University of Calgary PRISM: University of Calgary's Digital Repository Graduate Studies The Vault: Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2018-05-18 Securitization Theory and the Canadian Construction of Omar Khadr Pirnie, Elizabeth Irene Pirnie, E. I. (2018). Securitization Theory and the Canadian Construction of Omar Khadr (Unpublished doctoral thesis). University of Calgary, Calgary, AB. doi:10.11575/PRISM/31940 http://hdl.handle.net/1880/106673 doctoral thesis University of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission. Downloaded from PRISM: https://prism.ucalgary.ca UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY Securitization Theory and the Canadian Construction of Omar Khadr by Elizabeth Irene Pirnie A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY GRADUATE PROGRAM IN COMMUNICATION AND MEDIA STUDIES CALGARY, ALBERTA May, 2018 © Elizabeth Irene Pirnie 2018 ii Abstract While the provision of security and protection to its citizens is one way in which sovereign states have historically claimed legitimacy (Nyers, 2004: 204), critical security analysts point to security at the level of the individual and how governance of a nation’s security underscores the state’s inherently paradoxical relationship to its citizens. Just as the state may signify the legal and institutional structures that delimit a certain territory and provide and enforce the obligations and prerogatives of citizenship, the state can equally serve to expel and suspend modes of legal protection and obligation for some (Butler and Spivak, 2007). This dissertation presents the case of Omar Khadr as a means of highlighting the discursive dynamics by which some threats - and some people - come to be understood under the rubric of ‘security’ and the significance of this naming as an act of national identity construction (Fierke, 2007: 103-104). Demonstrating the insights of new avenues of securitization theory research and the continued real-world relevance of the case, my research looks to the constitutive role of security discourses and constituent acquiescence in determining security realities within the context of a politically unsettled period in Canadian history: 2001 to 2005. The adoption of a securitization theory lens points to key social, historical and political discourses contributing to and challenging Omar Khadr’s nomination for ‘jettisonship’. It also leads me to find his expulsion from Canadian protections and belonging as an emergent phenomenon articulated through discourses of Canadian national identity imposed by both the Canadian state and an acquiescing citizenry. The tracing of these discourses, processes of threat construction and identity contestation present in relief an evolving security dynamic inherent to ideations of citizenship and what it means to be Canadian during a time of national and global insecurity. iii Preface This thesis is original, unpublished, independent, research by the author, E.I. Pirnie. iv Acknowledgements The completion of this dissertation is thanks in large part to the many people that have challenged, supported and stuck by me over the course of these years. It is also the product of generous financial support provided by the University of Calgary and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. First I would like to express my deepest respect and appreciation to my advisor, Michael Keren. Over our long tenure together, Michael offered unwavering support, insightful instruction and helpful encouragement at times when I needed it most. Thank you, Michael. I am also deeply indebted to the contributions of my supervisory committee members, Barbara Schneider and Rob Huebert. I offer a heartfelt thank you to Barbara for her straight talk, fierce advocacy and enthusiasm for research and its possibilities. Thank you, Barbara. I am also extremely grateful to Rob Huebert. It was Rob’s early encouragement and insights that helped to shape the theoretical direction of this thesis. His close reading of the text also provided fruitful insights and thoughtful additions. Thank you, Rob. Additionally, I would like to extend my sincerest gratitude to my external committee members, Gregory Taylor and Janice Williamson. Thank you for your work, your expertise and your thoughtful questions at the thesis defence. You have directed my attention to productive new ways of thinking about this research. A special thank you to our department’s Graduate Program Administrator, Megan Freeman. I can’t imagine these years without your kind assistance. I have had excellent teachers at the University of Calgary. In addition to the individuals introduced