I’ve been reading and listening to the reporting about the detainee issue over the last several weeks. The Opposition parties in Parliament have been after trying to get to the bottom of finding out just who knew and when about detainees being turned over to the Afghans from Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan. As much as the government has tried to characterize those who continue to push these questions as either Taliban supporters or not supporting our troops, nothing could be further from the truth.
Over the weekend, I was listening to a podcast of TVOs “The Agenda”. The podcast was talking about the failure of the Conservatives to show up at the parliamentary committee hearings trying to investigate this mess. The Cons failure to show up effectively killed the committee meeting over the Christmas break as the lack of Cons in attendance ensures there is no quorum to allow the meetings to take place.
Laurie Hawn, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defense claims that ordinary Canadians are not interested in this ’so called issue’, that only the Opposition parties are interested in playing political games. Lowell Green, supposedly a highly respected Canadian radio personality, was also heard on the podcast claiming that the only Canadians who care about this issue are the ‘lefties, who read the Toronto Star, are opposed to the mission in Afghanistan and want the troops brought home immediately’. That no other Canadian cares about this matter.
This Canadian Cares!
I suppose, by Hawn & Green’s definition I would be considered to be a ‘lefty’ especially since I definitely DO NOT support the current Conservative party and especially Harper and his band of bullies. I do read the Toronto Star along with the National Post, the Toronto Sun and the Globe & Mail on a regular basis. I support the mission of our troops. I have struggled with that support, especially when I watch the motorcades carrying our war dead travel the Highway of Heroes, but I believe the coalition and eventually the Afghan military and police have to succeed in that country.
The more I see on this issue the more concerned I have become.
Richard Colvin, a diplomat serving in Afghanistan, claims to have repeatedly warned the government about this issue. For having the courage to speak up, he’s been subjected to character assassination by government ministers and others. Green likely has really good intel and knows he’s one of those damn Toronto Star reading lefties, which makes the character assassination okay.
I have no doubt our troops have done what they had to do. They have followed the rules of engagement and may have been placed in the position of turning Afghan nationals over to abuse at the hands of other Afghans. That doesn’t make our troops bad, that makes those who placed them in that position dead wrong.
Green tried to justify this abuse by dismissing those detainees as dastardly Taliban who did mean and nasty things. He didn’t directly say so, but his argument appeared to stop just sort of stating these detainees deserved everything done to them and then some. Not all detainees are proven to be Taliban, and especially not radicalized Taliban.
Coalition leadership has stated repeatedly they want to reach the more moderate Taliban and try to turn them. I believe that attempt to reach them is an attempt to have them forsake the insurgency for peace. If any of those detainees were moderate Taliban turned over to abuse, I rather doubt they would be forsaking any insurgency. They would be more likely to become radicalized.
The Cons, the same Cons who came to power promising transparency in government, have responded to attempts to get this issue out in the open by dragging their feet on releasing documents and then redacting them so heavily they render them virtually useless. They try to claim issues of national security.
While full public disclosure might not be possible IF they actually have legitimate claims of national security, there is no excuse for not making full disclosure to MPs and most especially the Military Complaints Commission.
The Opposition parties have passed a motion in Parliament ordering the disclosure of the documents to the MPs and the commission. The government has vowed to ignore the motion and the supremacy of Parliament. Rumours are rife right now that Harper may try to have the Governor General prorogue parliament again until at least after the Olympics which would allow time for the heat to possibly dissipate on the subject.
Harper and his band of bullies seem to forget they are there to serve the people, to answer to the people, not their own self-serving brand of politics. Their seemingly desperate measures to forestall disclosure of their conduct on this file, and others, leaves Canadians seriously wondering what else hasn’t come to light.
Myself, I could have been pretty forgiving had the Cons given full disclosure when this issue came up the first time — admitted any errors in judgment made, reported what was being done to correct the errors and disclosed any further tweaking they had done. I would have considered it a learning process and that the matter was being taken care of.
Instead, I’m left wondering just what is being held back and why. Why are our soldiers possibly being placed in the position of turning Afghan nationals over to abuse? Why is a career diplomat and anyone else who speaks up being vilified? What is the government hiding that they are willing to be in contempt of Parliament (and in the people it serves)?
The longer they drag this out, the more inclined I am to want to see a public inquiry and full disclosure.
What do you think?
notice: The content of this post contains my opinions and my right to express them. I will respect your right to express your opinion in the comments as long as you’re not abusive and you respect my right to my opinion.
December 21st, 2009 at 6:43 pm
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