Canadian War Crimes
The document, obtained under an Access to Information request and marked "secret," shows that Defence Minister Peter MacKay was briefed on the topic of juvenile detainees in Afghanistan March 30."
UN General Assembly Security Council, Children and Armed Conflict, April 10, 2010 :
"Approximately 110 children have been detained by the Afghan National Directorate of Security and international military forces on charges related to national security, including their alleged involvement or association with the Taliban or other armed groups. Access to detention facilities continues to be difficult and information on children detained by pro-Government forces remains limited.
The use of harsh interrogation techniques and forced confession of guilt by the Afghan Police and NDS was documented, including the use of electric shocks and beating. ... Available information points to sexual violence as a widespread phenomenon."
Electric shocks, beating, forced confessions, sexual violence.
A New Low for Canada in Afghanistan Handing over children to be tortured is a War Crime.
http://alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N29216068.htm
OTTAWA, Nov 29 (Reuters) - Opposition legislators blasted the Canadian government on Monday after it emerged that Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan captured children suspected of working with the Taliban and then handed them over to an Afghan security unit alleged to have abused prisoners.
The revelations are the latest blow to Canada's increasingly unpopular combat mission in southern Afghanistan, which is due to end next year.
The question of Afghan detainees -- and whether Canadian soldiers knew they might be abused -- has been one of the most difficult for the minority Conservative government since it took power in early 2006.
The Defence Department said some child detainees were handed over to Afghanistan's National Directorate of Security (NDS), stressing that no transfers would take place if Canadian officers felt there was any risk of torture.
... Opposition members of Parliament pressed the government in the House of Commons over what the soldiers had done.
"The Canadian government knew perfectly well that the NDS practiced torture. Why did Canada transfer child prisoners to the Afghan NDS torturers?" asked Thomas Mulcair, deputy leader of the left-leaning New Democrats.
"How many children were arrested? How many children were transferred? How many children were tortured?"
PM and US poodle number 345 Stephen Harper: "That Osama-bin, that Osama-bin, I do not like that Osama-bin."