Post by corsair67 on Aug 16, 2010 23:24:04 GMT 12
I sincerely hope these allegations don't turn out to be true.
NZ checking whether Afghanistan prisoners tortured
From correspondents in Wellington
From: AP August 16, 2010 4:28PM
NEW Zealand's government said Monday it is investigating whether its soldiers in Afghanistan handed over prisoners to secret police accused of torturing detainees.
Judges in Britain recently upheld a ban on British forces transferring prisoners to the National Directorate for Security in Kabul because of the risk they may be tortured.
All arrests made by New Zealand's elite Special Air Service commandos are handled by a crisis response unit of the Afghan police that has been known to transfer prisoners to the directorate, New Zealand Defense Minister Wayne Mapp confirmed.
When asked if New Zealand might have handed over detainees who later were tortured, Mr Mapp said, "We can't rule that out."
He said the information under review relates "to some years ago."
"It's a concern, which is precisely why I have been seeking reports," he told National Radio.
"New Zealanders want to be able to see, the Defense Force itself wants to be able to see, that we observe all principles of international law," Mr Mapp said.
After the first New Zealand SAS deployment to Afghanistan in 2001, the Defense Force negotiated with the Red Cross to follow up on any prisoners New Zealand forces helped capture.
At the time, some 50 to 70 al-Qaeda and Taliban terrorist suspects detained by New Zealand forces were transferred to US and Canadian custody.
New Zealand commandos expressed concern then that some of those detainees were not properly registered by their new custodians.
www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/nz-checking-whether-afghanistan-prisoners-tortured/story-fn3dxix6-1225905989088
NZ checking whether Afghanistan prisoners tortured
From correspondents in Wellington
From: AP August 16, 2010 4:28PM
NEW Zealand's government said Monday it is investigating whether its soldiers in Afghanistan handed over prisoners to secret police accused of torturing detainees.
Judges in Britain recently upheld a ban on British forces transferring prisoners to the National Directorate for Security in Kabul because of the risk they may be tortured.
All arrests made by New Zealand's elite Special Air Service commandos are handled by a crisis response unit of the Afghan police that has been known to transfer prisoners to the directorate, New Zealand Defense Minister Wayne Mapp confirmed.
When asked if New Zealand might have handed over detainees who later were tortured, Mr Mapp said, "We can't rule that out."
He said the information under review relates "to some years ago."
"It's a concern, which is precisely why I have been seeking reports," he told National Radio.
"New Zealanders want to be able to see, the Defense Force itself wants to be able to see, that we observe all principles of international law," Mr Mapp said.
After the first New Zealand SAS deployment to Afghanistan in 2001, the Defense Force negotiated with the Red Cross to follow up on any prisoners New Zealand forces helped capture.
At the time, some 50 to 70 al-Qaeda and Taliban terrorist suspects detained by New Zealand forces were transferred to US and Canadian custody.
New Zealand commandos expressed concern then that some of those detainees were not properly registered by their new custodians.
www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/nz-checking-whether-afghanistan-prisoners-tortured/story-fn3dxix6-1225905989088
