Posted In: Timelines   |  Post tags: 2001, 9/11, Hamid Karzai, Jean Chretien, NATO, Northern Alliance, Operation Apollo, Osama bin Laden, United States

The Post takes a comprehensive year-by-year look at Canada’s presence in Afghanistan since 2001.

Sept. 11 Two jetliners crash into the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, and a third plane flies into the Pentagon in Virginia. Canada responds to the attacks that killed more than 3,000 people, by launching “Operation Support,” an initiative that reroutes civilian aircraft to Canadian airports, makes Canadian intelligence available to the U.S., and makes military and humanitarian preparations in case of another attack.

The next day, the NATO North Atlantic Council determines that the events of 9/11 constitute an armed attack against all parties of the North Atlantic Treaty, and decides that the United States and its allies have the right to respond with the use of armed force.

Sept. 20 U.S. President George W. Bush, announces the “War on Terror”, reiterating that Osama bin Laden is the suspected mastermind behind the attacks. Canadian Minister of National Defence, Art Eggleton, says that the more than 100 Canadian Forces members serving in exchange postings abroad have been authorized to participate in operations in response to the attacks.

National Post in Afghanistan: In Peshawar, Pakistan, the Post’s Patrick Graham talks to a former ally of bin Laden’s about the terrorist leader’s countless caves.

Sept. 28 National Post in Afghanistan: Shortly before crossing into Afghanistan, National Post foreign correspondent Patrick Graham filed this report from Mach Mountain, Pakistan, a route long favoured by arms smugglers. On his journey he meets “the Prince,” a high-altitude weapons impresario who laughs at death.

Oct. 2 President Bush launches “Operation Enduring Freedom,” a UN-sanctioned coalition against the Taliban and al-Qaeda in Afghanistan. Three days later, he asks Canada to join the multinational military coalition when he meets with Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chrétien.

Oct. 7 The U.S. and Britain launch an air assault on Afghanistan which the Taliban refers to as an “attack on Islam.”

Meanwhile, Mr. Chrétien announces “Operation Apollo,” officially pledging air, sea and land support for the international campaign against terror. “I have made clear in the days since Sept. 11 that the struggle to defeat the forces of terrorism will be a long one. We must remain strong and vigilant,” Mr. Chrétien said. “I cannot promise that the campaign against terrorism will be painless, but I can promise that it will be won.”

The next day, Defence Minister Art Eggleton commits 2,000 members of the Canadian Forces to “Operation Apollo,” which is set to conclude in two years. Certain elements of Joint Task Force Two – the Special Operations Forces unit tasked with a broad range of missions including counter-terrorism operations – deploy for an initial six months, but this is not revealed at the time.

National Post editorial board: Once again, Canadian soldiers, sailors and pilots will be marching as to war, as Pierre Berton, the popular Canadian historian, puts it in the title of his most recent book.

Oct. 22 National Post in Afghanistan: Caught between the Taliban and mountains, displaced Afghans have nowhere to go. Patrick Graham reports from Aabpar.

Nov. 12 The Taliban government in Kabul falls to the Northern Alliance.

Nov. 15 Mr. Eggleton announces that Canadian ground troops will be in Afghanistan for a maximum of six months.

“If we had to rotate [troops] for years, then that would become a problem. But we are not planning on that being a requirement,” Mr. Eggleton said. “It is not an offensive mission, not a front-line mission. This is a stabilization mission to assist in opening corridors for humanitarian assistance.”

Nov. 23 National Post editorial board: Prime Minister Jean Chretien’s admission that Canadian ground troops will not be sent to Afghanistan if their deployment entails fighting casts serious doubt — to put it at its mildest — about his government’s commitment to waging liberal democracy’s war against terrorism.

Nov. 27 – Dec. 5 At the Bonn Conference, Germany, participants in the UN talks on Afghanistan establish the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) to “assist the Afghan government in the establishment of a secure and stable government.” As well, Afghan opposition leaders set up the Afghan Transitional Authority and choose Hamid Karzai as the interim leader.

Dec. 9 Osama bin Laden evades capture after a standoff with coalition forces in the Afghan mountains and a series of aerial attacks executed by the U.S. in the Tora Bora region of Afghanistan.

Dec. 22 National Post editorial board: If Canada is not asked to provide anything in Afghanistan, it is likely because Ottawa has warned the UN or the British not to ask.

This entry was posted on  Monday, January 1st, 2001, Posted In: Timelines  |  Post tags: 2001, 9/11, Hamid Karzai, Jean Chretien, NATO, Northern Alliance, Operation Apollo, Osama bin Laden, United States

Prime Minister Jean Chretien has ordered the military on full alert and offered the United States “certain commitments” following the U.S.-led strikes against Afghanistan Sunday. The following is a transcript of his televised speech to Canadians:

On Sept. 11, 2001, Canada and the world looked on in shock and disbelief as the deadliest terrorist attack in history was carried out against thousands of defenceless victims in New York and Washington.

This was an act of premeditated murder on a massive scale with no possible justification or explanation — an attack not just on our closest friend and partner, the United States, but against the values and the way of life of all free and civilized people around the world.

From the moment of the attack, I have been in close communication with President George Bush who has been a symbol to the world of calm, courage, resolve and wisdom. I told him that Canada stands shoulder to shoulder with him and the American people. We are part of an unprecedented coalition of nations that has come together to fight the threat of terrorism. A coalition that will act on a broad front that includes military humanitarian, diplomatic, financial, legislative and domestic security initiatives.

I have made it clear from the very beginning that Canada would be part of this coalition every step of the way.

On Friday evening, the United States asked Canada to make certain contributions as part of an international military coalition against international terrorism.

I immediately instructed our minister of national defence to agree. Yesterday, I met with the chief of the national defence staff to confirm the type of role that Canada was being asked to play. And shortly before noon today, I confirmed to President Bush in a telephone conversation that we would provide the military support requested.

Just after noon, I instructed the chief of defence staff to issue a warning order to a number of units of our Armed Forces to ensure their readiness.

All Canadians understand what is being asked of the men and women of our Armed Forces and their families. As always, they are ready to serve. As always, they will do Canada proud. I have spoken as well to the leaders of opposition parties. They pledged their co-operation and I thank them for it.

While I obviously will not be able to provide the Canadian people with operational information that could endanger lives, I intend to offer regular updates on our objectives and efforts. I will meet with my cabinet this week and a take-note debate will be held in Parliament on Monday of next week.

We will also be introducing a series of programs and legislative steps to deal with the threat of terrorism.

I would like to thank all the Canadians who have worked around the clock to come to the aid of our American friends in their time of need. I have made clear in the days since Sept. 11 that the struggle to defeat the forces of terrorism will be a long one. We must remain strong and vigilant. We must insist on living on our terms, according to our values not on terms dictated from the shadows.

I cannot promise that the campaign against terrorism will be painless, but I can promise that it will be won.

Thank you.

Defence Minister Art Eggleton said Monday that Canada is sending warships, planes, and special forces troops to join in the U.S.-led anti-terrorism campaign in Afghanistan. The mission is dubbed Operation Apollo.

“Canadian Forces will become an integral part of the overall campaign,” Eggleton told a news conference.

“This campaign will be unlike any campaign we’ve engaged in before,” he said. “Every role in this campaign is significant. Every country determined to halt terror can make an important difference.”

