Châteauguay, QC - October 17, 2007
Good evening,
I am very pleased to be here in picturesque Chateauguay.
But this region is more than just picturesque. It has a proud military history of a people standing up to defend all they hold dear.
I’m talking about the Battle of Chateauguay, fought almost 200 years ago this week. Some 700 French Canadians and 150 Mohawks joined forces to fight invaders intent on capturing Montreal.
Though they were about one-fifth the size of the invading force, the brave men from this area successfully held off the enemy.
Their courage and determination won the battle. And that same perseverance has been passed on through generations.
The Canadian Forces in Afghanistan are showing that same unwavering spirit, standing up for what they believe.
I want to talk to you about Canada’s participation in this multilateral mission in Afghanistan: why like-minded countries are there, our goals, our successes, and the challenges we face.
Ladies and Gentlemen, as you know, this Government encourages healthy debate on our involvement in Afghanistan.
The Prime Minister has stated his full intention to ask Parliament to vote on Canada’s future role in this UN-mandated NATO mission.
He has named a panel of eminent Canadians to look at question of Afghanistan to advise him and to give Parliament its thoughts.
Let’s talk about this mission – its goals and the international community’s ability to achieve stated objectives.
The Hard Questions
First, why did we go there? Why did we get involved?
Canada is in Afghanistan shouldering its share of an international undertaking and it’s there protecting Canadian interests.
After the catastrophic events of September 11th, the Government of the day deployed Canadian Forces to Afghanistan. My colleagues and I wholeheartedly supported that decision.
A stable and democratic Afghanistan strengthens international security – and by extension, Canada’s security.
The Canadian Forces are playing one part in an effort to provide security, stability, development and humanitarian assistance to a people who have suffered from oppression and war for too long.
Our troops are part of a NATO-led and UN-mandated mission, working alongside the militaries of 36 other nations.
Canada has made a commitment to…
… the international community
… the Afghan government
… and the Afghan people.
And we’ve made that commitment based on what we as Canadians hold dear.
Freedom.
Democracy.
Rule of law.
Respect for basic human rights.
We are supporting women who, under the Taliban regime, were forbidden to go to school, to work or to vote.
Their voices were silenced, and to drive home that point, they were beaten for unimaginable things, such as for wearing shoes that made noise on the pavement as they walked.
We are building a future for children, so that they can all be educated, have access to medical care, and have the freedom to grow up in a climate of security and hope rather than in fear.
And we and our partners are doing this at the invitation of the democratically elected Afghan government.
The Afghan people have asked us to help them realize their hopes, to help them make something better for themselves.
Success
So, what are our goals?
This Government has always been clear as to what success means in Afghanistan:
Stabilization of the country;
The establishment of capable Afghan security forces under the legitimate control of the government of Afghanistan;
Create conditions under which governance and development can occur.
Are we nearing these goals?
Yes.
And, unfortunately, in a nation crippled by decades of conflict, progress in one area may escape notice because much remains to be done.
But viewed with a patient eye, progress can be seen.
I have been to Afghanistan and I have seen it in the eyes of Afghan children who have a future because of our efforts.
We are advancing towards our goals, one step at a time.
And the first step is security.
The experience of a Canadian doctor, who just returned from Afghanistan, emphasizes the importance of security.
He tells of waiting to give a lecture to a group of Afghans and being annoyed when he was kept waiting.
But when the group finally arrived, he learned one of the Afghan doctors and his brother had been murdered by the Taliban on the way to the lecture.
Being the courageous and determined people that they are, they persevered and made it to the lecture.
My point is that the Taliban are targeting doctors, they are targeting progress.
They are burning schools.
They are working to destroy any sign of developmental progress.
That is why we can’t just flood the country with developmental assistance and hope for the best.
In 2002, our first rotation of troops faced a very different Kandahar from what exists today.
Security was tenuous, scant reconstruction was underway as the Canadian Provincial Reconstruction Team was in the middle of setting up.
There wasn’t an effective Afghan National Army to work along side Canadian Forces.
