Clinton lobbies Canada over Khadr plea deal

U.S. NAVAL BASE GUANTANAMO, Cuba – In a bid to persuade Canada to repatriate Omar Khadr, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton reached out Friday to Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon – as he continued to visit China.

Clinton’s call from Washington marks the most high-level contact yet between the two countries over a plea deal that sources say is on the table for Khadr.

The deal calls for the Canadian-born terror suspect to admit to the five war crimes he faces – among them the murder of a U.S. serviceman – in exchange for an eight-year cap on his sentence. The United States has said it would be prepared to accept that Khadr serve only the first year of the sentence in U.S. custody before being transferred to Canada, where he would serve the remaining time.

But Canada has always taken an arm’s length approach to the prosecution of Khadr, saying he faces serious charges which should be dealt with in the United States.

Now 24, Khadr was 15 when captured during a firefight in Afghanistan in which U.S. special forces Sgt. 1st Class Chris Speer was fatally wounded by a grenade explosion.