Author Topic: The Jihadi Jack Affair  (Read 2123 times)

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Offline Boges

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The Jihadi Jack Affair
« on: August 20, 2019, 02:12:47 pm »
https://www.cbc.ca/news/jihadi-jack-citizenship-canada-uk-isis-1.5253121

So a British-born ISIS fighter gets captured in Syria. He as Canadian parents and is therefore a dual citizen. The UK has recently stripped him of hi citizenship. This is something that Canada could have done before JT changed the law. The only citizenship he has left is that of Canada, are we his responsibility?

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According to Letts's father John Letts, who is from southern Ontario but lives in Oxford, the Kurds expressed willingness last year to hand his son over to Canadian authorities. He has also said Global Affairs Canada told the family for months that it was working to get Jack released, but the department then decided it was too dangerous.

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Leah West, a lecturer in national security law and counterterrorism,​​​​ told CBC's News Network on the weekend it's possible Letts could be prosecuted for terrorism offences in Canada. But the case for prosecution faces "hurdles" because Letts originally travelled from Britain — not Canada, said West, who's at the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs at Carleton University in Ottawa.

"There's crimes in the Criminal Code for leaving Canada to facilitate terrorist activity or to commit offences on behalf of a terrorist organization. Letts doesn't fall within that category. He's not susceptible to prosecution for this offence because he did not leave Canada in order to do that."

If the Kurds let him go, will we be stuck with a terrorist that's never lived in Canada because JT insists once a Canadian, always a Canadian?

Interesting moral question.

« Last Edit: August 20, 2019, 02:26:55 pm by Boges »

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Offline Omni

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Re: The Jihadi Jack Affair
« Reply #1 on: August 20, 2019, 02:30:08 pm »
https://www.cbc.ca/news/jihadi-jack-citizenship-canada-uk-isis-1.5253121

So a British Born ISIS fighter gets captured in Syria. He as Canadian parents and is therefore a dual citizenship. The UK has recently stripped his citizenship. This is something that Canada could have done before JT changed the law.

If the Kurds let him go, will we be stuck with a terrorist that's never lived in Canada because JT insists once a Canadian, always a Canadian?

Interesting moral question.

**** Britain and their dereliction of duty. He's a citizen of theirs by birth, and I would be fine if they brought him back, put him on trial, and threw him in jail if they find him guilty. Citizenship should have some meaning and a government simply trying to wash their hands of it is scary and wimp assed when you look at the broader picture. Let's see, the current PM doesn't like the cut of your jib so you're not a citizen anymore. I'm sure Saudi does a similar thing.

Offline Squidward von Squidderson

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Re: The Jihadi Jack Affair
« Reply #2 on: August 20, 2019, 03:43:37 pm »
**** Britain and their dereliction of duty. He's a citizen of theirs by birth, and I would be fine if they brought him back, put him on trial, and threw him in jail if they find him guilty. Citizenship should have some meaning and a government simply trying to wash their hands of it is scary and wimp assed when you look at the broader picture. Let's see, the current PM doesn't like the cut of your jib so you're not a citizen anymore. I'm sure Saudi does a similar thing.

He’s also Canadian citizen...  regardless of what Britain did.  So what should Canada do then? 

“A Canadian is a Canadian is a Canadian”

Offline wilber

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Re: The Jihadi Jack Affair
« Reply #3 on: August 20, 2019, 03:50:24 pm »
He’s also Canadian citizen...  regardless of what Britain did.  So what should Canada do then? 

“A Canadian is a Canadian is a Canadian”

Even if you were born somewhere else, never lived in Canada and have publicly stated you are British, not Canadian? What do we owe such a person?
"Never trust a man without a single redeeming vice" WSC

Offline Omni

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Re: The Jihadi Jack Affair
« Reply #4 on: August 20, 2019, 03:56:56 pm »

Even if you were born somewhere else, never lived in Canada and have publicly stated you are British, not Canadian? What do we owe such a person?

I'm certainly not a fan of this particular guy but the overarching concept is you put citizenship laws in place and you abide by them. You don't change them on a day by day basis because you don't like the color of someones skin for instance.
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Offline wilber

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Re: The Jihadi Jack Affair
« Reply #5 on: August 20, 2019, 04:05:02 pm »
I'm certainly not a fan of this particular guy but the overarching concept is you put citizenship laws in place and you abide by them. You don't change them on a day by day basis because you don't like the color of someones skin for instance.

