Canada's Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly says she had no idea why Canadian diplomats were the first to flee from Kabul as the Taliban closed in.Blacklock's Reporter said the closure stranded thousands of Canadians and Afghan allies desperate to flee the murderous Taliban..“Hindsight is 20-20,” Joly testified at the Commons Special Committee on Afghanistan..“At the time I was not minister.”.The embassy closed last August 15. Joly was sworn in as foreign minister October 26..“Before the fall of Kabul I would not have known,” said Joly. “I am not aware.”.Joly referred the question to Assistant Deputy Foreign Minister Heidi Hulan who similarly told the committee: “I can’t speak to the question.”.“Why did Canada leave Afghanistan two days prior to all of our allies who were still evacuating people from within the country?” asked Conservative MP Kerry-Lynne Findlay (South Surrey-White Rock, B.C.)..“I was not privy to that information,” replied Joly..Ambassador Reid Sirrs closed the embassy and fled Kabul for Ottawa aboard a half-empty military aircraft, according to eyewitness accounts. The closure of the embassy left 1,250 Canadians and thousands of Afghan allies without aid as Kabul fell to the Taliban..MPs have sought flight logs to confirm Canadian diplomats’ departure was so hurried they did not stop to fill their plane..“There were flights that left from Hamid Karzai International Airport that were not full flights,” Conservative MP Michael Chong (Wellington-Halton Hills, Ont.) told an April 5 hearing..“There were seats that were empty on these flights.”.New Democrat MP Jenny Kwan (Vancouver East) earlier asked for a detailed accounting of all rescue flights..“How many flights were evacuated?” asked Kwan. “How many seats were on those flights and how many of those seats were filled with people? Then from there, of the people that filled the seats, how many of them were Afghan nationals and how many were people who worked for the embassy or were Canadian?”.Conservative MP Alex Ruff (Bruce-Grey, Ont.) said he feared for Canadians and allies trapped inside the country..“I do have firsthand experience on the ground in Afghanistan,” said Ruff, an Afghan War veteran..“I know how terrible the situation even in the best of times was,” said Ruff, adding: “I’ve seen what the Taliban are capable of doing. That’s why I just think it is so vital that Canada does everything in our power to get these Afghans who are facing prosecution and threat (from) the Taliban, to get them out immediately. The focus needs to be on getting them out of the country.”
Canada's Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly says she had no idea why Canadian diplomats were the first to flee from Kabul as the Taliban closed in.Blacklock's Reporter said the closure stranded thousands of Canadians and Afghan allies desperate to flee the murderous Taliban..“Hindsight is 20-20,” Joly testified at the Commons Special Committee on Afghanistan..“At the time I was not minister.”.The embassy closed last August 15. Joly was sworn in as foreign minister October 26..“Before the fall of Kabul I would not have known,” said Joly. “I am not aware.”.Joly referred the question to Assistant Deputy Foreign Minister Heidi Hulan who similarly told the committee: “I can’t speak to the question.”.“Why did Canada leave Afghanistan two days prior to all of our allies who were still evacuating people from within the country?” asked Conservative MP Kerry-Lynne Findlay (South Surrey-White Rock, B.C.)..“I was not privy to that information,” replied Joly..Ambassador Reid Sirrs closed the embassy and fled Kabul for Ottawa aboard a half-empty military aircraft, according to eyewitness accounts. The closure of the embassy left 1,250 Canadians and thousands of Afghan allies without aid as Kabul fell to the Taliban..MPs have sought flight logs to confirm Canadian diplomats’ departure was so hurried they did not stop to fill their plane..“There were flights that left from Hamid Karzai International Airport that were not full flights,” Conservative MP Michael Chong (Wellington-Halton Hills, Ont.) told an April 5 hearing..“There were seats that were empty on these flights.”.New Democrat MP Jenny Kwan (Vancouver East) earlier asked for a detailed accounting of all rescue flights..“How many flights were evacuated?” asked Kwan. “How many seats were on those flights and how many of those seats were filled with people? Then from there, of the people that filled the seats, how many of them were Afghan nationals and how many were people who worked for the embassy or were Canadian?”.Conservative MP Alex Ruff (Bruce-Grey, Ont.) said he feared for Canadians and allies trapped inside the country..“I do have firsthand experience on the ground in Afghanistan,” said Ruff, an Afghan War veteran..“I know how terrible the situation even in the best of times was,” said Ruff, adding: “I’ve seen what the Taliban are capable of doing. That’s why I just think it is so vital that Canada does everything in our power to get these Afghans who are facing prosecution and threat (from) the Taliban, to get them out immediately. The focus needs to be on getting them out of the country.”
