“A Canadian, is a Canadian is a Canadian.” Thus Justin Trudeau, when he spoke of citizenship during the lead up to the 2015 election. It’s a quote that rings hollow now, especially in the ears of the hundreds of Canadians his government abandoned in Afghanistan in 2021.Figures provided by the federal government at the end of Aug 2021, indicate that approximately 1,250 Canadians, permanent residents, and family members were left in Afghanistan when the Taliban claimed victory over the former Islamic Republic.Those citizens, along with hundreds of Afghan interpreters who worked alongside our armed forces during Canada’s 12-year foray in the war-torn country, were abandoned to the malice of the Taliban as a result of an inefficient bureaucracy, and petty domestic politics in the lead up to the 2021 federal election.At least that seems to be the major take away from last week’s sensational Globe and Mail story. That report written by Robert Fife alleges that former Defence Minister, Harjit Sajjan, instructed the Canadian Armed Forces to prioritize the rescue of Afghan Sikhs during the fall of Kabul.Government sources that spoke to the Globe and Mail on the condition of anonymity, claim resources and special forces personnel that could have been used to extract Canadians and coalition interpreters were diverted to accomplish the task set out by Sajjan.David Lavery, a former special forces solider who was on the ground in Kabul during the evacuation effort, had the following to say regarding Sajjan’s intervention. “I can guarantee we left people behind because of that. We probably left from 500-1000 people easy. Probably more than that. There are still hundreds we are trying to get out.”While Sajjan has publicly denounced the report as “B.S.,” at the time of writing this column, no other members of his government, including the prime minister, have come to his aid. That is an ominous sign for the Member of Parliament for Vancouver South.After all in June of 2021 when Harjit Sajjan faced calls to resign from all three opposition parties over the sexual misconduct crisis in the CAF which also involved former CDS General Vance, Trudeau was quick to stand by his embattled Minister of National Defence. “He continues to have my confidence that he is the right person for the job” stated Trudeau.That statement should be the death warrant for this prime minister and his government's legitimacy to continue governing Canada... because just two months later that same Minister of the Crown, in which he expressed such confidence, allegedly did the unthinkable. According to Fife, he intervened in a highly risky military operation for personal, electoral, or religious reasons and subverted the interests of Canadian citizens in doing so, and imperilled their lives.If this report stands up, it demands a public inquiry. Not only that but if warranted, those implicated should face criminal charges as well as personal litigation from the affected families.But those processes take time and in the immediate future and until the matter is settled, Harjit Sajjan should be forced to resign his cabinet position and be expelled from the Liberal caucus. It’s the absolute bare minimum of what a responsible government should be expected to do in this situation.And by the way, Sajjan should not be the only one to face intense scrutiny for this shameful debacle. What would be equally if not more galling than the minister's alleged contemptible request, would be the inaction and complicity of any CDS who actually agreed to it.The Chief of Defence Staff would have had a duty to advise the minister that such a request was highly inappropriate, and although the situation for the Afghan Sikhs was tenuous and regrettable, they did not have operational priority over Canadian citizens. Had the MND persisted on facilitating the rescue then this is what a CDS placed in such a position should have said:“Not on my watch … here is my resignation with immediate effect. By the way Minister, on Day 1 of my retirement, I will be calling a media conference to hold you accountable.” But apparently, no such thing occurred. Which means that if Fife's allegations are correct, General Wayne Eyre — acting CDS at the time — doesn’t deserve to ride peacefully into retirement this summer. In my view he would have played a significant supporting role in a misallocation of resources that left Canadians stranded in a terrorist hellhole. Should he not join Sajjan and resign before starting his retirement?Afghanistan is often referred to as the ‘graveyard of empires’. Many great nations have been humbled and lost everything there, and now it can add Harjit Sajjan, Wayne Eyre, and Prime Minister Trudeau’s government to that list.
