Mark Dodd | September 02, 2008
SUSPECTED Taliban militants arrested by Australian special forces in Afghanistan have been detained in "dog pens" in actions that have left Australian Muslim groups outraged and prompted a protest from the Afghan ambassador in Canberra.
The empty dog pens were used to hold overnight four suspected Taliban insurgents who were arrested in a raid by special forces soldiers on April 29.
The raid - in response to the fatal shooting two days earlier of Sydney-based commando Lance Corporal Jason Marks - resulted in allegations of mistreatment of Afghan prisoners.
An army inquiry last week rejected those claims, saying they were not supported by medical evidence.
But Colonel David Connery, appointed by the deputy chief of the Defence Force, Lieutenant General David Hurley, to examine the charges, found evidence of "cultural misunderstandings" and noted "the use of the former dog pens".
Asked by The Australian to confirm that Afghan prisoners were held in the dog pens, Defence officials answered in the affirmative. "Yes, however this holding area provided the best secure, safe and isolated short-term accommodation until the following day," the spokesman said. And the use of the pens pales in significance compared with the atrocities committed by the Taliban before the regime was ousted in the aftermath of the US terror attacks of September 11, 2001. Then, alleged adulterers were routinely stoned to death.
Remnants of the regime are still committing abuses. Earlier this month suspected Taliban extremists abducted and executed a Japanese aid worker.
His death was preceeded days earlier by the killing of three Western women aid workers just outside the capital Kabul. It was one of the deadliest attacks in years and came amid growing concern about the deteriorating security situation in the country.
But there are cultural sensitivities at play over the use of dog pens. Islamic decrees warn Muslims against contact with dogs, which are regarded as unclean.
The use of dog pens for human detention has been strongly criticised by Afghan ambassador Amanullah Jayhoon, who warned the incident could provide valuable propaganda for the Taliban.
"What is important is the humane treatment of prisoners," he said. "We (the Afghan Government) are concerned about any incident that creates problems for Afghans, whether they are Muslim or not."
Australia's peak Muslim body, the Islamic High Council, expressed alarm at the practice.
"This is of concern to us whether they are Muslim or other people being confined in accommodation designed for dogs," said council spokesman Mohamed Mehio. "This is a matter of human rights."
Defence Minister Joel Fitzgibbon last night denied wrongdoing by the Diggers. "The facilities in which the detainees were held were the most secure facilities available at the remote Afghan army patrol base," he said.
"The detainees were held for 24 hours at this transit facility, which was the time required to arrange appropriate transport to move them to a purpose-built detention facility at Tarin Kowt."
Defence was unable to provide the dimensions of the wire dog pens or whether they had been previously used to house detainees. It did confirm that the four - including a 70-year-old man, later released - were detained in the pens for 24 hours.
The use of dog pens appears to contravene the Geneva Convention covering the treatment of prisoners of war.
Article 25 of the Convention states: Prisoners of war must be quartered in conditions as favourable as those enjoyed by the detaining power.
"The conditions shall make allowance for the habits and customs of the prisoners and shall in no case be prejudicial to their health.
"The premises provided for the use of prisoners of war, individually or collectively, shall be entirely protected from dampness and adequately heated and lighted."
Greens leader Bob Brown yesterday vowed to raise the issue in the Senate and push for an inquiry into the treatment of Afghan detainees. He said: "There would be outrage if Australian prisoners were kept in former cages for dogs.
"This requires an independent inquiry, and the other claims of the four detainees need to be reassessed."
The ADF said it took its responsibilities in dealing with detainees seriously.
SUSPECTED Taliban militants arrested by Australian special forces in Afghanistan have been detained in "dog pens" in actions that have left Australian Muslim groups outraged and prompted a protest from the Afghan ambassador in Canberra.
The empty dog pens were used to hold overnight four suspected Taliban insurgents who were arrested in a raid by special forces soldiers on April 29.
The raid - in response to the fatal shooting two days earlier of Sydney-based commando Lance Corporal Jason Marks - resulted in allegations of mistreatment of Afghan prisoners.
An army inquiry last week rejected those claims, saying they were not supported by medical evidence.
But Colonel David Connery, appointed by the deputy chief of the Defence Force, Lieutenant General David Hurley, to examine the charges, found evidence of "cultural misunderstandings" and noted "the use of the former dog pens".
Asked by The Australian to confirm that Afghan prisoners were held in the dog pens, Defence officials answered in the affirmative. "Yes, however this holding area provided the best secure, safe and isolated short-term accommodation until the following day," the spokesman said. And the use of the pens pales in significance compared with the atrocities committed by the Taliban before the regime was ousted in the aftermath of the US terror attacks of September 11, 2001. Then, alleged adulterers were routinely stoned to death.
Remnants of the regime are still committing abuses. Earlier this month suspected Taliban extremists abducted and executed a Japanese aid worker.
His death was preceeded days earlier by the killing of three Western women aid workers just outside the capital Kabul. It was one of the deadliest attacks in years and came amid growing concern about the deteriorating security situation in the country.
But there are cultural sensitivities at play over the use of dog pens. Islamic decrees warn Muslims against contact with dogs, which are regarded as unclean.
The use of dog pens for human detention has been strongly criticised by Afghan ambassador Amanullah Jayhoon, who warned the incident could provide valuable propaganda for the Taliban.
"What is important is the humane treatment of prisoners," he said. "We (the Afghan Government) are concerned about any incident that creates problems for Afghans, whether they are Muslim or not."
Australia's peak Muslim body, the Islamic High Council, expressed alarm at the practice.
"This is of concern to us whether they are Muslim or other people being confined in accommodation designed for dogs," said council spokesman Mohamed Mehio. "This is a matter of human rights."
Defence Minister Joel Fitzgibbon last night denied wrongdoing by the Diggers. "The facilities in which the detainees were held were the most secure facilities available at the remote Afghan army patrol base," he said.
"The detainees were held for 24 hours at this transit facility, which was the time required to arrange appropriate transport to move them to a purpose-built detention facility at Tarin Kowt."
Defence was unable to provide the dimensions of the wire dog pens or whether they had been previously used to house detainees. It did confirm that the four - including a 70-year-old man, later released - were detained in the pens for 24 hours.
The use of dog pens appears to contravene the Geneva Convention covering the treatment of prisoners of war.
Article 25 of the Convention states: Prisoners of war must be quartered in conditions as favourable as those enjoyed by the detaining power.
"The conditions shall make allowance for the habits and customs of the prisoners and shall in no case be prejudicial to their health.
"The premises provided for the use of prisoners of war, individually or collectively, shall be entirely protected from dampness and adequately heated and lighted."
Greens leader Bob Brown yesterday vowed to raise the issue in the Senate and push for an inquiry into the treatment of Afghan detainees. He said: "There would be outrage if Australian prisoners were kept in former cages for dogs.
"This requires an independent inquiry, and the other claims of the four detainees need to be reassessed."
The ADF said it took its responsibilities in dealing with detainees seriously.
Source: The Australian
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