The silver lining of justice in the Khadr case - at least if he sues the government, he won't get to keep a penny of it

TORONTO -- The widow of an American special forces soldier killed in Afghanistan and another soldier partially blinded by a hand grenade have moved to finalize a default civil-suit judgment against former Guantanamo Bay prisoner Omar Khadr.

Court documents filed in Utah April 24, the day an Alberta court granted Khadr bail, show the plaintiffs are asking the courts to award them triple damages for a total of US$134.1 million.

Lawyer Laura Tanner, who represents Tabitha Speer and Layne Morris, said in an interview she would be filing a final order for the federal judge to review and sign within days...

...While Khadr is essentially penniless, having spent almost 13 years behind bars before finally being released on bail earlier this month, he is in the process of suing the federal government for $20 million for alleged violations of his civil rights.

In their suit, Speer asks for US$39.5 million and Morris for $5.2 million -- but argue the damages should be tripled under an American law on victims of international terrorism.

Speer died 10 "agonizing" days after being hit by a grenade Khadr admitted at his military commission trial to throwing...