Are Canadian forces getting away with murder?

Readers may recall that this blog was one of the only blogs or websites to cover the Toube massacre of November 2007, when according to villagers foreign special forces killed children in their sleep and slit the throats of adult civilians. The British military was taking the reports seriously, and the incident was later investigated by UN Special Rapporteur Phillip Alston, who also investigated the incident described here by Amnesty:

Amnesty International, USA
March 1, 2009

... The killing of two brothers in Kandahar in the middle of the night last January is a notable example of the lack of accountability of international forces. Amnesty International’s research in Kandahar indicates that Abdul Habib and Mohammed Ali, who were unarmed, were shot at home at point blank range by international forces in camouflage uniforms...

“The ongoing impunity surrounding the deaths of Abdul Habib and Mohammed Ali highlights the lack of proper accountability for Western forces operating in Afghanistan,” said Sam Zarifi...

So far no one has accepted responsibility for the deaths of the two brothers...

Amnesty International has, however, received information that the operation was conducted by personnel operating out of Firebase Gecko (also known as Firebase Maholic), located at the former home of Taleban leader Mullah Omar. Now used as a US base, it houses regular international troops, special forces units, as well as personnel from intelligence agencies forces, such as the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), known to operate in Afghanistan. These forces are often referred to as “other government agencies” or OGAs... (link)

Here are some extracts from the AI report:

... ISAF forces have become engaged in significant counter-insurgency operations. These include special reconnaissance and direct action operations carried out by Special Operations Forces deployed as part of ISAF which are essentially little different from the operations carried out by Special Operations Forces deployed as part of OEF. Furthermore, it appears that in many instances ISAF and OEF forces engage in joint operations.

In addition to Special Operations Forces deployed as part of CJSOTF-A, elite Task Forces or Special Mission Units (SMUs) have also been deployed to Afghanistan for the specific purpose of tracking, targeting, and apprehending or killing of what the USA calls “high-value targets” within al-Qa’ida, the Taleban and other associated insurgency groups. These Task Forces/SMUs are highly secretive, and have frequently changed their name and composition in order to minimize their exposure.

They are reportedly comprised of the most elite Special Operations Forces...

Over the past few years, a small number of other countries have also deployed their Tier I Special Operations Forces to these Task Forces/SMUs including Canada and the United Kingdom. US civilian intelligence or ‘other government agency’ (OGA) personnel from the CIA as well as personnel of the Defence Intelligence Agency, and US civilian contractors, have also reportedly been included in these Task Forces/SMU’s...

Amnesty International has received credible information that CIA personnel are currently operating in Kandahar Province, and that they have operated out of Firebase Gecko...

In addition to formal ANSF, there are also other Afghan forces in Kandahar which are reportedly currently working closely with some international Special Operations Forces and civilian intelligence agencies, particularly OGAs such as the CIA. Comprised of former militias which are controlled by Afghan powerbrokers who exercise influence in Kandahar, the militias played a key role in supporting US Special Operations Forces and the CIA in ousting the Taliban in late 2001. Amnesty International has received information that such Afghan militias controlled by international personnel are operating in Kandahar Province... (link)

Related:

• December 2008: Canada's senior officer in Kandahar confirms for the first time that specialized Canadian Forces units participate in high-risk nighttime searches of suspected Taliban compounds.


• June 2008: The CBC reports that Canadian JTF-2 commandos were taking part in "hunt and kill" operations in Afghan villages in search of insurgents.


• Feb 2008: President Karzai's brother reveals targeted assassinations by American special forces.