Playing by the rules against a lawless enemy

Published February 3, 2010

Last week, a court martial began for Capt. Robert Semrau, the Canadian officer in the 3^rd Battalion of the Royal Canadian Regiment who was charged with second-degree murder for the alleged execution of a wounded Taliban prisoner on or about Oct. 19, 2008 in Helmand province.

According to the information that was released in the prosecution's statement, Semrau was one of several Canadians acting as advisers to an Afghan...