Detainee Abuse
We're back to the Afghan prisoner file again. As though we had missed its presence in the news. The opposition requires freshly-nuanced and obviously obligatory opportunities to denounce the Conservative government for its blatant disregard for the safety and security of presumed Taliban prisoners in Afghanistan. Although, of course, it was under a Liberal-led government that the whole thing started, to begin with.
Canadian military were tasked with confronting, capturing and handing over to the Afghan prison system, those who were suspected of being Taliban fighters. Eventually it was brought to their attention that in Afghanistan prisons are not pleasant places where one takes a leisurely absence from active society. That in Afghanistan, as is true in most undeveloped countries of the world not entirely engaged in the niceties of civilization, torture is not a rare occurrence.
But when the Canadian military and Canadian diplomats were alerted that there were some misgivings about the fate of some of the Afghan detainees handed to the Afghan prison system, Canada began to pay attention and began to monitor those of their prisoners whom they had handed to their host-country to care for, since these were also, of course, the host country's citizens, even if they represented a violent threat to both concerned.
Even the Red Cross spokespeople in the geography testified on Canada's defence, that it had comported itself as it should in respect of the Geneva Convention.
Canada also expended some significant sums of money in altering and modernizing Kandahar's main prison. Senior Foreign Affairs diplomat David Mulroney, responsible for the Afghan file most recently, testified that the government had acted responsibly once abuse and torture allegations were tabled. He explained the key issue revolves around whether Canadians knowingly transferred detainees to be tortured. "We did not", he said.
Canada went so far as to suspend the transfer of detainees in 2007 when the issue was raised. And during a visit to Afghanistan Prime Minister Harper spoke directly with his Afghan counterpart, and Mr. Karzai denied any such allegations. Admittedly, anything that Hamid Karzai claims of a certainty can be viewed with skepticism. Which definitely does not reflect poorly on Canada, while it does on Afghanistan.
It's history. It represents a footnote in the long, difficult, costly and anguishing Canadian connection in the war in Afghanistan.
Let's give it the burial it deserves.
Canadian military were tasked with confronting, capturing and handing over to the Afghan prison system, those who were suspected of being Taliban fighters. Eventually it was brought to their attention that in Afghanistan prisons are not pleasant places where one takes a leisurely absence from active society. That in Afghanistan, as is true in most undeveloped countries of the world not entirely engaged in the niceties of civilization, torture is not a rare occurrence.
But when the Canadian military and Canadian diplomats were alerted that there were some misgivings about the fate of some of the Afghan detainees handed to the Afghan prison system, Canada began to pay attention and began to monitor those of their prisoners whom they had handed to their host-country to care for, since these were also, of course, the host country's citizens, even if they represented a violent threat to both concerned.
Even the Red Cross spokespeople in the geography testified on Canada's defence, that it had comported itself as it should in respect of the Geneva Convention.
Canada’s Code of Conduct After Capture Manual (2004) states:Canada was not complicit with war crimes; it would not countenance such behaviour as the ill treatment of prisoners held in incarceration simply because Canadians are not barbarians. That Afghans are is another matter entirely. To convince Afghans that there are other, more approved ways of dealing with incarcerants, Canada dispatched prison experts in the field, to teach their Afghan counterparts acceptable incarceration techniques.
In accordance with [the 1949 Geneva Convention III], delegates or representatives of Protecting Powers and of the ICRC shall be permitted to visit all places where PWs [prisoners of war] may be, including places of detention and labour, and may interview PWs and PWs’ representatives without witnesses, either personally or through interpreters.
Canada also expended some significant sums of money in altering and modernizing Kandahar's main prison. Senior Foreign Affairs diplomat David Mulroney, responsible for the Afghan file most recently, testified that the government had acted responsibly once abuse and torture allegations were tabled. He explained the key issue revolves around whether Canadians knowingly transferred detainees to be tortured. "We did not", he said.
Canada went so far as to suspend the transfer of detainees in 2007 when the issue was raised. And during a visit to Afghanistan Prime Minister Harper spoke directly with his Afghan counterpart, and Mr. Karzai denied any such allegations. Admittedly, anything that Hamid Karzai claims of a certainty can be viewed with skepticism. Which definitely does not reflect poorly on Canada, while it does on Afghanistan.
It's history. It represents a footnote in the long, difficult, costly and anguishing Canadian connection in the war in Afghanistan.
Let's give it the burial it deserves.
Labels: Afghanistan, Canada, Conflict, Crisis Politics, Culture
posted by Pieface | 7:18 PM
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