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Khadrs will get medical, social benefits, McGuinty saysProvince's 'responsibility'Lee GreenbergCanWest News Service, with files from The Canadian PressWednesday, April 14, 2004TORONTO - Ontario will "assume its responsibility" by offering health and social benefits to the Khadr family, the controversial clan with alleged links to al-Qaeda, Premier Dalton McGuinty said yesterday.Mr. McGuinty said until the federal government says otherwise, Canadian citizens Maha Elsamnah, her 14-year-old son, Karim, and his brother Abdurahman Khadr, 21, are entitled to receive health-care coverage or apply for social assistance benefits."We will assume our responsibility on behalf of the citizens of Ontario. If the federal government wishes to change the status of those people, that's up to them."Ms. Elsamnah and Karim returned to Canada from Pakistan last Friday, reportedly to receive medical attention. Karim was paralyzed in October during a gun battle with Pakistani security officers near the Afghanistan border and had been in a Pakistani hospital.His father, Ahmed, who U.S. intelligence officials say was an al-Qaeda financier and advisor to Osama bin Laden, was killed in the same battle.Conservative MPP Bob Runciman criticized Ontario's Liberal government yesterday for not lobbying federal officials to have the Khadrs expelled, calling them "Canada's first family of terrorism.""They've shown pretty clearly that that's the case. I don't think they merit continued Canadian citizenship. I think they forfeited their right to Canadian citizenship and all of the benefits that go with it."Mr. Runciman wants the federal government to amend the Citizenship Act so proven terrorists would have their citizenship revoked."They are Canadians of convenience, there's no question about it. Come back here to recuperate and then move on to nefarious activities," he said.The return of the paralyzed Karim has touched off a storm of controversy.An Internet petition (www.petitiononline.com/khadr/petition.html) calls on the federal government to deny the family welfare and health benefits, and to deport them. The petition has received more than 3,000 hits since being set up over the weekend, the Web site says.Health Ministry officials say new or returning residents of Ontario must live in the province for three months before becoming eligible for medical benefits. An official at the Ministry of Community and Social Services said no such requirements exist in order to collect welfare.Abdurahman Khadr returned to Canada last year after being released from U.S. detention at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.He made headlines around the world when he admitted to attending al-Qaeda training camps between 1992 and 2003.Their 17-year-old brother, Omar Khadr, remains in U.S. custody in Guantanamo Bay. He was arrested in Afghanistan almost two years ago and is accused of killing a U.S. soldier.Ms. Elsamnah told CBC television this year she would be proud to have her children become suicide bombers. She said she sent her four sons to al-Qaeda training camps because it was better than raising them in Canada.In the same CBC segment, Ms. Elsamnah's daughter, Zaynab, commented on the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks: "They deserve it. They've been doing it for such a long time, why shouldn't they feel it once in a while?"

Note to all Americans.While your brave soldiers are overseas defending freedom and our very way of life against terrorists, exposed daily to untold dangers, injuries and even death, the Canadian government is busy rehabilitating the enemy, so they can kill more Americans.

It looks like a really sticky legal battle for Canada. If they are citizens, they are entitled to rights even if they commit a crime. Yet, who really wants to help the terrorists? It would be nice to see them revoke citizenship, but I would tend to think that allowing a government to revoke citizenship is a dangerous power to give, and could curtail freedoms that we are now defending.If he is a known terrorist and has fought the US, they should just arrest him and extradite him to the US for trial. Maybe just ship him to Gitmo.

As Canadians, we have the right to express our views, even though the views may not be what the majority feel is appropriate. The mother has committed no wrong, except follow her husband (and associating with Osama), which in itself is no crime. As for the paralyzed 14 yr old. Can you remember what it was like to be 14? You can be sooooo easily influenced. Give the kid a chance.

