This missed a mention Wednesday in all the flurry over ex-interpreter Ahmadshah Malgarai's troubling accusations that Canadian soldiers deliberately transferred detainees to torture and covered up the shooting of an unarmed Afghan teen.
At the very end of the April 14 testimony, Laurie Hawn, parliamentary secretary to the Defence Minister, suggested that perhaps government censors should have a look at what Mr. Malgarai said.
"Mr. Chair, I don't have another question but I do have concern that some of the - and we'll get somebody else to look at it - but I'm concerned that some of the testimony today has in fact violated operational security," Mr. Hawn told Tory committee head Kevin Sorenson.
"With my military background I do have some suspicions ... that in the discussions that have taken place, that I am a little concerned some of the information has crossed the line of operational security."
Operational security is a justification the military frequently uses when it takes the black-out marker to records released to the public.
Unfortunately for Mr. Hawn, the Commons Afghan committee was broadcasting live both in the Parliamentary precinct and on the Internet. (Canadians can watch proceedings on websites like parlvu.parl.gc.ca). CBC journalist Kady O'Malley was also live-blogging it.
Mr. Sorenson, ever diplomatic, let Mr. Hawn down gently.
"Thank you very much, Mr. Hawn," the chair said.
"This is televised - so it is public. So I'm sure all those who have some concerns have access to it."
(Photo: Reuters)
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Update Mr. Hawn has contacted The Globe and Mail to explain he was, in fact, aware the committee was being broadcast.
He said his interjection at committee was to remind people to be sensitive to "operational security issues."
"I was, and am, quite aware that the committee was being televised and was in the public domain ," Mr. Hawn writes.
"My remark concerning the transcripts was simply to assert that the committee needs to be aware of operational security issues and that the requisite experts assess this. This is in keeping with previous concerns from all committee members from all parties that the committee remains sensitive to operational security issues when hearing from witnesses, lest information is inadvertently leaked that would put our troops' lives in danger."