Combat and diplomacy: Canada in Afghanistan, 2003–2006

Tom Mykytiuk recalls flying into Afghanistan in 2003: “The C-130 flies in and makes a very steep, steep dive to protect the aircraft from any air defense missiles or any stingers or anything that could threaten it.”

On landing after these evasive maneuvers, new arrivals were plunged into a dramatic environment of heat and dust. Mykytiuk says, “Once you get off the airplane, essentially, you can smell that enduring scent and taste of dust. You know, dust in your cup, dust on your skin, dust in your teeth.”

Canada was returning to Afghanistan as part of the now NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). The initial mandate of ISAF was to secure Kabul and support the provisional government led by Hamid Karzai.

Kabul was a sprawling city of almost 3 million people. It was informally governed by a patchwork of groups and allegiances reflecting the legacy of the 1990s civil war. As such, there was a constant risk of political upheaval and violent conflict.

This was a complex and risky environment for coalition forces. Sarah Heer deployed to Kabul in 2003 as a Captain with the 2nd Regiment, Royal Canadian Horse Artillery. She says, “Kabul was a pretty intense area. We received daily ‘int reps’ on different insurgents and different threats that we had to look out for. So, you know, you always had to be careful.”

Canadian troops were patrolling in and around Kabul and building relationships with the local community. Mykytiuk says, “We had a lot of contact with people during the day, when we would do patrols through some of the bazaars and stop in some of the local industries.”

In the chaos following the fall of the Taliban, the task of stabilization was complex. It meant having the right conversations with the right people as much as exchanging fire with a scattered but resilient enemy.

Despite the Taliban threat, Afghanistan’s first presidential election was held on October 9, 2004. More than 10 million Afghans registered to vote, including millions of women. Eighteen candidates were on the ballot. The interim leader, Hamid Karzai, won decisively with 55 percent of the vote.

Almost a year later, on September 18, 2005, members of parliament were elected amid growing tensions in the provinces.

Canada arrived in Kandahar to take responsibility for the local Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT). The PRT model was an attempt to combine the “three Ds” of defense, diplomacy and development.

Decades of war had left Afghanistan with almost no functioning institutions. The PRT’s mission was to work alongside local authorities to build systems of governance and enhance infrastructure. They also had to provide security and create training programs for the Afghan National Police and Afghan National Army.

The PRT brought the military, diplomats, and civilian development workers together under one roof.  Coalition forces had to navigate a deep, complex web of social relationships, loyalties, and very long memories.

Master Corporal Paul Franklin served in Kandahar as a medic with the PRT. He notes, “The day after you build that school, it’s burnt down. Now is it burnt down because the Taliban are in the area? Is it burnt down because the wrong person got the wrong contract for the mud, for the trucks, for the workers? Is it in the wrong neighbourhood?”

With this targeted attack, Canadian diplomacy and development operations effectively ground to a halt. Civilian representatives were withdrawn from what was clearly a very dangerous environment. This led to a paralysis of the PRT effort for quite some time.

Later in 2006, the military aspect of Canada’s mission would only become more demanding.  A Canadian battlegroup arrived to take on more responsibility for the security of Kandahar. Canada was soon to engage in its largest combat operation since the Korean War – Operation Medusa.