-judgmental.

Traumatized crippled little boy. Flashes peace sign, carries flowers.
Big, bad US bombs.
Warm embrace from reformed brother.
Reformed from past association with CIA.
Mean judgemental conservative politician.
Kind forgiving Scottish grandmothers.
Oh Canada, The True North Diverse And Non-Judgemental.