The job was daunting, but our men and women in uniform pressed on with courage and determination.
And they got results.
By late 2006, the third rotation of troops in Kandahar were benefiting from a developing Afghan National Army that is beginning now to successfully plan and conduct their own military operations.
Canada established a mentoring system, allowing our soldiers to share their training and experience with their Afghan counterparts.
Today we have five mentoring projects and soon there will be six.
It has helped the Afghan National Army grow from an initial 30 to 40 trainees to over 2,000 soldiers in three infantry battalions – all benefiting from Canadian know how and experience.
The Afghans are no longer restricted to supporting operations. They are increasingly taking an active role and even leading operations.
The progress has been steady and it has been measurable.
Canada understands that there are real risks involved in helping the Afghan people achieve these gains. Without a doubt, we will continue to stand by our brave Canadian soldiers and our fallen heroes.
We believe that each and every soldier serving in Afghanistan is leaving a proud legacy, and we honour their commitment.
The achievement of the UN and NATO goals in Afghanistan are within our reach if we honour their legacy and maintain our commitment.
Security enables good governance and development, and good governance and development reinforce security.
The three are indivisible.
The Canadian Forces are fighting with other countries in Afghanistan to allow for permanent and self-sustaining development.
We are seeing developmental progress that reinforces our security successes.
Here again, the military is just one part of a team working in Afghanistan.
The Canadian Forces and their counterparts from the Department of Foreign Affairs, CIDA, Correctional Service Canada, the RCMP and civilian police forces, are working alongside colleagues from 60 other nations to help re-build Afghanistan.
I’d like to focus on children for a moment. Forty per cent of the Afghan population are children – and kids are truly the best chance for the future of Afghanistan.
With infant and maternal mortality rates among the worst in the world six years ago, more than one in ten children died at birth and a woman died in childbirth every 30 minutes.
One in five children died before the age of five, mostly from preventable diseases.
Shockingly, one in eight died simply because they didn’t have access to clean drinking water.
Over the last six years, Canadians, our international partners and Afghans themselves have changed things.
Listen to this figure: More than 80 per cent of Afghans have access to basic health care today. Before Canada and the international community began working there, it was less than 9 per cent. That is progress by any measure.
We can be proud of having contributed to 40,000 fewer children dying at birth this year than during the Taliban’s rule.
Afghan children have access to critical vaccines.
Last month, the UN held a three-day polio vaccine blitz. They administered oral vaccinations in parts of Southern and Eastern Afghanistan previously too dangerous for them to enter.
And Canada and its international partners have brought clean drinking water to Afghans throughout the country.
In Kandahar, one of Afghanistan’s most volatile regions, Canada has helped Afghans dig over 1,200 wells, build over 150 km of irrigation canals and systems, and install 500 culverts.
Canada and its international partners have worked to establish 4,000 community-based schools and trained 9,000 teachers.
Since 2001, over 6 million children -- 1/3 of them girls -- have been enrolled in school.
Afghan children have a future because of our investment.
Young people with a stake in their future are much harder to recruit into the ranks of extremists’ forces.
And as with security, the responsibility for reconstruction lies with the Afghan people themselves.
Throughout Afghanistan, over 17,500 Community Development Councils have been elected -- over 500 of them in Kandahar province. These councils determine what reconstruction efforts should go ahead in their villages.
These are grassroots organizations composed of and elected by local Afghans.
The international community provides money for Afghan-inspired projects and Afghans do the work, taking ownership of their successes.
That is step-by-step progress.
Our ambassador and diplomatic staff meet regularly with the Afghan government and international representatives.
Canadians are advising on such key issues as effective governance and the protection of human rights.
Canada is supporting the Afghan government with a 15-member Strategic Advisory Team in Kabul, composed of military and civilian officials from DND and CIDA.
It provides planning support to Afghan government ministries in an effort to meet the goals of the Afghan national development strategy.
Still, there is much more left to do – in security, in governance, and in reconstruction.
Challenges still exist.