In Ontario, staying out of the country for more than seven months cuts off government health insurance and forces a three-month wait before medicare can be kickstarted again. In some other provinces, it's six months. In every province, it's a deadline no senior snowbird can afford to miss.There is, apparently, one notable exception to the deadline. If you are a terrorist sympathizer who has lived abroad for 20 years and fraternized at family weddings with Osama bin Laden, well, welcome back to the land of overnight medicare access.The Khadr family last week strolled into Toronto waving a Canadian flag of convenience in their search for a surgical suite.There's not much doubt she'd rather be elsewhere. Having deemed Canada unfit to raise her children lest they become drug addicts or, apparently worse, homosexuals, she left in the 1980s to expose her four sons to the joys of al-Qaeda training camps.The lure of free health care have forced her to return to a country she considered unworthy to live in.Various Khadr family members have worked as bin Laden confidants, injured Americans, raised funds for al-Qaeda, applauded the 9/11 tragedy and declared suicide bombing to be a public service. Elsamnah Khadr has been quoted as hoping her children die as martyrs to their extreme Islamic cause.She is a woman who invited bin Laden to her daughter's wedding. One of her sons is perhaps missing in action. Another son is being held prisoner and her youngest has been badly injured after being wounded in battle. She and her daughter are very, very proud of their menfolk. So in the new multi-cultural, minimum-values Canada, could Mrs. Khadr become the Royal Canadian Legion's next Silver Cross Mother this coming Nov. 11? Someone in Ottawa needs a backbone transplant or their head examined.

Everything you said is true. But what did the wife do that was illegal? If we persecute someone for their views (even if we disagree with them vehemontly), then we are no better than the terrorists that we are trying to defeat.

The words of this matriarch and her outspoken daughter, the actions of her deceased husband and terrorist-suspect sons, and the notoriety of their infamous ringleader friends render the entire clan unworthy of citizenship or its benefits.Sure, you feel for the son in a wheelchair. Even if he was actively engaged in the gunfight that caused his injury, this is a kid who was captive to an upbringing that undoubtedly forced him to graduate from toilet training directly to terrorist training.But the sins of his father are so many and this misuse of citizenship of such brazen self-interest, they lack any legitimate claim to Canadian compassion.I cannot believe how little coverage this story has recieved in the Canadian press (actually, on second thought, it doesn't surprise me at all). Make no mistake, we are at war and the Khadrs are the enemy. I am very interested what Americans think of this outrage.

I don't like her or her family and I think they're probably just using the system to their advantage, however, there are several people I can't stand and lots of people who use various systems to their advantage. How do you differentiate between one and the other?Did you know that the Bush family is friends with the Bin Laden family?

wow! that certainly can't help US-Canadian relations! but other than that, i will hold my tongue on what i truly think of that situation. it's kinda like bums in the US that misuse the welfare program. unfortunately, if they are indeed citizens, then they should in essence have same rights as other citizens. but if they do not qualify then there should be no sympathy for civil duties. it's just your tax paying dollars that are used to treat them. if they don't qualify, then too bad.... maybe they can ask bin laden to pay. he's got plenty of money.but certainly, if canadian govt is trying to improve their relationship w/ the US, harboring known terrorists and their families (even if the mother never actually pulled a trigger, she did contribute by sending her sons to terrorists training camps) isn't the best way to go about it.

Quote, originally posted by Sputnik »Did you know that the Bush family is friends with the Bin Laden family?Appearantly the Canadian press has reported this story wrong to draw a conclusion like that. I don't know exactly how close the Bush family is with the bin Laden family here, but I say the closer the better. This is a drastically different situation than the one that Vibe Rater brought up. The bin Laden family here are commendable people who have turned their backs completely on what Osama does and has done. They have denounced him as part of their family and I believe that they have been reported as saying that they'd rather see him dead. From what I understand, they have also worked with the federal authorities here to help us as much as they possibly could to aid our capture of this crazed animal and to defeat his evil empire. It is a great mistake to try and smear the Bush family for being friends with members of the bin Laden family who are firmly on our side. If I knew them, I'd probably be friends with them too!

Quote, originally posted by StampedeVibe »As Canadians, we have the right to express our views, even though the views may not be what the majority feel is appropriate. The mother has committed no wrong, except follow her husband (and associating with Osama), which in itself is no crime. Expressing views is one thing, supplying, aiding, and comforting an enemy is completely different. This sick, insane woman is essentially running a terrorist training camp out of her own home! And Canadians are being forced to pick up the tab to help her do it! There is only one solution to eradicate the world from delusional people like this and I'm not going to mention it because the PC crowd will lambast me for being inhumane. Do you fully understand what these people are doing? They are going overseas to violently fight against freedom, peace, and democracy in this world, then when they get injured, they flee back to Canada to force Canadians to pay for their medical treatment! For what? So they can go back and fight us again. And that is not a crime? If that is not a crime, then Canada needs to seriously overhaul their laws.Quote, originally posted by StampedeVibe »As for the paralyzed 14 yr old. Can you remember what it was like to be 14? You can be sooooo easily influenced. Give the kid a chance.Oh, puhleeeeeze! This "Oh, the poor children" attitude is sickening. You seem to have forgotten something. HE PICKED UP A GUN AND ATTACKED THE FREE WORLD!!! This is total insanity. Most of the people we are fighting over there are young and impressionable men/boys. And they are overflowing with pure evil! They MUST be stopped at all costs and by whatever means.These people are sick, warped animals. You want to know what they would joyfully do to YOU if they got their hands on you? Look here: http://www.homestead.com/prosi....html . That page is very graphic, but you need to see it. Those were private American citizens that were murdered and strung up like meat in a butcher shop. You need to observe one more thing. Look at the absolute joy and celebration on the faces of those young men who are so proud of what they have done. This is why we are over there, this is why the whole world MUST actively take part in stopping them, and most of all, this is why we MUST stop sympathizing for them. Animals like that have no rights. And they have no place existing in this world if they are going to act like that and do so with such overwhelming pride. May almighty God have mercy on their souls, for I cannot.

