Afghanistan committee  When we were on the ground, because of the operation and security, we were not allowed to speak to each other or ask each other a question. If an interpreter was working for the battle group and he had a concern about something, he would go through his chain of command, because in the military everything is about action, but it's the biggest bureaucracy.

Afghanistan committee  As human beings we know what's right and what's wrong. But working for the military...they have a saying in the military, “Don't play with ranks because they can destroy you.” You cannot question the military if a man in uniform is doing something. If you question, you will be in trouble.

Afghanistan committee  I went through all my chains of command, from ASIC, from the field security counter-intelligence questioners who were responsible--they knew it. All along the chain of command, they knew what was going on. Everybody knew.

Afghanistan committee  I have informed everyone what's going on.

Afghanistan committee  We were bound to...a breach of security; therefore, anything we said in a meeting was shredded right afterwards.

Afghanistan committee  If I had a complaint or a concern, then I would go through my chain of command. And the chain of command had a notebook...he would note it. After that, they went into their own computer room, which we were not allowed to enter, and I don't know what they did with that information.

Afghanistan committee  Yes.

Afghanistan committee  I cannot believe that Mr. Defence Minister, Peter MacKay, says he doesn't know. I can't believe that.

Afghanistan committee  Because all of them knew when they were transferring the detainees.... For example, when they were transferring the detainees, Ed Jager was a representative of the government. He was there when the detainee put his head in front of him on the ground and said, “Shoot me in the head, put a bullet, do me a favour, rather than transfer me there.”

Afghanistan committee  When they shot the person, they panicked, as I said in my testimony. They collected and captured every male in that area and they brought them in. So the people of that village, when they woke up in the morning...they left the body with a woman. The woman wanted to bring that body to KAF and protest, to release the detainees, but the government, the military, had worked out a deal with Assadullah Khalid, the ex-governor of Kandahar, and he sent his thugs and his army to suppress those people and threaten them not to demonstrate.

Afghanistan committee  In just a few minutes I will finish, Mr. Chairman.

Afghanistan committee  When Brigadier-General Thompson called the NDS our partner for intelligence, he was correct. But that means the military used the NDS as a subcontractor for abuse and torture. I complained about this to the commander of ASIC, and I was punished for it while I was negotiating for the surrender of two Taliban commanders.

Afghanistan committee  Thank you, Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, for inviting me. I am Ahmadshah Malgarai, although some people know me as Pacha, my Canadian Forces code name. I'm joined today here by my legal counsel, Professor Amir Attaran. I was employed by the Canadian Forces as a civilian in Afghanistan from June 2007 to June 2008.