Treatment of Prisoners a Longtime Concern: MacKay

Kate Yule
Friday, November 20, 2009

Defence Minister Peter MacKay says the handling of prisoners turned over by Canada to Afghan authorities has been a concern for some time.

The Harper government has been on the defensive after former diplomat Richard Colvin dropped a bombshell on Wednesday. Colvin alleges that the Harper government knew of the abusive treatment of the prisoners, but chose to ignore it.

MacKay says the government tracks the way other countries handle and turn over detainees. But he says Afghan authorities are responsible for handling the prisoners. Canada's role is to help them in those efforts.

MacKay is also toning down his rhetoric about Colvin. He had stated that Colvin’s testimony to a special Commons committee wasn’t credible, and had given the impression that the ex-diplomat was a Taliban dupe.

On Friday MacKay said that the attacks weren’t personal.