Canada’s elite Afghan force under investigation

The Department of National Defence has been investigating the conduct of the Joint Task Force 2 since 2008.

Not much is known about the secretive Joint Task Force 2, but the elite wing of the Canadian Forces is believed to carry out high-risk missions against enemy commanders and roadside bombers in Afghanistan. In 2008 the Defence Department began investigating the force after one of its members made serious allegations about its conduct, and that original investigation has since expanded into a much larger one involving at least 100 witnesses. The original allegations are believed to relate to the handling of Afghan detainees. In separate proceedings, the Military Police Complaints Commission is currently holding hearings in Ottawa about reports that Canadian Forces handed over detainees to Afghan forces despite knowing they’d likely be tortured.