Ambassador Reid Sirrs and his staff failed Canada in Kabul, according to MPs. A House of Commons committee report expressed puzzlement over diplomats’ failure to help fellow Canadians and Afghan allies escape the Taliban before saving themselves..“A more proactive approach was warranted in response to Afghanistan’s clearly worsening trajectory,” said the report of the Special Committee on Afghanistan. “Testimony underscored the peril.”.According to Blacklock's Reporter, evidence showed Sirrs last August 15 abruptly closed the embassy and fled with staff aboard a half-empty military plane..“The risks associated with the Taliban should have compelled greater urgency and a more systemic policy and planning effort across the Canadian government to help people reach safety before it became much harder to do so,” said the report..“Looking back on these events, testimony and information provided by other witnesses suggested signs may have been missed and time to evacuate people when more options were available may have been lost,” wrote MPs. In a timeline determined by the committee:.April 1, 2021 the Canadian military “assessed the Afghan government was facing a likely defeat”;April 14 the U.S. announced withdrawal of the last NATO forces from Afghanistan;April 24 the Canadian Armed Forces assigned a strategic team to the embassy in Kabul;June 1 aid groups petitioned the federal cabinet to begin an evacuation. None occurred;July 8 the Canadian military predicted the country’s collapse was imminent;July 15 ex-Canadian commanders petitioned cabinet to begin the evacuation. None occurred;July 21 aid groups again warned of a “dire situation” with the country’s imminent collapse;July 22 Opposition MPs petition cabinet to begin the evacuation. None occurred;August 12 Ambassador Sirrs believed the embassy “was at risk of attack from the Taliban”August 15 Ambassador Sirrs fled aboard one of only two Canadian military aircraft in Kabul..The Conservative Party accused diplomats of betraying the memory of Afghan War dead. “The way Canada left Afghanistan in August was a betrayal of the legacy of the 40,000 members of the Canadian Armed Forces who fought in the war in Afghanistan including 158 soldiers who gave their lives,” said their report..Ex-military members testified they were embarrassed by the flight of diplomats as Canadians and Afghan allies pleaded for help..“We were the first embassy to depart,” Major-General (Ret’d) Dean Milner, the last Canadian combat commander in the region, testified February 14. “That was very embarrassing for a lot of us on the ground.”.“There could have been a lot more people evacuated out of Afghanistan before Kandahar fell and before Kabul fell,” Major-General (Ret’d) David Fraser testified February 14. “This is on the shoulders of Canadians and I don’t just mean the military. We could have actually done more.”.Cabinet invoked national security in refusing to provide the Special Committee with documents including flight logs of rescue aircraft and records on who accompanied Ambassador Sirrs in his escape from Kabul.
