Detainees Or Terrorists?

Stockwell Day
http://www.castanet.net/edition/news-story-29237-919-.htm#29237

Lots of fuming and frenzy in Ottawa this week on the topic of prisoners in Afghanistan. Let me give you some basic facts without the 'Spin from the Hill'
1. In the process of pushing back the terrorist (Taliban) insurgency which threatens to destroy progress (and innocent lives) in Afghanistan our soldiers capture Taliban terrorists who surrender when they realize they are losing. Other suspected criminals and wrongdoers are also arrested by Afghani forces.
2. There are over 30 provinces in Afghanistan Canada is deployed mainly, but not only, in Kandahar.
3. Earlier this year Correction Service of Canada (federal prisons) sent two officers to Kandahar. 4. Their mandate is to help train the new Afgani Corrections officers in the proper care of prisoners and to recommend improvements in the prisons and detention facilities. Though they are not there as UN monitors they are able to see and talk to prisoners about their treatment in jail.
5. Though torture may have happened they cannot find evidence of it in observing the prisoners and terror suspects.
6. Complicating the question of torture, Taliban and Al-Qaeda terrorists are trained and commanded to lie if they are captured. They are told to loudly complain at every opportunity to media and others that they have been tortured, even if they have not been.
7. Since February my Corrections Officers have made 17 visits into the 3 facilities in Kandahar. 8. All of our officials have clearly been informed that they may have access to all detention facilities in Kandahar.
9. It is not our responsibility to build a prison in Canada to house suspected Taliban killers. That idea was suggested at one point by Liberal head Stephan Dion. After all, that is exactly what the Americans were criticized for when they sent terrorists captured in the Middle East to the American prison in the US territory of Guantanamo Bay in Cuba.
10. There is much to be done to improve the conditions in Afghani jails, but our officials are reporting step by step progress.
11. Though I reported a number of times (including on the pages of this newspaper) the good work being done by our Corrections officers and RCMP in Afghanistan, neither the national media nor the official opposition have shown interest or asked questions about that.
12. The mission in Afghanistan is an official United Nations mission using a cooperative of more than 35 nations with troops and development officers working side by side with Afghanis and with the plea for help from the Afghan government.