GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba — A former child soldier for al Qaeda was sentenced yesterday to what amounts to 16 years in prison — less than half of what a military jury said he should serve for killing a US Army medic and committing other war crimes.
The sentencing of Omar Khadr, a native Canadian, ended a heated debate over what to do with a suspect who was just 15 when he was captured in Afghanistan in 2002. Khadr, now 24, admitted that he planted roadside bombs while a member of an al Qaeda cell and threw the grenade that killed the medic.
He has already spent eight years at Guantanamo but, under a plea deal, will not get credit for time served. He was sentenced to another eight years.
After one year, he’ll be apply to serve the rest of his term in Canada.
The plea deal usurped a decision by the military jury that said he should receive 40 years behind bars.