CBC: Liberals feared Abu Ghraib-type detainee scandal: source

[tuvor]

The Liberal government of 2005 feared Canada's detention of Afghan prisoners would spark a controversy similar to Guantanamo Bay and Abu Ghraib, according to a current government official who spoke with CBC News on condition of anonymity.

The official's claim comes just after Eileen Olexiuk, a former Canadian diplomat with extensive experience in Afghanistan, disclosed that in 2005, she raised the possibility detainees transferred from Canadian to Afghan custody were at risk of torture. Paul Martin's government ignored her concerns, she said.

The government official, who has been involved with the detainee issue for years, confirmed much of what Olexiuk said and added it's clear now Canada should have done more in 2005, when that first detainee transfer agreement was negotiated with the Afghan government.

He said the Liberal government looked at three options as it considered moving Canadian troops to the embattled Kandahar province from the relative stability of Kabul:

...

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2010/03/10/afghan-detainees-controversy.html

[HeresyLives]

1. I'm sure they did.

People definitely didn't want prisoners turned over to the Americans...and we didn't want our own prisoner camp, so they got Hillier making up treaties.

[Spazito]

2. Appointing Hillier, the war monger, was a BIG mistake....

the Liberals made, imo, and they should have done more in 2005. When you see this in an article:

"...according to a current government official who spoke with CBC News on condition of anonymity."

you just know it was a Con 'government official' trying to throw a red herring into the mix but I don't think it will work.

[HeresyLives]

3. Hillier lost everyone when he called them

'scumbags'.

Nobody wanted to back THAT attitude, and it made his soldiers a target. Insults are a stupid thing to do.

[Spazito]

4. I agree, his attitude and big mouth increased the danger for the...

soldiers and he couldn't give a shit. He is despicable, imo.

[HeresyLives]

5. He made a name for HIMSELF,

but he screwed up our military bigtime.