Eggleton said the operation will involve six naval ships, six air force planes, special forces soldiers, and more than 2,000 Canadian troops.

The deployment is currently set to last six months, but that period could be extended if the anti-terror campaign lasts longer, Chief of National Defence Staff General Ray Henault said.

In the next few days, Canadian forces will begin to be deployed, a process that will continue over the coming weeks, Eggleton said.

Canada’s special forces anti-terrorist squad, Joint Task Force 2, has been requested and will be deployed.

Canada will send two frigates, a destroyer and a supply ship along with Sea King helicopters .

Additionally, Eggleton said, six air force planes — three C-130 Hercules transport planes, one airbus and two Aurora maritime patrol planes — are to be sent to the Middle East to support the campaign with surveillance and airlift support.

“Support will also include providing humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people who have suffered for too long from oppression and want,” Eggleton said.

CFB Trenton is to supply the air component of Canada’s contribution.

Eggleton stressed that the coalition forming to fight terrorism will do battle on numerous fronts and that the government would keep Canadians informed.

“The coalition of nations that has come together to fight the threat of terrorism will act on a broad front. It includes not only military but humanitarian, financial, legislative, diplomatic, and domestic security initiative,” he said.

“We will be providing the Canadian people with regular updates as to our participation and objectives,” Eggleton said.

Eggleton also said that Canada had already responded to U.S. requests for military assistance, providing additional CF-18 fighter jets for increased NORAD vigilance and hundreds of personnel for intelligence gathering and surveillance.

On Sunday, Prime Minister Jean Chretien ordered the military on full alert and offered the United States “certain commitments” following the U.S.-led strikes against Afghanistan.

An unspecified number of military bases across Canada were put on high alert and troops were ordered to be ready to deploy.

Canada has already dispatched the HMCS Halifax to the Persian Gulf, a 4,750-tonne frigate with a crew of 220, where it will likely join a U.S. carrier group.

The HMCS Vancouver will also be deployed and integrated into a U.S. carrier battle group.

Chretien spoke with U.S President George Bush shortly before noon Sunday and pledged Canada’s military support as the U.S. and British forces launched an initial wave of air strikes against Taliban-held territory in Afghanistan.

He said Bush requested on Friday that Canada take part in a “multi-national military coalition” against terrorism.

“Shortly before noon today, I confirmed to President Bush in a telephone conversation that we will provide the military support requested,” Chretien said in a televised speech.

“All Canadians understand what is being asked of the men and women of our armed forces and their families,” Chretien said. “As always, they are ready to serve. As always, they will do Canada proud.”

About 40 members of Canada’s elite anti-terrorist group, Joint Task Force 2, are on the ground near Kandahar, Defence Minister Art Eggleton said Wednesday.

In an interview with CTV Newsnet, Eggleton said the troops are assisting U.S., British and Australian special forces as well as local Afghan fighters around Kandahar.

The ultra-secretive unit was deployed in early December, but their exact location had never been disclosed until now. Eggleton would not give any details of the unit’s operations, including whether they have seen any action.

“Reconnaissance is part of what they do, but I can’t go into the whole menu of possibilities because they are assault troops or commandos, they do operate in a covert fashion,” Eggleton said by phone from Brussels, where he was attending NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) meetings.

Kandahar was one of the last Taliban-held cities to fall to opposition fighters. The Kandahar airport is currently under the control of 1,500 U.S. Marines, which have prepared the airfield for military use and set up a camp for 300 Afghan prisoners of war.

JTF-2 is an elite unit based in Dwyer Hill, Ont. near Ottawa. It was created in the early 1990s after the Royal Canadian Mounted Police handed its counterterrorism duties off to the military.

The unit shuns publicity and little is known about the members of JTF-2 except that they’re required to be in top condition and subjected to a series of physical and mental tests.

Originally, the unit specialized in domestic hostage-rescue missions, but in recent years its role has expanded to include special operations and unconventional warfare.

Britain to lead peacekeeping efforts

The assault troops are separate from the peacekeeping forces that Canada has promised to send into Afghanistan soon.

Britain has pledged to lead the international peacekeeping force, while the new interim government takes power. Australia, New Zealand, France, Spain and Canada have all offered troops for the contingent.

Prime Minister Jean Chretien has said that fewer than 1,000 Canadian peacekeepers will be sent in.

British defence officials said Wednesday the lead elements of British troops, comprising 100-200 soldiers, would be in Kabul by Saturday, when the new interim Afghan government takes power. However, the full international force will not be fully in place for at least a month.

Afghanistan’s interim Prime Minister Hamid Karzai and other members of his post-Taliban government agreed to a multinational peacekeepers force of between 3,000 to 5,000 at UN-sponsored talks in Bonn, Germany earlier this month.

The UN Security Council has yet to formally ratify a resolution permitting an Afghan peacekeeping force but is expected to adopt the resolution by Dec. 22.

Britain told the UN on Wednesday it would only lead a multinational force in Afghanistan for a few months and in the case of a conflict with the U.S. military, the Americans would be in charge.

Posted In: Timelines   |  Post tags: 2002, Omar Khadr, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry

The Post takes a comprehensive year-by-year look at Canada’s presence in Afghanistan since 2001. Up next: 2002. Jan. 17 Art Eggleton, Minister of National Defence, tells the House of Commons that Canadian troops will hand over any enemy fighters they capture to the Americans. “We do not have detention facilities and our intent would be to turn them over,” Mr. Eggleton said. “I have no reason to believe that they have not been treated fairly, but it is up to the International Red Cross to determine that.”

Jan. 25 Canada formalizes its support for the Afghan interim government by resuming diplomatic ties with Afghanistan for the first time since they were severed following the Soviet Union invasion in 1979.

Jan. 30 Mr. Eggleton admits that he was informed on Jan. 21 that the secret Joint Task Force 2 unit had captured at least three enemy fighters in Afghanistan and turned them over to the U.S. military as part of a classified mission carried out that day. He told Prime Minister Jean Chrétien and the Cabinet about the mission Jan. 29.

Feb. 2 One hundred and forty Canadian Forces soldiers arrive in Kandahar to carry out a six-month mission assigned by the National Defence Headquarters. The mission is comprised of four tasks – airfield security, sensitive site exploitation, humanitarian aid, and combat operations that contribute to “Operation Enduring Freedom.”

March 2 Canada contributes to the U.S.-led two-week assault on al-Qaeda positions in the mountains along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. The U.S. forces commend Canadian snipers for their contribution to “Operation Anaconda.” “They knew when to shoot and when not to shoot,” said U.S. Army Sergeant-Major Mark Neilsen of the 101st Airborne Division, in May. “God Almighty, those guys showed our guys. What a team!” The United States declares the operation an “unqualified and absolute success,” but in Canada, a controversy follows concerning conflicting body count reports.

March 28 The United Nations Assistance Mission to Afghanistan (UNAMA) is established to “assist the (government) and the people of Afghanistan in laying the foundations for sustainable peace and development.”

April 18 The United States Air Force mistakenly bombs a Canadian Forces night training exercise, killing four soldiers and wounding eight. They are the first Canadian casualties.

National Post in Afghanistan: The soldiers of A Company, 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, had less than a second’s warning before a 500-pound bomb from a U.S. fighter burst among them, leaving four dead and eight wounded.

