With Washington poised to shut down the Guantanamo Bay military prison, it's in Canada's best interest to bring terrorism suspect Omar Khadr back home to monitor his situation, a trio of opposition MPs said Wednesday.
The opposition call came shortly before one of Khadr's lawyers and a group of Muslim leaders outlined a proposed reintegration plan for Khadr if he is returned to Canada.
Despite the plea, a spokesman for Prime Minister Stephen Harper reaffirmed there will be no change in policy regarding Khadr unless the U.S. changes its position and dismissed the plan as a "PR stunt and nothing more."
"We are not interested in what Mr. Khadr's lawyers have to say or opposition leaders or, frankly, the media," Kory Teneycke told the Canadian Press.
"We are not going to make decisions on this case on the basis of PR campaigns by his lawyer, by his media, or the opposition coalition."
Liberal MP Bob Rae, Bloc Québécois MP Paul Crête and NDP MP Paul Dewar held a news conference in Ottawa, a week before U.S. President Barack Obama is scheduled to visit the country's capital.
The MPs said Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff, NDP Leader Jack Layton and Bloc Leader Gilles Duceppe have sent a letter to Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Obama calling for Khadr's repatriation and for any evidence against him to be released to Canadian authorities. Source.
