CALGARY — Newly declassified cabinet records reveal the federal government committed Canadian troops to combat in Afghanistan following limited discussion and without publicly addressing the casualties the mission could produce.According to Blacklock’s Reporter, the May 12, 2005 cabinet minutes show ministers ratified the deployment after then-defence minister Bill Graham, prime minister Paul Martin and chief of defence staff Rick Hillier had agreed weeks earlier to expand Canada’s military role into Kandahar.The March 21 decision ultimately placed Canadian troops at the centre of a war that lasted 12 years. There was no parliamentary debate before the combat deployment was approved.The cabinet minutes said Graham argued Canada had already made a significant and successful military contribution in Afghanistan, but those gains had to be protected to prevent the country from again becoming a failed state and base for terrorism.Canada’s expanded contribution would support NATO’s main military operation and help extend its influence beyond Kabul, Graham told cabinet.The minutes, released through Access to Information, show the government estimated the initiative would cost $622 million. They contain no discussion of the number of Canadian soldiers who could be killed or injured.Hillier later reassured cabinet during a confidential Aug. 26, 2005 meeting that the mission was manageable..Sajjan denies responsibility for Canadians left behind in Afghanistan debacle .The military commander said Canada’s objective was to help Afghans while contributing directly to the fight against terrorism. He also told ministers Canadian soldiers would form the best-equipped task force in Afghanistan.About 40,000 Canadian Armed Forces members served in Afghanistan before the mission ended in 2014.The war resulted in 2,229 Canadian military casualties, including 158 personnel killed in action.Research commissioned by the Department of National Defence in 2014 found only 15% of Canadians considered the Afghanistan mission “very successful.”The report, Views Of The Canadian Armed Forces, found 29% of respondents had no clear recollection of the war, while 31% did not know the Canadian mission had ended.The study also found Canadians were divided over whether the military should prioritize domestic responsibilities or international missions, although respondents continued to lean toward a domestic focus.A follow-up study released in 2016 concluded the war had largely faded from public attention.The Views On The Canadian Armed Forces 2016 Tracking Study found Canadians were more likely to pay attention to military activities when troops were deployed in combat. Public interest declined when missions did not place Canadian Armed Forces members in harm’s way.