April 23 National Post in Afghanistan: The United States wants to give two teams of Canadian snipers the Bronze Star, a decoration for bravery, for their work in rooting out Taliban and al-Qaeda holdouts in eastern Afghanistan, but Canadian defence officials put the medals on hold, the National Post has learned.

May 4 Four hundred Canadians participate in “Operation Torii” aimed at finding Taliban and al-Qaeda in the cave complexes in the Tora Bora region. During the three day assault, soldiers destroy the complexes to prevent future use. The mission is considered a success, in large part due to Canadian efforts.

May 7 The Post’s Matthew Fisher in Kandahar: The tragedy that befell a dozen soldiers of the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry in the Afghan desert in the wee hours of April 18 was a stark confirmation that battling terrorism is a complicated, perilous, unpredictable business.

May 21 Canada announces that all 750 ground troops will be withdrawn by August, but air, sea and Special Operations Forces will remain.

May 23 National Post editorial board: Tuesday’s decision by the Liberal government to withdraw most of Canada’s troops from Afghanistan by August is a national disgrace. It betrays our allies during a time of war — especially the Americans, who asked us to keep troops in-country six months longer.

June 11 Zahir Shah, former King of Afghanistan, returns from exile to assemble an Afghan tribal council (Loya Jirga) that two days later, establishes the “Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan,” electing Hamid Karzai as President and head of the Afghan Transitional Authority.

Paul J. Richards/AFP

July U.S. forces capture a 15-year-old Canadian, Omar Khadr, near Khost, Afghanistan and accuse him of killing a U.S. medic with a grenade. Canadian Foreign Affairs officials are notified of the arrest Aug. 20. He arrives at the Guantanamo Bay prison complex in Cuba in October.

July 1 Operating under “Operation Cherokee Sky,” a Canadian-run effort, about 850 Canadian soldiers sweep Zabul province, a region along the Pakistani border.

July 13-17 Four suspected al-Qaeda members are apprehended by HMCS Algonquin, with the help of Canadian Forces marine patrol aircraft and a French warship.

July 28-30 The Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry Battle Group return to Edmonton.

November “Operation Enduring Freedom” establishes Provincial Reconstruction Teams, tasked with working to support reconstruction efforts and empowering local governments.

Fallen soldiers: Private Nathan Smith, 26; Private Richard Green, 21; Corporal Ainsworth Dyer, 24; Sergeant Marc D. Leger, 29; all of the Third Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry died April 18, 2002 in a “friendly fire” incident.

This entry was posted on  Tuesday, January 1st, 2002, Posted In: Timelines  |  Post tags: 2002, Omar Khadr, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry

Posted In: Timelines   |  Post tags: 2003, Omar Khadr, Operation Apollo, Saddam Hussein

The Post takes a comprehensive year-by-year look at Canada’s presence in Afghanistan since 2001. Feb. 12 At a NATO meeting in Brussels, Defence Minister John McCallum announces a Canadian contribution of 1,900 troops to the UN-mandated security force mission in Kabul, for a period of one year, beginning July 2003. The Canadian Forces agenda is described as a “3-D approach,” providing defence, development and diplomacy in Afghanistan. Canadian generals and military observers say the decision to send so many troops to Afghanistan means Canada will be unable to contribute a meaningful ground force to a war in Iraq, but Mr. Callum says nothing has been ruled out.

March 14 A platoon of the first battalion of The Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry deploys to the Arabian Gulf to provide local security for Canadian Forces operating under “Operation Apollo.”

March 20 U.S. President George W. Bush launches “Operation Iraqi Freedom,” with an early morning air strike on Baghdad, less than two hours after the 48-hour deadline for Saddam Hussein to leave the country passes. The invasion of Iraq is ordered on the grounds that Mr. Hussein was working with al-Qaeda and developing weapons of mass destruction.

May 14 Following the termination of “Operation Apollo,” the Chief of the Defence Staff of the Canadian Forces announces a Battle Group comprised of 2,000 personnel who will maintain Canada’s presence in Afghanistan under a NATO-led security force. A Theatre Activation Team leaves for Kabul to begin setting up camp for “Operation Athena,”

July 3 Diplomat Christopher Alexander is appointed ambassador to Afghanistan.

July 5 Foreign Minister Bill Graham opens a Canadian Embassy in Kabul.

July 17 “Operation Athena,” Canada’s contribution to the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), begins and Canadian Brigadier-General Peter Devlin becomes commander of ISAF’s Kabul Multi-National Brigade.

Aug. 16 National Post in Afghanistan: In the unpredictable Paghman district, children swarmed to the sides of the roads as the Canadians rumbled past, waving cheerily, shouting a jumbled “Howareyou?” — the only English they know — or giving the troops a thumbs-up.

Aug. 22 National Post in Afghanistan: National Post reporter Chris Wattie, embedded with Canadian soldiers in Kabul, joins the troops on a patrol of the city for the international security force.

Aug. 11 NATO assumes leadership of ISAF and its mandate is extended to cover all of Afghanistan. Canadian Forces’ Major-General Andrew Leslie appointed Commander for Task Force Kabul and Deputy Commander of ISAF.

Sept. 9 National Post in Afghanistan: Sitting in their unlit house, behind six-metre-high mud brick walls in the heart of a village so hostile to outsiders even heavily armed international troops rarely venture down its narrow roads and lanes, the al-Qaeda militants must have felt safe.

Sept. 11 A Canadian civilian support worker is injured in a rocket attack on Camp Warehouse and Kabul International Airport.

Oct. 2 Ahmed Said Khadr, Omar Khadr’s father and an Egyptian-Canadian member of al-Qaeda, is killed in South Waziristan. His other son, Kareem Khadr, is injured and subsequently returns to Canada. Two Canadian Forces personnel are killed and three injured when their vehicle hits a roadside bomb outside Kabul.

Oct. 4 National Post editorial board: This deployment remains an important part of the battle to rid the world of the terrorists who seek to destroy freedom and undermine the Western way of life. Without Canadian soldiers in Kabul, the 22-year-long Afghan civil war, on hold (mostly) since 2001, would be more likely to resume.

Oct. 18 Prime minister Jean Chrétien becomes the first ever Canadian prime minister to visit Kabul. He meets with Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Lakhdar Brahmi, the UN Secretary-General’s special representative.

Dec. 12 The Canadian Explosive Ordnance Disposal Team uncovers the largest weapons cache found to date in the Chahar Asiab area of Kabul.

Fallen soldiers: Sergeant Robert Alan Short, 41 and Corporal Robbie Beerenfenger, 29, both of the 3rd Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment, died in a landmine explosion Oct. 2, 2003.

This entry was posted on  Wednesday, January 1st, 2003, Posted In: Timelines  |  Post tags: 2003, Omar Khadr, Operation Apollo, Saddam Hussein

2004 – Borrowed from the National Post

http://afghanistan.nationalpost.com/canada-in-afghanistan-2004/

Posted In: Timelines   |  Post tags: 2005

The Post takes a comprehensive year-by-year look at Canada’s presence in Afghanistan since 2001. Jan. 14 Lieutenant-General Rick Hillier, who commanded NATO forces – almost 7,000 troops from 36 countries – in Afghanistan in 2004, is appointed Canada’s Chief of the Defense Staff.

