Where's the Canadian report on human rights in prisons in Afghanistan?
Government response to Ottawa Professor's access to information request on January 29th: Silence.
Government response to the G&M March 7th: "There's no Canadian Report on human right issues in prisons in Afghanistan".
Government response to a G&M reporter March 22nd "I'm telling you, no such report exists! Here, I'll write that down for you."
Government response to access to Information request from January, after Ottawa professor complains to Information Commissioner that the 30 day waiting period is well past and he hasn't heard anything: "Fine, here's the report (although we've censored lines like "military, intelligence and police forces have been accused of involvement in arbitrary arrest, kidnapping extortion, torture and extrajudicial killing.")
Globe and Mail's response: "Good thing we got the uncensored report from an anonymous source, so we can tell Canadians what the report that doesn't exits (accept that it does) actually says.
Now, I support the mission in Afghanistan, but the shenanigan's above?
STFU.
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Canada's New Government...
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2 comments:
April 26th
I just watched Question Period. Wow! I guess the best defence is to be offensive. "You and your Taliban buddies!" from the Treasury Board Minister, to the opposition across the floor. Stockwell Day says 15 Canada Corrections officers have been visiting Afghan jails for him. O, and he accuses the opposition of raising voices to mask the fact that they've been foiled by government 'truths'.
Now, Peter McKay hadn't seen the new 'agreement' to monitor prisoners after he was informed of the Defence Minister's bombshell last night. But questions met with accusations of believing allegations and attacking the soldiers ??!!?!?
So-o-o-o, lots of new bits of information dribbled out by the Con Government but a very incohesive story. Policy (and history) being written in dribs and drabs. Like Wajid Khan's report, I don't think we'll be seeing the elusive written agreement very soon.
Since Hillier refers to the Taliban as 'scumbags', we can expect the Geneva Convention to be adhered to only under duress. His employers, PM Harper's gov't, seem to quite like his style. Scrutiny is so important now.
Canada's "newish" government's mission in Afghanistan is fraught with secrecy. "Trust us!" they seem to imply. I don't think so.
The plain fact of the matter is that this government couldn’t give a toss for the rights of prisoners or suspected terrorism detainees. In their estimation these people are “scum” as Hillier called them and have forfeited their human rights. That innocent civilians may get swept up in this is and be tortured or abused is of no concern to them as it’s just an unfortunate happenstance of a substandard “tribal culture.”
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