above, I would like to recognize Brian Rusted, David Taras, David Mitchell, Leslie Miller, and Arthur Frank. Each has left a lasting impression on me, and my work. v Finally, I cannot speak to my education without acknowledging Charles Axelrod and Nicholas Tavuchis from the University of Manitoba. From their early mentorship, all else has followed. In reflecting on what this process has meant to me, I am reminded of my family and friends. I am humbled and indebted to Alexandra Kinge and Jesse Carlson, each of whom, in their own way, reminded me at critical times that I too would finish. I would also like to extend my love and gratitude to my Dad, Grandpa, Grandma Joann, Penny and the Green family for their long-standing support and encouragement. It has meant a great deal to me. To my Mom, Jo, Cath and Peter: It is your love, humour, and faith that have brought me here, but also your example, strength, and perseverance. Though Jo’s passing meant that she would not see this project come to fruition, her belief in me helped make this journey possible. I am inspired by each of you; I love you and thank you. Finally, to my loving husband, Rob, who many years ago innocently suggested that I start my PhD: I thank you for giving me the opportunity to achieve this ambition, for never doubting me, for enduring the hardships, for helping me get over the highest of hurdles, and for never asking me to be anyone other than who I am. I don’t have the words to adequately express my love and thanks. We did it. vi For Rob and Graeme and in loving memory of Jo. vii Table of Contents Abstract …………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ii Preface……………………………………………………………………………………………………………... iii Acknowledgements…………………………………………………………………………………………….iv Dedication………………………………………………………………………………………………………….vi Table of Contents……………………………………………………………………………………………… vii List of Tables …………………………………………………………………………………………………… xii List of Figures…………………………………………………………………………………………………...xiii List of Symbols, Abbreviations and Nomenclature……………………………………. xiv EPIGRAPH ……………………………………………………………………………………………………..….1 1. CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION………………………………………………….2 1.1 Introduction ……………………………………………………………….….2 1.2 The Case in Brief ……………………………………………………………..3 1.3 The Study in Context …………………………………………………………6 1.4 Objectives and Goal …………………………………………………………..7 1.5 Research Questions …………………………………………………………...8 1.6 Theoretical Framework………………………………………………………..9 1.7 Methodology…………………………………………………………………11 1.8 Contributions………………………………………………………………....15 1.9 Chapter Breakdown………………………………………………………….17 2. CHAPTER TWO: SECURITY AS DISCOURSE AND SECURITIZATON THEORY…………………………………………………………………………20 2.1 Introduction ………………………………………………………………….20 2.2 What is security? …………………………………………………………….21 2.3 The Copenhagen School: Securitization ………………………………….…23 viii 2.3.1. Security as Speech Act………………..……………………...……24 2.3.2. Sectors, Societal Security and Identity ……...................................29 2.4 Securitization Theory ………………………………………………………..31 2.4.1 Normative Political Implications ……………………………….....33 2.4.2 Criteria for Successful Securitization …………………………..…39 2.5 Limits and Challenges……………………………………………………….49 2.6 Chapter Summary…………………………………………………………....51 3. CHAPTER THREE: CITIZENSHIP, JETTISONSHIP AND THE CITIZEN’S OTHER…………………………………………………………………..………53 3.1 Introduction …………………………………………………………………53 3.2 Citizenship: Pact or Racket …………………………………………………54 3.3 Security: A Balancing Act? …………………………………………………55 3.4 States of Exception: A Politics of Fear ………………………………...........59 3.5 ‘Demonstrably Justify’? …………………………………………………….66 3.6 Citizenship as the Right to Have Rights …………………………………….71 3.7 Canada’s Citizenship Regime ……………………………………………….74 3.8 The Citizen’s Other and the Jettisoned Subject ……………………………..86 3.9 Chapter Summary …………………………………………………………...86 4. CHAPTER THREE: A ‘STORY’ OF OMAR KHADR (2002-2005) ……………….87 4.1 Background: Life as a Khadr ………………………………………………..88 4.2 Firefight and Capture ……………………………………………………..…97 4.3 Detention in Bagram ……………………………………………………….101 4.4 Detention in Guantanamo Bay (2002-2005) ……………………………….107 4.5 Repatriation and Beyond …………………………………………………...124 4.6 Chapter Summary ………………………………………………………….127 5.0 CHAPTER FIVE: METHOLOLOGY…………………………………………….. 129 ix 5.1 Introduction……………...………………………….…………………….129 5.2 Constructivism and Language: Ontology and Epistemology………………130 5.3. Objectives and Research Questions………………………………………..131 5.4 Discourse Analysis: Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) and Discourse- Historical Approach (DHA) ………………………………………………..133 5.3.1 Key Terms