Canada’s top general in Afghanistan vows detainees treated properly

KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan - Canada's top soldier in Afghanistan says he's confident the current Canadian process for holding and transferring detainees has enough checks and balances to ensure they are treated properly by Afghan authorities.

At the Kandahar Airfield on Sunday, Brig.-Gen. Daniel Menard said that a combination of military and civilian monitoring, inspections and interviews now ensures that detainees will not be abused.

Richard Colvin, now deputy head of intelligence at the Canadian embassy in Washington, made headlines this month with his allegations that the Canadian government and the military turned a blind eye to widespread torture in Afghan jails.

Brig.-Gen. Menard, who took over command of Task Force Kandahar earlier this month, said he meets weekly with the Afghan head of the National Directorate of Security and holds them accountable when necessary.

"We can talk about specific issues. We can talk about specific detainees. This is when we can tell them, this is what we are seeing, what are you doing about it?" he said. "We have no authority over the Afghan system, but what we can do is ensure the right thing is done to these individuals. We do this."

The Red Cross visits the detainment centre at the Kandahar Airfield every month. They examine the facility to ensure it meets standards and that detainees have everything they are supposed to. If the Red Cross identifies a concern, Brig.-Gen. Menard said, it is immediately dealt with.

Once Canadian troops detain an Afghan suspect, largely on suspicion they are involved in insurgent activity, they look at any supporting evidence. If that isn't sufficient, they have no choice but to quickly release him or her, Brig.-Gen. Menard claimed.

"The sole authority for this, the only authority, is me. Nobody in Canada can direct me to release anybody. Nobody. The task force commander is the authority for releasing, transferring or to keep them."

If kept, a detainee is then subject to Canadian and NATO policy. If they are still held and not transferred after 96 hours, Brig.-Gen. Menard must contact his military superiors in Canada. If the person must be held longer, perhaps for medical reasons, the general must explain why. After that, every 24 hours, he must again justify why he is still holding a specific detainee instead of transferring him or her to Afghan authorities.

"We don't keep people just because. It's not a prison," Brig.-Gen. Menard said.

Once detainees are transferred to Afghan officials, they go through the legal system. Though the evidence is supplied by Canadians, the legal system is Afghan.

"After the transfer has taken place, we have a very robust monitoring system," said Jess Dutton, civilian director of Canada's Provincial Reconstruction Team in Kandahar City.

"A Department of Foreign Affairs officer will interview detainees. Since 2007, I believe, we've done over 150 interviews and 180 visits."

Correctional Service of Canada officers are at Sarpoza Prison six days a week to train the warden and staff on procedures, including ethical treatment of prisoners.

That training happens concurrently with Brig.-Gen. Menard's weekly meetings with the National Directorate of Security.

"Generally speaking, they are receptive," Menard said of Afghan officials. "They try to do their best. They understand it is something extremely important, that other countries view this as very important. They are not prepared to ignore us."