Happily. I went to Afghanistan in August 2007, having had a reasonable association with the set of issues before I got there. I was the Honourable John Manley's senior departmental assistant when 9/11 happened and we had our first deployment. I was senior departmental assistant for the Honourable Bill Graham as we deepened our role in Afghanistan. Then I became director of defence and security policy responsible for Canada's NATO relations.
Afghanistan was a factor in my professional life for many years before I was sent in. I believe that's probably one reason I was sent there.
But I think the biggest issue is that I was the ambassador for Canada, who spoke for the government and was accountable to the Government of Canada and to Parliament for, as I said earlier, the highest standards of conduct.