Special forces Afghan probe prompts oversight calls

There are calls for public oversight of an elite military unit amid allegations that a Canadian soldier was involved in an unlawful killing of an Afghan.

Federal politicians and a former member of the military are making the calls in light of a series of closed-door investigations in Ottawa that have been looking into the explosive claims involving the covert unit, Joint Task Force 2.

The allegations included claims that members of JTF2 witnessed American soldiers killing an unarmed man, and, in a separate incident, that a member of JTF2 killed a man who was surrendering.

Earlier this year, CBC News reported that the first probe, named Sand Trap, looked into the allegations that a Canadian was involved in the 2006 shooting death of an Afghan who had his hands up in the act of surrender. That probe ended without any charges.

Sand Trap Two, which is looking at the claims against American forces, is still ongoing.

The Canadian soldier who raised those allegations said that in January 2008, his team was sent to conduct a mission alongside an American special operations team. He said he witnessed the U.S. forces kill a man who was wounded and unarmed.

"We know nothing about this formally," said New Democrat MP Jack Harris. "All we know is what individuals may tell us."

MP Claude Bachand of the Bloc Québécois believes there has to be a way to balance the need for military secrecy with the need for accountability.

Denis Morisset spent eight years in JTF2, and witnessed ugly battles in Bosnia and Afghanistan. He thinks more oversight would lead to paralysis on the battlefield.

"From my point of view, it's completely stupid," he said.

Go figure the Bloc and NDP are raising a stink about this. The Canadian incident has been investigated and no charges laid, so drop it. The US incident investigation is ongoing.

I can't believe any Canadian combat soldier and especially the JTF/CSOR gang would lose any sleep over another dead Afghan. I guess if in the end the folks turned out to be "innocent", about a 1% chance, they may get troubled.

Although I don't think the Special Forces of any country should have free reign to roam the countryside executing just anybody who gets in their way. But having worked with a few of these teams, I respect and admire what the have to do.