Canada's top soldier pours scorn over diplomats' claims Kabul collapsed too quickly to evacuate all Canadians and their Afghan allies, says Blacklock's Reporter..General Wayne Eyre said it was obvious for months the country would collapse..“We poured our heart and soul into that country,” Eyre testified Monday night at the Commons Special Committee on Afghanistan..“It’s painful to see what has happened and every one of us has got a personal question to answer: Was it worth it?”.Canadian Ambassador Reid Sirrs and staff abruptly closed the embassy in Kabul last August 15 and fled aboard a half-empty military aircraft, according to eyewitness accounts..Their departure stranded 1,250 Canadians and thousands of Afghan allies in Afghanistan..“For us, when it came down to why not leave anybody behind, at the time it looked like the whole airport was going to be overrun,” Sirrs testified at a March 22 committee hearing..“We saw a lot of military aircraft coming in, offloading equipment, offloading military personnel, and to us it just seemed to be far too dangerous for us to stay put and leave anybody in harm’s way.”.Sirrs said he was surprised by the country’s rapid collapse following the announced withdrawal of NATO troops..“The complete collapse of the Afghan forces and the Taliban’s rapid takeover of Afghanistan came as a surprise to everyone,” said Sirrs..“Up until a few days before the decision to temporarily suspend embassy operations, Canada and the international community were expecting difficult times in August and September, but not a complete takeover of the capital.".“In fact, we expected the Afghan military to defend the city until the onset of winter, allowing time for negotiations to continue.”.But Eyre last night said Canadian diplomats had ample warning to carry out evacuation plans..“As of the 1st of April, 2021, our intelligence assessed the Afghan government was facing a likely defeat,” testified Eyre..Canadian military advisors were in Kabul four months before the city fell..“That team was in place,” said Eyre..“It arrived on the 24th of April. Its role was to provide indications and warnings and advice to the head of mission on a daily basis to inform the head of mission’s decision making with respect to security.”.Conservative MP Kerry-Lynne Findlay (South Surrey-White Rock, BC) noted the military’s account contradicted what diplomats had claimed..“We heard from the ex-Ambassador that he said he had no briefings and didn’t know anything, basically,” said Findlay..“We have heard testimony the embassy, the Ambassador, and staff left too quickly. They could have stayed even a couple of more days to help more people get out, and the flight they left on was only half full. Can you confirm that?”.“I will simply say circumstances on the ground were deteriorating rapidly,” replied Defence Minister Anita Anand.
