NDDN Committee Report

The Canadian Forces mission in Afghanistan is a tremendously complex operation. The Committee has worked hard to understand it. In addition to hearing from many witnesses, we made two fact-finding visits to major Canadian Forces bases supporting deployed troops and we travelled to Afghanistan to see the men and women of the Canadian Forces in action. In every instance found Canadian Forces personnel and their families to be serving with a degree of honour, courage and professionalism rarely equalled anywhere the world. We admire them greatly and thank them for doing what they do.

This report addresses issues related to the conduct of the Canadian Forces mission in Afghanistan. In doing so, the Committee wishes to make clear that any criticism of the mission is not intended, in any way, to be critical of military men and women who serve so gallantly on our behalf. In offering our views and recommendations, we wish to be seen solely as fulfilling our role to assist Parliament in holding government accountable for its policies and their execution.

To deploy military forces is one of the most difficult and important decisions government can make. Once the country is committed to such a course of action, Parliament treads a sensitive, but necessary path in critically — and hopefully constructively — reviewing the mission, to ensure the mission is meeting the political and strategic goals set by government. This is the difficult, but terribly important task we set ourselves.

The military mission in Afghanistan has provided Canada with its first intense combat since the Korean War. Not only did the Canadian Forces have to learn quickly, but government and Canadians were subject to a new learning curve that still has to be overcome, in order to fully understand what needs to be done in Afghanistan. The Committee feels that while the Canadian Forces continues to adapt in Afghanistan, it has certainly learned enough, fast enough, to be among the most capable and successful national contingents. The government too continues to learn how to guide, manage and integrate elements of national power in an overseas operation, with some departments learning faster than others. In many ways, Parliamentarians and the Canadian public lag in comprehending the nature and detail of the operation and although they are inclined to want things to go well, they remain conflicted as to whether enough of the right things are being done. In this, there remains a significant role for government, who in addition to simply explaining what is going on, needs to do more to educate and motivate Canadians.

Some discussion was devoted to the idea of receiving regular in-camera or classified operational updates on international operations and the challenges involved in such activity were readily acknowledged. However, despite those challenges, I think there would be considerable value in providing Government-sponsored, non-partisan closed briefings on international operations to a select group of Parliamentarians, so that they could maintain an accurate understanding of mission status and realistic expectations for the future. Those being briefed would be expected to contribute responsibly to subsequent Parliamentary debates and abide by the obligations imposed by virtue of being selected to receive the briefings.

Given the intriguingly complex nature of the Afghanistan problem, it concerned us that debate often became over-simplified, both with regard to the situation and its remedy. Misperceptions were not uncommon. We therefore came to feel that, apart from the specific tasks found in our official mandate, the Committee also had the obligation to offer a non-partisan, informed, accurate and constructive review of the Canadian Forces mission in Afghanistan. We hope Canadians will find our work useful.

Throughout our study, the Committee benefited greatly from the experience and articulate participation of The Honourable Ujjal Dosanjh. At the conclusion of our trip to Afghanistan in January 2007, Mr. Dosanjh was re-assigned to be the Official Opposition Foreign Affairs Critic and had to leave our Committee. On behalf of all members, I would like to thank him for his contribution and wish him well in his new duties.

When Canadian Forces personnel deploy away from home, whether on a ship patrolling the Arabian Sea, or in surveillance aircraft patrolling Afghanistan airspace, or in a dusty pair of boots patrolling the villages of Zhari district, their military families continue to serve at home. Wives and husbands carry the burden of managing family life while their spouse completes a tour of duty in or near Afghanistan. Sons and daughters worry about Mom or Dad. Mothers and fathers worry about the circumstances of a serving son or daughter. Other close loved ones share the stress and concern.

The Committee knows that in places such as Victoria, Edmonton, Petawawa, Trenton, Valcartier, Gagetown and Halifax, military families try to carry on as normal a life as possible, while a mother or father, son or daughter is away on a dangerous operational mission. We wish to acknowledge the great courage and stamina displayed by military spouses, their sons and daughters; and their mothers and fathers who ‘soldier on’ at home. Their role in keeping the home front happy and stable is of prime operational importance because it allows our fighting men and women to concentrate on their mission. In that way they provide significant service to Canada and we would like all Canadians to recognize that fact.

The Committee also wishes to formally recognize the courage and devotion to duty of the following Canadian Forces personnel who have received awards for acts of valour in action against the enemy in Afghanistan.

Star of Military Valour[1]

·        Major William Hilton Fletcher S.M.V., C.D.

·        Private Jess Randall Larochelle S.M.V.

·        Corporal Sean Teal S.M.V.

·        Sergeant Patrick Tower S.M.V., C.D.

Medal of Military Valour

·        Corporal Chad Gerald Chevrefils M.M.V.

·        Sergeant Michael Thomas Victor Denine M.M.V., C.D.

·        Master Corporal Collin Ryan Fitzgerald M.M.V.

·        Corporal Jason Funnell M.M.V.

·        Private Jason Carl Allan Lamont M.M.V.

·        Master-Corporal Sean Hubert Niefer M.M.V.

·        Private Michael Patrick O’Rourke M.M.V.

·        Corporal Clinton John Orr M.M.V.

·        Captain Derek Prohar M.M.V.

·        Captain Michael John Reekie M.M.V.

·        Corporal Joseph Jason Lee Ruffolo M.M.V.