This is from the Star. A good way to avoid all this trouble and to support our troops would be to just get out of Afghanistan right now. NATO can and should go fly a kite. If they want a free Afghanistan with legal kite flying let them do it without Canadian help. Or maybe we could do our part and send them free kites. It would be a lot cheaper and involve not wasting Canadian lives.
Perhaps the Harper government is trying to get the Canadian public used to contradictory policy by saying one thing one day and contradicting it next day. Maybe this is a trial baloon for reversing the decision on the sale of MDA to Alliant technology!
Ottawa moves to block hearing on detainees
TheStar.com - Canada - Ottawa moves to block hearing on detainees
Goes to court to halt Afghan prisoner probe
April 14, 2008
Richard Brennan
Ottawa Bureau
OTTAWA–The Conservative government is attempting to block an investigation by the military police watchdog into the treatment of Afghan detainees, despite an earlier promise to co-operate.
The government quietly filed a notice of judicial review on Friday in Federal Court to stop a planned public hearing by the Military Police Complaints Commission into the alleged abuse of detainees in Afghanistan.
The chair of the complaints commission ordered the hearing just last month. Peter A. Tinsley said at the time that his own investigation on the issue had encountered government stonewalling. By calling a public hearing, his commission could subpoena witnesses and government information, giving the hearing more clout.
The $2 million public hearing, due to start next month, was to focus on allegations that members of the Canadian Forces military police sent at least 18 detainees to Afghan prisons, knowing the prisoners faced a risk of torture.
Officials are trying to avoid scrutiny, said Ottawa lawyer Paul Champ, representing Amnesty International Canada and the British Columbia Civil Liberties Association. The two human rights organizations filed a complaint with Tinsley's commission more than a year ago over the military police practice of transferring prisoners.
In the motion filed Friday, the government argues the complaints commission does not have jurisdiction to investigate the matter.
The motion states that handling of detainees is "not subject" to oversight by the military police complaints process.
"The National Defence Act empowers the Canadian Forces Provost and Military Police Complaints Commission to investigate only conduct complaints related to the performance of policing duties and functions," the motion states.
This flies in the face of last month's commitment to the Commons by Defence Minister Peter MacKay, who said the commission "will get the co-operation with respect both to information disclosures and the funding necessary to have a full-blown hearing if this is the direction in which it intends to go."
Showing posts with label Afghan detainees. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Afghan detainees. Show all posts
Monday, April 14, 2008
Thursday, June 7, 2007
Defence minister refuses to budge on Afghan detainees
o'Connor always seems to be battling for credibility. At least the Canadian forces are not deeply integrated with the US as far as policy is concerned. However, the Canadian public would be better informed in this case if we were! I suppose the idea behind the Canadian policy is that the information would somehow help the enemy but it seems that if it helps them at all it would be minimally helpful.
Defence minister refuses to budge on Afghan detainees
Last Updated: Thursday, June 7, 2007 | 4:22 PM ET
CBC News
Liberal opposition MPs continued to hound Defence Minister Gordon O'Connor on Thursday to release information regarding Afghan detainees captured by Canadian forces, but he said he won't co-operate because the issue is "a matter of national security."
During question period in the House of Commons, O'Connor reiterated what he said on Wednesday before a joint meeting of the parliamentary committees on national defence, and foreign affairs and international development.
"We do not intend to do anything to impede military operations in Afghanistan," he told the Commons.
Leading the latest attack was Ontario Liberal MP Ruby Dhalla, who accused the Conservatives of a coverup.
"After repeatedly misleading this House, the ministers of defence, of foreign affairs and public safety were forced to admit there are two new detainee capture cases [involving abuse allegation]," she said. "Will the minister tell us how many detainees have been captured by Canadian forces or will they admit once and for all that they just do not know?"
Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay told the Commons that Canadian officials have had "unfettered and private" visits to holding facilities in Kabul and Kandahar since reaching a new monitoring agreement last month.
Continue Article
On Wednesday, Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day told the joint parliamentary meeting that four prisoners have complained of mistreatment since they were captured by Canadian forces in southern Afghanistan, and that the Red Cross and Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission were investigating.
Day revealed news of the first two cases of alleged abuse in April.
No numbers of alleged abuses released
While both Day and MacKay were forthcoming with numbers on abuse allegations, no information has been released on how many prisoners Canada has captured while fighting the Taliban.
"The U.S. issues a press release about every detainee they capture," Dhalla said Thursday in a statement directed at O'Connor. "Why does this minister refuse to be as transparent?"
The defence minister said that in Afghanistan, each country involved in defence and reconstruction determines its own policies.
"In the case of Canada, the military has determined that the public release of information on detainees would be detrimental to their military operations," he said. "The operational chain of command has a responsibility for deciding what kind of information is releasable or not. It is a military decision, not a political decision."
Since the beginning of May, the U.S. military has issued 25 media releases detailing the capture of at least 100 Afghan prisoners.
Information in the releases is posted on a U.S. army website and includes:
Where the captures occurred.
The number and type of weapons seized.
Information about the prisoners, such as rank and sometimes even
Defence minister refuses to budge on Afghan detainees
Last Updated: Thursday, June 7, 2007 | 4:22 PM ET
CBC News
Liberal opposition MPs continued to hound Defence Minister Gordon O'Connor on Thursday to release information regarding Afghan detainees captured by Canadian forces, but he said he won't co-operate because the issue is "a matter of national security."
During question period in the House of Commons, O'Connor reiterated what he said on Wednesday before a joint meeting of the parliamentary committees on national defence, and foreign affairs and international development.
"We do not intend to do anything to impede military operations in Afghanistan," he told the Commons.
Leading the latest attack was Ontario Liberal MP Ruby Dhalla, who accused the Conservatives of a coverup.
"After repeatedly misleading this House, the ministers of defence, of foreign affairs and public safety were forced to admit there are two new detainee capture cases [involving abuse allegation]," she said. "Will the minister tell us how many detainees have been captured by Canadian forces or will they admit once and for all that they just do not know?"
Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay told the Commons that Canadian officials have had "unfettered and private" visits to holding facilities in Kabul and Kandahar since reaching a new monitoring agreement last month.
Continue Article
On Wednesday, Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day told the joint parliamentary meeting that four prisoners have complained of mistreatment since they were captured by Canadian forces in southern Afghanistan, and that the Red Cross and Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission were investigating.
Day revealed news of the first two cases of alleged abuse in April.
No numbers of alleged abuses released
While both Day and MacKay were forthcoming with numbers on abuse allegations, no information has been released on how many prisoners Canada has captured while fighting the Taliban.
"The U.S. issues a press release about every detainee they capture," Dhalla said Thursday in a statement directed at O'Connor. "Why does this minister refuse to be as transparent?"
The defence minister said that in Afghanistan, each country involved in defence and reconstruction determines its own policies.
"In the case of Canada, the military has determined that the public release of information on detainees would be detrimental to their military operations," he said. "The operational chain of command has a responsibility for deciding what kind of information is releasable or not. It is a military decision, not a political decision."
Since the beginning of May, the U.S. military has issued 25 media releases detailing the capture of at least 100 Afghan prisoners.
Information in the releases is posted on a U.S. army website and includes:
Where the captures occurred.
The number and type of weapons seized.
Information about the prisoners, such as rank and sometimes even
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