TORONTO -- Former Canadian soldiers who served in Afghanistan have been shaken by the rapid fall of the country to the Taliban, and they鈥檙e worried about what the future holds for the residents there.
Thousands of people have been trying to escape Afghanistan since Sunday when the Taliban took over the capital Kabul, wrapping up a 10-day period in which the group overtook the country, shocking many Western powers who are desperately trying to get their personnel out.
The Canadian government suspended operations at its Kabul embassy, cut diplomatic ties with Afghanistan on Sunday, and is trying to evacuate Canadian citizens and locals who helped Canada鈥檚 military. More than 40,000 Canadians served in Afghanistan and 158 were killed between 2001 and 2014.
Michael Akpata is a Canadian Armed Forces veteran who served in Kandahar in 2007. He said he thinks it was right for Canada to serve in the Afghanistan war, which began following the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks against the United States.
鈥淚 hear multiple pundits saying: 鈥榃as it worth it? Was it the right thing to do?鈥� And from my perspective, yes, it was,鈥� Akpata told CTV鈥檚 Your Morning on Tuesday.
鈥淲ho I worry about are the families of the fallen and those who have taken their lives,鈥� Akpata said in an interview from LaSalle, Ont., located about 375 kilometres southwest of Toronto.
Thousands of Canadian soldiers suffered physical and psychological wounds from the war. According to the Canadian Armed Forces, 191 veterans have taken their own lives since 2011.
鈥淏efore we were able to say we had stabilized the country and had done something,鈥� Akpata said. 鈥淲e who were there understand what we contributed.鈥�
The current situation shouldn鈥檛 鈥渄iminish the sacrifice of the young Canadians I fought with,鈥� Akpata said.
Retired Maj.-Gen. David Fraser, a former commander in Afghanistan, agreed that Canadian soldiers should feel good about their service.
鈥淭hey should be proud of what they did because they did what they were asked to do by their government,鈥� Fraser told 麻豆影视 on Monday.
鈥淭hey provided a lot of education to women, they provided hope and opportunity,鈥� Fraser said. 鈥淲e could not win the war, but we bought time for the Afghans to try and find a peace solution."
Both Fraser and Akpata said they鈥檙e concerned for the Afghan residents and that they hope the Canadian government is able to get Canadians and those who helped the military out.
They鈥檙e also worried about the people in Afghanistan and hope that there will be peace in the country.
鈥淚t鈥檚 the average Afghan who suffers the most because of the politics between the Taliban and the Afghan government,鈥� Fraser said.
鈥淢y hope is that the people can live there in peace,鈥� Akpata said.
Retired Lt.-Gen Andrew Leslie, who also served in Afghanistan, said the Taliban is a loose coalition of tribal groups bound by ideology and he doesn鈥檛 believe they鈥檝e changed.
鈥淪o the future, tragically, is grim,鈥� Leslie told 麻豆影视 on Tuesday.
鈥淲here we are now is failure,鈥� he said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 no doubt about it. Will there be a lasting echo of the good work done over the last 20 years鈥� Yes, but it will diminish quickly.鈥�
He鈥檚 also concerned about the Taliban鈥檚 current actions in allowing people to try to leave Afghanistan.
鈥淭he Taliban are actually doing something smart from their point of view,鈥� Leslie said.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e encouraging those who wish to flee to rush to the airport, which makes them easier to identify should they not get on board an aircraft. They鈥檙e encouraging international coalition forces to pick up their troops and technicians because to do otherwise 鈥� to execute them in the streets, might have retribution from the sky.
鈥淯nfortunately we have no choice but to play along because we have to get our people out and the people who worked so hard to help the Canadian soldiers when they were in Afghanistan for that length of time 鈥� the translators, the drivers, the cooks and the security guards who tragically probably won鈥檛 make it.鈥�
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has condemned the violence in Afghanistan and said the country is trying to evacuate people as soon as possible. Canada is also committed to bringing in 20,000 refugees from the country.
Meanwhile, U.S. President Joe Biden is defending his decision to withdraw U.S. forces from Afghanistan saying that American forces shouldn鈥檛 be fighting a war that Afghan forces aren鈥檛 willing to fight. He announced the move in April and said the troops would be gone by Sept. 11, the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks that spurred U.S. action in the country.
