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O 091545Z DEC 09
FM AMEMBASSY OTTAWA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0142
INFO ALL CANADIAN POSTS COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
AFGHANISTAN COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 OTTAWA 000940 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL MOPS AF CA
SUBJECT: NO ROOM FOR DOUBT: ALL CANADIAN TROOPS OUT OF AFGHANISTAN BY 
DECEMBER 2011 
 
REF: OTTAWA 906; 08 OTTAWA 373 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary: In testimony to Parliament on December 8, Chief 
of the Defence Staff (CDS) General Walter Natynczyk confirmed that, 
in accordance with a March 2008 parliamentary motion, no Canadian 
Forces - apart from a military attache in Kabul - or military 
equipment will remain in Afghanistan after December 31, 2011.  He 
indicated that there was no ambiguity in the Canadian Forces' or 
Government of Canada's position on the end of a military mission in 
Afghanistan after that date.  Defence Minister Peter MacKay 
separately informed the House of Commons of this determination on 
December 7.  Media attention has been surprisingly scant, focused 
more heavily on allegations of torture of Afghan detainees 
transferred by Canadian Forces to Afghan authorities (ref a).  End 
summary. 
 
 
 
¶2. (U) CDS General Walter Natynczyk, Major General Mark McQuillan 
(Commander of the Canadian Operational Support Command), and Lt. 
General J.G.M. Lessard (Commander of the Canadian Expeditionary 
Force Command) briefed the House of Commons' National Defence 
Committee on December 8 regarding preparations for the withdrawal 
of Canadian Forces (CF) from Afghanistan in 2011, as mandated by a 
bipartisan parliamentary motion that the House of Commons passed in 
March 2008 (ref b).  The generals testified at the invitation of 
the Committee. 
 
 
 
JUST FOLLOWING ORDERS 
 
 
 
¶3. (U) General Natynczyk noted that the Government of Canada had 
provided "clear instructions" in the 2008 parliamentary motion.  He 
stated categorically that the CF combat mission in Kandahar would 
end on July 31, 2011 and that CF would cease all operations and 
leave Afghanistan by the end of December 2011.  He added that "the 
Government of Canada clearly told me that this was the end of the 
military mission in uniform."  He confirmed that the cessation of 
operations would include all military members of the Canadian 
Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) in Kandahar as well as 
military trainers.  General Natynczyk indicated that Canadian PRTs 
would remain after 2011, but would be exclusively civilian teams, 
including representation from Foreign Affairs (DFAIT), Royal 
Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), Canadian International Development 
Agency (CIDA), Correctional Services Canada, and other agencies. 
 
 
 
¶4. (U) When pressed, Natynczyk acknowledged the possibility that 
one CF member might remain in Afghanistan after December 2011 -- as 
a military attach???? at Canada's Embassy in Kabul -- but, otherwise, 
underscored that "we will be true to that [parliamentary] motion... 
this is the mandate we have received... this is how we interpret 
the mission."  He insisted that "this is the end of the military 
mission." 
 
 
 
PLANNING FOR A SEAMLESS TRANSITION 
 
 
 
¶5. (U) General Natynczyk explained that Canada's objective will be 
to achieve a "seamless transition" to NATO allies and partners in 
Kandahar in 2011.  He stated that the wrap up of the mission -- 
Canada's largest military deployment since the Korean War -- 
represented "significant" and "daunting" logistical challenges to 
tackle in an organized and sequenced manner.  He highlighted that 
Canada has more than 1,200 military vehicles in Afghanistan, as 
well as "several thousands" of sea containers of "stuff" that the 
CF will need to repatriate. Although he confirmed that planning for 
withdrawal had already begun, he insisted that the CF will remain 
focused on the combat mission in the next 18 months, and fully 
intends to fulfill NATO and ISAF obligations over the next two 
years. 
 
 
 
¶6. (U) Under questioning, General Natynczyk acknowledged that 
present guidance provided by the Government of Canada on 
Afghanistan could change, underscoring that the CF "live on fact 
and we live on orders."  However, he insisted that "I can't wait 
 
OTTAWA 00000940  002 OF 002 
 
 
for changes."  He confirmed that he had issued an initial planning 
order in August, that Lt. General Lessard had followed up with an 
initial planning guideline in September, and that next steps 
included consultations with ISAF partners in RC-South.  Lt. General 
Lessard confirmed that a CF reconnaissance team was already on the 
ground in Afghanistan to plan the coordination of the return of 
materiel to Canada, as well as disposal, donation, and sale of 
equipment, and transportation.  Lt. General Lessard added that in 
the final five months of 2011,  Canada would focus on repatriating 
personnel and materiel to Canada. 
 
 
 
GOVERNMENT AND MILITARY ON THE SAME PAGE 
 
 
 
¶7. (U) Separately, National Defence Minister Peter MacKay on 
December 7 provided a formal response to a written question in the 
House of Commons from the Liberal Party Defence Critic on Canada's 
post-2011 plans in Afghanistan.  Minister MacKay confirmed that 
"the Department of National Defence has not developed contingencies 
for the extension of the Canadian military mission in Afghanistan 
beyond 2011."  He added that DND had not devoted any ministerial 
resources to planning for the extension, acquired major materials 
to facilitate any contingency for the extension, nor taken any 
specific measures to prepare human resources in the CF for an 
extension of the military mission, "as the Chief of the Defence 
Staff had issued direction to redeploy Canadian Forces from 
Afghanistan in accordance with the parliamentary motion on 
Afghanistan of March 13, 2008." 
 
 
 
¶8. (SBU) Comment;  CDS Natynczyk provided a candid and forthright 
briefing, whose clarity at times appeared to take opposition 
members of the Defence Committee by surprise. The CDS' strict 
adherence to the terms of the parliamentary motion left opposition 
members little opportunity to question the federal government's 
commitment to ending Canada's military role in Afghanistan in 2011. 
General Natynczyk and his team left no room for ambiguity.  As 
opposition members of the Committee greeted him informally after 
the briefing, the CDS asked each in turn "Was I clear? Was that 
clear enough for you?"  The briefing did not include discussion of 
a civilian or development role.  Surprisingly, the briefing -- and 
MacKay's December 7 statement in the House -- drew scant media 
coverage, as media focus continued to turn on alleged torture 
Afghan detainees transferred by the CF to Afghan authorities (a 
subject on which Foreign Minister Lawrence Cannon and Defence 
Minister MacKay will testify at the House of Commons' Special 
Committee on Afghanistan on December 9). 
JACOBSON