O'Connor's Damage Control Trip to Afghanistan

Defence minister Gordon O'Connor is in trouble - and he knows it. O'Connor made a surprise trip to Afghanistan this weekend to meet with members of that country's human rights commission.

The Canadian military recently and secretly signed an agreement with that body to get it involved with overseeing the transfer of detainees handed over by its troops to Afghan authories. That news came out following the revelations of alleged abuse of 3 Afghan detainees by Canadian soldiers (for which there are now 4 investigations underway) who have since disappeared. Handy timing. O'Connor claimed that the defence department had been working on that agreement since last summer but didn't explain why it would take such a long time for such a pact to be enacted (if his claim is even true).

O'Connor is rightly under fire for lying about the defence department's agreement with the ICRC. He claimed they were responsible for monitoring the detainees after they were turned over. An ICRC official denied that claim, obviously leaving O'Connor in the hot seat.

So, now O'Connor has made a hasty trip to Afghanistan for a photo op to make it look like he's actually on top of things. He's not. And he's as transparently arrogant as they come.

Via The Toronto Star:

O'Connor said that during his surprise visit he wants to go over the terms of the agreement to ensure it works.

"In addition to talking with the human rights organization here, I am also going to go through the entire process here on the ground. The staff are going to explain to me the entire process – how it happens."

Now, why would our defence minister need to waste taxpayers' money by going to Afghanistan to find out what's going on? Wasn't he briefed about this agreement and the processes involved in transfering detainees by General Hillier, whose hand has been in all of this - beginning with his signing of the ICRC agreement back in December, 2005?

Canada's Military Police Complaints Commission is investing allegations that on 18 occasions troops handed over prisoners knowing they would be abused.

That's why O'Connor is in Afghanistan today - to make it look like 1) he actually knows what he's doing and 2) to cover his ass because he's failed. Canada doesn't need its version of Donald Rumsfeld who was never held accountable for anything. O'Connor should be fired.