Is it time for Canada’s own war with the truth about Afghanistan?

OTTAWA—The news out of Afghanistan has gone from bad to worse since the American military virtually fled their main base at Bagram in the dead of night on July 2. With the withdrawal of these last major U.S. combat forces, the Taliban have been emboldened in their attacks against Afghan government security forces. At time of writing, the Taliban were estimated to control roughly 85 per cent of Afghanistan’s territory. While not yet in control of provincial capitals, they are threatening to overrun the northern city of Kunduz. The Taliban have also recently seized key Afghan border checkpoints including Spin Boldak, which is one of two major trade routes into Pakistan. To stoke fear in the ranks of the Afghan National Army, the Taliban recently released video footage depicting the execution of 22 American-trained elite Afghan commandos. As they shot each of the captive commandos in the head, the Taliban executioners shouted “Allahu Akhbar .” The intended message is that if these elite special forces troops cannot resist the Taliban, the average line unit of the Afghan National Army does not stand a chance. The propaganda has obviously been effective as thousands of Afghan soldiers have since deserted and sought asylum in neighbouring Tajikistan. The end is definitely nigh, and the outcome is no longer in doubt. After more than two decades of U.S- led international occupation of Afghanistan, the Taliban will emerge victorious. This news, while not unexpected, has caused many Canadian veterans of the Afghanistan war to question the sacrifice made by them and their comrades. The emotional impact on our serving soldiers was so acute, that acting chief of defence staff, Lieutenant-General Wayne Eyre—himself a veteran of Afghanistan—felt compelled to issue a Forces-wide message on July 13. “Many of us have been watching the reports coming out of Afghanistan with dismay. The fall of Panjwai, reported last week, has hit many of us particularly hard, and as we question our legacy, it serves as a harbinger for all Canadians who served in the country regardless of when and where,” wrote Eyre. He pointed out that following previous wars in Europe and Korea, our veterans could return to those lands with a sense of satisfaction for having made a difference. However, wrote Eyre, “At this moment in time it is difficult to envision having similar sentiments for our war.” The message ended with advice for any soldiers who are struggling with their experience to seek help. With the Taliban poised to claim victory, many fear that will result in a wave of bloody revenge against those Afghans who co-operated with the foreign occupiers. That angst has prompted a grassroots campaign petitioning the Canadian government to bring home any of those Afghans who were once employed by the Canadian military as interpreters and their families. Organizers of this quest estimated there are still approximately 125 such individuals remaining at risk in Afghanistan. As Canada’s combat mission ended in 2011 and our military training mission concluded in 2014, these interpreters have not been employed by Canadians for some time. However, it was Canada, along with the U.S. and our NATO allies, that fed these willing Afghans the false hope that we would actually make a difference in their country. The most upsetting part about this current crisis is that the senior leadership in the U.S. knew almost from the outset that this was an unwinnable war. In December 2019, the Washington Post published a story entitled “At war with the Truth.” It was based on a treasure trove of documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act. These assessments were generated by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) and they compellingly illustrated that high-ranking officials were of the opinion that the war was already lost, but that truth was to be hidden from the public. Regrettably, when the Post published these documents, now known as the Afghanistan Papers, there was no outcry of disbelief or outrage from either Canadian or NATO officials. Maybe Canada needs to establish a parliamentary probe into when it was first known by Canadian military leaders and politicians that our soldiers were being sent to fight a war they knew we could not win? Scott Taylor is the editor and publisher of Esprit de Corps magazine. The Hill Times