Afghan Prisons, Afghan Prisoners

The Canadian House of Commons erupted in accusations by the government opposition two years ago that the conservative-led government was complicit, or at the very least, unconcerned at the brutal treatment of Afghan prisoners apprehended by Canadian forces in Kandahar Province and turned over to the Afghan prison system.

What could be more natural than to turn over prisoners to the government whose country it is?

But Afghan prisons were cited by humanitarian groups and United Nations observers as practising torture of prisoners. And Canadian forces with NATO's ISAF operation were being tasked to ensure that none of those whom they turned over were maltreated.

As a result, Canada undertook to assist in teaching Afghan prison guards how prisoners should be humanely treated. And Canada invested in modifying the prisons as well.

And now, Canada's active combat mission in Afghanistan is complete, and most of its troops and equipment have decamped, leaving roughly 800 military personnel as professional trainers for the Afghan Army. Aggressive accusations are still being fielded by the Canadian military, led by Amir Attaran, an associate professor in the faculty of Law, at the University of Ottawa.

The United Nations issued a report in October with a description of pervasive human rights abuses in Afghan prisons. Stating that over 40% of prisoners have been subjected to torture techniques. Canada continues to monitor the situation respecting those prisoners whom its troops had handed over to Afghan prison officials.

But there's a new twist in this carnival of the absurd that is Afghanistan: Hamid Karzai, acting on a report by Afghan government investigators claiming that Afghans in U.S. custody endure mistreatment such as freezing cold, deprivation of light, and humiliating strip searches, has insisted that all prisons in the country be turned over to the Afghan government.

And just in time, yet another scandal has erupted with accusations confirmed by a video recording, of U.S. troops having urinated on the bodies of dead Afghan prisoners, to join the previously reported incidents of American troops killing Afghans 'for fun'.

Human stupidity and malice is, after all, fairly universal in nature; no nation seems exempt from those in their midst who bring dishonour and humiliation to the pride of their nations.