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NOTE: The following transcript is presented in the language(s) in which it occurred. There is no translation available. We are providing the transcript for your information.
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The Hon. Gordon O’Connor: Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen. It’s with great sadness that I stand before you today to advise that four of our brave and selfless soldiers fell today in Afghanistan.
I’ve personally seen firsthand the work that our soldiers take on in Afghanistan day after day and the impact they are making on this beleaguered country. We will not abandon the Afghan people and terrorists will not thrive. On behalf of the government of Canada and as Minister of National Defence, I’m proud to know that the people of their character and courage exist and to extend to their families and friends the sympathy and humble thanks of an appreciative country. They will not be forgotten.
I want to tell you that I’m proud of their contribution and efforts as they put themselves on the line to defend our national interests, to protect Canada and the world from terror and help the people of Afghanistan rebuild their country.
Au nom du Canada et à titre de ministre de la Défense nationale, je suis fier de savoir qu’il existe des gens ayant le caractère et le courage et je remercie les familles et les amis des soldats et je leur adresse mes plus sincères condoléances. Nous n’oublierons pas leur courage, leur engagement et leur sacrifice. Je vous, je veux vous dire que je suis fier de leur contribution et des efforts qu’ils ont déployés au risque de leur vie pour défendre nos intérêts nationaux, protéger le Canada et le monde contre le terrorisme, venir en aide au peuple Afghan dans la reconstruction de leur pays.
They, like their colleagues, demonstrated Canada’s values in their very actions and their work made the difference to the Afghan people. We are truly blessed to live in a free and democratic country. Our wonderful nation of Canada is a great place but Canada is not an island.
Ce qui se produit dans des endroits comme Afghanistan nous menace et nous affecte tous.
Our military diplomatic development and police contribution to this international effort is important and these brave soldiers did not die in vain. They will be remembered. I will now ask the Chief of Defence Staff to speak on these unfortunate events.
General Rick Hillier: Minister, thank you. Ladies and gentlemen, mesdames et messieurs. Premièrement, merci beaucoup pour l’occasion de vous parler, de vous dire quelques mots concernant les événements d’aujourd’hui en Afghanistan. Je pense pas avoir plus d’information à vous donner malheureusement parce que vous avez déjà la plupart de l’information disponible.
C’est sans doute une journée difficile. Nous avons, suite à l’attaque au sud de l’Afghanistan perdu quatre membres de notre famille des forces canadiennes. Quatre jeunes canadiens incroyables, quatre soldats qui portaient l’uniforme du Canada et la feuille d’érable sur les épaules et qui croyaient en leur travail et leurs efforts. Mais nous comprenons cette après-midi que la peine est considérable. Et même si c’est une journée difficile pour nous, nous savons très bien que c’est encore plus difficile pour les proches parents et leurs familles qui ont perdu leurs fils, maris et frères. Nos pensées et nos prières accompagnent les familles de Corporal Matt Dinning, Bombardier Myles Mansell, Lieutenant Bill Turner et Corporal Randy Payne.
It is without doubt an incredibly difficult day today. With this attack in southern Afghanistan, we have lost four members of our family, this very close family of the Canadian Forces, four incredible young Canadians, four soldiers, each of whom had found a niche with us, each of whom had found a way to be a part of something greater than themselves as individuals and we lost four good men who loved what they were doing. They were in fact saying just that, that they loved what they were doing just yesterday in the vicinity of the Gumbad platoon house, about 75 kilometres north-north-east of Kandahar.
I had the opportunity this morning to speak with Brigadier General Dave Fraser, our commander in Kandahar and discussed with him this loss. And obviously every man and woman who is part of our contingent in Afghanistan is shaken but their resolve is not. In their great mission to help those in that country who so desperately need help, they will carry on supported by us here in Canada, supported by our close friends and allies who are with us on the ground and both supported and appreciated by the Afghans who they are there to help.
Just over a month ago, I was in that same platoon house and participated in meetings in that region with local leaders. Dave Fraser did the same just yesterday. And what was clear to both of us is that the work of those men and women who wear our uniforms in Afghanistan is appreciated and is having the effect that we want.
The mixed vehicle convoy that was attacked in the region was attached by an improvised explosive device of considerable explosive power. The area has been secured. An investigation to determine exactly what were the means of attack is ongoing and any lessons that we get from that will help us do everything that we possibly can to reduce the risk for the future. The combination in that convoy of vehicles, tactics, techniques, procedures, route selections, drills and responses were professional and superb, allowing the risk to be reduced significantly.
But as we learned yet again today, we cannot reduce the risk to zero when somebody who wants to work every day to stop progress is willing to continue to try and kill you as part of what they want to do.
