Detainees in Afghanistan Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Detainees in Afghanistan - Research Paper Example Human Intelligence has the potential for handling the issue of torture of Canadian detainees in Afghanistan. Torture among the detainees is a painful act that is considered wrong because it violates human rights. Torture refers to the act of intentional inflicting of severe physical pain and injury to a person who is possibly restrained and unable to defend against the actions of torture. Torture for detained prisoners has been a subject of discussion over history; forms of torture vary from time to time depending on place and time. Reasons of torture include interrogation, punishment, deterrence and revenge. The act of torture may be intended to kill or not kill, but sometimes torture is fatal and precedes murder and serves as a cruel form of capital punishment. The subject of torture among the detainees is a sensitive issue considering the psychological and physical pain that the subjects of torture undergo. It is critical to focus on humanity and develop mechanisms for identifying torturous acts in order to develop effective mechanisms to counteract torture. The Canadian detainees in Afghanistan face fierce torture; the torturers could not be recognizing the fact that a psychologically tortured person is not an excellent source of information. The international law prohibits torture in the 21st century. Most countries have also illegalized acts of torture in their domestic settings. This is because torture is considered a violation of human rights. Article 5 of the United Nations Universal Declaration declares torture unacceptable and illegal in law2. Signatories of the Third and Fourth Geneva Conventions formally agree not to torture detainees of the armed conflicts. The UN Convention Against Torture prohibits torture; this law has been ratified by one hundred and forty seven countries. Torture, is therefore, a sensitive issue that requires further inquiry and limits its possible occurrences through human intelligence. The year 2002 marked the beginning of Canada’s military involvement in Afghanistan. Canada worked with the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), which consisted of forty-two countries tasked counterinsurgency to respond to the September 11 attacks. The Canadian Forces handed over its prisoners to the United States. The torture and prisoner abuse in the hands of the US armed forces in Iraq made Canada to hand over its prisoners to Afghanistan. The first allegations of a detainee torture occurred in February 2007 when Amir Attaran, Law professor in the University of Ottawa, produced documents evidencing torture3. The professor revealed that three prisoners in the Canadian military police were taken into the hospital by Afghan interrogator for treatment of similar injuries in the upper body and the head on the same day. The role of Human Intelligence is to collect information necessary to ascertain the possibility of torture among the detainees. Human Intelligence personnel will depend on spies, both local and international, to gather information that can help in comprehending the causes and effects of torture in jails. Data will be collected through interviews, observations and questionnaires among the current detainees, medical doctors and released detainees. This will help in establishing the intensity of torture in the jails. Organization and Mission Global Intelligence Agency (GIA) has the potential for doing investigations concerning the torture of the detainees. The creation of