**
En raison d 'un probleme technique, certains des caracteres en francais peuvent etre absents du texte du
courriel dans ce sommaire. GI / TI travaille a resoudre le probleme. Les caracteres dans le document
Word joint au courriel ne sont pas affectes.
Due to a technical issue, some of the French characters may be stripped from the body of the e-mail text
in this summary. IM / IT is working to resolve the issue. The characters in the e-mail's attached Word
document are not affected.
**
NATIONAL NEWS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY / SOMMAIRE DES NOUVELLES NATIONALES
ADM(PA) / SMA(AP)
March 15 2014 / le 15 mars 2014
MINISTER / LE MINISTRE
Ruling on Access to Information Delay
Parliament, not the courts, must decide how long a federal department can wait before releasing records
requested by a member of the public, according to a ruling this week. The federal court case between the
information commissioner of Canada and the minister of national defence was the result of a request
for records made by a private citizen under the umbrella of the access to information act. DND claimed to
need more than three years to properly fulfil the request. The court declined to judge the reasonableness
of DND's extended deadline to itself or what "timely" should mean. Justice Catherine Kane said in a
written decision that "any statutory changes must come from Parliament. The Court cannot redraft the
legislation." However, she pointed out, "the remedies sought by the Information Commissioner raise
policy issues that should be addressed by the Government with the input of relevant stakeholders" (P.
Smith: Ctz A4; No mention of the Minister: T. Spears: OSun B1; D. Bee, CP: TStar A8, HCH A12).
CDS / CEM
No related coverage. / Aucune couverture pertinente.
CAF OPERATIONS / OPÉRATIONS FAC
CANADA IN AFGHANISTAN / LE CANADA EN AFGHANISTAN
End of Mission in Afghanistan: Comment
Fredericton Daily Gleaner editorial: The longest military mission in Canadian history has just come to an
end in Afghanistan. Earlier this week, the flag was lowered at Canadian headquarters in Kabul and the
last Canadian soldier boarded a helicopter out of the city. Those 12 years came with many contributions
and many costs to our nation, our military and all those who support our troops. The contributions made
in Afghanistan have been impressive. The costs to Canada have been astronomical in so many ways:
158 soldiers, one diplomat, one journalist and two civilian contractors dead, with about two dozen deaths
connected to this community and Base Gagetown. With so many deployments, there have been
thousands of injuries, both seen and unseen. And the unseen ones, in the form of PTSD, will continue to
manifest themselves over the coming years. While some might not have approved of the mission, we will
never question the professionalism and dedication of our soldiers. We are proud to live next door to the
biggest base in Canada, one that trains and produces thousands of soldiers whose strength and courage
keep us in awe (FDG C11).
Globe & Mail editorial: Is Afghanistan a better place today than when Canadian forces first set foot in
Kandahar in the fall of 2001? Yes. The United Nations expects next month's presidential ballot to be
relatively free from violence and corruption. That is no small thing. Has the country achieved the level of
security, democracy and development that some dreamed? No. Deciding to fight in Afghanistan was a
difficult thing for Canada, and this country did so at great cost. But the decision to go and to stay was
made, again and again over a dozen years, for good reasons: credibility, responding to al-Qaeda's threat,
projecting Canada's values of democracy and rule of law, and attempting to give Afghans a chance at a
functioning state and a better life. Afghanistan mattered. It still does. Canada made a difference, and for
now, that is enough (G&M F9).
Halifax Chronicle-Herald editorial: The NATO military offensive, which this newspaper has supported,
succeeded in toppling the ultra-conservative Islamist Taliban regime, noted for its severe repression of
women and opponents, destruction of cultural and heritage treasures and harsh punishments. Despite an
ongoing Taliban insurgency, the men and women in the Canadian mission also did much good in
Kandahar province, one of Afghanistan's most impoverished and backward areas. Because Canada's
efforts in Afghanistan have had elements of both success and failure, time must pass before our legacy in
Afghanistan can truly be assessed. In the end, it will perhaps be our work in helping to depose a deeply
repressive and misogynistic regime and to educate almost a generation of children, particularly girls, that
could help sow the seeds of a more peaceful, democratic and stable society in Afghanistan in the
decades to come (HCH E1).
Jeffrey Simpson: At many National Hockey League games in Canada, members of the Canadian Forces
are introduced. Far from turning their faces away, as in the song about wounded Australian soldiers
returning from the First World War, fans rise for a standing ovation. Such a reaction would have been
unlikely before Canada's mission in Afghanistan, in which 158 Canadian soldiers and a diplomat died and
many more were physically or mentally injured. If Canada's involvement in that faraway place
accomplished anything, it was to reconnect the CF and the general public. Someday, a compendious
history of Canada's mission in Afghanistan will be written. It will begin with the realpolitik of Canada
having taken a pass on the war in Iraq and therefore feeling it had no choice but to step up in
Afghanistan. It will pass through the preparatory stages of cheerleading by generals and their journalistic
cheerleaders. It will detail the fighting, the hunkering down and the long, slow departure from
disappointment abroad to victory at home (G&M F2).
Future for Canada in Afghanistan
Canadians could go from digging trenches to helping dig gold and copper mines in Afghanistan if the
Harper government has its way. The country's ambassador to Kabul signalled this week that the
moribund Afghan economy will be a principal focus for Canada, which has formally ended its military
mission. The hope is to turn the page on a decade of military involvement and aid handouts in the
desperately poor, war-torn nation. While the Canadian military has showcased training and mentoring of
Afghan soldiers and police, Canadian firms have played key roles in advising the Afghan ministry of
mines (M. Brewster: HCH A11, VSun C6, EJ C10, VTC A9, SJT B3, WStar C3, Ctz C1, TStar A10, MTT
B7, NBTJ C4).
Students of a school named after a Canadian soldier killed in Afghanistan learned first-hand Friday the
impact of her sacrifice. Speaking from the Canadian embassy in Kabul to students at Captain Nichola
Goddard school and five others in Canada, an Afghan civil rights activist told them conditions in her
country, particularly for women, are much better after 12 years of war. But Nabil Musleh said much work
remains undone there, even as western countries pull their troops from what's become an unpopular war
back home (B. Kaufmann: CSun 4).
Legacy of Mission in Afghanistan
Just days after Canada's 12-year mission in Afghanistan ended, Margaret Walsh wondered why her son
died there. "I had a very bad day when they were taking the flag down," Walsh said Friday. "Was it worth
it, having 158 Canadian soldiers die?" MCpl Jeffrey Walsh was 33 years old when he was killed in an
accidental shooting outside Kandahar in August 2006. According to Margaret, her son had similar feelings
about the effectiveness of the war effort. Jeffrey had told his parents Afghanistan would never be
peaceful. Cpl. David Braun was another Saskatchewan soldier killed in 2006. On Friday, Patty Braun was
still supportive of the mission in which her son died. She believes NATO troops had to enter Afghanistan
following the 9/11 attacks on the U.S. in 2001. She described her son as a man quietly proud of his
service who didn't like a lot of attention (A. Davis: RLP A1, SSP A1).
Now that Canada's military mission in Afghanistan has concluded, the majority of soldiers will move on
with their lives - feeling strong and healthy, says an expert. Lee Windsor, the deputy director of the Gregg
Centre for the Study of War and Society at the University of New Brunswick, said if historical examples
from past conflicts are examined, it becomes apparent not every soldier is traumatized by his or her war
experience. LGen Jonathan Vance said he's proud of what soldiers from this country accomplished. LGen
Vance said Canada didn't lose in Afghanistan and it will take some time for the scope and nature of the
win to appear. Windsor said Canadians need to think about the mission. "If we think of this as a noble
effort that didn't work, it may very well enable veterans to make some sort of peace with the past." But,
Windsor said, he remains hopeful that Canada's mission in Afghanistan did work (M. Staples: FDG A8).
Taliban Comment on End of Mission in Afghanistan
A round of goodbye messages are following the last Canadian troops out the door in Afghanistan and
some of them are rather nasty. The Taliban's information arm issued a statement Thursday to followers in
Kandahar congratulating its fighters in the rural districts of Panjwaii, Zharey, Dand, Maiwand and Shah
Wali Kot claiming that Canada has been defeated and has now fled the country. "Your sacrifices have
brought us freedom. The beacons of your blood have lit the way to independence. Celebrate the victory
and freedom from the Canadians," said the statement. It said that the Canadians followed Holland,
Denmark, Australian, Poland, and Spain in "retreat and failure." The propaganda, although blatantly
obvious and expected, is likely to have an impact in the isolated rural district villages where Canadian
troops helped build schools, roads and provide security. The fractured, unpredictable security
environment worries human rights groups, which say Afghan civilians will bear the brunt of the violence
as international forces withdraw and the Afghan army and police take on more responsibility. LCol Eric
Boucher, one of the last Canadian trainers to leave, said he's confident in the ability of the local Afghan
police bomb disposal technicians to handle the job (M. Brewster: HCH A11, FDG A11, NBTJ C4, WStar
C3, VSun B3, TStar A11, VTC A9, EJ A20).
Messages de départ à propos des soldats canadiens
Une série de messages d'adieu ont été diffusés pour souligner le départ des soldats canadiens
d'Afghanistan, et certains sont désagréables. Le service d'information des talibans a publié un
communiqué jeudi à l'intention des partisans du mouvement extrémiste à Kandahar, félicitant les
combattants des districts ruraux de Panjwai, Zhari, Dand, Maiwand et Shah Wali Kot, et affirmant que les
Canadiens avaient maintenant fui le pays après avoir été défaits. Le texte soutient que les Canadiens ont
suivi les forces des Pays-Bas, du Danemark, de l'Australie, de la Pologne et de l'Espagne dans «le repli
et l'échec» (Dr 30, VE 26, Tr 24, Sol 36).
