Canada's top soldier says an Afghan governor accused of personally torturing prisoners has done some "phenomenal work" and that allegations against him have yet to be proven as fact.
The Globe and Mail reported Friday that Ottawa received reports last spring that Kandahar Governor Asadullah Khalid allegedly ran secret prison cells and even personally beat and electro-shocked at least one detainee.
The report also said the Harper government blacked out references to the allegations in documents, citing security concerns.
Hillier said that so far there's no proof that the governor was involved in torture.
"Allegations are just that -- allegations obviously," Hillier told reporters.
"Governor Asadullah has been doing some phenomenal work in Kandahar province ... Obviously we have worked with him because he is the governor there, and we have seen some incredible changes in the province and if there's an issue of any kind of impropriety whatsoever, that's an issue for the Afghanistan government."
Prime Minister Stephen Harper has not commented on the allegations. During Friday's question period, Defence Minister Peter MacKay accused the Liberal opposition of "histrionics and hyperbole" when they demanded to know if the government investigated the allegations against the governor.
The Tories did not say why they kept the allegations of the governor's complicity and participation in torture a secret.
Liberal MP Denis Coderre, who visited Afghanistan last year, said the Conservative government has consistently misled the Canadian public about torture allegations in the country.
"It's been a year since the opposition started asking questions (about torture) and it's cover-up, cover-up, cover-up," Coderre told Â鶹´«Ã½net's Mike Duffy Live on Friday.
"I think that Canada has a stain on its own international reputation because of the way the government is acting right now."
Laurie Hawn, parliamentary secretary to the Minister of National Defence, said the issue is not a Canadian matter.
"That is a matter for the government of Afghanistan. It's not a matter for the Canadians on the ground," he said.
Hawn then accused the opposition of undermining the safety of Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan.
Retired Colonel Alain Pellerin, the executive director of the Conference of Defence Associations, an advocacy group for the military, told Â鶹´«Ã½net that there have been several accusations against Governor Khalid, but there was not "much foundation" to the allegations.
"You have to remember that you're dealing with a traumatized country," he said.
"We have to realize that it is a very slow process. There was no rule of law until we arrived in Kandahar province."
Hillier on Kandahar
Hillier also commented Friday on Canada's role in Kandahar. He said that Canadian soldiers cannot stay in the province and be expected to avoid combat.
Hillier said there was no possibility that Canadian troops could serve in that part of Afghanistan on a strictly humanitarian or reconstruction basis.
"Certainly if you're in Kandahar you're going to be in combat operations,'' Hillier told reporters after delivering a speech at an Arctic conference.
"If you're there, you're going to be in the middle of a firefight some way or another.''
A recent report by a panel headed by former Liberal cabinet minister John Manley recommends that Canada continue its combat role following the scheduled February 2009 exit date.
However, the panel said the extension should only occur if other NATO countries contribute 1,000 extra troops.
Harper has backed the general findings of the report -- including demands for more equipment and combat aid.
But the Liberals have rejected the report and have said they would only leave Canadian troops in Kandahar in a non-combat role after the exit date.
Hillier dismissed the idea, saying the Afghan army was not ready to operate on its own.
"One of the (Afghan) battalions is very good; the other one is sort of relatively good and the other one is just getting into a training cycle,'' he said.
"The progress has been phenomenal but it's going to take a while.''
Hillier said the challenge is convincing political leaders to provide the necessary level of troops.
He wants troops stationed in other regions to be sent into the south.
"That's where the need is right now and the need is not in the north or the west or the northeast. The need is in the south or the east.''
Hillier told reporters he will accept any decision in Afghanistan as long as it honours the Canadians who have died taking part in the mission.
He also said his relationship with Harper was "solid and good."
