The BULLSHIT of Harjit Sajjan Mindless LIEbrano Defence Minister finally catches up to the nasty ex-cop from Vancouver byway of CBC

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/sajjan-apology-operation-medusa-1.4093270

'Stolen valour': Sajjan faces calls to resign in wake of Afghanistan battle claim

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My two bits worth


 
donna gregoire

...turns out to be just another incompetent minister in Justin's "inclusive" cabinet...Canada is paying a steep price, because the millennials wanted to smoke pot...

David Raymond Amos

@donna gregoire To me he just another corrupt ex cop and how many of them did Harper support?

Mark Williamson

@donna gregoire The entirety of the Atlantic provinces were painted red in the last election. Millennials alone cannot do that. They way boomers rant on about us, you'd think there had never been a problem in the world until 1982, when all of a sudden, us harbingers of doom: The millennials started being born!

As for it being supposedly just millennials wanting legal pot, I should ask some of our few remaining "greatest generation" about what well behaved, model citizens the youth of the 70s were. Pot should never have been a battleground issue in the first place, Harper should have figured out that it was not the hill to die on, and legalized it himself. I think he would still be PM today if he had done that.

David Raymond Amos

@Mark Williamson FYI Whether CBC admits it or not I ran against the Red Coats et al in 5 elections in the Maritimes thus far.. I ran in this riding in 2004 and again in 2015,

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/fundy-royal-riding-profile-1.3274276

My greatest concern is holding our public servants accountable for their actions and their wrongs. There are far more important issues to me than what is argued in this the most popular thread on the topic of the words of questionable cabinet minister promoting himself. In my humble opinion we should be far more concerned about what Sajjan, his pal Trump and their buddies in NATO are up to right now. Doubt me? Listen to what I say at the 28 minute 30 second mark of this debate in 2015.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-cFOKT6TlSE

Obviously I am also one of those boomers you make fun of. Trust that I could care less whether pot is legalized or not but see no harm if is. However anyone in the know understands that many boomers would vote for the Red Coats on the dope smoking issue alone. I did not. The politicians have not allowed me to vote for years.

Although I do admit to smoking some pot with friends many years ago. (I have not had a puff since 1987) I did not care for it personally for a few reasons. Number one reason is that I do not succumb to peer pressure, Hence I don't need to smoke pot to fit in with the "cool" crowd. Secondly I found that in lieu of a hangover it made me rather lethargic which is not a good way to be when you are running a business. Most importantly it is illegal just like drinking and driving. I have friends that cannot enter the USA because of a drinking driving record or being caught with a joint as a kid. Everybody knows how I love to ride my old bikes in the southern USA in winter.

Wilson Ennis

@donna gregoire

Sajjan has been exagerating his personal exploits and misleading people about very important military plans and operations.
He claimed he was the architect of operation Medusa when he was running for election as a Liberal candidate.
He claimed no one was against Canada pulling our CF-18s out of the fight against ISIS but there is documentation that some of our allies raised concerns about that.
He blamed Conservatives for removing danger pay for our troops when it was the Liberals that signed that order.
He said our CF-18s were not ok for combat when the military said they were. The Liberals plan to unnessessarily spend millions on interim planes as a result.

Many people know others at their work who do similar things and cannot trust such people. There are Presidents of countries who make wild claims about themselves. Sajjan at least admitted his character flaw but his position is to important to have this cloud over projects that put people in life or death situations.

Canada is planning peace keeping operations that look incredibly dangerous, more like a ego effort for political means than a smart military operation. Sajjan is vetting those plans. Is the vetting more of a political manoeuvre or a comprehensive military operation plan?

David Raymond Amos
@Wilson Ennis More importantly the former cop and Canadian Forces "Intelligence" Officer Harjit Sajjan and his boss Justin Trudeau were well aware of a lawsuit I filed in Federal Court against the Crown while we were all running against Harper and his cohorts during the election of the 42nd Parliament.

