Harper Accuses Liberals

[Argus]

The issue has been and remains: where are the prisoners that Canadian soldiers transfered to Afghan authorities?

Actually, the issue is: What about health care, what about crime, what about poverty, what about the rebuilding of the military and national security, what about ports and pensions and the environment and unemployment?

Nobody gives two shits about Taliban prisoners except people who want to use this to attack Harper.

O'Connor said that he knew where they were and what their condition was. He doesn't know either.

Are you suggesting Canada should take control of Afghan prisoners in Afghanistan? Start our own prison and, of course, fly in our own judges and apply our own Constitution? And screw what the elected Afghan government wants or says? Doesn't that make you an imperialist with contempt for foreign cultures?

Harper brushes this off and says that the Liberals care more for the Taliban. Harper obviously doesn't realize that unaccounted for prisoners could and might attack Canadians soldiers. Time for him to take it seriously.

As if THAT was their care - or yours! The Liberals don't care if these people escaped or are dead or are home with their families. This is sheer political expediency hoping to damage Harper somehow because Dion and the Liberals have nothing else to use to attack them with.

[Argus]

Time for the Liberals to take our soldiers lives and well-being seriously.

What possible reason would you think that they don't already???

Because they never have before.

[Argus]

I see, your partisan-mind-lock leaves you thinking that Don Newman, dean of Canadian political reporters, makes up stories. Yeah, that seems likely.

ROFL! If Newman could get a job doing the Weather on a local American television station he'd be down south so fast his collection of phony hair pieces would leave a hundred mile trail to the border.

[Argus]

Everything that Stephan Harper does serves a purpose. These "smears" are calculated attempts to make Dion look foolish and weak, and its working very well.

To be fair, Dion is doing most of the work on that.

[Argus]

Starving the Canadian Forces ...

Let's try to remember the facts, shall we? Serious money had started to flow into the forces already under Chretien, and accelerated under Martin. Steve has continued this.

Bullshit. Chretien never gave two shits for the well-being of the CF or the people in it. Nor did Martin. Martin put forward an election budget which back-loaded the money to the CF, meaning they got virtually nothing up front, despite how desperately they needed it. The real money he had in the budget was not for several years down the line - and everyone knew there was no hope in hell his government would survive more than a year anyway.

As Liberals know, it's easy to make promises when you have no intention of ever keeping them, and when your loyal mindless cadre will ignore all the lies, corruption and deceit.

[jdobbin]

As if THAT was their care - or yours! The Liberals don't care if these people escaped or are dead or are home with their families. This is sheer political expediency hoping to damage Harper somehow because Dion and the Liberals have nothing else to use to attack them with.

O'Connor was bragging all along that he knew where the prisoners were and what their condition was. He knew neither. That was sheer political stupidity.

And given that prisoners have been released back into the community and could very well be planning and executing attacks, it is obvious that you don't care either.

[jdobbin]

Did Newman have his head up Dion's ass again? Who cares what Don Newman says? He makes things up as he goes along anyway.

I think that it is O'Connor who is making things up as he goes along.

[Saturn]

The Liberals care more about the Taliban than about Canadian soldiers, care more about criminals than their victims, care more about pedophiles than children....

The first two are very valid criticisms. The third is a little out there...

And you got a very valid reason to seek the services of a mental health specialist.

[jdobbin]

O'Connor said that he knew where they were and what their condition was. He doesn't know either.

Are you suggesting Canada should take control of Afghan prisoners in Afghanistan? Start our own prison and, of course, fly in our own judges and apply our own Constitution? And screw what the elected Afghan government wants or says? Doesn't that make you an imperialist with contempt for foreign cultures?

Nice dodge. O'Connor said he knew where the prisoners were. I think the Canadian military would like to know that the people they deem a threat remain in custody. Several are released all the time simply because their tribes get them out.

Next, O'Connor said that Canada would not be doing any form of "rendition" where they handed over people simply to get tortured because Canada's soldiers could not do this under our laws. The Defence minster said he knew all prisoners were being handled without torture because the Red Cross would tell him if they weren't.

[Michael Bluth]

And you got a very valid reason to seek the services of a mental health specialist.

So somebody who doesn't agree with the Liberals is in need of mental health services?

