David Mulroney

The issue of Governor Asadullah Khalid was raised three times during Afghanistan committee hearings last year. Specifically, the matter was pursued with Richard Colvin, Major-General David Fraser, the commander of Task Force Afghanistan for most of 2006, and ambassador David Mulroney, the former associate deputy minister for foreign affairs.

Global details the case of a detainee kept in extreme conditions while in Canadian custody and the alleged indifference of Canadian authorities. The Star tries to sort out what our allies were doing and why a separate prison was never constructed. And the Globe depicts a mission sorely lacking in organization.

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.

Early reviews from the Canadian Press, Globe, Star, Canwest, CTV, CBC and Inside Politics.

In his testimony before the House committee on Afghanistan, David Mulroney just expressed great confidence in the training Canadian troops received on the handling of detainees.

The government reaffirms its commitment to do something or other

…our their Kady feels the strangest sense of déjà vu. Witnesses showing up before they’d been called? She’s seen this one before!

The CBC finds evidence of delays, going as far back as 2002, in reporting detainee transfers to the Red Cross. Opposition members of the special committee on Afghanistan say they want all relevant briefing notes and government documents related to Afghan detainees before they’ll hear from David Mulroney.

David Mulroney writes a letter (pdf file) to the special committee on Afghanistan.

The Globe details an April 2007 memo from Richard Colvin, the Star talks to a European Union official who concurs with Mr. Colvin’s account of the situation in Afghanistan and in both stories we get the first hint of what David Mulroney will say when he decides to comment publicly. Both the Globe and Star explore Mr. Colvin and his career in the foreign service. And in a pair of interviews, Malalai Joya, a member of Afghanistan’s parliament, talks about torture in her country and her view of Canadian involvement.

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.

Former defence minister Gordon O’Connor’s exchange with reporters after QP today.