Notre convoi a été attaqué et nos soldats ont été tués par une explosion considérable aujourd’hui et sans doute, dans ce convoi, la combinaison de véhicules blindés, des techniques et tactiques et la sélection de la route était la meilleure pour réduire les risques de façon significative. Et malheureusement, il est impossible d’éliminer totalement les risques dans cet environnement. Même que les hommes et femmes des forces canadiennes sont parmi les soldats les mieux entraînés, expérimentés, équipés et commandés en Afghanistan, il est impossible d’éliminer totalement les risques.
Ladies and gentlemen, again our thoughts and our prayers are with the families in this, the most terrible day of their lives. We know that their hearts are bursting with grief but they will also, and we know this, will be bursting with pride. We will return the bodies of those great young Canadians to Canada with dignity and we expect that they will be home for the final time on Tuesday evening. We will support the families as they grieve and we will grieve with them and we will assist them and say farewell with respect.
Thank you. Je vous remercie.
Moderator: We will now start with questions from the floor. There are microphones on each side of the room and we’ll alternate between the two. Please identify yourself as well as your news agencies and please limit yourself to one question and to one follow-up.
Nous allons maintenant répondre à vos questions. Il y a un microphone de chaque côté de la salle et nous alternerons entre les deux. S’il vous plaît vous identifier et vos agences. Veuillez vous limiter à une question principale et une question complémentaire.
Kathleen?
Question: Kathleen Harris, Sun Media. General Hillier, this particular type of vehicle, the G-Wagon, is it a safe enough vehicle for this mission and is it possible that these lives could have been saved if they had been in a more heavily armoured vehicle?
General Rick Hillier: First of all, let me say the G-Wagon, armoured G-Wagon is a very good vehicle and we have Canadian soldiers alive today who would not be without the vehicle and the protection that it offers, without question. And in fact, yesterday I spoke to one of them, Master Corporal Franklin, of course, who is recovering back in Edmonton, Alberta himself. But you heard what I said. The explosion today was of considerable power. What exactly caused that explosion we’re in the process of determining and we will determine, but it was huge. I’ve seen a picture of the crater. It was deep. It was significant.
In short, any armoured vehicle can be defeated if you pile enough explosive into one location and, and manage to detonate it at the appropriate and specific point in time here. The G-Wagon is a good vehicle. We have a whole combination of armoured vehicles in Afghanistan to equip those soldiers and those men and women for every single mission. Our commanders judge the use of those vehicles based on the mission and the threat and we believe all that judgement was done today. But as I said, a) you cannot reduce the risk to zero, and b) if you put enough explosives, you can defeat any armoured fighting vehicle in the world.
Question: Minister O’Connor, are you concerned, you talked about the, the troops, the morale of the troops not being affected by this, but what about Canadians? Are you concerned that as Canadians hear about these kinds of deaths, that their support will wane for this mission?
The Hon. Gordon O’Connor: Not in the least. We’re in, we’re in Afghanistan because of our national interests and the Afghanis need us and we’re doing very good work to try and improve that country, and we’re not going to let the terrorists win. And I believe Canadians understand that and they’re behind the Armed Forces and they’re behind this mission.
Question: Hi, (inaudible) with the Toronto Star. Just a question to the Minister. It had been the practice of the previous government to lower the flag over the Peace Tower and government buildings and, and I know that seems to have changed. I’m just wondering if you’d explain, sir, just, just what’s different?
The Hon. Gordon O’Connor: Well, very briefly, we have returned to the 80-year tradition of remembering all casualties of war or operations on one day, November 11th. And so we’ve just returned to a tradition for a few years, the previous government, well, about two years, the previous government was inconsistent. We’ve gone back to the previous tradition. Within the Defence Department, we are following our policies and you’ll at appropriate places the flags are at half mast.
Question: (Inaudible) the General. There, Gumbad has been sort of the scene of some insurgency that you’ve been, seem to have been able to tackle in Kandahar. Do you see Canadians moving more in force up to that, that region than they have been?
General Rick Hillier: Bruce, I would leave that to the commander on the ground to determine and he’ll take the appropriate steps in conjunction with all his subordinate commanders who will offer him the advice. The work they’re doing on the ground with the Afghan, of course, who live in that area. But we’re in that region for a very good reason. It has not had a significant military force from either the coalition or international military forces prior to this. We’re there because the Afghans locally have told us they need us there and we’re there because the Taliban really did, I won’t say run freely through that area, but certainly moved through it unconstrained and now, they’re facing some significant challenges which in part, unfortunately, has led to the attack today, without question.
