Afghan Prisoner Transfers - IRC informed late by Canadian Gov

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sourced by Karl Gotthardt - albertacowpoke

According to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Canada delayed  telling the Red Cross about prisoner transfers to Afghan authorities.  The Corporation has obtained military documents that details prisoner transfers between 2002 to 2006. 

According to the documents approximately 35 prisoners were transferred and the notification to the International Red Cross was delayed. 

It is standard practice within NATO to hand over Afghan prisoners to the Afghan government.  Most other countries notified the IRC in Kabul.  In Canada's case the notification was sent to to the IRC in Geneva, with the obvious bureaucratic delays before the information filtered down to the field office in Kabul.

The Liberal government in  January 2002 waited waited nearly 3 1/2 months before notifying the Red Cross. 

It is pretty obvious that the reporting procedure was wrong by not going directly to the Kabul office of the Red Cross,  The delay in 2002 was probably more due to bureaucratic incompetence then a deliberate.

So far it has been revealed that Canada has, at least, on three occasions stopped prisoner transfers because of concerns of prisoner abuse. 

Foreign Affairs and Corrections Canada has been engaged in monitoring prisoners and the Red Cross has been engaged.  Even with those safeguards, Afghan authorities have denied access at times.

The Parliamentary Committee will continue hearings on Wednesday.  It is expected that top military brass will testify.  Retired General Rick Hillier said he is considering testifying in front of he committee.  Major-General David Fraser, who commanded Canadian and ISAF troops in Kandahar and Lieutenant-General Gauthier are also expected to testify.

David Mulroney, now Canadian Ambassador to China, has stated that he wants to testify in front of the Committee.

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