Bloc Québécois calls for inquiry into military operation to rescue Afghan Sikhs

July 2, 2024 TruthUSA

Bloc Québécois MPs are urging the federal government to conduct an investigation into an attempted rescue mission of Afghan Sikhs during the fall of Kabul, initiated at the request of then-Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan.

“As the situation was critical in August 2021 … the thought the minister of Defence would have wilfully decided to abandon Canadians or Afghans having helped Canada to prioritize other religious or ethnic groups is revolting,” wrote Bloc MPs Christine Normandin and Stéphane Bergeron in a June 28 letter.

The letter requesting an investigation is directed towards Defence Minister Bill Blair and Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly.

It was prompted by a story from The Globe and Mail published a day earlier based on anonymous military sources, suggesting resources were redirected to assist individuals unrelated to Canada, instead of Canadians or allies.

Mr. Sajjan, currently responsible for emergency preparedness, disputed The Globe’s portrayal of the situation during a press briefing on June 27.

The minister emphasized that it was government policy to rescue vulnerable Afghans, irrespective of their religious or ethnic backgrounds, such as Sikhs and Hindus. Mr. Sajjan added, “I didn’t think I’d be getting those questions if I wasn’t wearing a turban.”

The rescue operation aimed to evacuate approximately 225 Afghan Sikhs, as reported by the Globe. Mr. Sajjan stated he facilitated communication between an NGO and the military to locate and rescue them.

“I provided guidance to the Canadian Armed Forces, through proper channels, to assist the group of Afghan Sikhs eligible for evacuation from Kabul through the IRCC process,” Mr. Sajjan said in a statement.

Chief of the Defence Staff General Wayne Eyre stated that the military followed “legal directives and the groups listed were approved, prompting immediate action.”

The Canadian government announced on August 13, 2021, an expansion of its resettlement program to prioritize vulnerable groups, including religious minorities.

Extraction

After the capture of Kabul, the Canadian government Gen. Eyre informed the House of Commons Afghanistan committee in May 2022 that some Afghans not on IRCC or Global Affairs Canada’s list were evacuated by the military.

He mentioned that ground personnel sometimes decided to evacuate Afghans not on the list because they belonged to vulnerable communities or had clear ties to Canada.

Out of the 3,700 individuals evacuated, around 2,000 were Afghan nationals. Meanwhile, approximately 1,250 Canadian citizens and permanent residents plus family members were left behind, as then-Foreign Affairs Minister Marc Garneau reported at the time.

The Bloc MPs requesting an investigation warned that if Ministers Blair and Joly do not act, alternative measures will be pursued to unveil the events, such as advocating for a House committee inquiry.

“Whether the minister authorized the evacuation operation or communication issues led to it, steps must be taken to prevent such incidents from recurring,” wrote Ms. Normandin and Mr. Bergeron.

Other opposition parties have not shared their stance on the matter yet.

When asked for comments on June 27, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh did not directly address the report, focusing instead on criticizing the broader Canadian evacuation efforts, labeling it a “failure.”

Tory defence critic MP James Bezan also criticized the government’s evacuation handling, indicating that Conservatives would consider a House committee motion for further investigation if presented.

The Canadian Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

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