MacKay mum on special forces probe

Defence Minister Peter MacKay said he won't be commenting about investigations of Canadian commandos in Afghanistan alleged to have been involved in the unlawful killing of an Afghan.

"It would be totally improper for me as minister to interfere or comment on an ongoing investigation," MacKay said on Wednesday.

"There is an investigation that has to be complete before conclusions can be drawn, so why would I try to taint the investigation by commenting on it?"

CBC News revealed this week that Canada's Defence Department quietly began a major inquiry in 2008 into the military's highly secretive force known as Joint Task Force 2, or JTF2.

The military investigation began after a member of JTF2 raised serious allegations against another member and the force in general relating to events that happened between 2005 and 2008.

That investigation, called Sand Trap 1, ended after a year and a half with no charges but sparked a second, wider criminal investigation, dubbed Sand Trap 2, into broader issues. That second investigation is still ongoing.

MacKay said he still wouldn't comment on Sand Trap 1, even though the investigation has been completed for nearly a year.

"Well, because those are operational matters," MacKay said.

Public 'should know': NDP

NDP Defence Critic Jack Harris said the fact the allegations relate to a killing by a Canadian solider oblige the government to reveal some of the details so Canadians can have confidence in their special forces.

"I find that very disturbing that the minister of defence would say that this type of investigation should be kept quiet," he said.

"This is something that the public should know about. We need some accountability here. The people of Canada deserve to know that."

MacKay said that in March, a document was tabled in the House of Commons that mentioned that investigations were underway and a press release was issued publicizing that fact.

But that press release was issued last December and only provided a list of the total number of military police investigations into allegations of abuse of detainees by Canadian troops since 2006.

The document MacKay referred to was a written response to questions about detainees posed by the NDP. It said six investigations into detainee abuse were launched in 2008.

But neither the document nor the press release made any mention of special forces or Afghan deaths.