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Canadian Chief of Defence Staff orders plans for Afghan Pullout

by albertacowpoke | November 6, 2009 at 03:39 am

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The Canadian Military has been in Afghanistan since early 2002. Initially a Battalion (Third Battalion Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry) was deployed to Khandahar and participated in the pursuit of Osama Bin Laden under command of a US Division (10 Mountain Div). The Commanding Officer of 3 PPCLI is now the Ombudsman for Veterans in Canada.

Canada's present mission and mandate commenced in 2004 under then Liberal Prime Minister Paul Martin. The mission is based on a Battle Group based on an Infantry Battlion and supporting arms. Canada's total commitment is 2800 troops.

In 2008 the Canadian Parliament voted to extend the mission until 2011. The motion included a measure that requires all Canadian troops to be out of Afghanistan by the end of 2011.

The Chief of Defence Staff, Walt Natyncyk, has now issued orders to start the planning of withdrawing troops from Afghanistan.

Maj. Cindy Tessier, a spokeswoman for Natynczyk, suggested the plans were a measure of prudence.

"The parliamentary motion was clear, and prudent military planning has begun," she said. "That commences with orders."

General Natyncyk's orders give way to planning for withdrawal after months of speculation about Canada's involvement in Afghanistan after 2011.

The Prime Minister has made it clear that Canada's combat mission would end in 2011, although some troops may remain behind in a non-combat role. Peter MacKay, Minister of Defence, has suggested that some troops may be left in Afghanistan. He said that Canada was waiting to see whether or not President Obama would commit more troops to Afghanistan, before deciding what the Canadian Mission would look like.

Former Chief of Defence Staff, retired General Rick Hillier, said it was folly to think that Canadians could remain in Afghanistan without being committed to combat.

The head of the Canadian Armed Forces has issued orders to prepare to withdraw from Afghanistan in 2011 in the absence of a clear direction from government on the mission's future shape.

CBC News has learned that Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Walt Natynczyk has ordered his commanders to start preparing military plans to pull out of Afghanistan and return thousands of soldiers and billions of dollars' worth of equipment to Canada.

Maj. Cindy Tessier, a spokeswoman for Natynczyk, suggested the plans were a measure of prudence.

"The parliamentary motion was clear, and prudent military planning has begun," she told CBC News. "That commences with orders."

In March 2008, Parliament voted to extend the mission until July 2011. The parliamentary motion said all troops must be out of Afghanistan by the end of that year.

There are 2,800 Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan, based primarily in Kandahar province.

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Mritunjay

at 09:05 on November 6th, 2009

So the NATO does not foresee full Afghan control even till end of 2011?

albertacowpoke

at 14:58 on November 6th, 2009

It would be hard to see full control unless the Afghan Army and Police were trained to provide security. The other aspect is that Karzai needs to find a way to have the people trust him and reach out to governors of Provinces. Without that his Government will continue to be lame as it has been up to now.