Canadian military officials wanted diplomat Richard Colvin to be pulled from his posting in Afghanistan because they didn't like what he was writing, documents show.
Mr. Colvin is a Foreign Affairs officer who has said the Canadian government turned a blind eye to the risks of torture facing prisoners its soldiers captured in Afghanistan. His testimony before a parliamentary committee reignited the long simmering debate over Canada's practice of turning over suspects to the torture-prone Afghan intelligence service.
Canadian Expeditionary Force Command (CEFCOM) is the arm of the military in charge of deployments abroad, including Afghanistan.
In the spring of 2007, military officials prepared briefing notes complaining about reports on detainees from Mr. Colvin on Afghanistan that the Canadian diplomat was e-mailing to fellow government bureaucrats, diplomats and senior soldiers.
"Recent messages drafted by Mr. Colvin have illustrated a pattern of reporting that risks compromising Canada's military and diplomatic position in Afghanistan," one memo by CEFCOM staffer Mike Carter said.
Another urged the military to lobby the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT) to remove Mr. Colvin from the embassy in Afghanistan.
"CEFCOM is concerned that his continued employment in Kabul as a political counselor and deputy to the (Head of Mission) could become a liability to the government of Canada's interests if left unchecked," Mr. Carter wrote on May 7, 2007.
"It is recommended that Mr. Colvin be engaged directly in DFAIT and reminded of his responsibilities as a diplomat and boundaries as a reporter," Mr. Carter said, referring to the Foreign Affairs officer's role in reporting back to Ottawa.
"Otherwise his contribution to the embassy in Kabul should be re-evaluated."
The Carter memo noted that the military and Canadian bureaucracy had already intervened to warn Mr. Colvin about the contents of his field reports.
The documents were released Monday at an inquiry into Canada's handling of detainees being carried out by the Military Police Complaints Commission.
They are part of the records being disclosed by the Harper government after being requested by the civilian-run military watchdog.
Steven Chase