The largest-ever capture of suspected Taliban insurgents by Canadian Forces in Afghanistan comes amid controversy after the Canadian military tried to suppress photos of the prisoners.
The 10 insurgents were apprehended earlier this week in a compound near Gumbad, a tiny village about 70 kilometres north of Kandahar in a volatile region where Canada maintains a forward operating base.
Canadian soldiers have been part of larger operations with the Afghan National Police and army in the past that have netted more insurgents, including a high-ranking Taliban commander last week.
But Monday's capture was the most significant so far by an all-Canadian unit, reported CTV's Janis Mackey Frayer in Kandahar.
"This really is quite a coup for the Canadian military," Mackey Frayer told CTV's Canada AM on Friday. "This is the single biggest capture of Taliban fighters -- 10 detainees were taken into custody.
"They were said to possess a large amount of money, they had some weapons, and they had some military-type equipment that the military said was going to be used to make roadside bombs."
Meanwhile, military lawyers in Ottawa debated for hours Thursday over whether photographs of the operation and detainees should be allowed to be published.
The prisoners were questioned by Canadian authorities and given medical examinations before they were turned over to the Afghan intelligence service.
Members of A Company, 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry were escorting a compound to Gumbad when they noticed two groups they suspected were conducting reconnaissance of the area.
Acting on coalition intelligence, the company conducted a raid on a compound housing the suspects.
Military spokesman Maj. Marc Theriault confirmed the detainees were equipped to build bombs and stage attacks when they were apprehended.
"In summary, we've taken some bad guys off the streets, and Afghans are safer because of it," Theriault said.
The nationalities of the detainees have not been released. "But (military officials) believe that all of them are Taliban fighters," said Mackey Frayer, adding that three of the prisoners were known to authorities.
"This is particularly good timing for Canadians because the Kandahar area has seen ramped up Taliban activity, a number of roadside bombs and suicide attacks over the past few weeks. The hope at this point is that if they now have 10 people who are perhaps integral to the operations in the area, that the arrests could curb Taliban activity," said Mackey Frayer.
Photographer John McHugh from the Agence France Presse (AFP) wire service was embedded with the unit during the operation. He took the photos that have raised questions about the rights of prisoners.
When he returned with the company to the Kandahar Air Field base, he was called to a meeting with Col. Tom Putt, deputy commander of Canadian forces in Afghanistan, and two military lawyers.
The concern, said Theriault, is that publishing the photos could violate the Geneva Convention on the rights of prisoners. Specifically, Article 13, which states: "Prisoners of war must at all time be protected, particularly against acts of violence or intimidation and against insults and public curiosity."
Officials claim they were not trying to suppress the photos, but simply giving the photographer and his agency advice that publication could be in contravention of the Geneva Convention. Despite the warning, the military says it will not pursue prosecution or otherwise if the photos are published, and that McHugh would be under no threat of sanction.
"Our concern is to make sure we respect the Geneva Convention, and this is why we voiced our concern to this photographer," Canadian Forces spokesman Maj. Marc Theriault told reporters.
"We are not banning, we are not seizing anything . . . Not at all. We voiced our concerns."
The photos show detainees with plastic ties around their wrists and blindfolds. But McHugh said he believed they were being treated well.
"I saw no evidence of mistreatment. They were given water. Nobody was shoved around or manhandled," he said.
Theriault added the soldiers followed "to the letter" the rules pertaining to the capture of detainees.
"So from that perspective, it is not a matter of trying to hide pictures of detainees because it would be compromising for us. Not at all. It is a matter that detainees are allowed to a certain level of protection -- and we're trying hard to implement the Geneva convention to provide them this protection."
Mackey Frayer said there will be no repercussion for the photographer who decided to publish the photos.
"They're just saying, if you go ahead and publish these photos, which they did, you could be breaking the law," Mackey Frayer said. "But they are saying they're not going to pursue it any further than this, they're not going to be imposing any sanctions. The photographer is not going to be kicked out of the embed program ... they simply wanted to protect themselves and say this is what you need to be aware of."
CTV's military analyst, Scott Taylor of Esprit de Corps magazine, said the images portray a successful operation, and as a result the military could actually benefit from their release.
"In this case, being a successful mission, the military themselves would much rather see those images than another flag draped coffin coming home," Taylor told Canada AM on Friday.
With a report from CTV's Janis Mackey Frayer and The Canadian Press in Kandahar, Afghanistan
