National Defence Committee on Dec. 8th, 2009

[Anita Neville, Liberal, Winnipeg South Centre, MB]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Maxime Bernier]

Mr. Paillé.

[Pascal-Pierre Paillé, Bloc, Louis-Hébert, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I want to thank you very much for coming here today. I will continue along the same lines. You indicated that the government told you to withdraw in 2011.

When did you receive this very clear message of withdrawal by 2011?

[Gen Walter Natynczyk]

The decision by Parliament is quite clear: July 1 will mark the end of the military mission in Kandahar. July 1 will also be the date that responsibilities are transferred.

I would like to ask General Lessard to talk to you about this in greater detail.

[LGen J.G.M. Lessard]

Strictly on the military side, I received directives from my superior, the Chief of the Defence Staff, to put the necessary plans in place with the various components of the Canadian Forces to cease military operations in July 2011, and for all military personnel and military equipment to be pulled out of Afghanistan by December 2011.

[Pascal-Pierre Paillé, Bloc, Louis-Hébert, QC]

We are talking about approximately 18 months. Do you think this is enough time to withdraw all the troops and get organized? You seem to believe that this would be enough time. Could there be a possible delay, since the mission is changing daily? Would it be possible, in six or eight months' time, for the situation to be such that you would have to delay the withdrawal of various components?

[Gen Walter Natynczyk]

The Canadian Forces is guided by the principles of flexibility and agility, but also by detail planning. If we have enough time, we can do what needs to be done, but there can be challenges. However, by using a number of contractors, we can do it.

[Pascal-Pierre Paillé, Bloc, Louis-Hébert, QC]

This committee studied everything surrounding post-traumatic stress disorder, services provided to the military and so on. Following the mission in 2011, the number of soldiers returning to Canada will be higher than normal. There will be perhaps faster upsets for soldiers.

With regard to your mandate, will you have to support soldiers, provide them with services in a more efficient manner, given the scope of the work that needs to be done?

[Gen Walter Natynczyk]

The mandate on services to our soldiers takes the future into consideration. We have learned a great deal, particularly over the past five years, about services that we need to provide to our soldiers not only for physical injuries, but also for psychological injuries, which are often quite complex. We have created joint care centres on each of the main bases, Petawawa, Valcartier, Halifax, Edmonton and Victoria–Vancouver. All the health care services have been grouped together, like a team, to ensure high-quality medical support. The situation is better than it was in the past, but we are learning about it every day. In terms of services to our soldiers, the mission will continue after 2011.

[Pascal-Pierre Paillé, Bloc, Louis-Hébert, QC]

If you look at the current situation in general, do you have any fears or particular concerns about the withdrawal of troops?

[Gen Walter Natynczyk]

To my mind, the only challenge remains time. For soldiers, time is always a threat.

[Pascal-Pierre Paillé, Bloc, Louis-Hébert, QC]

How much time do I have remaining?

[The Chair, Conservative, Maxime Bernier]

You have two minutes left.

[Pascal-Pierre Paillé, Bloc, Louis-Hébert, QC]

You are saying that after the withdrawal of troops in 2011, services will continue to be offered. Are you telling me that, starting in 2011, all Canadian soldiers will be pulled out of Afghanistan?

[Gen Walter Natynczyk]

Yes, that is exactly my point. Based on the mandate we have been given, a parliamentary mandate, the presence of the Canadian Forces in the province of Kandahar will end first, then the military mission will end.

[Pascal-Pierre Paillé, Bloc, Louis-Hébert, QC]

There is a difference between Kandahar and Afghanistan. Could you assure us that, in 2011, Canadian soldiers will be repatriated to Canada, and not just from Kandahar?

[Gen Walter Natynczyk]

First, it is clear that the mission in Kandahar will end for all troops and, second, it is the end of the military mission in Afghanistan. The Canadian government is talking about the missions we will undertake.

[Pascal-Pierre Paillé, Bloc, Louis-Hébert, QC]

Fine, thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Maxime Bernier]

Thank you, Mr. Paillé.

I will now give the floor to Mr. Harris.

[Jack Harris, NDP, St. John's East, NL]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Generals, for coming in response to our request to get a briefing on the situation.

First of all, General Natynczyk, I want to thank you for your forthrightness here today and also for making it very clear, providing a level of clarity we haven't had before, on the end of mission and the fact that this would happen in accordance with the interpretation, as you put forth, of the parliamentary motion.

You used the metaphor of running through the ribbon at the end of July 2011, indicating clearly that everything will be up and running until that time. However, I'm trying to envisage the period between July and the end of 2011. Can we anticipate a significant troop drawdown in August 2011? Would that happen very quickly? Obviously, with the logistics, your cohorts here have a lot of work to do to make that happen, but in terms of the troops themselves, since they will no longer be involved in an active combat role, would they move out very quickly? We see this happening all the time, troops coming home, and in the case of other forces, different brigades going in and others coming out. Is that what we will see happen in August 2011?

[Gen Walter Natynczyk]

I would say your assessment is very accurate for the detail. Again, we're just developing the plan, so we're not at the point of having a detailed schedule yet, but certainly I know that General Lessard and General McQuillan will probably share their initial assessments with you.

[LGen J.G.M. Lessard]

We're just at the initial phase of our coordinated planning. Within a parliamentary motion of ceasing operations in Kandahar in July, the overarching element right now is relief in place, a seamless relief in place between Canadian Forces troops and allied troops of whatever nation. That will dictate how fast or how slow Canadian Forces troops will return to Canada, but definitely July is when we cease operations, at the latest.

[Jack Harris, NDP, St. John's East, NL]

Can someone tell us--perhaps you, General Natynczyk--who is responsible for coordinating this relief in place? Is that something the Government of Canada would do through its allies? Or is this something at the operational level that you would be responsible for in terms of negotiating with General McChrystal or with whoever happens to be then in charge? Is that something you would do?

[Gen Walter Natynczyk]

It is at the operational level. At the operational level it's actually General Lessard, and General McQuillan's headquarters are in support of General Lessard, who is the one person responsible for Afghanistan, as he is with the Congo, the Middle East, Cyprus, Haiti. It's General Lessard who is responsible. So General Lessard would be talking to General McChrystal at the Afghanistan or the ISAF operational level and then working that with Regional Command South headquarters in terms of the troops available and when actually that rollout would occur.

Again, I'll ask General Lessard to expand on that.

[LGen J.G.M. Lessard]

After the initial discussions with the ISAF commander, General McChrystal, most of the legwork will be done with Regional Command South, which is a divisional type of headquarters situated in Kandahar airfield, and that's where the coordination will be done in terms of having Canadian Forces troops replaced by ISAF troops.