After pointing to evidence that corroborated Richard Colvin's explosive testimony last week, I concluded My Canada does not condone torture with the question:

Why would they deny such allegations and attempt to hide the truth all these years, rather than take the bull by the horns and actually address the problem?

As these allegations were brought to the surface in 2006 by Colvin and others, the Harper government -- brand new to governing at that point -- could have puffed out its chest and directly faced the allegations and put a stop to either the torture, or bring to an end Canada's involvement in Afghanistan. Taking on such an explosive issue in a very public way would elevate the newly minted minority government in the eyes of Canadians and delivered much needed political capital for use in the next election.

I was told this was the titanic issue for Prime Minister Harper and that every single statement that went out needed to be cleared by him personally

But Harper didn't walk that path. Instead he personally took charge of the propaganda campaign to hide these inconvenient truths - that Canada was complicit in the torture of thousands of people in Afghanistan - from the public. Why?

There were very clear instructions for a blanket denial.

Cold political calculation is the only logical answer. Whatever the eventual outcome in Afghanistan - win, lose or draw - remaining heavily involved in the Afghanistan war is far too attractive a political tool for our cold-blooded political animal of a Prime Minister to pass up and thus we shall continue to learn that Stephen Harper was willing to become an accomplice in war crimes in order to further his long term political objectives back at home.

... it was made clear to us that this was coming from the Prime Minister's Office

What does a dusty, arguably un-winnable, foreign war offer of value to Stephen Harper? The answer is: war is a weapon Harper aims at the folks back home. The objective: none other than the permanent realignment of so-called Canadian values towards a set of mores which are more conservative friendly in nature. Stephen Joseph Harper is willing to aid and abet war criminals and in doing so become their accomplice in war crimes, all in the name of long term domestic political considerations. Stephen Joseph Harper is willing to spend our treasury and the blood of our citizens, and of many others, to further his mission to re-engineer the social and ideological fabric of our country.

Torture in Afghanistan is routine. It is matter-of-fact... To pretend otherwise is a fantasy narrative.

In a recent article, A record of conservative achievement, Adam Daifallah (National Post) also asserts that Harper has been working to re-engineer the Canadian psyche since he first formed government in 2006. Among the so-called grand strategist's primary objectives he would list no less than the rebirth (some may rightly argue a birth, not a renaissance) of a militaristic culture in Canada. A country with this blue blood coursing through its veins is fertile land on which arch-conservatives may enjoy planting electoral seeds.

It is medieval, horrific. It is what they do to exercise power and control.

A country at war is also by definition running a high-stakes marketing campaign, and rather like election or "action plan" advertising, we see evidence of this everywhere in our country, from televised recruiting spots to rallies of the faithful to the increasing visibility of our military in every area of Canadian life from hockey arenas to summer and fall fairs and exhibitions across the land.

We are terrified to speak about it openly because it leaves our Afghan staff completely exposed and vulnerable to reprisals.

A senior NATO official of the time lays the case for Stephen Joseph Harper's complicity and future indictment:

"It was highly unusual. I was told this was the titanic issue for Prime Minister Harper and that every single statement that went out needed to be cleared by him personally," said the former official, who is not Canadian.

"The lines were, 'We have no evidence' of coercive treatment being used against detainees handed over to the Afghans. There were very clear instructions for a blanket denial. The pressure to hold to that line was channelled via Canadian military and diplomatic personnel in Kabul. But it was made clear to us that this was coming from the Prime Minister's Office, which was running the public affairs aspect of Canadian engagement in Afghanistan with a 6,000-mile screwdriver." a circa 2006 NATO public affairs officer (Toronto Star)

Harper's direct involvement confirms the stakes were high for him indeed, as does the behaviour of Harper's attack dogs last week as they relentlessly mauled the reputation of Richard Colvin whose blunt testimony has finally brought the crimes of this government and this prime minister under the spotlight.

Richard Colvin behaved as a straight-up-and-down person, completely honest

Stephen Harper made his own personal deal with the devil but sold our country's soul in the process. It isn't too late to pluck Canada from the abyss, but we must act fast and to that end citizens of the country should demand the immediate resignation of Stephen Harper and call for a criminal investigation into his complicity in war crimes.

Furthermore should the government or legal system of this country fail to act, when charges of such a serious nature are levelled at the government and the prime minister himself, now is the time when a minority government should be brought down by Her Majesties Loyal Opposition. That's what they are there for.