As I write this Chief of Defence Staff General Walter Natynczyk is holding a hastily called press conference to announce that contrary to statements he made just yesterday, indeed there is some evidence that some Canadian detainees transferred to other powers have suffered abuse.

It would appear that the good General is busy building the plausible deniability defence for Gordon O'Connor and Peter MacKay, and Stephen Harper of course.

Reports of the early Harper government's control over information are the stuff of legend. I simply do not believe that the PMO, and the generals, are as clueless as they make themselves out to be on this issue.

Both groups - the political and top military brass - have a huge vested interest, especially circa 2006, in keeping from the public any negative reports that would sour public opinion against the mission.

Sure, deaths of our troops are negative in the extreme, but these alone are not enough to turn public opinion against the government's direction. The public is sophisticated enough to understand that, whether they have enough information to determine for themselves if they agree with the mission or not.

But the public would not countenance in any way shape or form our political and military leaders prosecuting a war where basic Canadian values are being cast aside, and that is in fact what appears to have been done.

Not by the rank and file, but by the political and military leadership of this country.

It is a cover-up and nothing less than a criminal inquiry will suffice to get to the bottom of what has transpired.