CBC News has learned that the government took between four days and three and half months to notify the Red Cross it had transferred detainees to Afghan authorities.

The revelation can be found in a document that was used to brief former Chief of Defence Staff Rick Hillier. The CBC obtained this document through an Access to Information request.

Although vast parts of the document have been redacted, two references to the transfer of Afghan detainees-- a paragraph here, and a table across two pages here and here -- were not omitted.

These time lags appear to support diplomat Richard Colvin's claims the Canadian government's detainee handling procedures were sloppy and flawed -- under both Liberal and Conservative governments.

Human rights groups say monitors such as the Red Cross need to know about transfers the day they occur, in order to prevent torture and abuse.

The cbc.ca story is here.

The video for Monday's Power & Politics segment on this is here.

The World at Six audio for this story is here.