Feb. 13 Defence Minister Bill Graham announces a doubling of Canadian Forces personnel in Afghanistan by the summer.

March 21 General Hillier announces that a battle group will be deployed to Kandahar, a more volatile region than Kabul, and the Canadian Forces will shift their focus to that province.

May 18 National Post editorial board: In the wake of its much-derided proposal to send a handful of unarmed Canadian “military advisors” to Darfur, the Liberal government has unveiled a far more constructive plan to expand the country’s role in Afghanistan.

June 10 National Post editorial board: On April 17, 2002, the lives of four Canadian soldiers were lost when F-16 pilot Major Harry Schmidt dropped a 500-pound bomb on their training exercise in Afghanistan. This week, insult was added to injury when that same pilot went on American national television to repeat his absurd and insulting assertion that he was acting in self-defence.

July The Canadian Forces’ primary contribution to “Operation Enduring Freedom” becomes “Operation Archer.” Mentors and trainers organize, train, equip, employ and support the Afghan National Army and the Afghan National Police.

July 7 Al-Qaeda bombs London, killing 52 people. The terrorist attack is timed to coincide with the G8 summit in Scotland.

July 14 General Hillier announces that Joint Task Force 2 commandos will deploy to Afghanistan to fight al-Qaeda and Taliban elements, described by Gen. Hillier as “detestable murderers and scumbags.”

August The International Security Assistance Force extends their operations beyond Kabul. The Canadian Forces assume control of the Kandahar Provincial Reconstruction Team (KPRT), from the U.S. Their duties include protecting the KPRT commander and staff, and quick-impact reconstruction and development projects managed by military engineers. The first Canadian Operational Mentor and Liason Team is deployed to Kandahar Province to work with the Afghan National Army.

September Under “Operation Argus,” the Strategic Advisory Team — Afghanistan (SAT-A) — is implemented with a mandate to offer assistance to senior bureaucrats in Afghan government ministries. The operation is staffed by an officer from the Canadian International Development Agency and 14 members of the Canadian Forces.

Sept. 18 Lower House (Wolesi Jirga) and Provincial Council elections that involve the Joint Electoral Management Body in Kabul are held with the help of the UN and security from the International Election Support Force. The election is considered a peaceful success, due in large part to foreign troops, including Canadian soldiers.

October David Sproule replaces Chris Alexander as Canadian Ambassador to Afghanistan.

Oct. 1 The Taliban begins a wave of suicide attacks that specifically target the Canadian Forces in Afghanistan. Twenty-six attacks take place over the next 18 months.

Oct. 5 An unsuccessful attempt to strike a Canadian Forces convoy with a vehicle laden with explosives just outside of Kandahar, injures a local farmer, kills his son, and three Canadian soldiers suffer minor injuries.

Oct. 11 A rocket strikes the Canadian Embassy in Kabul. Two Afghan security guards suffer minor injuries.

Oct. 18 “Operation Athena,” Canada’s initial contribution to “Operation Enduring Freedom,” based in Kabul, comes to an official end.

Nov. 29 Canadian Forces officially hand over Camp Julien in Kabul – its main base in Afghanistan for the past two years – to the Afghan National Army and head to the southern city of Kandahar.

Dec. 15 National Post editorial board: The reluctance of Canadian political leaders to make the presence of Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan an issue in the federal election campaign is a sign of respect for the dangerous job the soldiers are doing and, more particularly, an acknowledgment that most Canadians understand full well why they are there and support their deployment. Dec. 18 Gen. Hillier and Afghanistan’s Defence Minister, Abdul Raheem Wardak,  sign a deal that will see all terrorism suspects and Taliban terrorists captured by the Canadian Forces, turned over to the Afghan National Army or the Afghan National Police. The agreement includes a guarantee that all detainees will be treated in accordance with the Third Geneva Convention.

Dec. 19 Inauguration of the Afghan National Assembly.

Fallen soldiers: Private Braun Scott Woodfield, 24 of the 2nd Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment died in a traffic accident.

This entry was posted on  Saturday, January 1st, 2005, Posted In: Timelines  |  Post tags: 2005

Posted In: Timelines   |  Post tags: 2006, Hamid Karzai, Stephen Harper, Taliban

The Post takes a comprehensive year-by-year look at Canada’s presence in Afghanistan since 2001. Jan. 31 The Afghan government pledges to build an Afghan National Army of 70,000 soldiers by 2010 when they sign the Afghanistan Compact. The agreement also states objectives aimed at achieving stability and security by strengthening Afghan institutions and coordinating counter-terrorism operations.

Jan. 15 A suicide car bombing kills Canadian diplomat Glyn Berry, and injures three soldiers. The Taliban claims responsibility for the attack in a statement released a month later that describes the bomber as a “holy warrior.”

February The Canadian-led Multinational Medical Unit opens up at Kandahar Airfield. The “Role 3” hospital provides specialist services with major surgical capabilities, and 80 of the 120 medical staff are Canadians.

Feb. 4 National Post in Afghanistan: It’s a long, bumpy trip to this village outside Kandahar, but Master Corporal Andrew Forbes and the crew of Bravo 2 never stop watching for the ever-present danger of ambush or bombs.

Feb. 6 Stephen Harper becomes Prime Minister.

Feb. 11 The first soldiers of the Canadian Task Force Orion head out into “Taliban country” for a six-month patrol of a 4,000-square-kilometre area north of Kandahar.

National Post in Afghanistan: After two weeks of probing and testing the Canadian soldiers who have been patrolling Taliban territory around Kandahar, the insurgents have learned to beware the soldiers with the maple leaf on their shoulders.

Feb. 28 Brigadier General David Frasier assumes command of the multinational brigade (including 2,200 Canadian Forces personnel) based in Kandahar.

Mar. 4 A Taliban supporter attacks Trevor Greene, a Civilian-Military Cooperation (CIMIC) officer, with an axe, almost slicing his brain in two. Mr. Greene is transported to hospital, marking the beginning of a long recovery.

National Post editorial board: Saturday’s barbarous axe attack on Canadian military officer Trevor Greene is being cited to impugn our soldiers’ new offensive role in Afghanistan — notably by the federal NDP, which is invoking the familiar argument that Canadians should be peacekeepers rather than combatants.

March 14 Mr. Harper travels to Kandahar to meet with Afghanistan’s President, Hamid Karzai who expresses his gratitude for all that Canada has done. “Our two principal military objectives are to fight terrorism, fight the forces of terror here, and to reduce the threat,” Mr. Harper said. “The second is to aid the Afghan forces in fighting it themselves. And so I would hope if we reduce our commitments in the future, it’s because we’re having success in these two objectives.”

April 2 Canadian Forces at a Forward Operating Base in Helmand help ensure the the insertion of additional British Forces into the province, without Taliban interference.

May 15 – July 31 Canadian Forces contribute to the NATO-led “Operation Mountain Thrust” in the Zhari and Panjwaii districts. The aim is to decrease Taliban influence and military activity in south east Afghanistan through military operations, followed by an increased security presence and aid programs. Over the course of two days in June, Canadian Forces kill at least twelve Taliban, wound eight and capture two suspected members.

