Afghanistan committee  Mine will be about three minutes.

Afghanistan committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair. I will present my opening statement in English but I can answer your questions in the official language of your choice. My name is Scott Proudfoot. I am currently the director of the Sudan task force in the Department of Foreign Affairs, a position I have

Afghanistan committee  Sure. Two types of improvements were made in 2007. First, we strengthened and formalized the relationship between the Government of Canada and the Afghan Human Rights Commission. We sent some Correctional Service officers to Kandahar. At the time, it was mainly to improve the co

Afghanistan committee  We received information about that for the first time in April 2007. Finally, to answer your question, it is the supplemental arrangement of May 3 that really changed several aspects of the Canadian capacity to ensure—

Afghanistan committee  First, as compared to the 2005 MOU, the 2007 arrangement provides for Canadian officers to have access to detainees and to make follow-ups. For example, the detainees transferred by Canadian Forces were to be held in designated places in order to facilitate follow-ups.

Afghanistan committee  Yes, exactly, it is in paragraph 7.

Afghanistan committee  One of the improvements that were made in the May 2007 arrangement--and I was alluding to this in my answer to Madame Lalonde just a moment ago--was paragraph 7, which stipulated that in future the Afghan government would hold detainees transferred by Canadian Forces in a limited

Afghanistan committee  The reports by...?

Afghanistan committee  I'm aware of the reports by the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission.

Afghanistan committee  I'm not sure which reports you're referring to.

Afghanistan committee  I can't tell you three years later which specific reports I read when. But I'm aware--

Afghanistan committee  Well, then I guess that's the case.

Afghanistan committee  We did not have information suggesting that Canadian-transferred detainees had been mistreated prior to April 2007. Thereafter, we did receive such allegations, and those were brought to the attention of senior officials and ministers.

Afghanistan committee  I saw the reports in April and some of the reports in June, which reported claims by Canadian-transferred detainees that they had been mistreated.

Afghanistan committee  I don't know whether they were substantiated.