Les talibans ont salué le départ des soldats canadiens de l'Afghanistan en affirmant que la descente du
drapeau canadien de son mât à Kaboul cette semaine, marquant la fin officielle de la mission militaire,
signifiait «l'échec et la fuite». Dans une déclaration obtenue et traduite du pachtoune par la Canadian
Press, les forces talibanes ont félicité les combattants dans les régions rurales pour la victoire (JQ 13, JM
48).
Les militaires ne regrettent pas la mission à Kaboul
La majorité des militaires qui ont servi en Afghanistan ne remettent pas en cause le bien-fondé de la
mission. Ils parlent en positif des bienfaits qu’ils ont apporté aux citoyens. Les nombreux militaires avec
lesquels les journalistes se sont entretenus ces dernières semaines jugent tous que cette mission a été
essentielle. Certains pensent avoir donné aux Afghans un " avant-goût de la démocratie ", notamment en
permettant à des jeunes filles d'aller à l'école. Les militaires rapportent que les citoyens appréciaient leur
aide (Dv A6).
Une rétrospective de la mission canadienne en Afghanistan
Le gouvernement de Stephen Harper a fait de la mission canadienne en Afghanistan un élément phare
de sa politique étrangère, cependant c’est Jean Chrétien qui a autorisé le premier, en 2001, l'envoi de
troupes dans ce pays. Paul Martin a également dirigé les troupes vers Kandahar. Au plus fort de son
engagement, le Canada a déployé 2950 soldats en Afghanistan. Cette semaine, les derniers éléments
canadiens reviendront d'Afghanistan. Il reste encore difficile de dire combien aura coûté l’ensemble de la
mission. Plusieurs années seront nécessaires pour obtenir un bilan définitif (Dv A6).
PROCUREMENT / APPROVISIONNEMENT
Military Spending
Coverage noted that the Canadian Taxpayers Federation gave a runner-up “Teddy" award for waste to
DND for spending "$14,000 for public-opinion polling to determine Canadians' beliefs about the powers of
super heroes” (QMI: LFP E2).
OTHERS / AUTRES
SAR Rules Review
The RCAF is considering a rewrite of its rules for high-risk search-and-rescue missions following the
investigation of a dramatic Arctic rescue in which one of its members died. "Appropriate regulations would
serve to restrict operations when the risk is pre-determined to be too high," says the final report into the
mission. Sgt. Janick Gilbert drowned in an otherwise successful effort to rescue two Inuit hunters. The
report says freezing water leaked into Gilbert's drysuit after he parachuted down with two other rescuers.
The report's strongest conclusions relate to helping rescuers such as Gilbert, who was the team leader,
make better plans for such missions - including how to decide when it's simply too dangerous to jump.
The report also recommends many improvements to equipment and procedures. It notes the decision to
jump was made without a plan for how the rescuers would return to safety (B. Weber: HCH A10, NP A10,
VTC A7, cbc.ca, globalnews.ca).
CF Member Arrested for Stabbing of Diplomat
The stabbing of a 44-year-old Russian diplomat is not believed to have been politically motivated, foreign
affairs officials said Friday. A military man was arrested after the melee broke out at a downtown Ottawa
apartment building. The Canadian Armed Forces said military police were requested by Ottawa police but
did not elaborate (D. Bell: TSun 22, OSun 6; K. Mackrael / K. Carlson / D. Leblanc: G&M A13; M. Hurley /
S. Yogaretnam: Ctz A1, Gaz A18, NP A10, WStar A10; cbc.ca).
HMCS Protecteur
HMCS Protecteur will be towed back to CFB Esquimalt from Pearl Harbor for any repairs and further
assessment, the navy confirmed Friday. But it's still unknown if the supply ship, heavily damaged by fire,
will sail on its own again or be scrapped. The tow will take about three to four weeks. Details about which
ship will tow Protecteur, when that will happen and what route will be taken are still being worked out. A
skeleton crew will likely be aboard during the tow (S. Petrescu: VTC A1; ctvnews.ca; globalnews.ca).
PTSD Treatment
A New Brunswick man who served in Bosnia says video conferencing technology can help people
suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder without having to travel to see a doctor. Keith Steeves, of
Albert Mines, says after six months of active duty in the war-torn country, he struggled with insomnia,
nightmares and anxiety attacks for nearly a decade upon his return in 1993. He was diagnosed with
PTSD two years ago and video conferencing, also known as teleconferencing or telehealth, became vital
to his treatment plan, he said (cbc.ca).
Pas de nouvelles analyses à Shannon
Bien que des études réalisées par le passé aient montré la présence de trichloréthylène (TCE) dans l'air
intérieur de certaines résidences de Shannon, la Santé publique de Québec ne juge pas nécessaire de
faire de nouvelles analyses. La Direction de santé publique poursuit cependant l'étude d'agrégats afin de
déterminer s'il y a réellement un excès de certains cancers à Shannon par rapport à la population en
général (JQ 22).
Section: Canada
Byline: Patrick Smith
Outlet: Ottawa Citizen
Headline: Judge declines to rule on long delay in filling info request; DND took three years to
provide material but court says any change up to Parliament
Page: A4
Date: Saturday 15 March 2014
Source: Ottawa Citizen
Parliament, not the courts, must decide how long a federal department can wait before releasing
records requested by a member of the public, according to a ruling this week.
The federal court case between the information commissioner of Canada and the minister of
national defence was the result of a request for records made by a private citizen under the
umbrella of the access to information act.
The Defence Department claimed to need more than three years to properly fulfil the request.
Under the act, the legal response time is 30 days, but extensions can be granted based on the
volume of records to be searched and on the necessity for outside consultations to ensure privacy
and security are respected.
The citizen placing the request for information was told by DND that an extension of three years
and 15 days would be applied to the request: 230 days due to volume of records, and 880 days to
do "necessary consultations."
This prompted Canada's information watchdog to launch a suit against the defence minister,
pointing to the wording of a section of law which states that an institution must provide "timely
access to the record."
The court, however, declined to judge the reasonableness of DND's extended deadline to itself or
what "timely" should mean.
"There is no risk that the Court will stray into areas reserved for Parliament," Justice Catherine
Kane said in a written decision, adding that "any statutory changes must come from Parliament.
The Court cannot redraft the legislation."
However, she pointed out, "the remedies sought by the Information Commissioner raise policy
issues that should be addressed by the Government with the input of relevant stakeholders."
Although the information commissioner did not get satisfaction, "the applicant has effectively
highlighted that the remedies for noncompliance with the act are limited and that legislative
change would be the only way to provide more options," the judge said.
The citizen who initially requested the information - records having to do with a DND contract
and "the sale of surplus military assets to Uruguay" - received the information on Sept. 11, 2013,
nearly three years after the initial request was made on Dec. 9, 2010. The information
commissioner's office is still reviewing the judgment, according to spokesperson Natalie Hall,
and has until April 2 to decide whether or not to appeal it.
Informing citizens: The Access to Information Act, in a nutshell, is one means by which
Canadians can ask to see government records. There are limits - if the information requested is a
threat to national security, was obtained in confidence or meets other criteria - information may
be withheld. Otherwise, the department in charge of the information must provide the
information or a notice of extension within 30 days.
Back to Top
Section: News
Lead: OTTAWA-- The federal government has carte blanche to interminably delay public
requests for information and there's nothing anyone can do about it, a federal court judgment
says.
Headline: Feds can delay info release
Page: B1
Byline: TONY SPEARS QMI AGENCY , TONY.SPEARS@SUNMEDIA.CA TWITTER:
@OTTAWASUNTONYS
Outlet: The Kingston Whig-Standard
Illustrations:
 photo byTONY CALDWELL/QMI AGENCY FILES The government has carte blanche to
delay public information requests, a federal court judgment ruled on Friday.
Date: Saturday 15 March 2014
OTTAWA-- The federal government has carte blanche to interminably delay public requests for
information and there's nothing anyone can do about it, a federal court judgment says.
Shortcomings to the Access to Information Act prevent the courts and the Information
Commissioner of Canada from wresting information from the tight grip of government ministries
infamous for lengthy delays, Judge Catherine Kane wrote in a March 3 decision.
"Requesters may complain about claimed extensions and the information commissioner may
investigate the complaint, but that is the extent of recourse," Kane wrote.
The act requires the government to provide "timely" access to information -- but Kane notes the
meaning of the word is not clearly defined in the act, and that "timely" depends on perspective.
The information commissioner's office -- an access to information watchdog -- had sued the
federal government after National Defence took nearly three years to respond to an access to
information request.
The initial request -- pertaining to a consulting group contract and the sale of surplus military
equipment to Uruguay -- was made in December 2010.
The defence department told the requester the department would need a three-year extension
from the statutory 30-day period to gather and vet the information.
The documents were finally delivered in September 2013.
Lawyers for the commissioner argued the extension was "not reasonable and invalid," and asked
Kane for a declaration that the ministry had failed to provide the information within the time
limits outlined in the information act.
Kane concluded she didn't have jurisdiction to make this declaration.
Only if information is outright denied can the federal court get involved.
"The department responding to the request seems to hold all the cards in terms of establishing the
time extension needed," Kane wrote.
"A claimed extension of time, even though the Information Commissioner has found it to be
unreasonable, does not constitute a deemed refusal of access.
"Legislative change would be the only way to provide more options and remedies."
Back to Top
Section: News
Byline: Dean Bee The Canadian Press
Outlet: Toronto Star
Headline: Info czar loses court battle with Ottawa
Page: A8
Date: Saturday 15 March 2014
Information commissioner Suzanne Legault has lost a landmark case over delays in the release of
government documents, a ruling one critic says will make an ailing freedom-of-information
system even worse.
A Federal Court judge said she was unable to censure National Defence for taking a three-year
extension on delivering records requested under the Access to Information Act, an extension the
commissioner had argued was unreasonable.
The ruling earlier this month has raised concerns that other departments may now give
themselves longer extensions for responding to access-to-information requests, making an
existing delay problem even worse.
