I know that a lot of you stopped following detainee-gate months ago, but if the left is going to keep talking about it, then I am going to keep writing about it. This week the CBC was a buzz with testimony from a former Afghan interpreter who alleges that our soldiers were executing innocent teenagers and deliberately flagging people to be tortured by Afghan officials for the purpose of extracting specific information. This translator has a lawyer who you might already know, a guy that Iggy did some favours for back in Academia, who goes by the name Attaran.
You may remember that about 6 weeks ago, Mr Attaran went on the CBC claiming that he had obtained documents through an access to information request (which allegedly we don't grant anymore, but he got his), that he claimed proved that Canadian soldiers flagged prisoners to be tortured. He then said that he could not show us the documents, and that we had to trust him. Very quickly after his allegations were made public, information started hitting the internets about this guy's history with the Liberal leader who had done favours for him previously.
Almost as soon as he shows up, he disappears from the media circuit, only to show up 6 weeks later sitting beside a translator who is alleging that our soldiers committed war crimes. I don't know what happened in the last six weeks, when exactly the translator retained Attaran as counsel, and at this point all I know for sure is that I don't trust either the client or the attorney. I know that I am more likely to believe General Walt Natynczyk who openly disputes the allegations, as the incidents in question are well documented; documents which also contain detailed information of our operational strategy when raiding bomb making factories.
Let's not forget also that the Geneva Convention refers to uniform soldiers, not militia who blend in to the civilian populations and use the innocent people as human shields. That makes it incredibly more complicated for our soldiers to distinguish between combatants and civilians. Have innocent people been killed over the course of this engagement? I'm sure of it, but that sad outcome is more likely to occur specifically because of the guerrilla tactics used by the enemy we are fighting.
I also tend to agree with the Minister of Defense who Thursday in Question Period reminded us all that none of these allegations have ever been confirmed by eye witness testimony. Everything is based on hearsay in a war zone where we are fighting an enemy who blends into the civilian population and engages in a direct campaign of misinformation and propaganda against the force they are fighting. This is standard practice in guerrilla warfare, and when you have a conventional army like Canada does, fighting against this type of enemy is extremely complicated.
I noticed the media's favorite lefty lawyer too. If he is representing the interpreter, then we have a good idea of how valuable the testimony is...NONE!
ReplyDeleteWhat makes it even more complicated is that the Canadian left including the Liberals are actively aiding and abetting the enemy with their activities thereby crippling our soldier's ability to wage war. What would've happened if the same had happened in WW2? They would've been rounded up, tried for treason and jailed for the duration if not worse. But that was when Canada was a nation...
ReplyDeleteAh but Peter what you miss is that war is by definition a bad thing - heavy sarcasm intended to that position not Peter.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, I would like to see them and the NYT, who is in the process of revealing names, charged with treason. Not sure if Canada still allows the death penalty for treason (probably not as we have become soooooo progressive) but it would apply.
There is not sufficient evidence to allege that Attaran is guilty of treason. I am suspicious of his ties to Ignatieff, his previous allegations and his subsequent appearance as legal counsel for the translator, but suggesting the death penalty is warranted in this case is not appropriate.
ReplyDeleteNo contest, the Translator presented a fabrication, swiftly countered with documented proof.
ReplyDeleteProof the Major refused to produce due to security reasons, this is a turning point, imo.
And Colvin's presentations were second hand from similar sources, and now will be viewed suspiciously too.
It was a good day.
To me the most significant piece of testimony that Colvin ever gave; "I never saw a prisoner in a cell".
ReplyDeleteWhy are these people so obsessed these 'guerrilla's', it just defies logic.
ReplyDeleteNo uniform, no Geneva Convention, cased closed.
Thankyou for pointing this out.Another example of the The National Press Class not being transparent!
ReplyDeleteThe opposition have reduced the Special Committee on Afghanistan to use it to attack the military and the government.
ReplyDeleteThe committee was to review the entire mission including spending, progress, exit..
Hundreds of questions about 2nd, 3rd hand allegations in committee and in Question Period.
Why have they chosen to ignore every other part of the mission?
All three parties voted against the mission when the CPC took power. Twenty liberals broke rank against Dion regarding the extension.
Mackay was much stronger this week, the Government should answer in QP or committee every turn how the opposition don't support the military or the mission.
Every time they ask about the Taliban prisoner comfort program, why not about our other work or exit plans.
"I never saw a prisoner in a cell" would make a great headline.
ReplyDeleteHow about televised live lie detector tests on all the witnesses. Funny how the interpreter said almost word for word what the lawyer alleged a few weeks ago, from documents. Who noticed the sweat on Colvin's forehead when he was questioned.
ReplyDeleteBody language says more than the words they utter.
When this whole scam was started I doubt any liberal/media had any idea of where it would lead. Same with the Helena story. Now they are all trying to backtrack and pretend they had nothing to do with it.
What I find amusing, is how the lefties are so sure they are on the side of the angels on this detainee issue. Lib Bloggers are all convinced that it will be a winner for them during an election campaign.
ReplyDeleteBut there is one important thing they are overlooking ... Harper is showing a tremendous amount of restraint, in the way he is responding to the Oppostion attacks. The main reason being, that he is wearing his Prime Minister's hat, almost all the time.
But during an election campaign, that PM's hat largely comes off, and he dons his campaigner's hat. The gloves come off too. Harper is going to raise the rhetoric to a new, yet-to-be-seen level.
Iggy is going to have his hands full, and show frustration, countering the "non patriotic" narrative that Harper and our election ads will hit him with. Same thing with the rhetoric around "tax and spend Liberal" and of course the "scheming coalition".
We had a good preview, last summer, when Harper spoke to a partisan audience re the coalition--"They will deny it until they are blue in the face ...". Good stuff.
Anything accompanied with Attarans name is proof of Zero.
ReplyDeleteThe man is not worthy of anything resembling the truth!
PM Harper in attack mode is a thing of beauty to behold..
ReplyDelete