That said, do you have any idea how many judges Harper politically vetted and appointed to sit on the benches throughout Canada. Trust that his old buddies Justice Vic Toews and and the the lawyer Rob Moore (whom I ran against twice know that I know



http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/sajjan-taliban-architect-afghanistan-1.4089944?__vfz=profile_comment%3D7121800008046

Sajjan expresses 'regret' for claiming to be architect of key battle against Taliban

 1871 Comments
Commenting is now closed for this story.



Larry Lippard
Harjit Sajjan was only a LCOL reserve officer, he was probably making coffee for General Fraser. Perhaps Harjit Sajjan should rub shoulders with Brian Williams of NBC who also fabricated a war story. Williams was demoted, I wonder if Harjit Sajjan will get fired from the cabinet position or resign. I have no confidence in his leadership nor Admiral Norman

David Raymond Amos

@Larry Lippard Perhaps the all knowing Harjit Sajjan will explain to us why he can't even defend the reputation of his boss from the words published within paragraph 83 of this lawsuit.

http://davidraymondamos3.blogspot.ca/2015/09/v-behaviorurldefaultvmlo.html

David Raymond Amos

@Larry Lippard I would lay odds that Harjit Sajjan and his boss are relieved that my comment was ignored by folks. However I will argue the the Queen's lawyers about it again on May 24th right after we pay homage to her. Need I say I enjoy the irony in that fact? I say bring in the Clowns and lets have a Royal Circus fit for a Queen. The fella whose face you offer to CBC and the rest of us should agree N'esy Pas?

Michael Ehrmantraut

@David Raymond Amos Right, because I am sure that those guys spend endless hours reading these comments and even more fretting on the ones negative to them. Try getting out more.

David Raymond Amos

@Michael Ehrmantraut Wrong Everybody in the know knows that I have been arguing their lawyers in the Federal Court of Canada since October of 2015.

Its true that I do not get out enough but perhaps you should stay in more and learn to read before you write?

'Stolen valour': Sajjan faces calls to resign in wake of Afghanistan battle claim

Trudeau says Sajjan has his 'full confidence,' despite minister's exaggeration of role in battling Taliban

By Kathleen Harris, CBC News Posted: May 01, 2017 1:27 PM ET

 

Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan is facing calls for his resignation for overstating his role in Operation Medusa, a key 2006 campaign against the Taliban in Afghanistan. (Lars Hagberg/Canadian Press) 

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Harjit Sajjan has his "full confidence" amid a growing controversy over the defence minister's exaggerated claim he was the "architect" of a major assault on the Taliban in 2006.

Interim Conservative Leader Rona Ambrose accused Sajjan of "stolen valour" for taking credit for the actions of another, and called on Trudeau to fire him for dishonouring himself and the military.

"What he did was wrong, and now he has lost the confidence of our men and women in uniform, and they need to have confidence in their leaders, especially when they're putting their lives on the line," she said. "So will the prime minister remove the minister of defence?"

But Trudeau said Sajjan has served his country in a number of ways, as a police officer, a soldier and now as a cabinet minister. He made a mistake, apologized and took responsibility for it, the prime minister said.

"When we make a mistake, Canadians expect us to apologize and to acknowledge that mistake. That's what we did and that's why the minister of defence continues to have my full confidence," Trudeau told the House.
Gen. Jonathan Vance, chief of the defence staff, also responded to the remarks Monday.

"Minister Sajjan has issued an unequivocal apology for statements related to the nature of his involvement in Operation Medusa and, as far as I'm concerned, the matter is closed," he said.

Rona Ambrose calls for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to fire Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan

 0:47

Sajjan briefly met with reporters before entering the House of Commons, again apologizing and saying he was "not here to make excuses."

"I'm owning it. I'm learning from it and I'll be a better person for it," he said.

He reiterated his apology in the House.

• Conflicting accounts of Sajjan's battle role
• ANALYSIS: What Sajjan really did in Operation Medusa
• Sajjan expresses 'regret' for battle description

But NDP Leader Tom Mulcair accused Sajjan of telling "a whopper" and said that simply saying sorry isn't enough.

"That is not something you apologize for, it's something that you have to step down for," he said.

Tom Mulcair says Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan told a 'whopper' about his role in Operation Medusa
 0:49

MPs are back in Ottawa after a two-week break, and the controversy over Sajjan overstating his role in Operation Medusa during an April 18 address in New Delhi dominated the daily question period, with some MPs hollering "shame!" and "disgusting!"

The Conservatives said it is not an isolated incident, but part of a pattern of misleading the public

Conservative defence critic James Bezan has also disputed claims by Sajjan that the Iraqis were accepting of Canada's decision to withdraw its CF-18 jet fighters from combat against ISIS. He said the minister also made misleading statements about the air force's capability gap and who was responsible for cutting danger pay for soldiers in Kuwait.

Bezan said Sajjan has become a "laughingstock" and that his reputation has been damaged beyond repair.

"Canadians don't believe him. The military doesn't trust him. And I can tell you, our allies aren't going to take him seriously," he said in the House of Commons.