The case involved a request in late 2010 for documents related to the sale of surplus Canadian
military assets to Uruguay.
National Defence gave itself a 1,110-day extension to provide the material, or just over three
years.
The requester complained to Legault, who took the case to court - and lost in a judgment March
3.
Judge Catherine Kane ruled that the way the act is worded does not allow her to censure National
Defence by issuing a declaration in favour of the information commissioner. Kane said the act
would have to be rewritten on the matter of extensions - a responsibility of Parliament - for any
judge to intervene.
The judge also acknowledged, however, that the issues Legault raised are important and in the
public interest and are likely to arise again.
The information commissioner has until April 2 to seek leave to appeal. A spokeswoman, Natalie
Hall, declined to comment saying only that the office is analyzing the decision and "considering
our options."
Back to Top
Section: Opinion
Headline: Goodbye, Afghanistan
Page: C11
Outlet: The Daily Gleaner (Fredericton)
Byline: The Daily Gleaner Editorial
Date: Saturday 15 March 2014
The longest military mission in Canadian history has just come to an end in Afghanistan.
Earlier this week, the flag was lowered at Canadian headquarters in Kabul and the last Canadian
soldier boarded a helicopter out of the city.
Those 12 years came with many contributions and many costs to our nation, our military and all
those who support our troops.
At the legislature on Wednesday, Fredericton-Silverwood MLA Brian Macdonald led a
ceremony similar to the one held in Kabul to mark the end of that mission.
The contributions made in Afghanistan have been impressive.
"Your strength has protected the weak; your bravery has brought hope to hopeless; and the
helping hand you have extended to the Afghan people has given them faith that a better future is
within their grasp," said Deborah Lyons, Canada's ambassador to Afghanistan during the Kabul
ceremony.
"It is said that the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good people to do nothing.
Your actions and those of your fallen colleagues have stopped the triumph of evil."
Even so, some question the mission's overall, long-term success. Will Afghanistan become a
more democratic country? Will it shake off its warring tradition and open opportunities for
women and girls? Will it move forward instead of backward?
International columnist Gwynne Dyer says in preparation for the April 5th presidential election
in Afghanistan, 20.7 million voter cards have been distributed in the country with 13.5 million
eligible voters. They certainly have a long way to go.
The costs to Canada have been astronomical in so many ways: 158 soldiers, one diplomat, one
journalist and two civilian contractors dead, with about two dozen deaths connected to this
community and Base Gagetown.
This arduous mission saw 45,000 soldiers deployed, some up to five times.
With so many deployments, there have been thousands of injuries, both seen and unseen. And
the unseen ones, in the form of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), will continue to manifest
themselves over the coming years.
The cost of this mission also includes soldier suicides linked to PTSD, a bleak and crushing
curse, with which we in this community have had to deal recently.
While some might not have approved of the mission, we will never question the professionalism
and dedication of our soldiers. We are proud to live next door to the biggest base in Canada, one
that trains and produces thousands of soldiers whose strength and courage keep us in awe.
You do what we cannot - or choose not to - and for that, we thank you.
Back to Top
Section: Editorial
Outlet: The Globe And Mail
Headline: Now that our war is over
Page: F9
Date: Saturday 15 March 2014
There was no victory march in Kabul. Just the ceremonial lowering of a flag and sombre words
for a hundred soldiers, whose final departure from Afghanistan marks Canada's bookend to a
dozen-year-long war. ``It is said that the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good
people to do nothing. Your actions and those of your fallen colleagues have stopped the triumph
of evil,'' said Deborah Lyons, the Canadian ambassador. We wish it were that simple.
Her binary interpretation of Canada's legacy in Afghanistan feels a million miles away from the
complexity of what's happening on the ground. It doesn't do justice to the 40,000 Canadians who
fought in Afghanistan to pretend that our longest war has been an unmitigated success. The truth
is that, though Afghanistan is better off today than it was in 2001, with schools where there were
none and some security where there was little, violence has also soared to levels unseen since the
Taliban fell, the Taliban have returned in force to large parts of the country, the economy is still
a basket case, and the government is often corrupt and incompetent. Afghanistan has advanced,
in part thanks to Canada. But those advances are so fragile and brittle that the latest assessment
from the U.S. military forecasts that any gains could be lost by 2017.
Canada paid a heavy price for its Afghan mission. One hundred and fifty-eight soldiers, two
civilians, a diplomat and a journalist were killed. More than 1,800 Canadians were wounded. The
war cost Ottawa at least $18-billion - and much more if the cost of caring for veterans and their
families is included. Was so much Canadian blood spilled and billions spent worth it, when
Afghanistan's future remains so uncertain?
A new poll suggests most Canadians are ambivalent. Two-thirds say it's too early to call the
mission a success or a failure. They are right. Our Afghan involvement was not a triumph, but it
was far from pointless. It is more useful to ask whether Canada accomplished in Afghanistan
what it set out to do in the first place, and through the various phases of its mission as it evolved
through the years.
The decision to go to war was made neither from hubris nor from a blind sense of loyalty to our
closest ally, the United States. For Canada, going to Afghanistan was not only about that
country. It was about maintaining our credibility, and that of the international system, in the
wake of 9/11. The first phase, Operation Apollo, was launched with the narrow goals of
supporting the American-led Operation Enduring Freedom and overthrowing the Taliban
government that sheltered al-Qaeda, which had used Afghanistan as a launch pad for terrorist
attacks. As a leader of the Western alliance, Canada had a reason to step forward. The cause was
necessary and just. And so our troops were deployed. The Taliban were ousted, and al-Qaeda
fled Afghanistan.
The mission was a success, but the war wasn't over. Again, Canada's contribution was at a
crossroads. Canada could have walked away, but the West could not. Leaving Afghanistan
before attempting to rebuild it would have been morally and tactically wrong, leaving the door
open for al-Qaeda to return in full force. The second phase of Canada's mission was on, this time
under the auspices of NATO, and based out of Kabul. Again, Canada and our allies scored some
wins: Security in Kabul and other parts of the country stabilized and Canadian trainers began
building the Afghan National Army. Afghanistan held its first national elections. In a country
that didn't even have one ATM machine, this was an enormous accomplishment.
The third phase of Canada's mission was the most difficult and the most deadly. In 2006,
Canadian troops were sent to Kandahar. By 2007, they were locked in intense combat with the
insurgents, and dying at twice the rate of their American and British counterparts in other parts
of the country. Those losses would have been difficult to predict when Canada committed itself
to the fight. Many military analysts say that, without Canada's contribution, Kandahar would
have been lost. But the death toll cost public support for the war. The battle in Kandahar was in
some ways both Canada's finest moment and a great failure, representing the seemingly
Sisyphean nature of the Afghan project. And after a time, Canadians and our Western allies
decided we no longer wanted a part of this war, and Ottawa turned its eyes to the exit door.
After the combat mission ended in 2011, a small contingent of trainers remained in Kabul. That
final, fourth phase of the war passed unnoticed: The same poll that captured Canadians'
ambivalence revealed that, until this week, most did not know any Canadian troops were still
there. Canada's mission had become a forgettable thing and Afghanistan has become a
forgettable place. It shouldn't be. The country is still badly in need of Western assistance and aid.
Is Afghanistan a better place today than when Canadian forces first set foot in Kandahar in the
fall of 2001? Yes. The United Nations expects next month's presidential ballot to be relatively
free from violence and corruption. That is no small thing. Has the country achieved the level of
security, democracy and development that some dreamed? No.
Deciding to fight in Afghanistan was a difficult thing for Canada, and this country did so at great
cost. But the decision to go and to stay was made, again and again over a dozen years, for good
reasons: credibility, responding to al-Qaeda's threat, projecting Canada's values of democracy
and rule of law, and attempting to give Afghans a chance at a functioning state and a better life.
Afghanistan mattered. It still does. Canada made a difference, and for now, that is enough.
Back to Top
Section: Opinion
Outlet: The Chronicle-Herald
Headline: HERALD EDITORIAL; History to judge Afghan mission
Page: E1
Date: Saturday 15 March 2014
Examine a map of Afghanistan's ethnicity and it looks like a wildly colourful abstract painting: a
huge southerly swath of green running into Pakistan for the Pashtun, the country's largest ethnic
group, smaller clumps of cream, blue, pink and brown for the Tajik, Hazara, Uzbek and Aimak
peoples, and a sprinkling of colours representing a half-dozen other ethnic groups.
Add to that the complexities of religion in the greater Middle East, four main languages
augmented by 30 others and centuries of instability and armed conflicts, and even sorting out the
good guys from the bad can be a puzzle.
Any strong leader who emerges runs the risk of being killed, as many have been, by a rival
faction.
It is no wonder that in Afghanistan, one of the poorest countries in the world, political
rapprochement comes hard or not at all.
Nor has this fractured country, under the thumb of the Soviet Union from 1978 to 1982, been
particularly fortunate with its neighbours, which include superpower China and regional
powerhouses Pakistan and Iran.
As Canadian Press reporter Murray Brewster has been reporting in our pages this week, direct
Canadian military involvement in Afghanistan began with a joint Canada-U.S. special forces
offensive against the terrorist group Al-Qaida and its Taliban allies in 2001 and ended this week
with the withdrawal of the last Canadian soldiers from Kabul.
The NATO military offensive, which this newspaper has supported, succeeded in toppling the
ultra-conservative Islamist Taliban regime, noted for its severe repression of women and
opponents, destruction of cultural and heritage treasures and harsh punishments.
Despite an ongoing Taliban insurgency, the men and women in the Canadian mission also did
much good in Kandahar province, one of Afghanistan's most impoverished and backward areas:
according to a Defence Department website, a major dam and its irrigation system were repaired,
many schools were built or renovated and 2,500 teachers trained, and seven million children
were vaccinated for polio.
