They could be a number of different things. They could be terrorists. They could be insurgents. They could be common criminals. They are detained on the battlefield or in the proximity of the battlefield, and that's perfectly appropriate. It's also perfectly appropriate, in accordance with international law, for them to be interrogated--not tortured, not abused, but interrogated. It's appropriate for them to be charged and prosecuted if they are suspected of crimes.
My concern is to ensure that, in this fragile country in transition, their rights and our obligations are not violated in the course of that investigative and prosecutorial process. In this country we investigate people, we interrogate people, and we prosecute people without torturing or abusing them. This is what we should expect and demand of the Afghan authorities also.
We are in Afghanistan in part because of human rights. If we're going to negotiate a detainee transfer agreement, let's make sure it protects human rights. Let's not simply rely on the day-to-day practice of a handshake or on the day-to-day assurances of goodwill. We would not do that in this country. That's why we have legislation instead of simply practices of behaviour. That's why we have a Criminal Code. That's why we have courts.
If we're there for human rights, let's do this properly. All I'm asking is that we do this properly, because we can. It wouldn't interfere in any way with what we are trying to do in Afghanistan and with what we hope the Government of Afghanistan will be able to do.