May 17 Canadian, Afghan and American forces undertake “Operation Bravo Guardian” to clear known Taliban safe havens in Kandahar province. A day-long standoff takes place including an ambush on Canadian Forces from three directions that kill a captain – the first female casualty in Afghanistan – who had been coordinating the air attack. The Taliban suffers significant casualties. Mr. Harper introduces a motion in the House of Commons to extend Canada’s mission in Afghanistan – set to end February 2007 – by two years. The House of Commons supports the Conservative motion 149-145.

National Post editorial board: Stephen Harper was not required to hold a vote on Canada’s military commitment in Afghanistan. He had the authority to extend and expand the mission until February, 2009, without consulting Parliament. 

May 23-June 14 Task Force Orion of the Canadian Forces engages the Taliban up to 37 times, preventing insurgents from entering Kandahar city and avoiding urban combat and potential civilian casualties.

May 30 Defence Minister Gordon O’Connor says that fighting violent insurgents is just one of many tasks Canadian soldiers must undertake. “The military has to conduct a range of activities,” he told a Commons committee. “I don’t consider this war.”

June 2 The RCMP charge 12 adults and five juveniles with offences under the Anti-terrorism Act. Another suspect is later apprehended and the group becomes known as the “Toronto 18.” They allegedly planned to take hostages on Parliament Hill and kill the Prime Minister unless Canada withdrew its troops from Afghanistan and released all Muslims from Canadian prisons.

July 1 The Canadian Forces Personnel Support Agency opens the first Tim Hortons in Afghanistan, at Kandahar Air Field.

July 31 NATO assumes control of all military operations in southern Afghanistan. Canadian Forces personnel transferred from the U.S.-led “Operation Enduring Freedom,” to NATO.

August 2-3 Four soldiers die and 11 Canadian Forces personnel are injured during close combat with insurgents.

National Post editorial board: We have never wavered in our support for Canada’s Afghan mission — neither when it was largely a defensive operation at coalition headquarters in the capital, Kabul, nor more recently, when it expanded into a combat role in the south of Afghanistan. And we do not waver now. 

Sept. 4 One Canadian soldier dies and dozens are wounded when two U.S. attack jets – called in for close air support – mistakenly fire on soldiers along the front lines of battle.

Sept. 16 In an interview with CBC Radio’s Kathleen Petty, Mr. Harper acknowledges that Canada is at war.

“The fact of the matter is we are engaged in a war in Afghanistan. We have been for some years, but we are today at the front lines of that war, and that’s a very real thing that we have to manage.”

Sept. 17 Officials say “Operation Medusa,” a two-week military offensive in southern Afghanistan, successfully drove the Taliban from the region. NATO reports 512 insurgents killed and 136 taken prisoner. Canadian Brigadier-General David Fraser, commander of NATO forces in the southern region, declares the operation a success but warns not to expect a reprieve.

“What we saw here was a success against the Taliban. But that’s only one area in a very, very large battle space,” he told reporters at the Kandahar Air Field base. “We have to be ready for the next fight.”

Sept. 18 Four Canadian soldiers die and 21 are injured in the worst suicide attack against Canadian Forces. A suicide bomber on a bicycle detonated in Kafir Band village in the Panjwaii district.

Sept. 21 Mr. Karzai visits Ottawa and commends the Canadian Forces on its efforts in Afghanistan while making a plea for continued involvement. Mr. Harper reassures him that Canada will likely remain involved beyond the Feb. 2009 withdrawal date. “Your service in Afghanistan is no doubt a service to the Afghan people for our security, our livelihood, but it is also equally a service to Canadian security and Canadian safety,” Mr. Karzai said.

Nov 1 Brigadier-General Tim Grant assumes command of Canadian Task Force Kandahar.

Dec. 15 The International Security Assistance Force and Afghan National Security forces launch a military campaign dubbed “Operation Baaz Tsuka,” in Kandahar province. As part of the operation, Canadian Forces personnel try to convince second-tier Taliban fighters to disarm and return to their villages.

Dec. 26 National Post in Afghanistan: Warning their enemies to “pack up” and leave, or face a “major force” of coalition troops now assembling in the Taliban-dominated hotbed of Zhari and Panjwaii districts, the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) yesterday launched a new military campaign in Kandahar province.

Fallen soldiers: Glyn Berry, 59, director of Foreign Affairs Canada died following a suicide attack, Jan. 15; Corporal Paul Davis, 28, of the 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry died March 2 in a LAV III traffic accident; Master Corporal Timothy Wilson, 30, of the 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry died March 5 in a LAV III traffic accident; Private Robert Costall, 22, of the 1st Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry died March 29 during a ground offensive;  Lieutenant William Turner, 45, of the 20th Field Artillery Regiment, Corporal Randy Payne, 32, from the 1 Garrison Military Police Company, Bombardier Myles Mansell, 25, of the 5th Field Artillery Regiment (Victoria, British Columbia), and Corporal Matthew Dinning, 23, of 2 Military Police Platoon, died in a roadside bomb April 22; Captain Nichola Goddard, 26, of the 1st Royal Canadian Horse Artillery died in a ground offensive, May 17; Corporal Anthony Boneca, 21, of the Lake Superior Scottish Regiment died July 9 during a ground offensive; Corporal Jason Warren, 29, of The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada, and Corporal Francisco Gomez, 44, of the 1st Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry died July 22 in a suicide attack; Corporal Christopher Reid, 34, of the 1st Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry died in a roadside bomb the same day. Corporal Bryce Keller, 27, of the 1st Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, Sergeant Vaughan Ingram, 35, of the 1st Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, and Private Kevin Dallaire, 22, of the 1st Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry died Aug. 3 during a ground offensive; Master Corporal Raymond Arndt, 31 of The Loyal Edmonton Regiment died in a traffic accident Aug. 5; Master Corporal Jeffrey Walsh, 33, of the 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry died in a shooting accident, Aug. 9; Corporal Andrew Eykelenboom, 23, of the 1st Field Ambulance died Aug. 11 in a suicide bomber attack; Corporal David Braun, 27, of the 2nd Battalion Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry died in a suicide bomber attack, Aug. 22; Sergeant Shane Stachnik, 30, of the 2 Combat Engineer Regiment, Warrant Officer Richard Nolan, 39, Warrant Officer Frank Mellish, 38, and Private William Cushley, 21, all of the 1st Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment died Sept. 3 during a ground offensive; Private Mark Graham, 33, of the 1st Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment died Sept. 4, in a “friendly fire” incident; Corporal Keith Morley, 30, Corporal Shane Keating, 30, and Private David Byers, 22, all of the 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry and Corporal Glen Arnold, 32, of the 2nd Battalion, 2 Field Ambulance died Sept. 18, in a suicide bomber attack; Private Josh Klukie, 23, of the 1st Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment killed by IED, Sept. 29; Corporal Robert Mitchell, 32, and Sergeant Craig Gillam, 40, both of the Royal Canadian Dragoons died Oct. 3 in an insurgent attack; Trooper Mark Wilson, 39, of the Royal Canadian Dragoon killed by an IED, Oct. 7;Private Blake Williamson, 23, and Sergeant Darcy Tedford, 32, both of the 1st Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment, die Oct. 14, in an insurgent attack; Corporal Albert Storm, 36, and Chief Warrant Officer Robert Girouard, 46, both of the 1st Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment killed in a suicide bomber attack, Nov. 27.

