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A hero stands up to cowboys

In an inaugural address to 2,000 soldiers in the Ottawa Congress Centre in February 2005, Gen. Rick Hillier declared: "When Canadian troops go overseas, they expect sex." Within a split second, he corrected himself: "success."

It was clearly a slip of the tongue. But, according to someone who was there, it also fit the mood of the room. After years of feeling like an emasculated army of peacekeepers, Canadian soldiers finally had a real fighting man at their helm. No more girlie-man peacekeeping, boys! We're gonna make war!

The transformation of the Canadian military into a war-oriented force -- a partner in George W. Bush's freewheeling War on Terror -- was the product of the influential Hillier, with the backing of the Harper government.

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war in afghanistan torture of prisoners Torture rick hillier Richard Colvin George W. Bush canadian military Canadian militarism Afghanistan Afghan detainees war on terror

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Our own little Abu Ghraib?

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The truly sickening part about Canada's role in turning Afghan detainees over for torture is that it provides one more proof that the war on terror has become the chief incubator of terror, post-9/11.

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To the torture charges, the Harper government's response is to deny, smear and bully

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Respected Canadian diplomat Richard Colvin, a highly credible source, told a House of Commons committee on Wednesday that all of the captives Canadian soldiers transferred to local authorities likely ended up being tortured.

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babble: Canada Complicit in TORTURE

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Even the bourgeois press is taking notice. The Conservatives have moved heaven and earth to silence this witness ... without success.
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More must be known about the Afghan detainee tortures

On June 22, there was a audible buzzing coming from Parliament Hill.

The press bounced off the walls, waiting for the deluge of information ordered by House of Commons speaker Peter Milliken. Last year, the Kingston MP had assembled an ad hoc committee to release thousands of pages of documents pertaining the issue of detainee abuse in Afghanistan.

The ensuing Tintamarre, to use the Acadian phrase for creating a lot of noise, was frenzied by midday, but by dinnertime coverage was all about the upcoming royal visit.

Before the story went to the great newsroom archives in the sky, some mused that these documents were boring and speculated that the other 21,000 pages that were held back are the real scandal goldmine.

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Afghanistan canadian military Richard Colvin Afghan detainees
Alheli Picazo

Denial and deceit: The Harper government and torture in Afghanistan

By Alheli Picazo
| April 20, 2010

Canada has long been known as a peacekeeping nation; lauded for our humanitarian missions and respected for our international contributions. The unassuming nature of Canadian soldiers garners an admiration few other militaries can boast; A history of moral and honourable service.

But for the mission in Afghanistan, the ethics and standards that once guided military decisions have been all but abandoned by the military brass. Under the Harper government, the rules governing the battlefield are ignored; the Geneva conventions are flouted and war crimes are committed.

Read more
Redeye
Redeye

Blowing the whistle on torture in Afghan jails

November 30, 2009
| Grace Pastine of the B.C. Civil Liberties Association says her organization has long maintained the government should have known about the abuse of detainees. Now we have evidence that they did know.

18:31 minutes (16.95 MB)
Columnists

Long live the leakers

This week's Afghan detainee hearings in Ottawa have been a lesson in how useful some actual information can be. Here's what I mean:

Tags:
war in afghanistan torture of prisoners Torture Richard Colvin canadian military Afghanistan Afghan detainees war on terror

Related items

related_item1

Our own little Abu Ghraib?

related_item1_desc

The truly sickening part about Canada's role in turning Afghan detainees over for torture is that it provides one more proof that the war on terror has become the chief incubator of terror, post-9/11.

related_item2

To the torture charges, the Harper government's response is to deny, smear and bully

related_item2_desc

Respected Canadian diplomat Richard Colvin, a highly credible source, told a House of Commons committee on Wednesday that all of the captives Canadian soldiers transferred to local authorities in 2006-2007 likely ended up being tortured.

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Reporting on torture in Afghanistan

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Globe and Mail journalist Graeme Smith was interviewed by telephone from Kandahar, Afghanistan concerning the report on torture under Canadian watch in Afghanistan and the political implications resulting from the article.
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