Evidence of meeting #30 for National Defence in the 39th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was security.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Bloc
Claude Bachand Bloc Saint-Jean, QC
We know that General Richards, who is British, was in charge of the ISAF. As the Americans have a very large contingent in Afghanistan and they seem to want to put a lot of focus on the country, might they demand that the general in charge of the ISAF always be an American?
Bloc
BGen P. Atkinson
NATO asked the United States to supply a four-star officer like General McKiernan to be the commander.
Claude Bachand Bloc Saint-Jean, QC
So NATO decided that an American commander should succeed an American commander.
Conservative
Bloc
Claude Bachand Bloc Saint-Jean, QC
Okay. I have the information I need.
I'm waiting for the names of the—
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Rick Casson
If you supply this information to the clerk, we'll get it to everybody on the committee. Thank you, sir.
Ms. Black.
NDP
Dawn Black NDP New Westminster—Coquitlam, BC
Thank you, Chair.
Thank you very much for coming today. I guess it's your last appearance with us, and I wish you well also in Texas.
You said in your opening remarks that three Canadian soldiers have been killed in this rotation and a number have been injured. Could fill us in on the number of soldiers injured in this rotation.
BGen Peter Atkinson
As you know, from an OPSEC perspective we never talk about the numbers of wounded. We honour our soldiers who have fallen, but if we were to comment and expand upon the numbers of wounded, that would actually give the Taliban a confirmation of their success or not in different operations. That's the reason we don't do the numbers. You'll recall that once a year we put out the statistics. Then they cannot draw any substantial conclusions from the numbers who have been wounded.
NDP
Dawn Black NDP New Westminster—Coquitlam, BC
You've given us a lot of information about the Afghan National Police and a significant update. It's interesting to know that it was, I think, our initiative to have the Afghan National Auxiliary Police in place and that they've proved to be not competent for or capable in the job. But the training seems to have a much more fulsome sort of structure, although I have to say that eight weeks of training is a pretty small number of weeks of training for such complex work as they're involved in.
BGen Peter Atkinson
But as you may have seen when I talked about their work, they were at eight weeks of training, and then they were taking soldiers.... After they go out and get some experience in mentoring, they bring them back and do more training again.
NDP
Dawn Black NDP New Westminster—Coquitlam, BC
Still, when you compare it to anywhere else in the world, it's a very minor amount of—
BGen Peter Atkinson
That's why I said that this is a work in process and it will take time.
NDP
Dawn Black NDP New Westminster—Coquitlam, BC
Yes.
The other question I have for you is around the Afghan National Army, which we've been working with for a longer period of time. Everyone who comes here from the Canadian military tells us that this is going well and it's building.... I would like to know what the attrition rate is and what percentage of people stay in the ANA after training. I'd also like to know the ethnic breakdown of the ANA. It would be interesting if you had it for the ANP as well.
BGen Peter Atkinson
The specifics or exact numbers on attrition and the ethnic breakdown I can provide to the committee. Obviously those are figures I wouldn't have off the top of my head.
What I can tell you is that attrition in the early days of the ANA was high. In RC South, and in Kandahar in particular, the attrition rate of the soldiers we are training in the 205 Corps—the five kandaks that we are training—is very, very small, almost negligible. It's pride of authorship, if you will. Because they've been trained and mentored, and we're living, working, and fighting alongside them, they have developed an esprit de corps and a professional ethos that has just become better and better with each passing week and month. So we are seeing in our area, with the five kandaks we're working with, a very low attrition rate. If you compare that with two years ago, attrition then, I think, was about 40%. Today I suspect it's much less than 5%.
But I will confirm this back to the committee, as well as the ethnic breakdown of both the ANA and the ANP.
NDP
Dawn Black NDP New Westminster—Coquitlam, BC
When we made our first trip to Afghanistan, the ethnic makeup of the ANA was a big concern. At that point they didn't have many Pashtuns in the ANA, and yet that area of the country where Canada was operating is basically a Pashtun area. So I would be interested in getting those figures.
I've lost my other question, I'm sorry.
Conservative