Archive | May, 2007

Deal or No Deal -­ Stop the Transfer of Detainees

May 4, 2007 Dear Ceasefire.ca supporter, You are no doubt hearing and reading about the new Afghan detainee transfer agreement struck between Canada and Afghanistan. The deal was announced yesterday, only minutes before the federal court was to consider issuing an injunction against any further handover of prisoners taken by Canadian troops to Afghan authorities. […]

An Omen?

Once again news reports say that American military operations have killed scores of civilians in Afghanistan. Even President Karzai — who could not  stay in power a day without American support, has condemned the killings. The Americans, as always, claim they killed “Taliban fighters”. But the combat took place west of Herat, well outside of the Pushtun areas […]

Are Hillier and O'Connor War Criminals?

Are Chief of Defence Staff General Rick Hillier and Defence Minister Gordon O’Connor war criminals? That’s the question that two international law professors are asking the International Criminal Court to investigate, in light of the revelations last week that prisoners taken by Canada and handed to Afghan authorities were tortured. In a letter they wrote (Byers […]

Terrorists, Freedom Fighters, and the Law

Much though I hate to revisit endless debates, again responses to my post beg the critical question: who is to be deemed a “terrorist”, who gets to decide this, and whose judicial process applies? I hate to drag out the ancient trope that “one man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter”, but no one has addressed this […]

Out of the Woodwork

Well, yesterday’s blog about Omar Khadr has evoked two reactions: one predictable, reasoned, but simply wrong, and one absolutely terrifying. First, let me get something on the record: my opposition to the rubbishing of the rule of law for the so-called “War on Terror” does not derive from an ivory-tower ignorance of terrorism. When I attended university at […]