Justin Trudeau’s Abandonment Of Afghan Interpreters & Gurkhas Is A Moral & Strategic Failure

Why would anyone help Canada in the future?

Afghanistan has fallen to the Taliban.

After Afghan security forces – funded and trained by the US, Canada, and other Western allies at vast expense over two decades – surrendered without a fight in many cases, the Taliban has reached Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan with stunning speed.

The Afghan president has fled the country.

As reported by the AP, the Taliban plans to declare that the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has been established:

“Afghanistan’s embattled president left the country Sunday, joining his fellow citizens and foreigners in a stampede fleeing the advancing Taliban and signaling the end of a 20-year Western experiment aimed at remaking Afghanistan.

The Taliban entered the capital early Sunday and an official in the militant group said it would soon announce the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan from the presidential palace — a return rich in symbolism to the name of the country under the Taliban government ousted by U.S.-led forces after the 9/11 attacks. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to brief the media.

The militants had earlier moved into a city gripped by panic, where helicopters raced overhead throughout the day to evacuate personnel from the U.S. Embassy. Smoke rose near the compound as staff destroyed important documents, and the American flag was lowered. Several other Western missions also prepared to pull their people out.”

As noted by the AP report, the Taliban retook Afghanistan far more quickly than most thought possible:

“In a stunning rout, the Taliban seized nearly all of Afghanistan in just over a week, despite the billions of dollars spent by the U.S. and NATO over nearly two decades to build up Afghan security forces. Just days earlier, an American military assessment estimated it would be a month before the capital would come under insurgent pressure.”

This is a humiliation for the US, Canada, the UK, and others.

All the money spent.

All the schools built.

All the taxpayers dollars spent on ‘building Afghanistan.’

Just to see the Taliban regain dominance.

But that isn’t the worst part.

The real tragedy is how many Canadian troops are going to feel devastated to see the Taliban take over, after so many years spent fighting against the Taliban, and all the suffering through deaths, physical injury, and mental health scars.

Canadian troops, and the Canadian People overall, have the right to be outraged to see what has happened in Afghanistan, as it goes totally against what our leaders, both civilian and military, claimed was taking place in the country.

Abandonment of Afghan interpreters & Gurkhas

Now, in most countries – especially countries heavily involved in Afghanistan – the fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban is the big story.

But of course, here in Canada, the story is the beginning of the federal election, an election caused by just one person – Justin Trudeau.

At his opening press conference, Trudeau feigned ‘concern’ about what is happening in Afghanistan.

“Afghanistan situation: “As of this morning, Canadian diplomatic personnel are on their way back to Canada,” confirms PM Trudeau. “Canada firmly condemns the escalating violence and we are heartbroken at the situation the Afghan people find themselves in today,” he says.”

Of course, what Trudeau hasn’t mentioned is that Canada has shamefully abandoned many of the people who put their lives on the line to assist our troops:

“No idea how Trudeau can still pledge to help get the endangered interpreters who helped our troops out of Afghanistan when the embassy has closed and the last plane has departed Kabul. Let’s face it – they’ve been abandoned.”

“As we are live on air I’m receiving photos/video of hundreds of Afghan interpreters & their families who worked for CDA standing in the streets of Kabul. They are exposed. Groups working to get them out say they terps were told to go to Kabul and now the embassy has shut down”

Think about that. The Canadian government told interpreters – who risked their lives to help our troops – to go to Kabul, and then – before they could get out of the country – evacuated embassy staff and shut it down.

A total disgrace.

Further, Canada has abandoned Gurkhas who helped us:

“On the morning of the election and post govt announcement on Afghan refugees I am hearing the Canadian govt has not approved evac for approximately 100 Gurkhas working at the Canadian embassy in Kabul. If they are not approved they will be left behind #cdnpoli #cdnfp #Afghanistan”

Too late

Trudeau made his usual move, as he pledged to bring 20,000 Afghan refugees to Canada.

But it’s too late for that.

The Taliban has the country.

Interpreters – who will be considered ‘collaborators’ for helping the West – will likely be killed, tortured, and otherwise ‘punished’ along with their families, as the Taliban takes over and entrenches dominance.

Canada abandoned them.

Moral failure

Now, this is first of all a horrible moral failure.

People who helped our troops and helped our mission, putting themselves at risk, have been abandoned by our country.

What message does that send?

What does it say about Justin Trudeau?

What does it say about or government overall?

It makes us look like a country that simply uses people for our own gain, without any respect for the danger we put them in or the sacrifice they’ve made.

And that’s why it’s not only a moral failure, but also a strategic failure.

Strategic failure

Let’s think about the strategic damage done by our abandonment of interpreters and Gurkhas:

In a future conflict, if Canada needs help, why would anyone help us?

Why would anyone risk their lives, and the lives of their families, on our behalf?

Why help out Canadian troops when we see how our government abandoned those who did so in Afghanistan?

Worst of all, this will put Canadian troops at risk in a future conflict, because they will be viewed with more suspicion, and will receive less assistance.

Trudeau’s abandonment of Afghan interpreters and the Gurkhas is terrible in all possible ways.

Leaving with honour

Obviously, it is basically impossible to completely change what a country really is, no matter how much money you throw at it.

The Taliban controlled Afghanistan before Western troops went in, and as Western troops leave the Taliban will control Afghanistan again.

Leaving Afghanistan is the right thing to do.

We can’t stay there forever, nor should we.

But there is such a thing as leaving with honour.

And leaving with honour means protecting those who put their lives on the line for us.

Canada’s failure to do so, a failure that is the direct responsibility of Justin Trudeau in his role as Prime Minister, is a disgrace, and a stain on our nation that will not easily be washed away.

Spencer Fernando

Photo – Twitter

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