I don't advocate breaking the law but maybe we should change it. This guy may have a Canadian father but in reality he is no more Canadian than Donald Trump.
"Never trust a man without a single redeeming vice" WSC

Offline Omni

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Re: The Jihadi Jack Affair
« Reply #6 on: August 20, 2019, 04:11:49 pm »
I don't advocate breaking the law but maybe we should change it. This guy may have a Canadian father but in reality he is no more Canadian than Donald Trump.

The upside, if I can call it that is you honor his citizenship, put him on trial in a Canadian court and if found guilty he goes to jail and stops being a threat. Not sure what the **** ya do with trumpdy dumpdy. He's already admitted he is a criminal ( I like to grab women by the ****) but the US makes him president. What's wrong with this world?

Offline wilber

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Re: The Jihadi Jack Affair
« Reply #7 on: August 20, 2019, 04:32:31 pm »
The upside, if I can call it that is you honor his citizenship, put him on trial in a Canadian court and if found guilty he goes to jail and stops being a threat. Not sure what the **** ya do with trumpdy dumpdy. He's already admitted he is a criminal ( I like to grab women by the ****) but the US makes him president. What's wrong with this world?

Prosecution could be difficult. A: He didn't leave Canada to join ISIS, so did he break Canadian law?. B: How do you get live, willing witnesses from Kurdistan and Syria. Stuff like that.
"Never trust a man without a single redeeming vice" WSC

Offline Squidward von Squidderson

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Re: The Jihadi Jack Affair
« Reply #8 on: August 20, 2019, 04:36:06 pm »
I don't advocate breaking the law but maybe we should change it. This guy may have a Canadian father but in reality he is no more Canadian than Donald Trump.

Not true.  He has Canadian citizenship. 

Offline wilber

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Re: The Jihadi Jack Affair
« Reply #9 on: August 20, 2019, 04:40:17 pm »
Not true.  He has Canadian citizenship.

I know but he wasn't born here, nor has he lived here. I Imagine we will take him back though, I just hope we can prosecute him successfully because if we can't, it will set an awful precedent for the future.
"Never trust a man without a single redeeming vice" WSC

Offline Squidward von Squidderson

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Re: The Jihadi Jack Affair
« Reply #10 on: August 20, 2019, 04:43:53 pm »
I know but he wasn't born here, nor has he lived here. I Imagine we will take him back though, I just hope we can prosecute him successfully because if we can't, it will set an awful precedent for the future.

Hopefully we have an extradition treaty with a country who would like to prosecute him for crimes against their people/country perhaps...    I don’t know enough about what he’s accused of though.

Offline Squidward von Squidderson

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Re: The Jihadi Jack Affair
« Reply #11 on: August 20, 2019, 04:47:02 pm »
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...because JT insists once a Canadian, always a Canadian?

Totally unfair characterization.  The Harper government could have changed the law in their decade+ of governing.  Instead, they kicked the can down the road and tried to use it as a political issue during election time. 


Offline Omni

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Re: The Jihadi Jack Affair
« Reply #12 on: August 20, 2019, 04:47:09 pm »
Hopefully we have an extradition treaty with a country who would like to prosecute him for crimes against their people/country perhaps...    I don’t know enough about what he’s accused of though.

We can prosecute him here for having traveled abroad to promote/participate in terrorism.

Offline wilber

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Re: The Jihadi Jack Affair
« Reply #13 on: August 20, 2019, 04:54:56 pm »
We can prosecute him here for having traveled abroad to promote/participate in terrorism.

He didn't travel abroad from Canada. Some legal beagles think this could be an issue with Canadian law as it is written. Hope not.

« Last Edit: August 20, 2019, 05:00:04 pm by wilber »
"Never trust a man without a single redeeming vice" WSC

Offline Omni

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Re: The Jihadi Jack Affair
« Reply #14 on: August 20, 2019, 04:59:19 pm »
He didn't travel abroad from Canada. Some legal beagles think this could be an issue with Canadian law as it is written. Hope not.

Point being, once again, if he returns here we can prosecute him under Canadian law rather than letting him continue working for ISIS or whoever, which is what the UK ruling will allow.