special committee on Afghanistan

Two weeks ago, Gen. Walter Natynczyk wrote to the Afghanistan committee in response to the testimony of Malgarai Ahmadshah. In that letter, he stated that “Canadian Forces do not transfer individuals for the purposes of gathering information.” This caught the interest of the NDP’s Paul Dewar and Jack Harris, who wrote Natynczyk seeking an explanation as to how this could be squared with an October 2007 transfer report.

A former diplomat told the Afghanistan committee this week that the first officials heard of specific allegations of torture was when the Globe and Mail reported as much in April 2007.

While most everyone was paying attention to other matters across the hall, our former ambassador in Kabul appeared in Centre Block’s other grand committee room yesterday afternoon and neatly summed up Canada’s position on torture in Afghanistan.

Gen. Walter Natynczyk has written to the special committee on Afghanistan to outline the military’s account of one of the events referenced last week by Malgarai Ahmadshah.

Gen. Walter Natynczyk’s statement on yesterday’s testimony at the special committee on Afghanistan.

A former translator has just concluded rather dramatic testimony at the special committee on Afghanistan.

The issue of Governor Asadullah Khalid was raised three times during Afghanistan committee hearings last year. Specifically, the matter was pursued with Richard Colvin, Major-General David Fraser, the commander of Task Force Afghanistan for most of 2006, and ambassador David Mulroney, the former associate deputy minister for foreign affairs.

Liberal Derek Lee stood in the House, just a moment ago, and filed a question of privilege on the House’s demand that the government produce documents related to Afghan detainees. The NDP’s Jack Harris has followed with his own question of privilege, as has the Bloc’s Claude Bachand. Further interventions have been made by Bob Rae, Tom Lukiwski, Pierre Paquette and Larry Bagnell. The government argued, in part, that the question of privilege came too far after the breach—the order of the House having been issued December 10—but the Speaker has ruled that there is no objection to be made on timeliness.

The Canadian Press, Sun, Star, CBC and Canwest report from today’s unofficial meeting of the Afghanistan committee. In photos, the Sun documents the exit of a cameraman apparently sent by the Conservative side to observe the proceedings on behalf of those government MPs who couldn’t be there.

Four years ago tomorrow, Stephen Harper made a campaign stop in Winnipeg, where he outlined his party’s vision for arctic sovereignty. The next day he had a photo op at a Toys R Us in Calgary. He then took three days off for Christmas, before resuming his campaign on Dec. 27.

Laurie Hawn writes to inform the Afghanistan committee that Conservative members won’t be attending tomorrow’s meeting. It appears the committee will carry on without them. Meanwhile, Tim Naumetz of the Hill Times obtains classified transcripts from the Military Police Complaints Commission inquiry.

The opposition requested a meeting of the special committee on Afghanistan for next Tuesday and that meeting is apparently now scheduled. The Liberals humbly ask that Rick Casson, the Conservative chair of the committee, deign to preside over said meeting.