Michel Gauthier

Laurie Hawn writes to inform the Afghanistan committee that Conservative members won’t be attending tomorrow’s meeting. It appears the committee will carry on without them. Meanwhile, Tim Naumetz of the Hill Times obtains classified transcripts from the Military Police Complaints Commission inquiry.

A collection of documents, testimony and news reports related to Richard Colvin and Canada’s handling of Afghan detainees. The Colvin encyclopedia is updated as events warrant.

More mesmerizing footwork in the government’s torture dance

On May 31, 2006, two days before the Canadian Press reported an estimate that 30 percent of transferred detainees were tortured, the Globe published a story from Washington after an interview with Gen. Michel Gauthier. He explained, regarding the Geneva Conventions, that detainees are “are not entitled to prisoner-of-war status but they are entitled to prisoner-of-war treatment.” Gordon O’Connor, the defence minister at the time, seemed to split the same difference when asked in the House about Gen. Gauthier’s comments.

The Conservatives plead for patience

Gen. Michel Gauthier made reference Wednesday afternoon to the Globe and Mail’s reporting in April 2007 as to when he first became aware of allegations of torture. Without the transcript of his comments it’s unclear—from my memory and what’s being reported elsewhere—how precisely he qualified that statement, whether he was referring to specific allegations of general torture, specific allegations related to detainees transferred by Canadian Forces, or something else entirely.

The generals say there was nothing in Richard Colvin’s memos to warrant action. The CBC, Star and Globe review a couple of Colvin’s early memos and find concerns about the reporting of detainees and the “unsatisfactory conditions” in Afghan prisons, and the suggestion that the Dutch, British and Canadians might consider building a joint prison of their own.

Reports from the testimony of Rick Hillier and Michel Gauthier from the Canadian Press, Globe, Star, Sun, CTV, CBC and Inside Politics.

CBC lists eight government, military and diplomatic officials raised in Richard Colvin’s testimony. Six have so far not commented or declined comment. Lieutenant-General Michel Gauthier rejects any suggestion of wrongdoing on his part and promises more information when he testifies at committee next week.