The Trudeau government did not want any more entanglements with convicted terrorist Omar Khadr and made sure he stayed away from a Muslim event last June.
Khadr, who spent time at Guantanamo Bay for confessing to the killing of a U.S. soldier, received $10.5 million from the Canadian government for alleged abuse of his rights. The revelation induced a huge pushback from the Opposition Conservative Party and many Canadians.
Sources told the Globe and Mail Monday that Khadr and spouse Muna Abougoush were both in Ottawa’s Parliament buildings on June 19, when the Muslim holiday Eid al-Fitr was celebrated for an official government reception.
A Globe source insists that the government told the House of Commons security not to allow Khadr to attend the reception nor to request meetings with Liberal Members of Parliament (MP) or cabinet ministers. Khadr was not invited to the event and apparently did not try to attend.
The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) would not say if Khadr was able to meet with any MPs but did confirm that he did not speak with any senior members of the government.
“The Prime Minister did not meet with Omar Khadr, nor did any senior ministers,” PMO spokeswoman Eleanore Catenaro told the Globe.
At least one Conservative member of the Official Opposition objected to Khadr being around. Sen. Leo Housakos wanted to know how a “convicted terrorist” like Khadr managed to visit Parliament Hill.