Australians kept Taliban suspects in dog pens

Sydney: Australia's defence minister on Tuesday rejected criticism of the country's special forces in Afghanistan after they were accused of detaining suspected Taliban militants in dog pens - a report that outraged a key Islamic community leader.

Australian Defence Minister Joel Fitzgibbon confirmed yesterday that four suspected insurgents who were arrested by special forces soldiers on April 29 were held for 24 hours in a compound occasionally used to house dogs.

The soldiers' actions prompted strong criticism from the head of Australia's main Islamic group, the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils.

"It is quite appalling that the Australian soldiers are in any way caught up in the inhumane treatment of human beings - irrespective of who they are," said federation president Ikebal Patel. "I think it's quite despicable that something like that could happen and that the Australians are party to it."

Complaints

The revelation follows complaints by an Afghan soldier about mistreatment of the detainees, who were held in southern Uruzgan province following a battle with Taliban fighters.

An Australian defence inquiry last week found that medical evidence and witness statements did not support allegations of abuse.

In Afghanistan, the Defence Ministry spokesman and the provincial police chief in Uruzgan, where Australian troops operate, said they had not heard of the allegations.

Christian Taubenschlag, a spokesman for Defence Minister Joel Fitzgibbon, said the minister would not be available to comment further on the incident.

Earlier in the day, Fitzgibbon defended the soldiers' actions, saying the detainees were held in the most secure place available before they were transported to a detention centre in the town of Tarin Kowt.