I want to thank both of you for being here and also for bringing a bit of a different perspective.
One of the things that has not been given a lot of consideration--at least by our government--is what to do with this young man once he's home. That is crucially important. When you think of Canada's history, going all the way back to the Nuremberg trials, and how since that time society as a whole has tried to wrestle with the aspect of child soldiers and the military, as you pointed out.... I had one person in Hamilton talking to me a couple of weeks ago, and he suggested that in the heat of the battle when you're faced with a child, you'll hesitate, and that's something they can't do in the heat of battle.
A moment ago you alluded to the fact that it appears that this boy was 13 or 14 when he left here and followed his father-- and I made the case repeatedly here--as a dutiful son, but to some extent it appears that both the U.S. and perhaps Canada are punishing him for the sins of the father. The damage that is doing to Canada's worldwide reputation.... We have an opportunity here to salvage some of that, because since 9/11 there have been a lot of questions--both in the U.S. and in Canada--about the rights that were sacrificed because of 9/11 and the intensity of the time. Now that we have moved a bit away from that, we tend to look at it a little more clearly.
The question would be how do you see this particular case, and Canada's handling of it, and how will that set a precedent perhaps worldwide, a negative precedent?