Quite, Quite Disgusting

 I am aware, I do know that it is not at all kind of me not to sympathize with University of Ottawa law professor Amir Attaran in his latest battle.  This time with the university administration itself, in agreeing to release documents detailing his research under the freedom of information law.  It is, of course, simply incidental that Professor Attaran himself, called on the freedom of information law in insisting that the federal government must release documents for his perusal with respect to the Afghanistan conflict.

And Canada's presumed lack of interest in defending the human rights of members of the Taliban and other Afghans involved in insurgency activities such as manufacturing IEDs, those lethal implements of roadside placement that have destroyed so many Canadian lives, while handing over those prisoners to the Afghan authorities.  One can only sympathize with the cause; irate outrage that Canada handed over violent criminal Afghans to the Afghan regime.

If, as it happened, some of the prisoners were abused by their own government for the sin of violently opposing that government, it is a little difficult to dredge much in the way of true sympathy from Canadians who feel that the sacrifice they and their government made on behalf of the Afghan people, suffering far too long from the depredations of the Taliban, insistent on returning to a position of power, more than met the target of empathy placed where it belonged. 

Each time another Canadian lost his/her life or limbs, one could scarce think of those who planted those devices with brotherly affection.  But Professor Attaran, a true professional, and a defender of human rights in the most admirably-affecting neutral manner, found it offensive that Canadian soldiers would prefer to off-hand prisoners than have the responsibility under the circumstances of having no adequate infrastructure to do so, of caring for them.

His continual demands, accusations, and news-making furies commanded much attention but very little of it, it could be wagered, found much sympathy with the public.  Rather, it was quite tedious and wearyingly offensive in and of itself.  The government did a fairly good job of defending itself against Professor Attaran's accusations which were somewhat less than compelling.  And now those citations are rather moot.

What is now on the agenda is the good professor's outrage at the university's vice-president of governance who has informed him that the school made the decision to respect an order from the province's Information and Privacy Commissioner to allow them to peruse the professor's research-related expense reports.

To which Professor Attaran demanded the university take the production order to court for the purpose of contesting it.  The university demurred.  The unredacted documents being released, Professor Attaran ragingly denouncing the decision, explains, contains his credit card number, his home address, that of his parents.  "It's quite disgusting", he said.

Yes, yes it is.