In an area where only 26 per cent of men and five per cent of women are literate and the
education of girls has been almost unheard of, some 2.2 million girls have been attending school,
DND says. But with NATO troop departures and reports of escalating violence in Afghanistan
since 2012, some of those gains are waning. There are mounting fears that a new president, to be
elected on April 5, may not take the U.S. up on its offer of 10,000 security advisers to coach
Afghan troops.
The price for Canadian families has been steep: 158 soldiers and four others died during the
Afghanistan campaign, with many others left physically or mentally wounded. Cost of the
conflict has been at least $12 billion.
Controversy over the Canadian transfer of more than 1,000 Afghan detainees to the Afghans and
to possible torture has been a black eye for a country that prides itself on respect for human
rights.
Veterans Affairs has come under fire for its New Veterans Charter, which began in 2006 and
awards lump sum payments, rather than ongoing pensions, to injured soldiers. The veterans
ombudsman has said the new system is sometimes more generous immediately but, after age 65,
impoverishes the most severely injured.
Because Canada's efforts in Afghanistan have had elements of both success and failure, time
must pass before our legacy in Afghanistan can truly be assessed.
In the end, it will perhaps be our work in helping to depose a deeply repressive and misogynistic
regime and to educate almost a generation of children, particularly girls, that could help sow the
seeds of a more peaceful, democratic and stable society in Afghanistan in the decades to come.
Back to Top
Section: Comment Column
Outlet: The Globe And Mail
Byline: JEFFREY SIMPSON
Headline: Disappointment abroad, but victory at home
Page: F2
Date: Saturday 15 March 2014
jsimpson@globeandmail.com
And the band played Waltzing Matilda
As they carried us down the gangway
But nobody cheered, they just stood and stared
Then turned all their faces away.
- And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda
At many National Hockey League games in Canada, members of the Canadian Forces are
introduced. Far from turning their faces away, as in the song about wounded Australian soldiers
returning from the First World War, fans rise for a standing ovation.
Such a reaction would have been unlikely before Canada's mission in Afghanistan, in which 158
Canadian soldiers and a diplomat died and many more were physically or mentally injured. If
Canada's involvement in that faraway place accomplished anything, it was to reconnect the
Forces and the general public.
It is one thing for soldiers to be deployed in peacekeeping; it is another for them to fight and die
and be wounded. Yes, there are dangers in peacekeeping and special skills are required, but death
does not stalk such missions each day. Sacrifice and danger brought the military a respect it had
been lacking, which is what the military men who bought into the Afghan mission were hoping
would happen. They were right in these domestic hopes, but largely wrong in their Afghan ones.
The last Canadian soldiers returned from Afghanistan this week, after training Afghan soldiers
these past three years. We would have left entirely three years ago had the Americans not
lobbied Prime Minister Stephen Harper to keep some soldiers there, even in a non-combat
mission. Like many in this country, Mr. Harper believed that Canada had done its part, and that
Afghanistan had become a sinkhole for Canadian lives and money.
It is easier, of course, to be wise after the fact than before it. But it would have been helpful if,
before the Afghan mission began, Canada and other members of the North Atlantic Treaty
Organization had known more about the country, its history, its warring ethnicities, its dangers
and its impossibilities. Today, we are wiser after the fact, which is how things usually evolve in
war. As Otto von Bismarck once observed, never enter a war without knowing the end game. In
the Afghanistan case, NATO never understood its end game.
Preventing the Taliban from regaining control of the country was one end game, and this has
been successful - so far. It was disconcerting, therefore, to read this week the testimony of
General Joseph Dunford, the U.S. commander in Afghanistan. He told the Senate foreignrelations committee in Washington that without a core of Western troops, chances are high that
significant parts of the country will fall back under Taliban control.
If U.S. forces depart entirely later this year, he said, ``The deterioration of the Afghan forces
begins to happen fairly quickly in 2015. Units would run out of fuel, pay systems would not be
completely operable, spare parts would not be available for vehicles, and so we'd start to see
decreased readiness in the Afghan security forces.''
The general's testimony was part of the debate in Washington over whether to pull all forces out
of Afghanistan or leave an international force of 8,000 to 12,000 soldiers, largely Americans.
U.S. President Barack Obama is so frustrated with Afghan President Hamid Karzai that he has
threatened a premature pullout.
Were the Taliban to return, they would be found first in the south, in the Pashtun areas where
Canada's troops were stationed. While in Kandahar province, the Canadians were able to
stabilize portions of territory, but they could not change the mores of the people. Nor could they
overcome facts on the ground that favoured the adversary, notably the Pakistani-Afghan border,
which Taliban fighters could cross freely in order to rest or regroup. Nor could the Canadians (or
any of the internationals) eradicate Afghanistan's principal industry, the poppy crop for opium,
whose revenues fuelled the insurgency.
Someday, a compendious history of Canada's mission in Afghanistan will be written. It will
begin with the realpolitik of Canada having taken a pass on the war in Iraq and therefore feeling
it had no choice but to step up in Afghanistan. It will pass through the preparatory stages of
cheerleading by generals and their journalistic cheerleaders. It will detail the fighting, the
hunkering down and the long, slow departure from disappointment abroad to victory at home.
Back to Top
Section: News
Byline: Murray Brewster
Outlet: The Chronicle-Herald
Illustrations:
 Merchants and beggars are side by side in the Afghana market in central Kabul on Thursday.
Canada is looking to promote mining and business activity in Afghanistan as a way to build the
country's moribund economy.
 Murray Brewster CP
Headline: Canada's role in Afghanistan to focus on economic future;Ambassador: New laws
needed 'to do business'
Page: A11
Date: Saturday 15 March 2014
KABUL, Afghanistan - Canadians could go from digging trenches to helping dig gold and
copper mines in Afghanistan if the Harper government has its way.
The country's ambassador to Kabul signalled this week that the moribund Afghan economy will
be a principal focus for Canada, which has formally ended its military mission.
The hope is to turn the page on a decade of military involvement and aid handouts in the
desperately poor, war-torn nation.
Standards which Canada has long promoted, education, good governance and women's rights,
will still be there, with an additional emphasis on business.
"Our diplomatic focus will also be on economic development," said Deborah Lyons, who took
over as Canada's first woman ambassador to Afghanistan six months ago.
The approach has the enthusiastic endorsement of Shamial Bantija, Afghanistan's ambassadordesignate to Canada and an economic adviser to President Hamid Karzai.
"We see Canada as our closest partner, not in terms of assistance, but the capacities you have that
we want to take advantage of," said Bantija. "I should like to see now Canada and Afghanistan
get into more economic connections."
The Canadian business community has expertise Afghanistan can use, particularly in mining, he
said.
It may seem like a tall order in a country that's in a perpetual state of security lockdown, where
roadside bombs and shootings disrupt daily life, civilians die by the thousands each year and
foreigners cower in heavily guarded compounds.
Nevertheless, the government is embracing one of the main pillars of long-term, counterinsurgency strategy which says the best way to disarm a guerrilla is to give him a job.
And, all of this is supposed to take place in country that Prime Minister Stephen Harper once
said didn't deserve a "dime" of direct foreign aid money until it cleaned up its official corruption.
Lyons said it's getting there.
"We've got to work with the Afghan government to get the necessary legislation in place,
whether it's mining legislation or anti-money laundering laws, to get an environment in place for
business to do business," she said in a recent interview with The Canadian Press.
Reports by the Pentagon and U.S. geological experts suggest Afghanistan could hold up to $1
trillion in mineral reserves, a jaw-dropping estimate that's been lost amid the violence and
bloodshed.
While the Canadian military has showcased training and mentoring of Afghan soldiers and
police, Canadian firms have played key roles in advising the Afghan ministry of mines.
Canaccord Financial Inc., of Vancouver, has provided guidance on financing and another B.C.
company, SRK Consulting, gets tapped for expertise in geology.
The Afghans have even adopted Canadian mineral reserve reporting standards.
"Afghanistan has got to look at developing its sources of revenues," Lyons said. "That has to
happen in the same way Afghanistan is taking responsibility for its security, they too have to be
developing forms of business and enterprise that will bring revenue into the government."
But Bantija said there's a real concern of an economic downturn as international forces withdraw.
Last month, Washington unveiled $300 million to help cushion the blow from the troop
departure, but there are concerns the war economy could slide backwards into greater poverty.
Back to Top
Section: News
Lead: Students of a school named after a Canadian soldier killed in Afghanistan learned firsthand Friday the impact of her sacrifice.
Headline: School learns hard lessons on sacrifice Afghanistan mission hits home for Nichola
Goddard students
Page: 4
Byline: BILL KAUFMANN, CALGARY SUN
Outlet: The Calgary Sun
Illustrations:
 photo by Lyle Aspinall/Calgary Sun Air cadetFlight Cpl. Nick Holmes, Lance Cpl. Ezra
Philphott and Cadet Kinza Ali pause during Friday's live teleconference at Captain Nichola
Goddard school.
Date: Saturday 15 March 2014
Students of a school named after a Canadian soldier killed in Afghanistan learned first-hand
Friday the impact of her sacrifice.
Speaking from the Canadian embassy in Kabul to students at Captain Nichola Goddard school
and five others in Canada, an Afghan civil rights activist told them conditions in her country,
particularly for women, are much better after 12 years of war.
But Nabil Musleh said much work remains undone there, even as western countries pull their
troops from what's become an unpopular war back home.
"We have lots of challenges in the coming years," she said, adding 40% of Afghan girls now
attend school when before, there were none.
"We hope the international community continues working with Afghanistan on our challenges."
As she spoke, thirty Grade 4-9 students listened attentively, a few metres away from exhibited
military gear once worn by Capt. Nichola Goddard, who was killed in 2006 in a Taliban ambush.
Half a world away, Canada's commander in Afghanistan, Brig.-Gen. Dean Milner said Canadian
troops have helped make the country more stable and secure.
"The country's in a lot better shape than it used to be, there's still a bit more work to be done," he
said.
