SandBox
May 15th, 2004, 14:11
Watchdog links Canadians to 2 Afghan deaths
By RHÉAL SÉGUIN
From Saturday's Globe and Mail
Quebec — A special Canadian Forces unit based in Afghanistan may have been involved in a 2002 incident involving the mistreatment and killing of an elderly man and in causing the death of a child, a London-based human rights organization says.
In a report released this week outlining the mistreatment of prisoners by U.S. military and intelligence personnel, Human Rights Watch described a May 24, 2002, incident in the village of Band Taimore, in Kandahar province.
"Accounts of the operation are not clear, but according to journalists who interviewed villagers, a tribal leader in his 80s was shot dead in a mosque, and a 3-year-old girl drowned after she fell into a well trying to run away from U.S. forces," the report says.
The organization alleged that the Canadian Joint Task Force 2 and U.S. special forces were involved in the operation. A spokesperson for the Canadian military could not confirm the report yesterday.
The human rights organization said that mistreatment of prisoners, excessive use of force and other abuses were a systemic problem in Afghanistan and that cases like the one allegedly involving Canadian soldiers were not isolated.
"Afghans have been telling us for well over a year about mistreatment in U.S. custody," said John Sifton, a researcher for Human Rights Watch. "We warned U.S. officials repeatedly about these problems in 2003 and 2004. It's time now for the United States to publicize the results of its investigations of abuse, fully prosecute those responsible, and provide access to independent monitors."
During the May 24 incident, Canadians and U.S forces captured dozens of Afghans as part of a raid aimed at nabbing suspected Taliban leaders and supporters. About 50 Afghans, including a 12-year-old boy, were transported by helicopter to a field in the city of Kandahar. All but five were released, prompting U.S. Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to say that at least one was a Taliban official "below the senior level."
At the time, some media reported that most of the prisoners said they were not mistreated. But other reports said the prisoners had complained of mistreatment, including some who said they were punched and others who said they were forced to squat and put their hands behind their heads for hours.
The incident sparked an angry response from the villagers in Band Taimore, where the elders insisted the residents committed no crime and were detained for no reason.
In March, Human Rights Watch published a report documenting cases of mistreatment of prisoners in Afghanistan. The report outlined techniques such as sleep deprivation, exposure to extreme cold and beatings, and noted that prisoners complained of being stripped and photographed naked.
"Some of these abusive practices during interrogation were similar to those recently reported in Iraq," the organization stated.
Doesnt just happen with American soldiers.
By RHÉAL SÉGUIN
From Saturday's Globe and Mail
Quebec — A special Canadian Forces unit based in Afghanistan may have been involved in a 2002 incident involving the mistreatment and killing of an elderly man and in causing the death of a child, a London-based human rights organization says.
In a report released this week outlining the mistreatment of prisoners by U.S. military and intelligence personnel, Human Rights Watch described a May 24, 2002, incident in the village of Band Taimore, in Kandahar province.
"Accounts of the operation are not clear, but according to journalists who interviewed villagers, a tribal leader in his 80s was shot dead in a mosque, and a 3-year-old girl drowned after she fell into a well trying to run away from U.S. forces," the report says.
The organization alleged that the Canadian Joint Task Force 2 and U.S. special forces were involved in the operation. A spokesperson for the Canadian military could not confirm the report yesterday.
The human rights organization said that mistreatment of prisoners, excessive use of force and other abuses were a systemic problem in Afghanistan and that cases like the one allegedly involving Canadian soldiers were not isolated.
"Afghans have been telling us for well over a year about mistreatment in U.S. custody," said John Sifton, a researcher for Human Rights Watch. "We warned U.S. officials repeatedly about these problems in 2003 and 2004. It's time now for the United States to publicize the results of its investigations of abuse, fully prosecute those responsible, and provide access to independent monitors."
During the May 24 incident, Canadians and U.S forces captured dozens of Afghans as part of a raid aimed at nabbing suspected Taliban leaders and supporters. About 50 Afghans, including a 12-year-old boy, were transported by helicopter to a field in the city of Kandahar. All but five were released, prompting U.S. Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to say that at least one was a Taliban official "below the senior level."
At the time, some media reported that most of the prisoners said they were not mistreated. But other reports said the prisoners had complained of mistreatment, including some who said they were punched and others who said they were forced to squat and put their hands behind their heads for hours.
The incident sparked an angry response from the villagers in Band Taimore, where the elders insisted the residents committed no crime and were detained for no reason.
In March, Human Rights Watch published a report documenting cases of mistreatment of prisoners in Afghanistan. The report outlined techniques such as sleep deprivation, exposure to extreme cold and beatings, and noted that prisoners complained of being stripped and photographed naked.
"Some of these abusive practices during interrogation were similar to those recently reported in Iraq," the organization stated.
Doesnt just happen with American soldiers.