Clarification....

In the absence of Parliament, the country's loyal opposition (loyal, needless to say, to themselves) has been busy with their unofficial Commons committee hearings into - what else? - the ongoing enquiry into the treatment of Taliban detainees. The Liberal Party has scorned the government's prorogation of Parliament until early March, as a ploy to get themselves off the hook over this imbroglio, but the Prime Minister clearly stated that the Commons enquiry will continue once Parliament resumes.

Now, however, the Liberals are huffing about yet another householder pamphlet. This one forwarded by the Conservatives to specific constituents - knowingly sent to ridings highly populated by military families. Where the Conservatives are outright accusing the Liberals of equivocating over the honour of Canada's military.

The Liberal leader is quoted as questioning the conduct of Canadian troops in Afghanistan; as well MP John McCallum cautioning "they may have been committing war crimes". Out of context! Not fair! Actually, "lies and nonsense".

No such intimations were vented at any time, they claim. On the other hand, anyone taking even a casual interest in the affair of the detainees may recall reading from time to time quotes and allegations from the mouths of these very same honourable members of the loyal opposition. Guess we just misinterpreted them.

MP Ujjal Dosanji characterized the pamphlet in question as a "weak and morally feeble defence" coming from a government that had stonewalled and done its utmost to withdraw from the enquiry, preventing required paperwork from reaching the committee, documents that would prove the veracity of their accusations against the government.

Speaking at the hearing was Michel Drapeau, a highly respected commentator, once a colonel and lawyer with the Canadian military, who commended the opposition MPs in their struggle to have government release heavily edited documents. Simply because, according to Mr. Drapeau, many soldiers would appreciate the matter being cleared up "so nothing sullies their work in Afghanistan".

A situation that would certainly not have arisen had the Liberals not grasped on that weak straw to place blame on the Conservative-led government with respect to several incidents of abuse of prisoners held by Afghans after being handed over by Canadian soldiers. And which both the government and its military, working with the International Red Cross and the Government of Afghanistan, took measures to correct.

Yet the Liberals are out for blood, determined to continue painting the current government in as dim a light as possible. Possibly hoping that the public will conveniently forget the role of the previous Liberal government in this entire issue. Meanwhile, our military feel themselves targeted even while they're struggling to control the situation against Taliban on the ground.

Some of the military "have a feeling that perhaps they are being held responsible", said Mr. Drapeau, stressing the need to clear the matter up to everyone's satisfaction. The matter at hand is one invented and invested dearly in by the Liberals and nothing will be cleared up to their satisfaction until they can nail down the government in wrong-doing. "It is the civilian responsibility.

"It is this government. It is the minister of defence of the time, it is the minister of foreign affairs of the time", insists Mr. Dosanjh, referring to 2006 - 2007, when disaffected diplomat Richard Colvin was in the country and where his grudge against his superiors both at Foreign Affairs and in the military grew to unhumble proportions when his hearsay reports were not immediately acted upon.

The Liberals are frantic to make it abundantly clear that they have no intention of leaving the impression that they've been accusing Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan of possible war crimes; no, it is, please understand, civilian members of this government whom they accuse. Of treating a serious issue as a purely frivolous exercise in political partisanship, according to MP Bob Rae.

Now isn't that something? "And if they think we're going to be deterred from doing what has to be done by tactics of that kind then they are underestimating our seriousness and our determination" he fumed. Does he not resemble a self-important, pompous little twit? See, anyone can get carried away by their own glorious rhetoric.

Funny thing that; there are some perspectives that believe that it's fairly obvious that what the Liberals are going on about is a purely frivolous exercise in political partisanship.