U.S. bows to Canada in Khadr plea

WASHINGTON, Nov. 1 (UPI) -- Washington understands that the prison term for a Canadian terrorist held in Guantanamo Bay is subject to Canadian law, the government said.

Omar Khadr was captured in Afghanistan in 2002 when he was 15 years old. He is accused of throwing a grenade that killed a U.S. Army Sgt. Christopher Speers and has been detained since 2002 at the U.S. naval detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

He pleaded guilty last week to several charges, including terrorism, as part of a plea deal with the Canadian government. Khadr is expected to serve a portion of his sentence in the Canadian prison system when he is repatriated.

The Pentagon said it was calling on authorities in Canada to help implement the plea arrangement that Washington made with Khadr.

"The U.S. government understands that the Canadian government has no authority to mandate terms of Khadr's incarceration if he were to return to Canada," a Pentagon statement read. "These terms are determined by the National Parole Board, which is an independent administrative tribunal."

In a plea deal, Khadr is expected to serve around eight years in prison when he is transferred to Canadian custody.

The Pentagon said that under Canadian law, Khadr could be eligible for parole after 32 months in prison.