Internal records on the flight of Canada’s last ambassador to Afghanistan will not be disclosed to the public, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs. Staff cited the “sensitive nature” of evidence detailing why Ambassador Reid Sirrs fled Kabul aboard a half empty plane, leaving behind thousands of Canadian citizens and Afghan allies..“Most of the Government of Canada departments and agencies engaged in the response to the crisis in Afghanistan have undertaken various internal reviews and lessons learned exercises over the course of the past year,” the department wrote in a submission to the Commons Special Committee on Afghanistan..“The sensitive nature of some Government of Canada operations prohibits these reviews from being shared publicly at this time,” wrote staff. The department flatly rejected a request from MPs to explain why Ambassador Sirrs abruptly closed the Canadian embassy and fled Kabul as the city fell to the Taliban on August 15, 2021..According to Blacklock's Reporter, the committee in a June 9 report expressed puzzlement over the Ambassador’s conduct. “The risks were known,” wrote MPs. “A more proactive approach was warranted.”.Ex-military testified they were embarrassed by Sirrs’ flight at a time when 1,250 Canadian citizens and thousands of Afghan allies were desperate for help. “We were the first embassy to depart,” Major-General (Ret’d) Dean Milner, the last Canadian combat commander in the region, testified February 14. “That was very embarrassing for a lot of us on the ground.”.“There could have been a lot more people evacuated out of Afghanistan before Kandahar fell and before Kabul fell,” Major-General (Ret’d) David Fraser testified February 14. “This is on the shoulders of Canadians and I don’t just mean the military. We could have actually done more.”.Ambassador Sirrs commandeered one of only two Canadian military aircraft to flee the city. Sirrs returned home to Ottawa, declined all press interviews and was reassigned last Christmas Eve as ambassador to Argentina. In his only committee appearance last March 11 Sirrs recounted his flight from Kabul..“It was a very chaotic day,” said Sirrs. “We could hear explosions. We could see fires all over the city. When we came into the military side of the airport itself it was very obvious the city was coming under siege.”.“It looked like the whole airport was going to be overrun,” said Sirrs, adding it “just seemed to be far too dangerous for us to stay put.” Sirrs did not identify who accompanied him on the flight..“We all saw on TV it was two planes after ours that the people where hanging off the airplane when people fell of it,” said Sirrs. “So it was quite close for us.”
Internal records on the flight of Canada’s last ambassador to Afghanistan will not be disclosed to the public, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs. Staff cited the “sensitive nature” of evidence detailing why Ambassador Reid Sirrs fled Kabul aboard a half empty plane, leaving behind thousands of Canadian citizens and Afghan allies..“Most of the Government of Canada departments and agencies engaged in the response to the crisis in Afghanistan have undertaken various internal reviews and lessons learned exercises over the course of the past year,” the department wrote in a submission to the Commons Special Committee on Afghanistan..“The sensitive nature of some Government of Canada operations prohibits these reviews from being shared publicly at this time,” wrote staff. The department flatly rejected a request from MPs to explain why Ambassador Sirrs abruptly closed the Canadian embassy and fled Kabul as the city fell to the Taliban on August 15, 2021..According to Blacklock's Reporter, the committee in a June 9 report expressed puzzlement over the Ambassador’s conduct. “The risks were known,” wrote MPs. “A more proactive approach was warranted.”.Ex-military testified they were embarrassed by Sirrs’ flight at a time when 1,250 Canadian citizens and thousands of Afghan allies were desperate for help. “We were the first embassy to depart,” Major-General (Ret’d) Dean Milner, the last Canadian combat commander in the region, testified February 14. “That was very embarrassing for a lot of us on the ground.”.“There could have been a lot more people evacuated out of Afghanistan before Kandahar fell and before Kabul fell,” Major-General (Ret’d) David Fraser testified February 14. “This is on the shoulders of Canadians and I don’t just mean the military. We could have actually done more.”.Ambassador Sirrs commandeered one of only two Canadian military aircraft to flee the city. Sirrs returned home to Ottawa, declined all press interviews and was reassigned last Christmas Eve as ambassador to Argentina. In his only committee appearance last March 11 Sirrs recounted his flight from Kabul..“It was a very chaotic day,” said Sirrs. “We could hear explosions. We could see fires all over the city. When we came into the military side of the airport itself it was very obvious the city was coming under siege.”.“It looked like the whole airport was going to be overrun,” said Sirrs, adding it “just seemed to be far too dangerous for us to stay put.” Sirrs did not identify who accompanied him on the flight..“We all saw on TV it was two planes after ours that the people where hanging off the airplane when people fell of it,” said Sirrs. “So it was quite close for us.”
