Canadian quietly writes humanitarian law into Afghan security contracts
Andrew Mayeda , Canwest News Service
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OTTAWA - The Canadian military has quietly revised its contracts with private-security providers in Afghanistan to ensure they obey international humanitarian law, which prohibits attacks on civilians.
Canada employs Western private-security firms and Afghan contractors to guard government officials and visiting VIPs, as well as military installations in Kandahar province where the bulk of Canada's soldiers are based. The military insists such private contractors do not engage in "offensive operations."
But contracts obtained by Canwest News Service under the Access to Information Act show the military has added provisions requiring contractors to spare civilians and submit to weapons inspections to ensure they are not carrying arms that violate international law.
In August 2007, for example, the federal government hired a contractor to provide security for the Provincial Reconstruction Team in Kandahar City, which co-ordinates rebuilding efforts in the province. The contract was worth $265,200 and expired in January. Much of the contract has been blacked out, including the contractor's name and the exact scope of the work.
Under a section called "rules of engagement," the contractor is required to "read and abide by" the International Committee of the Red Cross' code of conduct for combatants, a summary of which is attached to the contract.
The code obliges combatants to attack only military targets and "spare civilian persons and objects," among other things. It also requires them to collect and care for wounded enemies and spare enemy prisoners.
Canadian military officials can also inspect the weapons and ammunition of the contractor without notice. Any weapons or ammunition "found to be in violation of the Law of Armed Conflict or any treaties ratified by Canada" will be confiscated, the contract states.
The law of armed conflict is the term used within the Canadian Forces to describe the vast body of treaties and customs that make up international humanitarian law, including the Geneva Conventions. A wide range of arms are banned under international law, such as chemical and biological weapons and "indiscriminate" weapons that expose civilians to unnecessary risk.
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Andrew Mayeda , Canwest News Service
Article Link
OTTAWA - The Canadian military has quietly revised its contracts with private-security providers in Afghanistan to ensure they obey international humanitarian law, which prohibits attacks on civilians.
Canada employs Western private-security firms and Afghan contractors to guard government officials and visiting VIPs, as well as military installations in Kandahar province where the bulk of Canada's soldiers are based. The military insists such private contractors do not engage in "offensive operations."
But contracts obtained by Canwest News Service under the Access to Information Act show the military has added provisions requiring contractors to spare civilians and submit to weapons inspections to ensure they are not carrying arms that violate international law.
In August 2007, for example, the federal government hired a contractor to provide security for the Provincial Reconstruction Team in Kandahar City, which co-ordinates rebuilding efforts in the province. The contract was worth $265,200 and expired in January. Much of the contract has been blacked out, including the contractor's name and the exact scope of the work.
Under a section called "rules of engagement," the contractor is required to "read and abide by" the International Committee of the Red Cross' code of conduct for combatants, a summary of which is attached to the contract.
The code obliges combatants to attack only military targets and "spare civilian persons and objects," among other things. It also requires them to collect and care for wounded enemies and spare enemy prisoners.
Canadian military officials can also inspect the weapons and ammunition of the contractor without notice. Any weapons or ammunition "found to be in violation of the Law of Armed Conflict or any treaties ratified by Canada" will be confiscated, the contract states.
The law of armed conflict is the term used within the Canadian Forces to describe the vast body of treaties and customs that make up international humanitarian law, including the Geneva Conventions. A wide range of arms are banned under international law, such as chemical and biological weapons and "indiscriminate" weapons that expose civilians to unnecessary risk.
More on link