And in facing those challenges, Canada expects other countries to contribute more to this effort.
The Secretary General of NATO has said repeatedly: this is a critical, no-fail mission for the Alliance.
Building on ongoing efforts, my Cabinet colleagues and I have been meeting with our international counterparts over the past couple of weeks.
We’ve been encouraging other NATO Allies to bring more resources to bear.
And we are expecting our friends and allies to step up, and to fulfil their responsibilities as Canada and many other Allies — Britain, the United States, Australia among others — are doing.
We are urging other nations to share the burden more evenly, especially in the south.
Canada’s willingness to be involved has given us a voice and influence in global affairs because, as the Prime Minister has stated, we are leading, not by lecturing, but by example.
Ladies and Gentlemen, a lot rests on our actions — and our decisions — in the coming months.
Afghans and our NATO Allies are asking for a continued Canadian presence in Afghanistan because our troops have shown unsurpassed skill and excellence.
The Canadian Forces have been central to the advances achieved in the Kandahar region over the last three years.
Our work in Afghanistan means that life is unquestionably better for the Afghan people, and that terrorists will no longer use Afghanistan as a safe haven.
When Prime Minister Harper brings the future of the mission to Parliament for debate, MPs will have to decide what kind of friend and ally Canada wants to be and what influence we want globally.
Can we let insurgents achieve their goals of chaos and destruction? Can we let the Taliban return to rule in any part of Afghanistan? Can we take that chance?
The question I have long struggled with is where the opposition stands on this issue of ensuring that the Taliban will never return to rule in Afghanistan.
In 2005, the Liberals supported Canada’s engagement in Kandahar, but they don’t support our engagement in 2009.
However, what we face is the Taliban still working to generate doubt and fear.
They would like nothing better than Canada and other NATO countries to withdraw from Afghanistan.
They know that the Canadian court of public opinion has tremendous influence.
They are very aware of our domestic discussions on this issue, and they will try to exploit our debate for military gain.
They can’t beat us on the battlefield. That is the only way this cunning adversary can win.
This is the enemy that our brave men and women in uniform face.
Ladies and Gentlemen, there is no doubt that we’re asking our men and women in uniform to carry out a difficult job.
Canadians need to understand that this Government has worked hard to support them — to ensure they have what it takes to do their jobs effectively.
Are they well-equipped to attend to the task at hand?
Absolutely.
Since taking office, our Government has made it a priority to get the Canadian Forces the essential equipment required for their jobs.
We have dedicated ourselves to rebuilding and revitalizing the Forces.
We’ve announced a series of capital acquisition projects to strengthen the overall capability of the military:
the C-17 strategic lift aircraft;
tactical lift aircraft;
medium-to-heavy lift helicopters;
cargo trucks;
multi-role joint support ships; and,
Arctic/offshore patrol ships.
And we’ve been responsive to the immediate needs of those deployed to Afghanistan.
Conclusion
As they did at Amiens, at Ortona, at Kapyong, in the Medak Pocket — as they did at the Battle of Chateauguay, 194 years ago — Canadians have always bravely answered and faced the challenges before them.
We’ve proven over and over that we have it in us to stand up for what we believe in.
Right now – 52% of Canadian Forces’ units in Afghanistan hail from units based here in “la belle province.”
Quebeckers are making a difference in the world.
And as we’ve seen in so many ways — bumper stickers, letter-writing campaigns, parades and rallies — our military has the support of Canadians.
Ladies and Gentlemen, I’m proud of the commitment Canada has made to Afghanistan.
Canada has stepped up and is taking a leadership role.
And, the international community is watching us as we go through some critical decision-making.
Canada is fully committed to the mission until February 2009.
The decision on what we do after that lies with my colleagues in the House of Commons.
Tonight, I hope I have helped you answer some of the hard questions.
I’m proud of the example Canada has set for other nations.
I’m proud that our contribution has helped make Canada a leader in the world.
Mostly I’m proud of the work of our people in uniform – committed individuals who are making a huge difference in the lives and the future of an entire nation.
Thank you.
