Emergency Preparedness Minister Harjit Sajjan, formerly Canada’s Minister of National Defence, testified Wednesday that he was not responsible for the evacuation failures during the fall of Kabul in 2021, which left more than 1,200 Canadians and Afghan allies stranded. Blacklock's Reporter said Sajjan’s statements come as Parliament’s defence committee scrutinizes the chaotic Canadian withdrawal and the decision to close Canada’s embassy early, which resulted in the abandonment of many vulnerable individuals.“We put every effort possible to evacuate as many people as possible, and I want to say this, safely as well,” Sajjan told the committee, emphasizing that security was a priority amid rapidly deteriorating conditions. “I wish we could have gotten all vulnerable populations out that we needed to get out,” he added, expressing gratitude to the Canadian Armed Forces for their high-risk efforts.Kabul fell to the Taliban on August 15, 2021, with Canada becoming the first ally to close its embassy, forcing Canadian citizens and Afghan allies to fend for themselves. In the days leading up to Kabul’s fall, Royal Canadian Air Force flights had evacuated 440 people, often with seats left empty, despite available aircraft capable of carrying over 100 passengers each.Conservative MP Cheryl Gallant questioned Sajjan on whether all Canadians were successfully evacuated. Sajjan replied, “I can’t answer that,” and later stated, “I wish we could have gotten more. However, given the circumstances and security threats, I am extremely proud of what the Canadian Armed Forces pulled off.”Ambassador Reid Sirrs, Canada’s last representative in Afghanistan, had fled the country along with 69 embassy employees and Afghan nationals. His departure, Sirrs testified in 2022, was spurred by the escalating violence in Kabul. “We could hear explosions... it became evident to us that a whole bunch of chaotic activity was taking place,” said Sirrs.Retired Major-General Dean Milner, former Canadian combat commander in Afghanistan, criticized the early embassy closure, calling it “embarrassing” and claiming it added to the disorder surrounding the evacuation. “They just added to the confusion and chaos of trying to do the coordination of this mission,” Milner testified.David Lavery, an Afghan War veteran who helped evacuate dozens, echoed concerns, explaining that without Canadian Embassy representatives, no emergency visas were available for those in need. Wendy Long, director of Afghan-Canada Interpreters, recounted the “terrifying” scene after the embassy’s closure, describing it as “too little time to do the job right” and lamenting that thousands were effectively left behind.Following the evacuation, Canada’s Department of National Defence issued statements suggesting all Canadians were safely out before the embassy’s closure — a claim later disproven as stranded citizens sought rescue from Taliban-controlled areas. Flights for evacuations were halted by August 26, 2021, and days later, an official advisory warned remaining Canadians of threats including kidnapping and terrorism.
