Canadians following rules of war, O'Connor says

[Spazito]

Prisoners captured in Afghanistan by Canadian forces will have the rights accorded to them by the Geneva Convention, Defence Minister Gordon O'Connor said Wednesday.

"When they take prisoners, they will always follow the rules of the Geneva Convention, no lower standard than that," he told the Commons.

snip

Canadian regulations updated in 1991 allow for tribunals to be held in order to determine the status of detainees under the Conventions when there is doubt.

But according to The Globe, Canada has already decreed that there are no lawful combatants in Afghanistan, and therefore no screening is required.

more

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20060531/geneva_rules_canada_060531/20060531?hub=Canada

Seeing as Canadian troops don't hold prisoners very long, don't hold a tribunal and, instead, hand them over without ensuring they won't be tortured, it seems to me they are lying yet again, surprise, surprise.

Edited to add: Oh, yeah, O'Connor says Canada is not at war in Afghanistan, he's not sure what it is but he is sure it isn't war.