National Defence Committee on June 10th, 2008

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

Thank you. I'm sorry.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rick Casson]

Mr. Hawn.

[Laurie Hawn, Conservative, Edmonton Centre, AB]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, General, for being here, and good luck in Texas.

I have just a couple of questions on Taliban activity. Obviously it's ramping up now because the poppy crop is off the field, and so on.

With respect to that activity, have you seen any changes this year compared with previous years in terms of the concentration of the Taliban in any particular operation? You mentioned the leadership being targeted, and have you seen trickle-down effects from that?

[BGen Peter Atkinson]

I'll make a general comment, and it's one that I've talked about.

Because we've been effective at targeting their leadership, whenever the Taliban have concentrated and have tried to go conventional, if you will, they have lost in significant numbers. They have continued to resort to classic insurgent tactics, the use of IEDs and irregular means--that is, the use of children and women in suicide bombings. It is the only tool they have in their tool box. As we've seen, the unfortunate victims in this are not their target, which is us, but more often than not, the innocent civilians. Their tactics have not changed.

As to the tempo, we didn't see a huge spring offensive. But has there been a spike in the tempo since the poppy harvest was completed? Yes, there has.

[Laurie Hawn, Conservative, Edmonton Centre, AB]

As per normal.

Afghanistan will have a presidential election in September 2009. Has there been any tactical or strategic assessment about what the Taliban might do with respect to increasing their activity in targeting the election in one way or another?

[BGen Peter Atkinson]

I think we can fully expect that it's in the interests of the Taliban to disrupt that kind of activity, as they have attempted to do in the past. But I think the Afghan government is much more capable today, with the police force they have and the Afghan National Army, and with the increased numbers from the international community in place, so that in this round the elections, when they come about, should be even more successful than in the past.

We saw that voter turnout was exceptionally high the last time. The country as a whole is more secure. There are individual pockets of incidents that have occurred, but overall, the security throughout the whole nation should be a huge enabler for people getting out to vote and exercising their rights.

[Laurie Hawn, Conservative, Edmonton Centre, AB]

Thank you. I'll give the floor to Mr. Lunney for a quick one.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rick Casson]

Mr. Lunney.

[James Lunney, Conservative, Nanaimo—Alberni, BC]

Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Thank you very much for all of your contributions to our committee. We certainly wish you the best. I hope we'll see you down the road; I'm sure that will be the case.

I just have a quick comment on what we saw in regard to the attrition rate and the improvements in the ANA, the kandaks that we're working with, and the great improvements in maintaining their force.

When we were over there, there was a little frustration expressed by the OMLT people about the fact that they had spent a fair bit of time actually doing some tree planting on the base there, and so on. But I think that's part of maintaining their esprit de corps and their pride in what they've accomplished. I was quite pleased to see all of the trees they planted, which I think will make a huge difference as they get established. It's just a comment. As frustrating as that can be for the OMLT people, I suppose it's really important in helping to maintain their own esprit de corps and the value they place on their forces being there.

[BGen Peter Atkinson]

Those soldiers of the Operational Mentor and Liaison Team, the group that has been there now, in essence have deployed outside the wire for almost four months. They've gone out. They've lived up in the mountains. They've lived out in those far reaches, working and fighting, and in some cases, some of the soldiers we lost were from that unit.

Theirs is perhaps one of the most difficult tasks, but as I said before, it's probably the most important task, because that mentoring they're doing, that hands-on training, side by side, building the confidence and trust in those Afghan soldiers, that will be our success in the end. Because building them up to where they can conduct operations on their own confidently will be NATO's and the international community's success, as they take responsibility for their own future.

[James Lunney, Conservative, Nanaimo—Alberni, BC]

Exactly. Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rick Casson]

Thank you very much.

[A voice]

Do you want your minute back?

[The Chair, Conservative, Rick Casson]

The general's got an appointment at a quarter to four.

[BGen Peter Atkinson]

I missed your last question and I think I can probably delay--

[The Chair, Conservative, Rick Casson]

Just a short one, then.

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

Very short.

You said there were 10 women police officers in Kandahar now.

[BGen Peter Atkinson]

Yes.

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

I'm wondering about women in the ANA. Are there any women in the ANA? Supplementary to that is the issue of men dressing in burkas. I would assume you need more women, given the culture, in the ANP and perhaps the ANA, around the issue of confronting someone in a burka.

[BGen Peter Atkinson]

That is an issue and it's one of the reasons, in our operations, we have female soldiers and female MPs who assist. I will get the exact numbers. We'll be able to get the numbers pan-ANP. I do not believe there are any women in the Afghan National Army, certainly not as fighting soldiers. Their culture just doesn't go that way.

We will check on the ANA and perhaps in some of the support trades, but I certainly know in the kandaks we are training and working with.... We talk about male-dominated societies. That would be one, in spades.

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

Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rick Casson]

Sir, thank you very much for your contribution to us over this last period of time. We have appreciated your visits and the information you have supplied to us. It has been very, very helpful, and we look forward to working with your replacement. Good luck to you as you go down the road of your career.

[BGen Peter Atkinson]

Thank you very much, sir, and thank you very much to all the members of the committee. Merci bien.

As I said the first time I came here, our opportunity to talk to you about what we do in as transparent a manner as possible is critically important to our country, so that you as parliamentarians can understand and ask the difficult questions that need to be asked so that we are successful together as a nation. Canada is making a critically important contribution in Afghanistan as a member of the international community. I have enjoyed the opportunity to work with you and I thank you very much.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rick Casson]

Thank you, sir.

Thank you, committee. We are adjourned.