The former defence minister compromised the mission to airlift people with links to Canada out of Kabul in 2021
Harjit Sajjan, Canada ’s minister of defence during the fall of Kabul in August, 2021, had a lot on his hands as the deadline for airlifting people out of Afghanistan at the end of that month rapidly approached.
In the chaos, Canada left behind 1,250 Canadian citizens and permanent residents, and their family members. Hundreds more Afghans who assisted the Canadian Army were left stranded. The principle of civilian control means that the government sets policy and priorities for Canada’s armed forces. It is absurd to think that an instruction from the minister to the military would be taken for anything other than an order. Lest there be any doubt, Chief of Defence Staff Wayne Eyre told The Canadian Press on Friday that the Forces were following “legal orders.”
Mr. Sajjan, who is now the Emergency Preparedness Minister, has vehemently defended his actions. He says that getting vulnerable groups – women, religious minorities, LGBTQ people – out of Kabul was a “priority” for Canada. He also says it was a particular policy of the government to help Afghan Sikhs and Hindus, thanks to its partnership with an Alberta-based non-governmental organization, the Manmeet Singh Bhullar Foundation.
Mr. Sajjan, who is Sikh, says he “did not direct the Canadian Armed Forces to prioritize Sikhs above others.” That is a convenient misinterpretation.
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