We’re going to be in that area. The commander has said he’s going, that’s why he established the platoon house and he’s going to stay there and he’ll reinforce it, surge into it and out of it, depending on the situation and what he wants to accomplish at specific times. But we’ll be there as part of that mission in that small region around Gumbad, now Shah Wali Kot is the area for a significant period of time, without question. The locals are absolutely ecstatic and I got this from them myself when I was there, as Dave Fraser did yesterday, that we are there. And things are actually changing on the ground and in fact, that was what Dave Fraser and I discussed this morning.
Question: Terry Bidwell with Canadian Press and Broadcast News. My first question is for General Hillier. I’m just wondering, because of the nature of this attack, if, you say the troops on the ground have to get to certain areas. I’m just wondering if, if they will be changing or considering changing the way they get to those areas?
General Rick Hillier: I’m sorry, your first name was, I apologize?
Question: Terry.
General Rick Hillier: Terry. Absolutely. What we do every single day, every single event, is learn from it. And so our tactics and techniques and procedures and drills and skills. We reassess every single hour of every single day. How we go into an area, which routes we use, whether we’re predictable or not, whether we’re actually using ground routes or aviation or a whole variety or a combination of factors, whether we move at night, whether we move at day, whether we move in different size packets. We do it every, every single hour of every day to again help reduce the risk and of course, help us be, help us reduce the risk to the soldiers but help us be successful in our mission. We’ll do that as a part of this, this attack today and the lessons are already starting to come out and they’re focused in theatre and we’ll get to hear about them as soon as they can articulate that for us.
Question: And my supplementary for the Minister. More of a political question. I’m just wondering, I’m assuming you’ll expect in the next few days calls from some people to say that we shouldn’t be there in the first place, as you’ve heard those calls in recent weeks. I’m just wondering if you think or are concerned that this, this attack and these deaths may slow the process of the government now going back to the House, slow the process of getting through the government’s agenda?
The Hon. Gordon O’Connor: I don’t think so. I don’t think it has any effect on the government’s agenda at all. The five priorities of the government will go through this spring. I think we’re going through the Throne speech now and we’ll have a budget soon and the budget will also reinforce those five priorities. It’s quite a separate matter what you’re talking about here now about Afghanistan, and I doubt very much this unfortunate incident today or some of the previous incidents will deter Canadian support for Afghanistan.
As I said before, it’s in our national interest. If we don’t deal with state that have harboured or potentially harbour international terrorists, then we’re inviting them to our shores. We’ve got to be part of the world and we’ve got to take a leadership role in the world to defeat these terrorists.
Question: Lina Dib, TVA. Pour vous général, je sais vous avez un peu répondu à ça en anglais, mais si vous pouviez me redire en français pour quelle raison vous ne remettez pas en question l’utilisation de ce véhicule-là, le, le G-Wagon, le Jeep?
Général Rick Hillier: On a beaucoup de véhicules blindés utilisés en Afghanistan, et chaque véhicule avec les autres, peut, peuvent utiliser, peuvent être utilisés dépendant sur la mission. Et c’est la responsabilité des commandants sur le terrain de prendre des décisions comme ça. On a utilisé avec ce convoi, LAVIII, Bison et (inaudible) G-Wagon et c’était le correct mixture pour cette mission. Et malheureusement, comme je vous ai dit, on n’a pas éliminé totalement le risque dans cet environnement. Et n’importe quel véhicule blindé peut utiliser ces explosifs de le tuer si on est, on a la bonne chance, si vous êtes ennemi malheureusement.
Question: Et, et dans cette attaque-là, est-ce que vous, vous visez un changement dans, dans la campagne des Talibans contre les forces? Est-ce que vous, est-ce que c’est une escalade ou est-ce que c’est quelque chose qui ressemble à tout ce qui s’est passé jusqu’à maintenant, simplement que cette fois-ci, il y a eu quatre morts?
Général Rick Hillier: Vraiment, c’est une continuation de l’opération dans cette région-là. Comme je vous ai dit avant, les commandants vont apprendre des leçons de cet incident, de cet événement et changent les tactiques, les procédures pour avoir plus de succès et réduire encore pas à zéro malheureusement, le risque.
Question: Brian Lilley with CRFB Toronto, CJAD Montreal. Minister, you said that you expect that Canadians will continue to support the mission because it’s in our national interest. But I’m wondering what you will say to your political opponents, both elected and political groups that are unelected, that will use these events to again question the message or question the mission and say that we should be pulling out or we should refocus to somewhere like Darfur or just give up on Afghanistan?
