Khadr to Attend Today’s Hearing

GUANTANAMO BAY — After two straight days of absence and a very strange half-day appearance on Thursday, the Office of Military Commissions just confirmed that Omar Khadr will return to court today for his pre-trial hearing.

Testimony on Saturday indicated that Khadr was healthy enough to play basketball just days after a doctor told reporters his medical condition was “urgent” owing to residual shrapnel in his eyes from his 2002 capture. That prompted some reporters here to wonder if Khadr was faking or exaggerated his injuries in some sort of gambit for the judge. Barry Coburn, one of Khadr’s attorneys, denied that categorically, said such a gambit would be “stupid,” as it would erode the judge’s assessment of Khadr’s credibility, and added that it was imperative for Khadr to attend the hearings.

Those hearings are scheduled to resume at 9 a.m.