National Defence Committee on April 10th, 2008

[BGen P. Atkinson]

Exactly.

[Claude Bachand, Bloc, Saint-Jean, QC]

In your presentations, I did not hear any reference to the SAT, the Strategic Advisory Team, which I believe is very important because it advises President Karzai. Can you give us some information about the work of that team? How many soldiers are there on the team? Is it really beneficial for Afghanistan and for the Canadian forces?

[BGen P. Atkinson]

The SAT is very positive for our forces in Afghanistan.

Excuse me, I will answer in English. This is a very important question, and I want to make sure I give you the exact right words.

Our strategic advisory team is there to help and aid the Government of Afghanistan. President Karzai has said a number of times how that team of both military and civilian.... It is mostly military, but there are also civilian members. We are currently working with the Department of Foreign Affairs to expand the civilian members on that team.

Over the next rotation, this summer, we hope that we will have a larger number of members from CIDA, Foreign Affairs, and other departments, who will work with us as we continue to advance this agenda with the Government of Afghanistan. They are strategic-level planners. They are there to assist and enable those key Afghan ministries.

We get feedback from the head of mission. Last week, when we had a visit from defence stakeholders to the theatre, Ambassador Lalani talked about the positive effect they were having and that the Afghans want us to continue to contribute and provide them with that level of assistance.

It is very important, and one that absolutely must continue.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rick Casson]

Thank you, Mr. Bachand. That was a very efficient use of your time.

Ms. Black.

[Dawn Black, NDP, New Westminster—Coquitlam, BC]

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

Welcome, General Atkinson, again.

I also want to follow up on the issue of the Afghan National Police. I look forward to receiving the breakdown that you talked to Mr. Bachand about.

I have a lot of concern with an eight-week training program. I have two sons who are police officers, and I know what they go through in Canada before they are even allowed on the streets. It is nine months, and then they are mentored after that. We are trying to build something from the bottom, but when we know about the level of corruption that has taken place there and that still goes on, it's very worrying.

I'd like to see a breakdown of how many are ANAP, how many are regular police, and how many are in the various branches that you laid out in your report.

[BGen P. Atkinson]

Okay.

[Dawn Black, NDP, New Westminster—Coquitlam, BC]

I'd also like to know whether there are any policewomen being trained. I think there might be one or two, but I'd like to know—

[BGen P. Atkinson]

The answer's yes.

[Dawn Black, NDP, New Westminster—Coquitlam, BC]

I know it's a very small proportion. I'd like to know the number of them and how they're doing out in the field. That's for the next time you visit us, I guess.

The other thing I wanted to ask you about was an article that was printed in The Independent last week. It's a British newspaper. Are you aware of the article?

[BGen P. Atkinson]

I might be after you tell me what it is.

[Dawn Black, NDP, New Westminster—Coquitlam, BC]

It may have come to your attention in that they're talking about warlords using heroin cash to buy surface-to-air missiles. It was a concern for the British.

I'm wondering what you might know about these concerns. If they were to be able to achieve surface-to-air missiles, it seems to me that the issue of getting helicopters would be less of an advantage to us if the insurgents were able to use that kind of technology. What kind of technology would we use, or would be available to Canadians, if they did get them?

[BGen P. Atkinson]

Obviously any time insurgents or anybody that we're working against would have surface-to-air missiles, that would be of concern to us. That threat has always been in Afghanistan. There have been helicopters and other aircraft that have been engaged--

[Dawn Black, NDP, New Westminster—Coquitlam, BC]

With surface-to-air missiles?

[BGen P. Atkinson]

I said were engaged; there have been reportedly incidents of surface-to-air missiles used in the past. But the threat is there. We have a number of things, from our operating procedures to defensive suites on board aircraft to intelligence-led operations. If we knew about somebody who had that kind of capability, I think you could make a safe assumption that this is something we would endeavour to seek out and destroy.

[Dawn Black, NDP, New Westminster—Coquitlam, BC]

Have you heard about these concerns that the British have?

[BGen P. Atkinson]

I know about the article you mentioned. It is a concern for ISAF, given our reliance upon air mobility in the theatre. So it is a real concern, one that ISAF takes seriously and one that they have the ability to deal with.

[Dawn Black, NDP, New Westminster—Coquitlam, BC]

I think you mentioned in your opening comments that combat operations started today with the 2,200 marines that you say are in Regional Command South. Was that in the Kandahar region? Were they operating with the Canadians?

[BGen P. Atkinson]

I'm not at liberty to say exactly where they're operating, but it is within the area under General Lessard's command. RC South comprises us, the Dutch, the Americans, and the Brits. They will be operating throughout the whole of RC South over the next number of months, until November.

Just having that many more soldiers come into an area where we have been lacking allows Commander ISAF, and Commander RC South in particular, to have an immediate effect of boots on the ground, enabling that security that we and the Afghans want so bad. We will see the benefit of that investment.

[Dawn Black, NDP, New Westminster—Coquitlam, BC]

Are you expecting a spring offensive? What measures are you taking to counter it, aside from these additional marine reinforcements?

[BGen P. Atkinson]

“Spring offensive” is a term that comes up every year. It's spring, they come out of the mountains, and the fighting season picks back up. Right now there's a bit of an opium harvest going on. We know that's going to finish in a couple of weeks. We anticipate that the pace of things within the country will probably pick up again.

Commander ISAF has an operational plan on the ground, down through each of his districts, including RC South and into Kandahar. I know you don't want me to talk about the details.

[Dawn Black, NDP, New Westminster—Coquitlam, BC]

No, I don't.

[BGen P. Atkinson]

They are intending to fully step out and take advantage of those additional forces to have the effect on the insurgency that we want to achieve.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rick Casson]

Mr. Hawn.

[Laurie Hawn, Conservative, Edmonton Centre, AB]

Thank you.

Thank you, General, for being here again. I have a number of quick questions.

If the ANSF is operating independently in Zhari, are we babysitting them, directly or indirectly?

[BGen P. Atkinson]

They have taken responsibility for Zhari. We have enablers that they do not have—artillery, engineers, and other pieces. But it is their responsibility. Our OMLTs are there. All those kandaks that are operating, those OMLTs, are in place, but it is their command and control that is being exercised. They are making the decisions.

Obviously it was a very positive step for them to take over responsibility for that sector. We want to see that grow to the left and to the right in the coming days.