Finally, the Tories have caved and signed an agreement that will supposedly allow Canadians to monitor the Afghan detainees. This cartoon and the following one take place before this change in policy. I figure Stephen Harper, Gordon O'Connor, Stockwell Day, et al, are still fair targets, given their tortuous and dishonest route. If not for the Globe's excellent reporting and digging, it would be torture business as usual. And I will be skeptical until reports prove the new procedure is working.

As long as Rick Hiller, Canada's chief of defense staff, thinks of the Taliban as "scumbags and detestable murderers" (his words), it's hard to imagine them getting Geneva Convention-compliant treatment. Sure, a lot of them are scumbags and detestable murderers. But starting out with that assumption, especially from Canada's top soldier, will virtually guarantee abuse. Remember, not all prisoners are necessarily hardened Taliban fighters. There are innocents among them. None have been tried. And even if guilty, torture is a crime and should not be practised on anyone. Period.

How long will it take us to learn from Maher Arar and the myriad other innocent victims whose lives have been destroyed by this terrifying war on terror?

NHL Players in Afghanistan: Yes, as Weltschmerz predicted, NHL players are giving Canadian troops a much-needed boost. While the Afghan heat is quite a different environment from home ice, I'm sure our great hockey players will be able to use their uniquely brutal brand of violence to good effect. (See the CBC news report here.)

I got my email from Michael Rouse-Deane today. He is organizing the Kid's Book Project (proceeds to the Make-A-Wish Foundation). I have a week to contribute one page and can only see page 53, the one that follows mine. So I'm with the group that is working backwards from the back. I'm just glad I'm not the cartoonist who has to join the front and the back.

I'm interested to see how this book will flow. Expect a lot of red herrings and unresolved plot points. I'll try to make it as easy as possible for whomever gets page 51. It's a fun project that will be published in December.

10 Years Ago This Week: May 8, 1997
Sigh. I miss Jean. (This was my first run at Chrétienese. In retrospect, I think it worked out pretty well.)