On Wednesday, the Canadian flag was lowered in Kabul, officially ending Canada's military
mission there.
After the 90-minute conference, Deanna Saleh, 14, said she was heartened to hear details of the
progress made by women and girls in education and politics.
But she acknowledged fears that the departure of western forces could see a reversal of fragile
gains in Afghanistan.
"It's important to take into consideration there are concerns, it doesn't mean we should stop our
contributions even as the military mission is over," said Saleh.
bill.kaufmann@sunmedia.ca @SUNBillKaufmann
Back to Top
Section: News
Byline: Austin M. Davis
Outlet: The Leader-Post (Regina)
Illustrations:
 / Master Cpl. Jeffrey Walsh
 / Cpl. David Braun
Headline: Losses endure as mission ends
Page: A1 / Front
Date: Saturday 15 March 2014
Source: The Leader-Post
Just days after Canada's 12-year mission in Afghanistan ended, Margaret Walsh wondered why
her son died there. "I had a very bad day when they were taking the flag down," Walsh said
Friday. "Was it worth it, having
158 Canadian soldiers die?" Master Cpl. Jeffrey Walsh was 33 years old when he was killed in
an accidental shooting outside Kandahar in August 2006.
According to Margaret, her son had similar feelings about the effectiveness of the war effort.
Jeffrey had told his parents Afghanistan would never be peaceful.
"Our son, he often said that it was just a Band-Aid situation. He said it's just a Band-Aid. Will it
change? Will it not change? He often said that," Margaret said.
Her husband Ben was also emotional as the Canadian flag was taken down at NATO
headquarters in Kabul on Wednesday.
"It was sad. I guess you could call it bittersweet. I just don't want to see any more soldiers, men
or women, get killed over there," Ben said.
Ben lobbied the federal government for over a year requesting the criteria be changed for
awarding the Sacrifice Medal to include soldiers not only killed or wounded by hostile fire. He
wanted to fight for the change not only for his son, but for all soldiers wounded or killed not
exclusively in combat.
"They're fighting for our freedom. The least I could do was fight for a medal for them," Ben said.
Ben and Margaret accepted the award on Jeffrey's behalf in 2009 and gave it to his widow, Julie,
and three children (Avery, 13, Jordan, 10, and eight-year-old Benjamin).
"The oldest girl, Avery, remembers Jeff and certainly misses him. The middle girl, Jordan, she
sort of remembers Jeff. She was pretty young when he left. Ben, we call him 'Little Ben' because
he's named after me, he was only seven months old when Jeff went to Afghanistan in 2006," Ben
said.
"They certainly know who their father was and what a great person he was."
Cpl. David Braun was another Saskatchewan soldier killed in 2006. The 27-year-old from
Raymore had only been in Afghanistan for three weeks when a convoy he was travelling in was
hit by a suicide bomber.
On Friday, Patty Braun was still supportive of the mission in which her son died.
"It's been a really long mission. I think maybe it just took them that long to do what they needed
to do. But I am glad they're coming home," Braun said.
She believes NATO troops had to enter Afghanistan following the 9/11 attacks on the U.S. in
2001. She cited lack of rights for girls and women, government upheaval and poor infrastructure
as issues that needed to be corrected.
"There were so many things besides fighting a war going on, and I think that all took time to
look after," Braun said.
She described her son as a man quietly proud of his service who didn't like a lot of attention.
adavis@leaderpost.com twitter.com/theaustinx
Back to Top
Section: Main
Headline: Expert contends not every soldier traumatized by war
Page: A8
Outlet: The Daily Gleaner (Fredericton)
Byline: michael staples The Daily Gleaner
Date: Saturday 15 March 2014
Now that Canada's military mission in Afghanistan has concluded, the majority of soldiers will
move on with their lives - feeling strong and healthy, says an expert.
Lee Windsor, the deputy director of the Gregg Centre for the Study of War and Society at the
University of New Brunswick, said if historical examples from past conflicts are examined, it
becomes apparent not every soldier is traumatized by his or her war experience.
"For all the stories there are about veterans who need assistance, there are many, many, many
more stories that are quiet and untold about veterans who are strengthened by their experience,"
Windsor said.
"They take that experience and it makes them into better leaders."
But, Windsor said, there will always be some soldiers who are affected by the horrors of war and
they're the ones who need to be helped.
Many soldiers have returned to Canada from Afghanistan with post-traumatic stress disorder,
while others have taken their own lives.
"I think that we have to remember there will be many different kinds of impacts on soldiers who
experience this mission," he said.
"I think more will come out of this strong and healthy than will not. That said, (however), there
are a number of people who will need assistance."
Canada's military mission in Afghanistan officially ended Wednesday.
The conflict cost the lives of 158 soldiers, including several from New Brunswick.
Windsor said because the Canadian army has a large number of Atlantic Canadians within its
ranks, the Afghan war has had a particularly strong effect on New Brunswickers.
"It's clear in my own classrooms - from the number of students I get in my class who have family
members or neighbours who have served," Windsor said.
"Many families, many households (here) are touched by it and have been affected by it over the
last number of years."
Lt.-Gen. Jonathan Vance, a former commander of Canadian troops in Afghanistan, said he's
proud of what soldiers from this country accomplished.
"From combat to training, and the whole of government mission, we leave Afghanistan knowing
we punched above our weight and did all we could - especially for the people of Kandahar,"
Vance said in an email from Naples, where he's serving as NATO's deputy commander for allied
joint forces' command in Naples.
"I am extremely proud of our wonderful troops, who stood up to many perils, and prevailed as
only a well-trained professional armed forces can ... Thanks to all Canadians for standing by the
troops. You are the reason we tried so hard, on your behalf, to bring some peace and order to
Afghanistan."
Vance said Canada didn't lose in Afghanistan and it will take some time for the scope and nature
of the win to appear.
Windsor said Canadians need to think about the mission.
"If we decide that the whole thing should never have happened in the first place, then it will be
more difficult for this generation of veterans to reconcile themselves to this sacrifice," Windsor
said.
"If we think of this as a noble effort that didn't work, it may very well enable veterans to make
some sort of peace with the past."
But, Windsor said, he remains hopeful that Canada's mission in Afghanistan did work.
He said there are number of things in the country that are fundamentally different than was the
case when the Taliban was in power.
"The Taliban will never be able to govern the same way as they did in 1999 if, in fact, they come
back and form part of the government in the future," Windsor said.
"The country has been shaped in a positive direction, regardless of who comes to power in the
next five years. The Taliban will not be able to be what they were in 1999. They will have to
respond to a public that's more enabled financially, more empowered with communications and
education, and they are going to demand more than what the Taliban gave to them 15 years ago."
The Canadian government and the Armed Forces have had an impact in regenerating
Afghanistan's capacity to feed itself and to increase Afghan access to the outside world in a
positive way, Windsor said.
"That's going to have a lasting impact," he said.
Back to Top
Section: News
Byline: Murray Brewster
Outlet: The Chronicle-Herald
Headline: Taliban hails 'victory' as Canadian troops leave; Departure represents retreat after
defeat, statement says
Page: A11
Date: Saturday 15 March 2014
This is the fifth in a series of features on the withdrawal of Canadian troops from Afghanistan.
KABUL, Afghanistan - A round of goodbye messages are following the last Canadian troops out
the door in Afghanistan and some of them are rather nasty.
The Taliban's information arm issued a statement Thursday to followers in Kandahar
congratulating its fighters in the rural districts of Panjwaii, Zharey, Dand, Maiwand and Shah
Wali Kot claiming that Canada has been defeated and has now fled the country. "Your sacrifices
have brought us freedom. The beacons of your blood have lit the way to independence. Celebrate
the victory and freedom from the Canadians," said the statement, written in Pashtu, but translated
for The Canadian Press.
It said that the Canadians followed Holland, Denmark, Australian, Poland, and Spain in "retreat
and failure." Those nations have also begun withdrawing their forces from the International
Security Assistance Force mission run by NATO.
The last of Canada's training contingent of 100 soldiers formally ended the country's 12-year
military involvement on Wednesday and the release from insurgents was timed to coincide with
that.
The statement named dead Taliban commanders, many of them killed by Canadians, and
implored them to raise their heads from the grave to listen to the news.
The propaganda, although blatantly obvious and expected, is likely to have an impact in the
isolated rural district villages where Canadian troops helped build schools, roads and provide
security.
Aside from the attempt to stoke the Pashtun warrior mythology of expelling "foreigners," the
message also reinforces the long held belief among illiterate rural residents that outsiders are
only around temporarily and that the Taliban are the only enduring presence.
"That Canada which came to Kandahar with dreams of colonization, these dreams have been
shattered with our powerful explosions and iron-fist attacks. The Canadians who crossed the
Atlantic are now retreating back to hide in their safe-havens," said the statement.
"Today was the last day of this snake in this land and it has officially ended its occupation."
However, a district elder and businessman in Panjwaii, Towfik Rafiqi, says the view of ordinary
people in his area is that the Canadians were" tough and smart fighters," who scared the Taliban
and often forced them to hide.
People do recognize the Canadians came to help, he said.
The rural districts, where most of the fighting took place over Canada's five-year combat
mission, are somewhat quieter since the Americans took over in 2011, Rafiqi said.
But there have still been devastating attacks, including Wednesday's assault on the city's
provincial intelligence headquarters compound by a group of suicide bombers. And, a senior
Afghan government official said a roadside bomb in southern Helmand province on Thursday
killed six civilians.
The fragile state of security, not only in Kandahar, but throughout Afghanistan was violently
underscored on Tuesday with the execution-style murder of a Swedish-British journalist in broad
daylight on a street in Kabul's mostly secure diplomatic quarter.
An extremist Taliban splinter group has claimed responsibility for killing Nils Horner, 51, as he
spoke with his translator near a restaurant that was the scene of a devastating attack that killed
eight 13 foreigners and eight Afghans in January.