This entry was posted on  Sunday, January 1st, 2006, Posted In: Timelines  |  Post tags: 2006, Hamid Karzai, Stephen Harper, Taliban

Posted In: Timelines   |  Post tags: 2007, Hamid Karzai, Stephen Harper, Taliban

The Post takes a comprehensive year-by-year look at Canada’s presence in Afghanistan since 2001. Jan. 2 Mullah Dadullah, a top commander in the Taliban, warns of a spring-offensive and heavy casualties.

Jan. 25 A Joint Intelligence Operations Centre opens at the International Security Assistance Force headquarters. The centre will allow Afghan and Pakistani military officers to collaborate on campaign planning for intelligence and information operations with the assistance of ISAF personnel.

February Road access on Highway 1 is restored, allowing the safe flow of commercial traffic and improving the flow of civilian traffic. University of Ottawa law professor, Amir Attaran obtains documents from the  Department of National Defence through the Access to Information Act. After reviewing them, he says they contain evidence of the abuse of detainees in the custody of Canadian Forces.

Feb. 1 The Taliban take control of Musa Qala district in Helmland province, an area known to be the biggest opium producer in the world.

Feb. 21 National Post editorial board: On Monday, for the first time in a generation, the Governor-General presented Canadian soldiers with medals for combat valour. As soldiers have always understood well, these medals each reward one conspicuous series of actions under fire, but they represent our gratitude for a hundred more that might have gone unseen or unrecorded. 

March 6 Approximately 5,500 NATO and Afghan troops position themselves in Northern Helmland province under “Operation Achilles,” to focus on violent districts controlled by the Taliban in this region. Canada plays a supporting role in the operation aimed at establishing security in advance of an anticipated Taliban spring-offensive.

April 6 A roadside bomb kills six Canadian soldiers west of Kandahar City, and injures two others.

April 10 Defence Minister Gordon O’Connor says Canadian troops could withdraw from Afghanistan by the end of 2010, so long as Afghan security forces meet their expansion targets. “We don’t want to be there forever. Our exit strategy is to try to get Afghan governance, development and security to such a level that they can look after themselves,” he said in an interview with the National Post. “We will probably have to provide aid there for many, many years but that doesn’t necessarily mean we have to keep large security forces there. If the Afghan army and police can get to some reasonable level — in their value system, not ours — that will allow NATO to withdraw.”

April 11 Two Canadian soldiers die in a roadside bomb explosion west of Kandahar en route to help three fellow soldiers injured by a roadside bomb an hour earlier.

April 18 A Canadian soldier falls from a communications tower in Kandahar and dies.

May 3 Canada signs a re-written prisoner transfer agreement with Afghanistan that will allow them more access to insurgents captured by Canadians and turned over to Afghan authorities.

May 12 Mullah Abdullah, the Taliban’s second-in-command, dies during a clash with NATO, ISAF and Afghan forces in Helmand province.

May 22 Prime Minister Stephen Harper visits Afghanistan to meet with Afghan President Hamid Karzai, and review mission objectives. He also suggests that Canada could extend their mission beyond the February 2009 deadline.

“You know that your work is not complete. You know that we cannot just put down our arms and hope for peace. You know that we can’t set arbitrary deadlines and hope for the best,” Mr. Harper said in a speech to Canadian troops.

National Post in Afghanistan: Dust whips across the desert floor as the troops of Canada’s Charlie Company wrap up “operation Midas” — a NATO show of force in a village reportedly rife with Taliban.  

May 29 National Post in Afghanistan: At the best of times, Dr. Sharifa Siddiqi has an unenviable job. As director of southern Afghanistan’s main civilian hospital, she oversees an under-equipped, dishevelled facility that must nevertheless care for a flood of seriously wounded from one terrorist bombing after another. 

May 30 A Canadian combat photographer and six other NATO troops die when a U.S. helicopter is shot down in Helmand Province. The Taliban claims responsibility.

June 11 National Post in Afghanistan: Major Dave Quick and Captain Mark Shepperd are losing patience fast. The two Canadian infantry officers are trying to establish whether Taliban fighters are using this tree-lined Afghan village as a base, but the answers seem to change by the minute. 

June 18 ABC news obtains video footage of an al-Qaeda-Taliban training camp graduation ceremony, reportedly held on June 9, that was shot by a Pakistani journalist. The video shows a group of about 300 men apparently being sent out on suicide missions across the West. Canadian and U.S. officials downplay any potential danger. “While we’re not immune from threats and no system is 100% perfect, we feel confident that people coming from a group like that would be detected,” said Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day.

June 19 National Post in Afghanistan: They may no longer run the government, but southern Afghanistan’s influential religious leaders continue to make life painfully hard for women, says Kandahar’s new director of women’s affairs. 

July 4 Six Canadian soldiers and an Afghan interpreter die when their armored vehicle hits a roadside bomb on their way back from combat in the Panjwaii district.

1 August Canadian Forces Brigadier-General Guy LaRoche assumes command of Task Force Afghanistan.

Aug. 10 National Post editorial board: Major Wallace Noseworthy, a Canadian army reservist and soon-to-be father, has just returned from a six-month tour of duty in Afghanistan. Though he’s thankful not to have been killed or injured in Afghanistan, he isn’t thrilled about things on the home front.

Aug. 14 Peter McKay replaces Mr. O’Connor as Minister of Defence.

September The Canadian Operational Mentor and Liaison Team based in Kandahar forms a sub-unit – a Police Operational Mentor and Liaison Team – to “develop ANP (Afghan National Police) professionalism and autonomy by providing training, assistance and expert advice.” The operation also facilitates liaisons between the Afghan National Police, the Afghan National Army and ISAF.

Oct. 12 The Independent Panel on Canada’s Future Role in Afghanistan, chaired by former Liberal Deputy Minister John Manley, is created to advise the government on mission options following the February 2009 withdrawal date.

“This is not an easy question,” the Prime Minister says at a news conference to announce the panel. “I think we would all be well advised to take a deep breath and to take a look at the facts before we rush to judgment.”  The panel is due to report back to Parliament before the end of January 2008.

Nov. 28 The Independent Panel on Canada’s Future Role in Afghanistan leaves the war-torn country after a week-long fact-finding visit.

Dec. 6 National Post editorial board: Our troops are good at what they do in Afghanistan. True, some aid groups have recently said their convoys are being inspected at Taliban checkpoints that operate in the open. And the controversy over the treatment of prisoners we turn over to the Afghan authorities lingers still — at least in opposition politicians’ minds. 

