Scenario: The Devil You Know

Group Size: 4-15

Scenario

You are a Patrol Commander and one of your responsibilities is to liaise with and support host nation police and army checkpoints in your area, while on an operation in a foreign country. The effectiveness and reliability of these checkpoints are most often dependent on the on-site commander. At one key checkpoint, the commander is very friendly to coalition forces. Insurgents killed members of their family, and as a result, their loyalty to the new government and coalition forces is unquestioned. In fact, on several occasions, they has passed on warnings and intelligence about possible anti-coalition activities, which have been quite helpful. However, it has been brought to your attention, through the complaints of locals, that they are corrupt and using their checkpoint to levy unauthorized tariffs and fees. This is undermining attempts at building local confidence in the new host nation government.

If you report him, they will be replaced and very likely severely punished, if not killed. Moreover, you do not know who would replace him, and you would have no input in the selection of his replacement. Furthermore, the new commander may not be sympathetic to the coalition and may prove to be equally as corrupt as the individual being replaced.

Categories

• Principles: Respect the Dignity of All Persons, Obey and Support Lawful Authority
• Values: Integrity, Courage, Stewardship, Excellence
• Cultural themes: Service, Identity, Leadership
• Misconduct types: Not Specific
• GBA Plus themes: Not Specific
• Audience: Canadian Armed Forces

Facilitator’s Guide

Learning Objectives

• Discuss the ethical principle of “Respect the Dignity of all Persons” and “Obey and Support Lawful Authority” in an operational setting.
• Discuss the ethical value of integrity, and the ethos expected behaviour of duty in an operational setting.

Facilitation Questions

1. What would you do in this situation? What are the considerations?
   • Allow open discussion from the group.
   • Ethical concerns: Your concern is that if you turn in the checkpoint commander, they will likely be punished, even killed.
   • Personal factors: Their life depends on your action. If in fact they are killed, you might feel morally responsible for their death.
   • Environmental factors: You have a good rapport with the current checkpoint commander, and they are a reliable source of information on anti-coalition forces. However, their act of corruption is undermining the attempt to build local confidence. Regardless of your decision, you might alienate the local police and army commanders, as well as the local population.
2. What is the ethical dilemma in this situation?
   • This is an ethical dilemma.
   • On the one hand, you would be justified in turning the commander if the valid evidence that they are corrupt is valid. On the other, you have valid reasons to do nothing because of your good rapport and the intelligence information they share. Your decision to turn them in might lead to harm.
3. What are some potential courses of action that could be taken in this scenario?
   • Option 1: Ignore the information from the locals and do not turn them in. Maintain the status quo in your relationship with them and benefit from the intelligence that they are providing. This option could upset the locals, and as a result, they might question your integrity.
   • Option 2: Approach the checkpoint commander and advise them that you have received information regarding his activities. Explain to them that you have a good working relationship, however, it would be your duty to report them if this information turned out to be true. As a result, they could either sort themself out and comply or become vindictive towards the locals and your troops.
   • Option 3: Act upon the information from the locals and turn him in. As a result, the checkpoint commander could be harmed. You will also lose a reliable source of information. Furthermore, their replacement could be just as corrupt.