Government Seeks to Limit Probe Into Afghan Detainee Issue

The Conservatives have been quietly fighting the Military Police Complaints Commission in court.

Testimony by diplomat Richard Colvin nearly brought down the federal government last year when he alleged that Canadian soldiers knowingly transferred detainees to Afghan forces engaged in torture. Stephen Harper prorogued Parliament and most Canadians forgot about the issue, but the Military Police Complaints Commission has continued efforts to compile a report on Canadian Forces’ conduct. The government argued in Federal Court last week that testimony from Colvin and others should be excluded from the report and that only facts that soldiers could have physically possessed (in an email or other document) should be included. The government argues that information soldiers could have found out by asking questions should be excluded because officers are only allowed to question orders if they are unlawful.