The fractured, unpredictable security environment worries human rights groups, which say
Afghan civilians will bear the brunt of the violence as international forces withdraw and the
Afghan army and police take on more responsibility.
Lt.-Col. Eric Boucher, one of the last Canadian trainers to leave, said he's confident in the ability
of the local Afghan police bomb disposal technicians to handle the job.
"I was here in 2007 and there is no comparison," he said.
Back to Top
Section: Editorial/Opinion
Lead: Politicians are always being awarded.
Headline: Taxpayers' watchdog worthy of our kudos POINT OF VIEW
Page: E2
Byline: SUN MEDIA
Outlet: The London Free Press
Date: Saturday 15 March 2014
Politicians are always being awarded.
They're getting buildings named after them, honorary degrees, recognition left, right and centre.
But sometimes the public is left watching from the sides thinking: "That guy? But he's just spent
his entire career throwing our cash down the tubes!"
Which is why we're glad there's a different type of award out there.
An award to point out all the lousy ways tax dollars are being spent.
The Canadian Taxpayers Federation held its 16th annual "Teddy" Waste Awards ceremony
recently "celebrating the best of the worst in government waste."
The federal winner this year was Employment and Social Development Canada. They shelled out
$2.5 million in advertising for something that didn't exist at that time, the Canada Jobs Grant.
They even aired commercials during the 2013 NHL playoffs.
"Maybe by the time the 2014 playoffs roll around, the government will reach a deal with the
provinces and Canada's employers, and bring the Canada Jobs Grant in existence," said CTF
federal director Gregory Thomas.
While that's a big ticket item, the runners-up included some hilarious (and depressing) smaller
examples of waste: The Department of National Defence was called out for "$14,000 for publicopinion polling to determine Canadians' beliefs about the powers of super heroes."
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to the Senate, naturally. They're quite the gang, with
"one former senator finishing off a jail term for fraud, another former senator and a suspended
senator facing criminal charges, two suspended senators under police investigation, and dozens
more dragging their feet on the auditor general's investigation of their spending."
We do think there's one achievement award that should be given in earnest.
The CTF deserves a taxpayer watchdog award for their tireless efforts.
Politicians are looking out for themselves, happy to spin a story of waste into something positive
for them.
If we took their word for it, we'd never know what was happening with our money. Then there
are a lot of special interest groups looking out for their own interests. But the CTF is looking out
for the interests of all taxpayers.
We need more activists like them.
Back to Top
Section: News
Byline: Bob Weber
Outlet: The Chronicle-Herald
Headline: Rescuer's death prompts air force to look at rules
Page: A10
Date: Saturday 15 March 2014
The Royal Canadian Air Force is considering a rewrite of its rules for high-risk search-andrescue missions following the investigation of a dramatic Arctic rescue in which one of its
members died.
"Appropriate regulations would serve to restrict operations when the risk is pre-determined to be
too high," says the final report into the mission.
"They would override excessive self-reliance and would serve to temper the (search-and-rescue)
motto 'that others may live.' The motto was not intended to promote a rescue in the face of
unreasonable risks."
Sgt. Janick Gilbert, 34, drowned in an otherwise successful effort to pluck two Inuit hunters from
the dark, stormy and ice-choked waters of Hecla Strait on Oct. 27, 2011.
The report says freezing water leaked into Gilbert's drysuit after he parachuted down with two
other rescuers.
The report suggests he became weakened by hypothermia and was bounced out of his life raft.
It drifted away from him after a tether attaching him to the boat tore loose and he was unable to
swim after it and climb back in.
The report's strongest conclusions relate to helping rescuers such as Gilbert, who was the team
leader, make better plans for such missions - including how to decide when it's simply too
dangerous to jump.
"During this rescue, (Gilbert) was the expert, although he had neither previously performed a
water-rescue jump of this nature nor did he have a suitable mission-specific checklist to
consider," says the report.
"Both of his colleagues had just five months' experience and the aircraft captain was junior, on
his first flying tour."
"(Gilbert), without suitable experience, suitable regulatory guidance or a suitable checklist could
not recognize his own limitations, the risks to the other (rescuers) and the unforeseen issues
involved in conducting a rescue of this nature."
The rescue began when Gilbert and two others jumped from a C-130 Hercules airplane to save a
pair of walrus hunters in Hecla Strait, 25 kilometres east of Igloolik. The two stranded men - a
father and son - were in a small open boat stuck in pack ice and had activated a personal locator
beacon a day before the rescue aircraft flew over them.
One of the airmen was able to swim to a raft that had been dropped by the aircraft and helped the
stranded hunters until they were all lifted to safety by a helicopter about four hours later.
The second airman swam until he realized he couldn't make it to the rescue raft and deployed his
own personal one-man life raft. He bailed his vessel until he was rescued by the chopper.
Gilbert landed furthest from the raft after parachuting down. He made a partial radio
transmission to the plane but was found dead hours later.
Investigators found a significant amount of water inside his clothing. One of the other rescuers
had noticed Gilbert's zipper hadn't been done up all the way before the jump.
"Sources for water may have been the open zipper observed prior to his jump, or his neck seal, if
it was not sufficiently tensioned prior to the jump," says the report. "The exact status of the
zipper and the neck seal before the jump were unknown."
The report also recommends many improvements to equipment and procedures. It notes the
decision to jump was made without a plan for how the rescuers would return to safety.
Back to Top
Section: News
Lead: The stabbing of a 44-year-old Russian diplomat is not believed to have been politically
motivated, foreign affairs officials said Friday.
Headline: Russian diplomat knifed in Ottawa
Page: 22
Byline: DANIELLE BELL QMI AGENCY
Outlet: The Toronto Sun
Date: Saturday 15 March 2014
The stabbing of a 44-year-old Russian diplomat is not believed to have been politically
motivated, foreign affairs officials said Friday.
A military man was arrested after the melee broke out, shortly after 8 a.m., at a downtown
Ottawa apartment building.
The victim was slashed in the arms and back, in what a source described as defensive wounds,
after a drunken argument.
The two men, who both live in the building, had been drinking when a knife was pulled.
As the victim ran, he left a trail of blood leading to the lobby, where he was when emergency
crews arrived.
He was uncooperative and belligerent with police and paramedics, initially telling responders his
slash wounds were dog bites.
His injuries are not life threatening, but he was taken to hospital.
Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development spokesman John Babcock described the incident as
disturbing, but said there is nothing so far to suggest the violence was prompted by anything
political.
"We are disturbed by these reports and the department has been in touch with the Russian
embassy," said Babcock.
The Canadian Armed Forces said military police were requested by Ottawa police but did not
elaborate.
Yellow police tape could be seen inside the lobby of the highrise, which is in the heart of
Ottawa's embassy district.
The building is not embassy property but is home to people who work at various embassies, say
police.
The Russian embassy is a short distance away. Embassy officials declined comment when a QMI
Agency reporter showed up.
They declined to comment when a Sun reporter showed up.
When asked about the diplomatic status of the victim, Ottawa Police Insp. Murray Knowles said
police do not comment on where victims work.
Friday afternoon police had yet to lay any charges in connection with the stabbing.
Back to Top
Section: National News
Outlet: The Globe And Mail
Byline: KIM MACKRAEL, KATHRYN BLAZE CARLSON, DANIEL LEBLANC
Headline: Russian diplomat involved in Ottawa stabbing
Page: A13
Date: Saturday 15 March 2014
Police are investigating a stabbing that involved a Russian diplomat at an Ottawa apartment
building. In another twist, a member of the Canadian Forces was found by police inside the
building with blood on him, according to a media report.
The strange incident occurred Friday morning at a high-rise building on Stewart Street near the
Russian embassy, police said. A 44-year-old man suffered non-life-threatening injuries, and a
second man was arrested Friday in connection with the incident. As of Friday evening, the
second man was in custody but was not facing charges, police said.
Police would not comment on the individual taken into custody, but the Ottawa Citizen cited
unnamed sources who said a member of the Canadian military was found naked in bed inside the
apartment building after the diplomat fled. The newspaper said its sources indicated there was
blood on the military man and a knife on the floor. Canada's Foreign Affairs Department said it
had no indication that the incident was politically motivated - an apparent reference to the
ongoing confrontation between the West and Moscow over Ukraine's Crimean peninsula.
Speaking to reporters on Friday, Ottawa Police Inspector Murray Knowles would not confirm
whether the victim had a link to the Russian embassy, saying police don't typically comment on
where the victim of a crime works. However, John Babcock, a Foreign Affairs spokesperson,
said further questions ``about the diplomat'' should be directed to the Russian embassy. Officials
at the embassy did not respond to requests for comment on Friday.
A spokesperson for the Canadian Forces military police confirmed that military police were
asked to come to the scene by the Ottawa Police Service on Friday morning, but would not say
whether a member of the military was involved. ``It was quickly determined that the Ottawa
Police Service is the force of jurisdiction in this matter,'' Captain Joanna Labonte wrote in an emailed statement.
Asked why the RCMP and military police were at the scene along with Ottawa police, Inspector
Knowles replied, ``There are lots of people associated [with] various embassies that live in here.''
He said police have co-operation from the victim ``at this point'' and declined to comment on
reports that the stabbing was linked to a fight.
Police said ``a couple of scenes'' in the building had been secured for forensic investigation.
The Ottawa Citizen cited sources who said the victim was drinking with another person when an
argument broke out. The newspaper said the person initially claimed his injuries came from dog
bites and refused treatment.
Two cars with diplomatic plates were parked near the location of the incident in the national
capital Friday morning, and a man who identified himself as a Russian interpreter arrived at the
apartment building but was not immediately let inside. ``We are disturbed by these reports and
the department has been in touch with the Russian embassy,'' Mr. Babcock said. ``We have
confidence in the local authorities to do their work. ... We have nothing to indicate this was a
politically motivated incident in nature.''
