Do Canadians Fight In Afghanistan So That The Governor Of Kandahar Can Torture Inmates In Secret Prison?
Kandahar Governor Accused Of Beating And Using Electric Shocks On Detainees In secret Afghan Prisons
"The Harper government knew, but tried to keep secret since last spring, allegations that the governor of Kandahar was personally involved in torture and abuse of detainees.
The allegations against Governor Asadullah Khalid, appointed directly by President Hamid Karzai and a key political partner to Canada's nation-building efforts in southern Afghanistan, were regarded as sufficiently credible that senior officials in Ottawa were immediately informed and Canadian diplomats secretly reported them to the International Red Cross and Afghanistan's main human-rights group."
PAUL KORING
Globe and Mail
February 1, 2008
Globe & Mail
At some point, Canadians have to come to terms with what it is that we ask our soldiers to fight for in Afghanistan. This poor country does not need war, it needs massive international aid and assistance to bring the population into a level of physical security and well being where the Taliban would have no attraction to anyone.
After World War Two, the Allied nations pumped billions of dollars into Europe and Asia to rebuild and bring an end to the human suffering that occurred as a result of the war. Bringing war to Afghanistan, (however noble the intent), is not working and has added to the misery of the Afghan people.
"The Harper government knew, but tried to keep secret since last spring, allegations that the governor of Kandahar was personally involved in torture and abuse of detainees.
The allegations against Governor Asadullah Khalid, appointed directly by President Hamid Karzai and a key political partner to Canada's nation-building efforts in southern Afghanistan, were regarded as sufficiently credible that senior officials in Ottawa were immediately informed and Canadian diplomats secretly reported them to the International Red Cross and Afghanistan's main human-rights group."
PAUL KORING
Globe and Mail
February 1, 2008
Globe & Mail
At some point, Canadians have to come to terms with what it is that we ask our soldiers to fight for in Afghanistan. This poor country does not need war, it needs massive international aid and assistance to bring the population into a level of physical security and well being where the Taliban would have no attraction to anyone.
After World War Two, the Allied nations pumped billions of dollars into Europe and Asia to rebuild and bring an end to the human suffering that occurred as a result of the war. Bringing war to Afghanistan, (however noble the intent), is not working and has added to the misery of the Afghan people.
Whooee! Harper and MacKay knew about these allegations in April 2007. Canada took a credible report to the ICRC. Harper quit publicly meeting with Khalid while in Afstan. MacKay met with Khalid in November 2007 to talk about detainee abuse. After that meeting, Canada discontinued the practice of handing over prisoners.
However, we are still working closely with Governor Khalid. Despite no investigation proving the allegations to be false and despite the fact that Canada was concerned enough to take the allegations to the Red Cross and despite the fact that we can no longer trust the Afghans to comply with international law, we are still working hand-in-hand with Karzai's personally appointed sadist.
MacKay, O'Connor and Harper are dangerously close to being culpable for war crimes. Knowingly handing over POW's to a torturer is a war crime. We knew there was smoke back in April. We found the fire in November. MacKay reported the fire to the arsonist.
It will be a sad and shameful day when we see our leaders sitting in the dock at the ICC in the Hague with the likes of Mlosevic.
Not in my name!!
Change the climate in Parliament.
JimBobby
Posted by
JimBobby |
11:40 am, February 01, 2008