BREAKING Slovakia's prime minister injured in shooting
Media reports say Slovakia’s populist Prime Minister Robert Fico was injured in a shooting and taken to hospital.
Former Canadian soldiers who served in Afghanistan have been shaken by the rapid fall of the country to the Taliban, and they’re 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’s 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.
“I hear multiple pundits saying: ‘Was it worth it? Was it the right thing to do?’ And from my perspective, yes, it was,” Akpata told CTV’s Your Morning on Tuesday.
“Who I worry about are the families of the fallen and those who have taken their lives,” 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.
“Before we were able to say we had stabilized the country and had done something,” Akpata said. “We who were there understand what we contributed.”
The current situation shouldn’t “diminish the sacrifice of the young Canadians I fought with,” Akpata said.
Retired Maj.-Gen. David Fraser, a former commander in Afghanistan, agreed that Canadian soldiers should feel good about their service.
“They should be proud of what they did because they did what they were asked to do by their government,” Fraser told CTV News on Monday.
“They provided a lot of education to women, they provided hope and opportunity,” Fraser said. “We 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’re 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’re also worried about the people in Afghanistan and hope that there will be peace in the country.
“It’s the average Afghan who suffers the most because of the politics between the Taliban and the Afghan government,” Fraser said.
“My hope is that the people can live there in peace,” 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’t believe they’ve changed.
“So the future, tragically, is grim,” Leslie told CTV News on Tuesday.
“Where we are now is failure,” he said. “There’s no doubt about it. Will there be a lasting echo of the good work done over the last 20 years… Yes, but it will diminish quickly.”
He’s also concerned about the Taliban’s current actions in allowing people to try to leave Afghanistan.
“The Taliban are actually doing something smart from their point of view,” Leslie said.
“They’re 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’re encouraging international coalition forces to pick up their troops and technicians because to do otherwise – to execute them in the streets, might have retribution from the sky.
“Unfortunately 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 – the translators, the drivers, the cooks and the security guards who tragically probably won’t make it.”
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’t be fighting a war that Afghan forces aren’t 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.
Media reports say Slovakia’s populist Prime Minister Robert Fico was injured in a shooting and taken to hospital.
Wildfires continue to impact air quality across Western Canada, with conditions expected to worsen on Wednesday before improving.
A new COVID-19 subvariant is dominant in Canada, representing just over 30 per cent of cases in the country, but infectious disease experts say there’s no sign it’ll evolve into a summer 'scarient.'
A massive manhunt was underway in France on Wednesday for an armed gang that killed two prison officers and seriously injured three others to spring an inmate they were escorting.
Thousands of people in Western Canada remain displaced from their homes as wildfires threaten their communities, triggering evacuation orders and alerts.
The sun produced its biggest flare in nearly two decades Tuesday, just days after severe solar storms pummelled Earth and created dazzling northern lights in unaccustomed places.
As wildfires rage in British Columbia, the family of a nine-year-old who died last summer is trying to protect people from poor air quality due to smoke this year.
A Malahide Township resident is out more than $2 million following a romance scam.
The husband of adult film actress Stormy Daniels said on Tuesday that there’s a 'good chance' the couple will leave the country if former U.S. president Donald Trump is acquitted in his Manhattan criminal trial.
When Adam Kirschner wrote 'Slap Shot,' he never imagined the song would be embraced by his favourite team.
A team is ready to help an entangled North Atlantic right whale in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
A $200 reward is being offered by a North Vancouver family for the safe return of their beloved chicken, Snowflake.
Two daughters and a mother were reunited online 40 years later thanks to a DNA kit and a Zoom connection despite living on three separate continents and speaking different languages.
Mother's Day can be a difficult occasion for those who have lost or are estranged from their mom.
YES Theatre Young Company opened its acclaimed kids’ show, One Small Step, at Sudbury Theatre Centre on Saturday.
An Ottawa pizzeria is being recognized as one of the top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world.
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
A Listowel, Ont. man, drafted by the Hamilton Tigercats last week, is also getting looks from the NFL, despite only playing 27 games of football in his life.