Back to Top
Section: News
Byline: Meghan Hurley And Shaamini Yogaretnam
Outlet: Ottawa Citizen
Illustrations:
 Photos By Pat McGrath, Ottawa Citizen / Paramedics were called to a Sandy Hill building on
Friday morning after a 44-year-old Russian diplomat suffered a stab wound to his back and cuts
on his arms. Sources say the man and another were drinking inside an apartment when an
argument broke out.
 Photos By PatMcGrath, Ottawa Citizen /
Headline: Russian envoy stabbed; Blood trail leads police to naked Canadian military man
Page: A1 / Front
Date: Saturday 15 March 2014
Source: Ottawa Citizen
The discovery of a drunk Russian diplomat riddled with stab wounds - and a trail of blood
leading to a naked Canadian Forces employee - triggered fears of a national security breach
Friday morning in the nation's capital.
But after authorities delved into the details of the bizarre case, lawenforcement sources and
Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird were reassuring the public that espionage was apparently
not afoot, even as the Ottawa police continued their investigation Friday night.
Paramedics responded to the Rio Vista Apartments at 400 Stewart St. - the home of many
embassy employees - just before 9 a.m. Friday to find the 44-year-old diplomat stabbed in the
back and slashed on his arms.
Despite the nature of his injuries, the man, who police have not named, told paramedics that he
was nothing more than the victim of an angry dog. He refused treatment, and not politely.
Once Ottawa police arrived, they followed the blood from the lobby into the elevator, then into
an apartment unit. There they found a bloodied and naked member of the Canadian Forces, and a
knife lying close enough for them to start asking the kinds of questions that needed answers.
Immediately.
Sources told the Citizen that the diplomat and another man were drinking inside an apartment
when an argument broke out. The man pulled a knife on the diplomat and started to slash him,
forcing him to flee to the lobby.
The victim, belligerent to both police and paramedics, initially refused to talk to police until his
diplomatic representative arrived. Once local police learned who the two men were, they called
in both the RCMP and military police.
They also brought in a Russian interpreter to assist the investigation. "Obviously we have a
language issue where we require a Russianspeaking person," Ottawa police Insp. Murray
Knowles.
The Canadian Forces confirmed that military police were initially called to the building by
Ottawa police.
"It was quickly determined that the Ottawa Police Service is the force of jurisdiction in this
matter," said Capt. Joanna Labonte in an emailed statement.
A law-enforcement source confirmed that a Department of National Defence employee was
present at the time of the stabbing.
A senior RCMP source echoed that the alert was heightened in the minutes after the stabbing and
that the circumstances prompted concerns about a potential breach of national security.
Further investigation concluded the incident to be, again, a matter for Ottawa police, who
remained posted in the building's lobby and on the 23rd floor Friday evening.
Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird said there was no information to indicate that the stabbing
was politically motivated at this time.
The Russian Embassy has refused to comment.
"Allegations of criminal incidents in the City of Ottawa are under the jurisdiction of the Ottawa
Police Service," Baird said.
And so it was left with Ottawa police central district investigators, who handcuffed and arrested
a man, a Canadian who hasn't been officially identified as the Forces employee in question, then
led him out of the building.
Ottawa police say the man is still in custody and, as of Friday evening, hadn't been charged with
any crimes.
With files from Douglas Quan, Ian MacLe od, Tom Spears and Louis Turc otte
mhurley@ottawacitizen.com Twitter.com/meghan_hurley syogaretnam@ottawacitizen.com
Twitter.com/shaaminiwhy
Back to Top
Section: News
Byline: Sarah Petrescu
Outlet: Times Colonist (Victoria)
Illustrations:
 Marco Garcia, Associated Press / March 6: Protecteur is towed into Pearl Harbor.
Headline: Ship to get 4,300-km tow back to Esquimalt
Page: A1 / Front
Date: Saturday 15 March 2014
Source: Times Colonist
HMCS Protecteur will be towed back to Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt from Pearl Harbor - a
journey of 4,300 kilometres - for any repairs and further assessment, the navy confirmed Friday.
But it's still unknown if the supply ship, heavily damaged by fire, will sail on its own again or be
scrapped. "After an initial damage assessment, it was decided to be not feasible to repair there,"
said Lt. Paul Pendergast of navy public affairs.
The tow will take about three to four weeks. Details about which ship will tow Protecteur, when
that will happen and what route will be taken are still being worked out.
A skeleton crew will likely be aboard during the tow. "We will know more next week,"
Pendergast said, adding the ship will undergo a more thorough assessment in its home port.
Protecteur was returning home after a sevenweek mission in the Pacific when a fire ripped
through the engine room on the night of Feb. 27, about 630 kilometres northeast of Hawaii.
About 20 sailors who fought the fire suffered minor injuries, including dehydration, smoke
inhalation and exhaustion.
There were 279 crew, 17 family members and two contractors on board. Family members are
often invited on board during the final leg of a naval ship's journey home.
Protecteur was dead in the water, without power for two days, and needed the assistance of three
U.S. vessels to be towed back to Pearl Harbor in rough seas. It arrived there on March 6.
Pendergast said a damage assessment team is in Hawaii, as well as a board of inquiry that is
investigating the cause of the fire, which is still unknown. There are also about 200 Protecteur
crew members still alongside the ship. "The majority will remain in Pearl Harbor to assist with
preparing Protecteur for the trip," Pendergast said. The civilians on board and several crew
members with family commitments flew home last week.
Protecteur and its East Coast sister ship, HMCS Preserver, started service in 1969 and are slated
for retirement around 2017. However, the federal government has not planned for replacement
vessels to be ready until 2019-20.
spetrescu@timescolonist.com
Back to Top
Section: Le pays et le monde
Outlet: Le Droit
Headline: Les talibans afghans se félicitent d'avoir «battu» le Canada
Page: 30
Date: Saturday 15 March 2014
Dateline: KABOUL
Source: La Presse Canadienne
Une série de messages d'adieu ont été diffusés pour souligner le départ des soldats canadiens
d'Afghanistan, et certains sont désagréables.
Le service d'information des talibans a publié un communiqué jeudi à l'intention des partisans du
mouvement extrémiste à Kandahar, félicitant les combattants des districts ruraux de Panjwai, Zhari,
Dand, Maiwand et Shah Wali Kot, et affirmant que les Canadiens avaient maintenant fui le pays après
avoir été défaits.
«Vos sacrifices nous ont apporté la liberté. Le flambeau de votre sang a illuminé la voie de
l'indépendance. Célébrez la victoire et l'indépendance face aux Canadiens», affirme le communiqué,
rédigé en pachtoune, et traduit en anglais pour La Presse Canadienne.
Le texte soutient que les Canadiens ont suivi les forces des Pays-Bas, du Danemark, de l'Australie, de la
Pologne et de l'Espagne dans «le repli et l'échec».
Ces pays ont aussi commencé à retirer leurs troupes de la Force internationale d'assistance et de
sécurité dirigée par l'OTAN.
Le dernier contingent canadien chargé de l'entraînement, qui comptait 100 soldats, a officiellement mis fin
à l'engagement du Canada en Afghanistan mercredi, et le communiqué des talibans a été diffusé pour
coïncider avec cet événement.
Le message cite le nom de certains commandants talibans tués dans le conflit, dont plusieurs par des
soldats canadiens, et les appelle à relever la tête de leur tombe pour écouter les nouvelles.
Cette propagande des talibans, qui était attendue, pourrait avoir un impact dans les régions rurales
isolées où les soldats canadiens ont contribué à construire des écoles, à établir des routes et à assurer la
sécurité.
En plus de tenter de raviver la mythologie pachtoune sur l'expulsion des «étrangers», le message
renforce aussi une croyance très répandue chez les Afghans analphabètes des régions rurales, qui
estiment que les étrangers ne sont présents que de façon temporaire et que les talibans sont là pour
rester.
«Ce Canada qui est venu à Kandahar avec des rêves de colonisation, ces rêves ont été brisés par nos
puissantes explosions et nos attaques menées d'une main de fer. Les Canadiens qui ont traversé
l'Atlantique se replient maintenant pour se cacher dans leurs refuges», affirme le document. «Aujourd'hui
était le dernier jour de ce serpent sur cette terre et il a officiellement mis fin à son occupation.»
Un homme d'affaires du district de Panjwai, Towfik Rafiqi, a toutefois estimé que les Afghans ordinaires
de la région considéraient les Canadiens comme des «combattants robustes et intelligents», qui ont fait
peur aux talibans et les ont forcés à se cacher.
La population afghane reconnaît que les Canadiens sont venus pour aider, selon M. Rafiqi.
Back to Top
Section: Nouvelles
Lead: | Les talibans ont salué le départ des soldats canadiens de l'Afghanistan en affirmant que la
descente du drapeau canadien de son mât à Kaboul cette semaine, marquant la fin officielle de la
mission militaire, signifiait «l'échec et la fuite».
Headline: Lestalibanscrientvictoire
Page: 13
Outlet: Le Journal de Québec
Date: Saturday 15 March 2014
| Les talibans ont salué le départ des soldats canadiens de l'Afghanistan en affirmant que la descente du
drapeau canadien de son mât à Kaboul cette semaine, marquant la fin officielle de la mission militaire,
signifiait «l'échec et la fuite».
Dans une déclaration obtenue et traduite du pachtoune par la Canadian Press, les forces talibanes ont
félicité les combattants dans les régions rurales pour la victoire.
«Vos sacrifices nous ont apporté la liberté. Les phares de votre sang ont éclairé le chemin vers
l'indépendance. Savourez la victoire contre les Canadiens et la libération», est-il écrit dans la déclaration,
a rapporté la Canadian Press.
