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The Afghan Detainee scandal became the defining story of Canada’s war in Kandahar. It exposed Canada’s complicity and direct involvement in war crimes. And it helped fuel the insurgency that eventually brought down the Afghan government.
Despite repeated denials by senior government and military officials, there’s evidence that many Canadians knew they were sending Afghans to be tortured.
So why did so few people do anything to stop it? And what role did Harjit Sajjan, Trudeau’s first Minister of Defence, play in ensuring that the full story will never come out?
Featured in this episode: Ahmad Malgarai, Amir Attaran, Sharif Sharaf, Craig Scott, Harjit Sajjan
To learn more:
“From Canadian custody into cruel hands” by Graeme Smith in The Globe and Mail
“Canada defended Afghan ‘human-rights abuser,’ memos allege” by Murray Brewster in The Canadian Press
“Ethics commissioner acknowledges Sajjan downplayed his role and knowledge of Afghan detainee issue” by David Pugliese in The Ottawa CItizen
The Dogs Are Eating Them Now: Our War in Afghanistan by Graeme Smith
Additional music from Audio Network
This episode is brought to you by Oxio, Images Festival, HelloFresh, Calm
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