30 May 2011
Kandahar, Afghanistan
Prime Minister Stephen Harper today confirmed that up to 950 military Canadian Armed Forces trainers and support personnel will be deployed to Afghanistan to take part in Operation ATTENTION, the Canadian component of the NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan.
"Well-trained, well-led and well-equipped Afghanistan Security Forces are an essential part of the Afghan government assuming full responsibility for national and provincial security and enabling governance and development," said Prime Minister Harper. "Canadians have been an integral part of the training of Afghanistan Security Forces for five years and we intend to continue this important work."
By addressing existing gaps in leadership, literacy development and medical, army, and police training, the mission supports the long-term objective of helping to build a more secure, stable and self-sufficient Afghanistan. Although Canadian Forces personnel will be centered in the Kabul area, they will also fill critical gaps in two key satellite locations at Mazar-e-Sharif and Herat, meeting critical command and training requirements within the NATO mission. It is vital for Canada and its allies to ensure that Afghanistan becomes sufficiently secure to ensure that it will not be a base for international terrorism.
Operation ATTENTION supports the Afghan government and international community's objective of transferring responsibility for Afghan security to Afghans by 2014 and Canada's military will continue the training mission until March of that year.
Also, to strengthen institutional capacity and support anti-corruption efforts, Canada will work to provide mentoring and civilian policing skills to the Ministry of the Interior and Afghan National Police by deploying up to 45 members of civilian police forces to the region as part of Canada's overall engagement in Afghanistan.
For additional information on the Government of Canada's new role in Afghanistan visit:
http://www.afghanistan.gc.ca/canada-afghanistan/2011-2014.aspx?lang=en
For additional information on the Canadian Forces Training Mission-Afghanistan visit:
http://www.cefcom.forces.gc.ca/pa-ap/ops/attention/index-eng.asp
