"No regrets". That's what General Rick Hillier told the press about the agreement he signed back in December, 2005 with the Afghanistan government that was supposed to offer protection for detainees Canadian soldiers transfer to Afghan authorities.“We think the agreement was pretty solid,” Gen. Hillier said. “We perhaps have improved it with this latest initiative, which really formalizes something which was informal and if we see opportunity to do better ahead we will.”
No regrets? "Pretty solid"?
That 2005 agreement offered no oversight by the ICRC and there have been numerous complaints of alleged abuse since then that are only now being investigated. The agreement wasn't even legally binding.
When Amnesty International and the BC Civil Liberties Association recently called for a judicial review of the treatment of detainees who were transferred, they also noted:
The Chief of the Defence Staff, General Hillier has also refused to allow these detainees access to legal counsel before being transferred to the Afghanistan authorities. Amnesty International and the British Columbia Civil Liberties Association state that this is also contrary to the right of individuals detained by Canadian Forces to retain and instruct legal counsel without delay under section 10(b) of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Yet Hillier has "no regrets"? Maybe that's because he's getting a free ride without being held accountable for his failed decisions.
Related:
Hillier is Insulted
Canadian Military Secretly Signs Agreement with Afghan Human Rights Watchdog
3 Afghanistan Detainees Have Disappeared
O'Connor's Damage Control Trip to Afghanistan
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