Fallen Soldiers: Corporal Kevin Megeney, 25, of the 1st Battalion, The Nova Scotia Highlanders died in a non-combat related incident March 6; Private Kevin Kennedy, 20, Private David Greenslade, 20, Corporal Aaron Williams, 23, Corporal Brent Poland, 37, and Sergeant Donald Lucas, 31, all of the 2nd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment, and Corporal Christopher Stannix, 24, of the Princess Louise Fusiliers killed by a roadside bomb, April 8; Trooper Patrick Pentland, 23, and Master Corporal Allan Stewart, 31, both of The Royal Canadian Dragoons killed by a roadside bomb, April 11; Master Corporal Anthony Klumpenhouwer, 25, of the Canadian Special Operations Forces Command died in a non-combat-related accident April 18; Corporal Matthew Cully, 25, of the 2 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group Headquarters and Signals Squadron died in an IED explosion, May 25; Master Corporal Darrell Priede, 30, of the Army News Team, died in a U.S. Chinook helicopter crash in Afghanistan May 30; Trooper Darryl Caswell, 25, of The Royal Canadian Dragoons died in a roadside bomb, June 11; Private Joel Wiebe, 22, Corporal Stephen Bouzane, 26, and Sergeant Christos Karigiannis, 31, all of the 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry died in an IED explosion, June 20; Private Lane Watkins, 20, Corporal Cole Bartsch, 23, Captain Matthew Dawe, 27, and Corporal Jordan Anderson, 25, all of the 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, Captain Jefferson Francis, 37, of the 1 Royal Canadian Horse Artillery, and Master Corporal Colin Bason, 28, of The Royal Westminster Regiment were killed in an IED explosion, July 4; Private Simon Longtin, 23, of the 3rd Battalion, Royal 22e Régiment died in an IED explosion, Aug. 19; Master Warrant Officer Mario Mercier, 43, of the 2nd Battalion, Royal 22e Régiment and Master Corporal Christian Duchesne, 34, of the 5th Field Ambulance, 5 Area Support Group both died in a landmine explosion, and Major Raymond Mark Ruckpaul, 42, of the Armoured Corps, The Royal Canadian Dragoons died in a non-combat related death, Aug. 22;Corporal Nathan Hornburg, 24, of The King’s Own Calgary Regiment died in a mortar attack, Sept. 24; Corporal Nicolas Beauchamp, 28, of the 5 Field Ambulance, and Private Michel Jr. Lévesque, 25, from the 3 Battalion, Royal 22e Régiment died in an IED explosion Nov. 17; Gunner Jonathan Dion, 27, of the 5e Régiment d’artillerie légère du Canada died in an IED explosion Dec. 30.

This entry was posted on  Monday, January 1st, 2007, Posted In: Timelines  |  Post tags: 2007, Hamid Karzai, Stephen Harper, Taliban

2008 – Borrowed from the National Post

http://afghanistan.nationalpost.com/canada-in-afghanistan-2008/

Posted In: Timelines   |  Post tags: 2010, Omar Khadr, Stephen Harper

The Post takes a comprehensive year-by-year look at Canada’s presence in Afghanistan since 2001.

Jan. 6 Prime Minister Stephen Harper says the Canadian Forces will withdraw  from Afghanistan between July and December 2011 and following that  Canada’s activity in the country will be a strictly civilian mission.  According to NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen “whatever  Canada decides, NATO and ISAF (NATO military forces) will stay in  Afghanistan as long as it takes to finish our job.”

Jan. 25 National Post editorial board: Auditor-General Sheila Fraser returned from a five-day visit to  Afghanistan Friday with an important message for Canadians, and some  crucial questions. 

Jan. 28 The Seventh International Conference on Afghanistan – a 60 nation summit  organized by British Prime Minister Gordon Brown – takes place in  London, England, with the objective to reach a peace settlement with the  Taliban. Suggestions include allowing the Taliban to control a portion  of the government and paying Taliban insurgents and leaders to join the  Afghan government.

Feb. 13 “Operation Moshtarak” directs the largest air assault in the Afghan War –  involving Canadian, American, British and other coalition forces –  against the last two regions of significant Taliban control in Helmand  province. The ISAF drops leaflets and make broadcasts warning residents.  The region is known as the world’s largest poppy grower and a major  bomb-making and staging area for suicide bombers.

Feb. 14 Residents of Marjah in Helmand province who remained in their homes  endure air assaults aimed at Taliban forces and 12 civilians die.

Feb. 18 The Taliban reportedly use women and children as human shields on the  battlefield at Marjah. NATO confirms 15 civilian deaths since the launch  of “Operation Mostarak” and Afghan rights groups report 19 deaths.

March 13-14 Suicide bombers orchestrate five attacks on locations including police  headquarters and a prison, killing up to 35 civilians and injuring 47.

March 23 The Canadian Forces announce they will no longer report on soldiers  wounded on the battlefield to prevent the Taliban from gaining access to  this information. Brigadier General Dan Menard says the Taliban could  use such information to improve its tactics, causing more Canadian  casualties.

March 24 Captain Robert Semrau appears at the first day of his court martial to  face charges for allegedly shooting two tracer bullets at close range  into a wounded Taliban fighter in a farmer’s field in Afghanistan in  October 2008. “Shooting an unarmed, wounded individual who poses no threat to him or  to any of the troops under his command is shockingly unacceptable  conduct,” prosecution counsel Captain Thomas Fitzgerald said in an  opening statement. The captain pleaded not guilty. Capt. Semrau said he  couldn’t live with himself if he had allowed another human being “to  suffer like that,” military prosecutors say. The trial is expected to  last until June. Defence Minister Peter MacKay announces that  Major-General Peter Devlin will be promoted to lieutenant-general and  take over as chief of land staff at National Defence Headquarters,  replacing Lieutenant-General Andrew Leslie.

March 25 A press report, citing unnamed sources, says Canada will be asked to  keep as many as 600 soldiers in Afghanistan in a training capacity but  Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon tells the House of Commons that  even if the U.S. and NATO ask for a continued Canadian presence, “In  2011 we’re out.”

March 29 The federal government of Canada reiterates its plan to pull out all  2,800 soldiers currently stationed in Kandahar by 2011. U.S. Secretary  of State Hillary Clinton says in Ottawa, “We would obviously like to see  some form of support continue because the Canadian Forces have a great  reputation. They work really well with our American troops and the other  members of our coalition.”

April 8 On a visit to Afghanistan, Mr. MacKay hints that Canada may not leave  Afghanistan altogether in 2011. “There are other ways that we will  continue to contribute. Training is obviously one of those options, and I  suspect there will be further discussion about what the mission will  look like post-2011.”

April 13 Canadian diplomat Richard Colvin tells a public hearing by the Military  Police Complaints Commission that Canadian forces were “blocking” the  International Committee of the Red Cross from checking detainees  transferred to Afghan authorities when he arrived in Afghanistan in  2006. Provost marshals and military police have been accused of aiding  and abetting the torture of detainees transferred to Afghan custody.

April 27 The Speaker of the House of Commons rules against the federal  government, upholding the opposition’s right to view uncensored  documents about how Canadian Forces dealt with detainee transfers, and  how the prisoners were treated. After five months of opposition requests  the Speaker gives the two sides two weeks to come to a compromise.

May 14 MPs announce they have reached a deal that will reveal 20,000 to 40,000   pages of documents about Canada’s handling of Afghan detainees, staving  off an election.

May 29 Brigadier-General Daniel Menard is fired from his position as head of  the Canadian Forces following allegations of sexual misconduct, relating  to an alleged affair.  He is the first Canadian general officer to be  dismissed from the battlefield since the Second World War.  Brigadier-General Jon Vance – who left the post six months ago – will  take over until the end of September.

June 2 Taliban suicide bombers attack a meeting of 1,600 Afghans and their president who were discussing ways to end the war.

June 13 Afghan President Hamid Karzai promises better governance and development  to a group of several hundred elders in Kandahar, the city that  launched the Taliban. “Right now, the life of Kandahar is a very bad  life,” he said at a conference hall in the city. “Step by step, we can  go forward.”

