 This was partially due to the year after year defense spending cuts.In April and May 2006, when concerns surfaced over the fate of individuals detained in Afghanistan by Canadian soldiers and given into Afghan custody, Defence Minister Gordon O'Connor claimed that the Red Cross or Red Crescent would supervise the handover and treatment of detainees and notify Canada if any problem occurred.This was later denied by the International Committee of the Red Cross, after which O'Connor apologised for misleading the House.