Harper jeopardizing Canada's reputation: Ignatieff
Last Updated: Thursday, March 22, 2007 | 5:43 PM ET
CBC News
Prime Minister Stephen Harper's accusation that the Liberals care more about Taliban prisoners than Canadian troops has hurt Canada's reputation and put soldiers' lives at risk, Liberal MPs said Thursday.
"It's clear that this is a prime minister who thinks that no attack is beneath him, no shot is too cheap and no smear is too unbecoming," Deputy Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff charged during question period.
"If the prime minister really cared about the troops, really cared about human rights, really cared about the success of the Afghan mission, he would replace his incompetent [defence] minister."
The latest political skirmish stems from erroneous information Gordon O'Connor provided to the government two weeks ago.
O'Connor incorrectly told the House of Commons that the Red Cross would keep Canada informed about the condition of prisoners handed over to Afghan officials by Canadian soldiers. On Monday, O'Connor apologized, admitting that the Red Cross is under no obligation to report to Canada and must only keep Afghanistan informed.
On Wednesday, Harper defended O'Connor, saying: "I can understand the passion that the leader of the Opposition and members of his party feel for the Taliban prisoners. I just wish occasionally they would show the same passion for Canadian soldiers."
Ignatieff ridiculed Harper's accusation, saying the Conservatives have "no monopoly on patriotism, no monopoly on support for the military, no monopoly on support for our troops in Afghanistan."
Ignatieff said Harper, who was not in the House of Commons Thursday, was jeopardizing Canada's international reputation by "putting into question Canada's duty to uphold the Geneva Convention."
Liberal defence critic Denis Coderre added that Harper's comments put the lives of Canadian soldiers in jeopardy by "inflaming our enemies and turning the Afghan people against us."
Coderre characterized O'Connor as a minister who is incompetent, negligent and incapable of being transparent.
O'Connor defends his honour
The military has a code of honour that talks about duty, loyalty, integrity, courage and particularly honour, Coderre said, and he asked if O'Connor would comply with his own teachings.
"I think I do follow that code and that's why I take responsibility," O'Connor said.
Ottawa will protect detainees within the Afghan prison system, O'Connor said.
The government recently made an arrangement with the Afghan Human Rights Commission, in which they have undertaken to supervise the treatment of detainees, he added.
"That will give us some degree of comfort."