The Hon. Gordon O’Connor: Well, there’s always, I mean, we live in a democracy and we have different groups with different opinions. Our government has said that we will stay the course, we will see this mission through in Afghanistan. We will support our troops and we will support the Afghanis. And I don’t think we’re going to be deterred from our course.
Question: Thanks. General, for yourself, you say that it will strengthen the resolve of the, the troops on the ground, but what about recruits? I know you’re in a massive recruitment drive. Does all this activity and these casualties impact your ability to get new members which you say the forces so desperately need?
General Rick Hillier: In fact no, I do not believe that would impact negatively our, our ability to attract and then recruit great young Canadians into the Canadian Forces. They know, they understand that what we are doing around the world, continentally over here in Canada, domestically, is something that’s greater than us as individuals. It’s a great thing from the satisfaction with (inaudible) we’re expected to be a part of and, and yes there are some risks. But anything in life that’s worthwhile carries some risk with it and we believe that Canadians do want to be part of the Canadian Forces, do want to support us and we know given our right approach on the recruiting and attraction side and letting us letting young Canadians, Canadians of all ages, first of all, know about us and what great young men and women we have including those four great Canadians that I’ve talked of earlier today, they will want to be a part of this.
Moderator: Ladies and gentlemen, we now have time for two remaining questions. Nous avons le temps pour deux dernières questions.
Question: I’ll keep it short then. General, I believe, Ben O’Hara from Global National, I believe one of the gentlemen was a reservist. I don’t know whether many Canadians know how the force overseas is made up. But can you tell me a little bit about the reservists, what they’re doing and what kind of (inaudible)?
General Rick Hillier: In fact, two of the gentlemen were reservists, to start with. But you know something, the reality is on missions, as we prepare and train soldiers and sailors and the airmen and airwomen and go off and do the job, that is, that is not visible, you cannot see the difference. They are incredible young Canadians, as I said. They wear our uniform. They wear that maple leaf on their shoulder, they do the jobs that they have to do and that they are trained for. And we believe that we have the training and preparation and the equipping and the commanding, with guys like Brigadier General David Fraser and Lieutenant Colonel Ian (inaudible) in theatre to be the best in the world in that theatre of operations. And so reservists or regular force, it doesn’t matter. We have a significant number of reservists in Afghanistan, as we do on all of our missions. Habitually, anywhere up to 20% of a mission would be consisting of reservists. We use them all the time, every job that we do in Canada or outside.
Question: And for the Minister, there’s one comment you made in your statement about, about staying the course so that their sacrifices aren’t in vain. When will we arrive to a point where their sacrifices will be considered to have been something worthwhile?
The Hon. Gordon O’Connor: There is a process at the international level where, I’ll get it down to sort of a sentence. Our goal in Afghanistan is to build up the security forces, the police and the army so that they can take over their own responsibilities. We’re also trying to help restore the economy and governance. And I think you’ll start to see, if you actually look at what’s going on in Afghanistan, I think there’s about 38 provinces, one or two provinces have already been handed over to the Afghans to look after from their own security point of view.
I think our function, and right now we’re concentrated in the Kandahar province, and as the British come in in numbers, they’re flowing in now and as the Dutch start flowing in, they’ll take over other provinces and we’ll be able to concentrate in the Kandahar province and be able to put all our efforts there to try to improve the security and, and the sort of life of the people there. And at that time, then we’ll start looking at whether we pull out or not.
Moderator: Ladies and gentlemen, last question.
Question: Beatrice (inaudible), Sun Television, (inaudible) channel. What do you say to the troops that are training right now in Alberta that will be deployed in August? What do you say to them as they see their colleagues come back in body bags?
General Rick Hillier: Well since they are my constituency, I say to them what you do is the most important job that our country needs done. There’s no greater way to serve your country, public service if you will, than being a part of the Canadian Forces and in this case, being part of this mission which our country has asked us to do. You are bringing help to those who desperately need help, who have been beaten and brutalized by 25 years of violence and have lost almost everything. Two million dead, six or seven million people driven outside of the countries. Families, communities, provinces and a country shattered.
They get a chance to actually be a little light at the end of the tunnel that folks in Afghanistan can look at and see that maybe tomorrow, next week, next month, next year, but certainly 10 years from now, life can be a little bit better, but for their children a lot better. Those young men and women getting ready to go on to the next rotation in July and August believe that. They believe that they can make a significant difference. They believe in the role that they have to play. This is what they signed up to do and they are incredibly proud and determined to go and do it.
Moderator: Ladies and gentlemen, thank you very much. That concludes today’s conference. C’est la fin de notre séance aujourd’hui. Merci.
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