Hmmmm... that makes at lest 70% of the electorate in the last election.

[scribblet]

What the fuck do you mean 'called to account'??? They have nothing to account for. They weren't called to account, they were the target of a false, filthy Harper smearjob.

That language is uncalled for, but is Harper doing any worse than the many spurious malicious smear jobs against Harper on here - I don't think so.

[betsy]

The sad thing is the missing prisoners might end up killing Canadian soldiers.

We're at war. It's part of the risk.

[munsinger]

Tha Harper guy is a bit of a bully.....but .....Dion needs more Dijon

[Argus]

The Liberals care more about the Taliban than about Canadian soldiers, care more about criminals than their victims, care more about pedophiles than children....

The first two are very valid criticisms. The third is a little out there...

And you got a very valid reason to seek the services of a mental health specialist.

Maybe you can pick up a few cards for him next time you pass the nurse's station.

[newbie]

Did Newman have his head up Dion's ass again?

Like yours is up Harpers?

[newbie]

"...you're a rabid leftist who despises conservatives.

Oh wait, you're a centrist. I keep forgetting, for some reason. LOL

And your allegience doesn't rest at Harper's feet?

[Keepitsimple]

Well, the guy who started this all off, a University of Ottawa lawyer named Amir Attaran, has popped his head up again. He was the fellow who "uncovered" the three Afghans who appeared to have been mistreated while in Canadian hands but they could no longer find them. At the time, he claimed that he had no political axe to grind and in fact, there was no proof that anything wrong had happened. In an article from Tuesday's Toronto Star - that bastion of objectivity - here's what he had to say:

University of Ottawa lawyer Amir Attaran, who first raised questions about the treatment of detainees handed over by Canadian soldiers, said both O'Connor and Hillier should resign – O'Connor for misleading the House and Hillier for having signed the detainee agreement without monitoring ability.

Now....does that sound like someone who wants to be seen as politically neutral?

Link: http://www.thestar.com/News/article/193830

[uOttawaMan]

Hillier isn't going anywhere.

[Catchme]

Well, the guy who started this all off, a University of Ottawa lawyer named Amir Attaran, has popped his head up again. He was the fellow who "uncovered" the three Afghans who appeared to have been mistreated while in Canadian hands but they could no longer find them. At the time, he claimed that he had no political axe to grind and in fact, there was no proof that anything wrong had happened. In an article from Tuesday's Toronto Star - that bastion of objectivity - here's what he had to say:

University of Ottawa lawyer Amir Attaran, who first raised questions about the treatment of detainees handed over by Canadian soldiers, said both O'Connor and Hillier should resign – O'Connor for misleading the House and Hillier for having signed the detainee agreement without monitoring ability.

Now....does that sound like someone who wants to be seen as politically neutral?

Link: http://www.thestar.com/News/article/193830

There are at least 3 disappeared people, that is the fact, and it is for sure non-partisan to demand accountability, those agreements were signed in our name. Canadians are being called to account for our governments human rights failures by the world.

Hillier and O'Connor lied and failed in their duties. They obviously cannot do the job they were given, it is time they were gone and cilivian boards set up to investigate.

[Canadian Blue]

Who exactly is the world?

I haven't read any news reports that say our American or European allies want to bring us before the International Criminal Court?

As well if those people are only "disappeared", then what can we really do. I'd imagine it would be hard to track down such people in Afghanistan.

[scribblet]

Who exactly is the world?

I haven't read any news reports that say our American or European allies want to bring us before the International Criminal Court?

As well if those people are only "dissapeared", then what can we really do. I'd imagine it would be hard to track down such people in Afghanistan.

Maybe it was that character on Sesame St. who 'disappeared' them -

[jdobbin]

We're at war. It's part of the risk.

That's like telling cops that it is part of the risk when someone is released from jail mistakenly.

Risk comes from doing a dangerous job. It shouldn't come because your boss can't keep track of the people removed from the battlefield.

[blueblood]

Should canada not be taking any prisoners of war then?

[jdobbin]

Should canada not be taking any prisoners of war then?

O'Connor was quite clear that Canada would not turn over prisoners if they were subject to torture or if there was no way to keep track of them.

[Figleaf]

It's a beautiful political move.

It's an UGLY political move.