Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I want to thank the witnesses for joining us this morning. My first question is for Colonel Simonds.
The main focus of the military mission to Afghanistan is Kandahar province. I have often read in the newspapers that this is the most volatile region of the country and a region where our soldiers are most at risk of being attacked by the enemy or even of being killed.
How was it decided that Canada would occupy the Kandahar region instead of another area? Did Canada decide to go into this region on its own, or were our troops sent there by NATO? How did the decision come about?