DERNIÈRE JOURNÉE DU «SERPENT»
«Aujourd'hui fut la dernière journée de ce serpent sur cette terre, et il a officiellement terminé son
Back to Top
Section: Fin de mission à Kaboul
Byline: Isabelle Porter
Outlet: Le Devoir
Headline: Pas de regrets chez les militaires
Page: A6
Date: Saturday 15 March 2014
Québec -- Malgré les décès, les nombreux cas de stress post-traumatique et le reste, les militaires qui ont
servi en Afghanistan sont rares à remettre à cause le bien-fondé de la mission.
Le caporal-chef Mario Desfossés ne s'est pas gêné pour critiquer l'armée dans le passé. En janvier, il
avait vivement dénoncé dans Le Devoir les services qu'il avait reçus à Valcartier pour traiter son stress
post-traumatique. Mais quand on lui demande si ça a valu la peine d'aller en Afghanistan, il est
catégorique.
" J'ai senti qu'on aidait beaucoup les gens. Je suis devenu proche de [certains] Afghans quand j'étais làbas et ils me l'ont dit eux-mêmes [qu'on aidait]. "
Là-bas, les citoyens avaient peur de ce qu'il adviendrait d'eux une fois les militaires partis. " Ça me fait de
quoi. Souvent, je pense aux amis afghans que je m'étais faits là-bas. [...] Je suis pas mal convaincu qu'il y
a en a beaucoup qui ont été tués. "
Mario Desfossés n'est pas le seul à tenir ce discours. Les nombreux militaires avec lesquels Le Devoir
s'est entretenu ces dernières semaines jugent tous que cette mission a été essentielle. Le caporal Patrick
Kègle croit avoir donné aux Afghans un " avant-goût de la démocratie ". Sur le terrain, il était garde du
corps d'un général, une expérience qu'il a décrite dans un livre de correspondance avec l'écrivaine
Roxane Bouchard.
Malgré le stress post-traumatique, il est particulièrement fier d'avoir permis à de jeunes filles d'aller à
l'école. " Les gens ont tendance à penser qu'on s'imposait, mais il y avait tellement de terreur vis-à-vis
des talibans que la sécurité qu'on a apportée, je pense que les gens l'approuvaient. "
Le caporal, qui est un passionné d'histoire, déplore qu'on prenne les soldats pour des inconscients. " Le
monde pense qu'on ne connaît rien [sur la situation qui prévaut] là-bas. [...] Ce n'est pas ça du tout. Les
soldats connaissent vraiment l'histoire de l'Afghanistan. Il y en a qui sont capables de remonter jusqu'au
Moyen-Åge. "
Quand même, tous ne tiennent pas nécessairement à avoir une vision d'ensemble des choses.
Paramédical de vol, le caporal-chef Éric Mantha est fier de ce qu'il a accompli à son échelle. " A mon
niveau à moi, je trouve que j'ai fait une différence autant pour mes pairs que pour les gens en
Afghanistan. Je ne peux pas parler au niveau de la mission. On est trop limités pour l'information et c'est
correct de même. Je ne veux pas trop en savoir non plus. "
La guerre, cet "ogre"
Le commandant de l'hôpital multinational de Kandahar, Marc Dauphin, croit qu'il faudra " 10 ou 15 ans "
et plus de " recul " pour dresser un bilan. Il est satisfait du travail accompli à l'hôpital, où 97 % des
blessés ont survécu.
C'est lui qui a inspiré le personnage central de la télésérie canadienne Médecins de combat et il a aussi
raconté son expérience dans un livre. Il ne cache pas qu'au départ, la mission l'avait rendu cynique, au
point de devoir réviser le ton de son livre. " A cause de la douleur, de voir tout ce gaspillage de vies, dit-il.
Nos grands politiciens déclarent des guerres ou des missions militaires, mais une fois que tu as ouvert
les hostilités, ce n'est plus toi qui contrôles. La guerre prend une personnalité [en] elle-même. C'est
comme un ogre, un diable. "
Le brigadier général à la retraite Christian Barabé est de ceux qui s'occupent des soldats meurtris auprès
de l'organisme Wounded Warriors et du général à la retraite Roméo Dallaire. L'Afghanistan, selon lui, a
causé des traumatismes particuliers. " Une journée on sort, on tend la main aux villageois et le
lendemain, on se fait donner une claque et on est obligés de réagir presque dans le même milieu. " Il dit
que c'est " cette ambiguïté-là ", " répétitive " qui est " difficile à traiter ".
Pour les familles aussi, le traumatisme a été grand. " Le niveau de stress a été sans précédent ",
remarque la directrice du Centre de la famille de Valcartier, Marie-Claude Michaud. " Moi, en 20 ans de
carrière, je n'avais jamais vu ça. " Pourquoi ? Parce qu'on savait qu'il y aurait des décès, parce que ce
n'était pas une mission de paix et aussi à cause de l'attention médiatique. " Il y a eu beaucoup de
séparations de couples ", note-t-elle.
Sur les milliers de personnes qui sont passées par le centre, environ 17 % ont subi du stress opérationnel
ou du stress post-traumatique. " Pour beaucoup de familles, ce n'est pas fini, dit-elle. Ce n'est pas parce
que la mission est terminée qu'il n'y a plus de besoins. "
Back to Top
Section: Fin de mission à Kaboul
Byline: Hélène Buzzetti
Outlet: Le Devoir
Headline: Une contribution importante
Page: A6
Date: Saturday 15 March 2014
Ottawa -- Le gouvernement de Stephen Harper a fait de la mission canadienne en Afghanistan un tel
élément phare de sa politique étrangère qu'on en est venu à presque oublier que c'est le gouvernement
libéral de Jean Chrétien qui a le premier, dans la foulée des attentats terroristes du 11-Septembre,
autorisé en 2001 l'envoi de troupes dans ce pays. Ou encore que c'est celui de Paul Martin qui a dirigé
les troupes vers la dangereuse région de Kandahar.
En janvier 2002, le Canada rétablit ses relations diplomatiques avec l'Afghanistan et, le mois suivant,
environ 1000 soldats du régiment d'infanterie Princess Patricia sont déployés. Dès avril de cette annéelà, les quatre premiers soldats canadiens à mourir en territoire afghan tombent sous les tirs amis des
troupes américaines. Au total, 158 soldats canadiens y sont morts, de même que quatre civils, un
diplomate et une journaliste. Ce sombre bilan place le Canada en troisième position parmi les pays ayant
perdu le plus de soldats en Afghanistan, bien que loin derrière la Grande-Bretagne (447) et les États-Unis
(2287).
Du côté des civils afghans, les chiffres sont d'un tout autre ordre de grandeur. Le rapport annuel de l'ONU
sur les morts civiles indique que 2959 civils sont morts en 2013, une augmentation de 7 % par rapport à
l'année précédente. Les éléments anti-gouvernement sont encore responsables de la très grande
majorité des décès (74 %). Depuis que l'ONU les comptabilise, soit 2007, les morts civiles s'élèvent donc
à 17 500 en Afghanistan. Diverses évaluations indépendantes chiffrent celles survenues d'octobre 2001 à
la fin de 2006 à environ 7000, pour un total supputé d'environ 25 000 morts civiles directes.
Au plus fort de son engagement, le Canada enverra 2950 soldats en Afghanistan. Ce n'était pas la
première fois que le Canada déployait autant de personnel dans un même théâtre d'opération. Entre
1992 et 1995, dans les Balkans, le Canada a déjà eu jusqu'à 2500 soldats, rappelle Jocelyn Coulon,
directeur du Réseau de recherche sur les opérations de paix. Au Kosovo, il en comptait environ 2000. "
La différence, c'est que ce sont cette fois des troupes de combat, rappelle M. Coulon. Quand on part en
mission de Casques bleus, on n'a pas de chars d'assaut, on n'a pas de casques de combat, on n'a pas
d'armes lourdes. En 2005, là, c'est la guerre. "
Cette implication guerrière canadienne a un corollaire. " A partir de 2004-2005, quand on passe de 1000
à 2000 soldats en Afghanistan, le Canada n'a pas plus de 300 Casques bleus dans le reste du monde. Le
Canada a réduit sa contribution de Casques bleus de l'ONU. "
Cette semaine, quand les derniers éléments canadiens reviendront d'Afghanistan, il sera encore difficile
de dire combien aura coûté l'aventure. Le directeur parlementaire du budget, Kevin Page, avait prédit en
2008 que la mission coûterait 18,1 milliards de dollars. Mais il avait aussi dit qu'il faudrait des années
avant d'arriver à un bilan définitif.
Back to Top
Section: Nouvelles
Lead: Bien que des études réalisées par le passé aient montré la présence de trichloréthylène (TCE)
dans l'air intérieur de certaines résidences de Shannon, la Santé publique de Québec ne juge pas
nécessaire de faire de nouvelles analyses.
Headline: Pasdenouvellesanalyses
Page: 22
Byline: JOHANNE ROY, LE JOURNAL DE QUÉBEC
Outlet: Le Journal de Québec
Date: Saturday 15 March 2014
Bien que des études réalisées par le passé aient montré la présence de trichloréthylène (TCE) dans l'air
intérieur de certaines résidences de Shannon, la Santé publique de Québec ne juge pas nécessaire de
faire de nouvelles analyses.
«Il n'y a pas matière à re-prendre les échantillonnages de l'air intérieur puisque les données disponibles
nous montrent des concentrations faibles de TCE. Si nous avions le moindre doute quant aux impacts sur
la santé de la population de Shannon, nous prendrions les moyens qui s'imposent, comme nous l'avons
fait pour l'eau contaminée», a assuré le directeur régional de santé publique, le Dr François Desbiens, sur
la base «du faible niveau de risque à la santé».
Par ailleurs, la Direction de santé publique poursuit l'étude d'agrégats afin de déterminer s'il y a
réellement un excès de certains cancers à Shannon par rapport à la population en général.
Outre le cancer du cerveau, les experts de la santé publique s'intéressent à d'autres types de cancer,
dont celui du foie, du col de l'utérus et du rein, ainsi que les myélomes multiples et la leucémie lymphoïde
aiguë.
Back to Top
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