Wednesday, February 10, 2010 2:45 PM
Professor blasts back at 'small-minded' PMO
Jane Taber
Amir Attaran says Stephen Harper’s office is “dishonestly” blurring and misrepresenting him in an internal email to Conservative MPs and supporters.
The email containing a set of talking points was released yesterday. It accuses the University of Ottawa professor of characterizing the Canadian troops as war criminals.
“It is maliciously wrong of the Prime Minister’s office to write that I ‘accused Canadian troops of war crimes,’” the professor told The Globe in an email today.
“That Canada has transferred Afghan detainees in actual knowledge of a risk of torture – a war crime – is undeniable, and this is largely because of the investigative work of The Globe’s Graeme Smith and Paul Koring,” he said.
“To state such a thing is not controversial. Even the Canadian Forces Judge Advocate General, BGen Ken Watkin, told Parliament in November that ‘the transfer of detainees to a real risk of torture or ill-treatment is contrary to international humanitarian law, also known as the law of war,’” he said.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/blogs/bureau-blog/professor-blasts-back-at-small-minded-pmo/article1463207/The Professor also takes a nice shot at Harp over going abroad to study or teach.
Seems we have a lot of people in this country who are willing to stand up and fight back.