Quote, originally posted by Sputnik »Did you know that the Bush family is friends with the Bin Laden family?That's another conspiracy, like the one that claims W. Bush planned and carried out the collapse of the WTC. Or the one about the jews being the ones who flattened the WTC (and vapourized about 2000 people sitting at their desks). Hogwash. And even if the families were 'friends', so what? Some of the Bin Laden family are hard working, freedom loving people who hate Osama as much as we do. Lame, very lame.

Quote, originally posted by Stang2Vibe »Appearantly the Canadian press has reported this story wrong to draw a conclusion like that. Actually I saw it on a US network quite some time ago.

Quote, originally posted by Stang2Vibe »Animals like that have no rights. And they have no place existing in this world if they are going to act like that and do so with such overwhelming pride. May almighty God have mercy on their souls, for I cannot.No animal would ever do such a thing. Humans did this. Our only true talent as a species is causing pain and death. No country or civilization in the history of the world is without such tales of cruelty. Though the acts in Fallujah are truly barbaric, are they any worse than lynching a man because of his skin color? Giving smallpox infected blankets to the American Indians? Hosting public executions for the delight of the masses?People within and outside of that region are truly dedicated to killing each other in hopes of eliminating whatever threat, race, idea, religion or soccer fan that opposes them. In time like these we should all take example from a great man who had the policy of turning the other cheek. If we demonize the people behind these actions to kill them with clean conscience we are no better than them.Flame on.

Stang, when you refer to people as "These people" and "they are overflowing with pure evil", you are generalizing. I'm sorry to say, but that's the attitude that creates an atmosphere of hate, fear, and intolerance. THAT is the breeding ground for terrorism. Here something to chew on. If you want to revoke their citizenship because of their views, what about the Aryan Nation? What is so different about them? They also advocate the mass slaughter of innocents. The fight against terrorism is a slippery slope my friend. The hard military approach doesn't work, as it breeds more terrorism, as Israel is finding out the hard way. I just hope that the rest of the world doesn't find out the hard way.

Quote, originally posted by Stang2Vibe »Expressing views is one thing, supplying, aiding, and comforting an enemy is completely different. This sick, insane woman is essentially running a terrorist training camp out of her own home! And Canadians are being forced to pick up the tab to help her do it! There is only one solution to eradicate the world from delusional people like this and I'm not going to mention it because the PC crowd will lambast me for being inhumane. Do you fully understand what these people are doing? They are going overseas to violently fight against freedom, peace, and democracy in this world, then when they get injured, they flee back to Canada to force Canadians to pay for their medical treatment! For what? So they can go back and fight us again. And that is not a crime? If that is not a crime, then Canada needs to seriously overhaul their laws.Oh, puhleeeeeze! This "Oh, the poor children" attitude is sickening. You seem to have forgotten something. HE PICKED UP A GUN AND ATTACKED THE FREE WORLD!!! This is total insanity. Most of the people we are fighting over there are young and impressionable men/boys. And they are overflowing with pure evil! They MUST be stopped at all costs and by whatever means.These people are sick, warped animals. You want to know what they would joyfully do to YOU if they got their hands on you? Look here: http://www.homestead.com/prosi....html . That page is very graphic, but you need to see it. Those were private American citizens that were murdered and strung up like meat in a butcher shop. You need to observe one more thing. Look at the absolute joy and celebration on the faces of those young men who are so proud of what they have done. This is why we are over there, this is why the whole world MUST actively take part in stopping them, and most of all, this is why we MUST stop sympathizing for them. Animals like that have no rights. And they have no place existing in this world if they are going to act like that and do so with such overwhelming pride. May almighty God have mercy on their souls, for I cannot.Amen,brother!

