Statement made on 14 December 2009 by Senator Rod Zimmer
Hon. Rod A. A. Zimmer:
Honourable senators, over the past month, Canadians heard testimony indicating the existence of detainee abuse by local authorities in Afghanistan. Canadians also heard about the early warnings notifying the government that such events were taking place as early as June 2006. Despite these allegations, the government has denied knowledge of such facts. However, Canada's top general now recognizes that the military was aware that local authorities were abusing Afghan detainees.
Given the initial denial of these facts by this government and the contradictory stories between the government and military officials, the release of documents is imperative in order to restore public confidence in the government's handling of the Canadian mission in Afghanistan.
When will the government provide specific information on this issue? When will this government disclose the documents revealing the existence of detainee abuse so that the public and parliamentarians will know the facts?
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