Torture

Redeye

Obama administration refuses to condemn torturers

February 16, 2010

| In Washington, the Justice Department is about to issue an ethics report, reviewing the use of torture by U.S. officials.

Length: 11:54

The Harper Attack on Canadian Democracy Documented

A collection of links presented by Defend Parliament, who encourages you to pass them on and to join the Facebook group where they are posted.

http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=260348091419&topic=13108

Tags:

Columnists

Proroguing less trouble than sitting

Stephen Harper has created a hornet's nest for himself with his decision to prorogue Parliament, arousing the wrath of even the social-networking crowd.

The Prime Minister isn't stupid. He likely realized his action would get him in trouble, but that it would be less trouble than he'd be in if Parliament kept sitting.

As most acknowledge, Harper was trying to take the steam out of the growing furor over Canada's role in handing over Afghan detainees to probable torture, hoping the public will lose interest.

Tags:

Torture Stephen Harper Conservatives democracy parliament proroguing parliament Afghan detainees prorogation

It's no secret: Torture and the Afghan War

Derrick O'Keefe

| December 21, 2009

Rather than the rogue, hysterical diplomat lacking credibility whom the Conservatives have tried to portray, Richard Colvin is in fact just one of many voices trying to tell a little bit of the truth. The real "open secret" in Afghanistan is that torture is part and parcel of this occupation, and has been since the U.S.-led invasion in 2001. The so-called war on terror has in fact been a war of torture, among other things.

Columnists

The danger of a casual approach to torture

The irritation of members of the Harper government has been palpable in recent weeks as they tap their toes impatiently, wondering when they can return to the serious business of waging war without all these rude interruptions about torture.

Last Friday on CBC Radio's The Current, Laurie Hawn, parliamentary secretary to Defence Minister Peter MacKay, complained about all the "nitpicking" and insisted that the Afghan detainee issue is not one that concerns Canadians.

This dismissive attitude -- which permeates the Harper government -- is puzzling.

At stake is whether Ottawa knowingly allowed prisoners to be transferred to situations where they would likely be tortured.

Tags:

Torture Bush Barack Obama Harper government war in afghanistan torture of prisoners canadian military Cheney Afghan detainees

in his own words

Harper government strategy on torture: Talk out the clock

Richard Colvin: "According to our information, the likelihood is that all the Afghans we handed over were tortured...We kept hopeless records, and apparently to prevent any scrutiny, the Canadian Forces leadership concealed all this behind walls of secrecy....Instead of winning hearts and minds, we caused Kandaharis to fear the foreigners...Canada's detainee practices in my view alienated us from the population and strengthened the insurgency." Testifying before the House of Commons Special Committee, Nov. 18.

Peter MacKay: "Clearly the reality is there is no credible evidence, none, zero, to suggest that a Taliban prisoner transferred from Canadian Forces was ever abused." Question Period, Nov. 19.

embedded_video

Tags:

Torture Stephen Harper Afghanistan human rights war in afghanistan detainees Peter MacKay

Will he resign? Peter MacKay's 'very bad day' gets worse

Derrick O'Keefe

| December 9, 2009

The Peter MacKay resignation watch is now officially on in Ottawa. Or at least it should be.

Wednesday was already shaping up to be, as the Globe and Mail put it, 'Peter MacKay's very bad day,' with he and Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon scheduled to appear before the special parliamentary committee on Afghanistan. But things went from bad to worse for MacKay with news that the country's top military commander in Afghanistan, Gen. Walter Natynczyk, had made a 180-degree reversal. CTV news reports:

Harper and MacKay have a wicked sense of humour

James Laxer

| November 27, 2009

Sometimes Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Defence Minister Peter MacKay are given insufficient credit for their wry sense of humour. The serious, literal-minded members of the opposition need to lighten up.

Yesterday, three Canadian generals testified before the parliamentary committee that is hearing testimony on the allegations that detainees handed over to the Afghans by Canadian soldiers were tortured and that the top soldiers and government ministers failed to heed the warnings coming to them from diplomat Richard Colvin in 2006-2007.

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:

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

Afghanistan's Bagram Prison exposed

Two brothers and former prisoners at Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan give their testimony about the harsh abuse they witnessed while being captured. Their tale is an example of just how difficult and complex the situation in Afghanistan is. To watch other videos or to sign the petition urging President Obama to Rethink Afghanistan policy go to: rethinkafghanistan.co.

Tags:

Torture Afghanistan

Torture

embedded_video

Top Picks On rabble