Children's aid probing KhadrsAgency examines treatment of son in afghanistan: 'Counselling one's child to become suicidal or homicidal constitutes emotional child abuse' Don MartinNational PostThe Children's Aid Society has launched an investigation into whether the parents of 14-year-old Karim Khadr are guilty of child abuse for counselling him to become a terrorist.Maha Elsamnah Khadr arrived in Toronto from Pakistan with her paralyzed son two weeks ago, demanding health care and triggering a debate on the boy's right to medicare. Ms. Elsamnah wants treatment for the spinal injury the boy received in a gunfight with Pakistani troops that killed his father, Ahmed Said Khadr, an al-Qaeda fundraiser and Osama bin Laden operative.An official says the Children's Aid Society of Toronto "has already begun" looking into Karim's treatment from his parents while the family lived in Afghan terrorism circles.Authorities will start by investigating a report received yesterday from psychologist Marty McKay, an expert witness in more than 200 child welfare cases."We're treating it seriously," said agency spokeswoman Melanie Persaud. "If we're going to help this child in any way, it's important for us to get good quality information and that's what our next steps will be."Since Canada has legislated aggressive spankings as child abuse, the 14-year-old's involvement with terrorists and his brush with violent death could cause his mother serious legal complications.Ms. Elsamnah, who left Canada many years ago, denouncing it as a place unworthy of raising children lest they be exposed to drugs and homosexuality, has promised the glories of heaven to her offspring should they become martyrs for extremist Islamic causes. She has also declared her pride in another teenage son being held in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, for killing a U.S. medic.That brand of parental guidance prompted Dr. McKay to raise the alarm with Children's Aid authorities, arguing it is part of her professional mandate as a clinical psychologist with 28 years in the field."I am sure that you would agree that counselling one's child to become suicidal or homicidal constitutes emotional child abuse, leading to physical abuse when the child acts upon these teachings," she said in her report.Having worked with thousands of abused children, Dr. McKay predicts authorities will find Karim is suffering multiple mental problems stemming from his upbringing."I'd be surprised if the child wasn't suffering from two or three disorders, be it anxiety or depression suffered by the loss of family members and the fact he's been paralyzed," Dr. McKay said in an interview yesterday. "Psychologically, I'm sure he's quite a mess."For the Khadrs, the child abuse investigation could become a reminder that claiming the benefits of Canadian citizenship also comes with legal consequences for their actions taken beyond our borders.Children's Aid officials waited barely two hours after receiving Dr. McKay's report before launching the Khadr probe. And they confirmed Dr. McKay's view that child abuse on foreign soil is not immune from Canadian investigation, child apprehension and parental prosecution."Whether or not the child has experienced the hardship in another country or in this country is a red herring," Ms. Persaud said."We're concerned with the type of parenting the child is receiving here. If it happened in another country, it very well could happen again here. The parent is the constant, not the country."Police could be involved if evidence of abuse is found, she added.During a CBC television interview in March, Karim's 23-year-old sister, Zaynab, expressed her support for suicide bombing."We believe in dying by the hand of your enemy," she said. "My father had always wished that he would be killed ... he would be killed for the sake of Allah. I remember when we were very young he would say, if you guys love me, pray for me that I get jihaded, which is killed.''Karim's mother said she would be happy if her children died the same way."You know we are promised that we go to Heaven," Ms. Elsamnah said.Abdurahman Khadr, 21, Karim's older brother, who was released from a U.S. jail and returned to Toronto last year, told the CBC he was "raised to become an al-Qaeda, was raised to become a suicide bomber, was raised to become a bad person ... I decided on my own that I do not want to be that."Dr. McKay has personally been involved in two incidents where parents were arrested in Canada after their children complained of being sexually assaulted in Thailand. She sees parallels here."While Ms. Khadr may have the right to her religious and political views, it is also imperative to note that all children ... have equal rights of protection under the law and exceptions cannot be made based on cultural differences," she said. "Child abuse is still a crime."For the Khadrs, the Children's Aid investigation adds to a difficult homecoming, where the family's views and actions have triggered political reaction federally and provincially.While Prime Minister Paul Martin washed his hands of any retaliation against the Khadrs, Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty has demanded they apologize for their views before receiving provincial benefits and federal Immigration Minister Judy Sgro called on the widow to apologize and show more respect for her citizenship.