July A U.S government audit concludes that many “top-rated” Afghan National  Army units had been “overstated” by NATO commanders. Western nations  have said they will only withdraw troops when the Afghans can provide  security for themselves and NATO has set a target for an Afghan army  with 171,000 members by 2014,  a significant increase from the current  119,000 soldiers. It is revealed that two of 17 Afghan National Army  personnel who have gone AWOL in the past eight years  while receiving  English training at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas have  attained permanent resident status in Canada and six are awaiting a  decision on refugee claims.

July 15 Canada transfers responsibility for the war in Kandahar city to the U.S.  army’s 82nd Airborne Division after holding the Taliban at bay for more  than four years. “This is a tactical footprint change,” Brig.-Gen.  Vance said. “The military brawn is being concentrated.”

July 20 At an international conference in Kabul, foreign leaders agree that  Afghan National Security Forces “should lead and conduct military  operations in all provinces by the end of 2014.”

Aug. 4 An Ontario court denies the extradition of Abdullah Khadr to the United  States on terrorism charges. The U.S. alleges Mr. Khadr, Omar Khadr’s  brother, admitted to procuring weapons for al-Qaeda and taking part in  an assassination plot against the prime minister of Pakistan, but Mr.  Khadr says he made those confessions while detained and tortured in  Pakistan in 2005.

August Mr. Karzai blindsides the international community when he announces that  all private security companies in the country must disband within four  months.

Aug. 12 Omar Khadr’s trial begins. The 23-year-old faces multiple charges  including the murder of Special Forces Sergeant First Class Chris Speer  who died in a grenade attack when the accused was 15 years old.

Aug. 21 National Post in Afghanistan: ‘My mission,” says Pete Reintjes, a sunburned, sweat-stained captain, “is to hold Nakhonay.” It’s a dangerous, complicated task, and one suddenly crucial to  Canada’s shrinking combat assignment in Afghanistan as it comes nearer  to an end.

Aug. 27 National Post in Afghanistan: Worried villagers are packing up their belongings and fleeing unstable  districts around Kandahar city as Canadian, U.S. and Afghan forces  intensify a long-planned campaign against insurgents in the area, local  sources have told the National Post. 

Sept. 4 National Post in Afghanistan: After four years of effort and heavy sacrifices, Canada’s military is  still confounded by the Panjwaii district, the seat of Taliban power and  home to a tiny, unhappy populace. 

Sept. 18 Afghan officials declare the parliamentary election a success, but the UN says up to 4,000 complaints will have to be heard.

Oct. 8 National Post in Afghanistan: The war that Canadian soldiers are helping wage in Afghanistan is not being lost. Having spent nearly six months in the country since 2006, most of that time embedded with our troops, I’ve just come home again, convinced of it. 

Oct. 24 Omar Khadr pleads guilty to five charges, including murder in a deal  with the Pentagon that will limit his sentence and allow him apply to be  transferred to Canadian custody after one year.

Oct. 29 Mr. MacKay says he is “outraged” at how the government treated the  family of a Canadian soldier who committed suicide in 2008, after  suffering symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. The Fynes family  said the Canadian Forces named the wrong executor of the estate,  withheld their son’s suicide note and failed to provide help to him  despite being aware that he was suffering from PTSD. In a letter dated  Sept. 21, the family was ordered to stop phoning the Ottawa offices of  the military’s pension branch.

Oct. 30 Bill Harris, the top U.S. diplomat in southern Afghanistan, believes  “people will write dissertations” one day about a Canadian-led  Provincial Reconstruction Team he describes as “wildly successful.” “We  honestly could not have grown as fast or as easily and come up to the  level of effectiveness we currently perform at [if it had been] with any  other country than Canada,” Mr. Harris said.

Oct. 31 Omar Khadr is handed a symbolic 40-year sentence by a U.S. military  jury, but could return to Canada in little over a year in a transfer  that the Harper government has agreed to “favourably consider.”

Nov. 9 National Post editorial board: Of course Canada should  remain in Afghanistan past next July’s planned  departure. Our role  beyond the summer can and should be debated: Do we  remain in a combat  mission or downscale to purely a training function  with the Afghan  Nation Army and police — or both? 

Nov. 11 Mr. Harper says Canada will deploy military trainers to Afghanistan for  three more years because this country wants to ensure the “sacrifices”  made by Canadian soldiers in the past decade are honoured.  “We do want  to make sure that as we leave [Afghanistan], what we leave behind is a  situation that will ensure that the sacrifices that Canadians have made  … are appropriately honoured,” he said. He confirmed the training  would occur from 2011 to 2014.

Nov. 15 National Post editorial board: At the Halifax International Security Forum, which took place earlier  this month, U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham made waves by enthusiastically  ticking off all the Iranian assets that the United States should target  if Washington decides to use military force against Tehran.

Nov. 17 Minister of International Co-operation Bev Oda announces that Canada’s  assistance to Afghanistan will equal $100-million per year for the next  three years. NDP foreign affairs critic Paul Dewar says the government  reportedly spent $205-million last year alone. “Up until a week ago, we  were withdrawing our troops. Now troops are remaining, they’re massively  cutting aid to help Afghans, and putting money into training troops,”  he said. “It’s outrageous.”

Fallen soldiers: Sergeant John Faught, 44, of the 1st Battalion Princess Patricia’s  Canadian Light Infantry died in an improvised explosive device blast  Jan. 16; Captain Frank Paul, 53, of the 28 Field Ambulance died of  natural causes while on leave from Afghanistan Feb. 10; Corporal Joshua  Baker, 24, of the Loyal Edmonton Regiment 4th Battalion Princess  Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry died Feb. 12 in a training accident  in Kandahar; Corporal Darren Fitzpatrik, 21 of the 3rd Battalion  Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry died in an IED explosion  March 20; Private Tyler Todd, 26, of the 1st Battalion Princess  Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry died in an IED explosion April 11;  Petty Officer Second Class Craig Blake, 37, of the Fleet Diving Unit  died in an IED blast May 3; Private Kevin McKay, 24, of the 1st  Battalion Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry died in an IED  explosion May 13; Colonel Geoff Parker, 42, from the Land Forces Central  Area Headquarters was killed by a suicide bomber May 18; Trooper Larry  Rudd, 26, of the Royal Canadian Dragoons died in an IED explosion May  24; Sergeant Martin Goudreault, 35, of the 1 Combat Engineer Regiment  died in an IED explosion June 6; Sergeant James MacNeil, 28 of the 2  Combat Engineer Regiment died in an IED blast June 21; Private Andrew  Miller, 21 from 2 Field Ambulance, and Master Corporal Kristal  Giesebrecht, 34, of the 1 Canadian Field Hospital were killed in an IED  blast June 26; Sapper Brian Collier, 24, of 1 Combat Engineer Regiment,  died in an IED explosion July 20; Corporal Brian Pinksen, 20, of the 2nd  Battalion , Royal Newfoundland Regiment died in an IED blast Aug. 30;  Corporal Steve Martin, 24, of the 3e Bataillon, Royal 22e Régiment died  in IED explosion Dec. 18.

This entry was posted on  Friday, January 1st, 2010, Posted In: Timelines  |  Post tags: 2010, Omar Khadr, Stephen Harper

2011 – Borrowed from the National Post

http://afghanistan.nationalpost.com/canada-in-afghanistan-2011/