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03/04/2004 Archived Entry: "The Canadian Connection"
I think that the Kadhr family story has got to be one of the craziest tales since 9-11.
A Canadian family embroiled in Al-Qaeda. The patriarch, a firm believer in the Taliban and Al-Qaeda, pushes his family to be true believers. He sends his sons to training camps; he tries to convince them to become suicide bombers. But one of the sons is the "black sheep" of the family and refuses. He likes Western ways. He likes to party.
After 9-11, the family is killed, captured or on the run. The black sheep of the family is captured and goes to work for the CIA. His mission is to infiltrate Al-Qaeda in Bosnia, in Guantanamo, in Pakistan. This young man is working for "the enemy" and getting paid! But he could get killed if someone finds him out. He realises that this isn't a game. He finally gets fed up with it all and calls it quits.
He phones his Grandma in Toronto and gets her to speak to the press. He tells her to say that he's been trying to get home by asking for help at Canadian Embassies in several countries and they won't even let him in because he doesn't have a passport. He knows that this news, coming in the middle of the Sampson and Arar scandals, will get lots of play over here and put pressure on the Canadian government to bring him home instead of handing him back to the CIA. The CIA, knowing that he'll be no use to them anymore, gives up on him, and drops him off at the Canadian Embassy. Kadhr is flown home.
He tells his wild, wild story to a Canadian journalist. The CBC journalist, after hearing his many lies and stories, doesn't really believe him. Although this story does have a ring of truth, Kadhr is clever - too clever. So they subject him to a polygraph, which he passes with flying colours. The CBC tells his story to the world. It sounds like a spy novel. Who knows - maybe it is all lies - but it's a crazy, crazy story.