Canada’s Afghan intervention—three probes launched into prisoner abuse

The convening of these inquiries bears the imprint of the minority Conservative government of Stephen Harper. Intent on expanding an unpopular war—the government has already committed Canadian troops to playing a major role in counter-insurgency operations in southern Afghanistan until February 2009—the Conservatives no doubt wish to appear responsive to public concern over unsavory revelations of possible military misconduct.

It must be stressed, however, that these probes have been undertaken by the military and government only with the greatest reluctance.

The CAF and Department of National Defence (DND) have long been aware that violence was used against three Afghan’s detained by the CAF last spring and of concerns about their treatment raised by lawyer, human rights activist, and University of Ottawa Professor Dr. Amir Attaran. Last month, in reply to an inquiry by the Globe and Mail, the military police gave assurances that no abuse had ever taken place and that the detainees had received proper medical attention.

Only after Dr. Attaran lodged a public complaint with the Military Police Complaints Commission, a civilian oversight agency, did the military scramble to launch its own probes.

A CAF spokesman told the Globe February 5 that a special investigative unit of the military police will investigate the allegations of prisoner abuse and a military board of inquiry, which is also looking into the incidents, will be empowered to review more generally how the CAF’s Afghan detainees are handled.

Subsequently, on February 9 and in response to growing public concern that the military not be left to investigate itself, the Military Police Complaints Commission (MPCC) announced that it will also investigate the matter.

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http://wsws.org/articles/2007/feb2007/cana-f16.shtml