Served as liaison officer

Former soldiers with direct knowledge of Sajjan's role in Afghanistan told CBC News that he served as a liaison officer with local Afghan leadership, and provided critical intelligence and insight that helped shape the battle, but that he did not plan the September 2006 operation west of Kandahar City.

Sajjan served on one tour to Bosnia and three deployments to Afghanistan as a reservist.

On the weekend, Sajjan took to social media to state he had made a "mistake" in how he described his role, retracted the statement and apologized.

"I am truly sorry," he said in a Facebook post Saturday. "While I am proud of the role I played during my deployments to Afghanistan, my comments were in no way intended to diminish the roles of my former superiors and fellow soldiers. To them I offer my sincere apologies."

'Architect' claim made earlier

Sajjan's claim in India to be an "architect" of the Afghan campaign was not the first time he characterized his role in that way.

On a regional B.C. podcast in July 2015, he said Gen. Vance considered him to be a central figure.

"If I could quote him, he said I was the architect of Operation Medusa, one of the biggest operations since the Korean War that Canada has led," Sajjan said at the time, when he was running as a Liberal candidate.

Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan apologizes, full media availability
2:19

Sajjan expresses 'regret' for claiming to be architect of key battle against Taliban

Defence Minister issues statement clarifying where credit was due for Operation Medusa

By Kathleen Harris, CBC News Posted: Apr 28, 2017 12:51 PM ET

Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan has clarified recent remarks in which he claimed to be the "architect" of a major 2006 land battle against the Taliban in Afghanistan. (Fred Chartrand/Canadian Press) 

Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan has expressed regret for taking credit for leading a major land battle to root out the Taliban in Afghanistan more than a decade ago.

In an April 18 speech to a conference called "Conflict Prevention and Peacekeeping in a Changing World" in New Delhi, Sajjan spoke about his role in the pivotal 2006 Operation Medusa.

Sajjan told the conference he was "no stranger to conflict," and said he was decorated by both Canada and the U.S. militaries for his service fighting terrorism and the Taliban in Afghanistan.

"On my first deployment to Kandahar in 2006, I was kind of thrown into an unforeseen situation and I became the architect of an operation called Operation Medusa where we removed over, about, 1,500 Taliban fighters off the battlefield. And I was very proud to be on the main assault of that force," he said, adding that he was recognized for his efforts.

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His remarks were first reported in the National Post.

In a statement provided to CBC today, Sajjan said whenever he speaks about his time in uniform he makes an effort to give credit to those with whom he served.

"Every military operation our Forces undertook in Afghanistan, including Operation Medusa, relied on the courage and dedication of many individuals across the Canadian Forces," he said. "My comments were in no way intended to diminish the role that my fellow soldiers and my superiors played in Operation Medusa.

'Regret' for remarks

"What I should have said was that our military successes are the result of the leadership, service and sacrifice of the many dedicated women and men in the Canadian Forces. I regret that I didn't say this then, but I want to do so now."

 The Minister of National Defence Harjit Sajjan, was a Lt.-Colonel in the Canadian Armed Forces and did three tours in Afghanistan. In this 2016 photo, he's shown with senior Canadian Forces officers in Haines Junction, Yukon. (Mike Rudyk/CBC)

Sajjan went on to say that Operation Medusa was successful because of the leadership of "Gen. Fraser and the extraordinary team with whom I had the honour of serving."

Brig.-Gen. David Fraser was the Canadian Forces general who commanded the NATO forces in southern Afghanistan at the time.

Sajjan worked for 11 years in Vancouver Police Department's gang crime unit and served one tour in Bosnia and three deployments to Afghanistan as a reservist.

In a past letter to Vancouver police, Fraser praised Sajjan as "the best single Canadian intelligence asset in theatre," and said his bravery, hard work and determination saved coalition lives.

"Through his courage and dedication, [then] Major Sajjan has single-handedly changed the face of intelligence gathering and analysis in Afghanistan," he wrote.

Sajjan has received several military honours, including the Meritorious Service Medal in 2013 for reducing the Taliban's influence in Kandahar and a Canadian Peacekeeping Service Medal.

Trying to 'reinvent history'

Conservative defence critic James Bezan said Sajjan's words were more than a "faux pas."

"He didn't misspeak. This is him trying to reinvent history and unfortunately he has a habit of misleading Canadians," he said. "If he's not trusted by the military, if Canadians can't believe him, then he shouldn't be in cabinet."

Bezan recalled that despite claims from Sajjan, the Iraqis didn't happily accept Canada's withdrawal of CF-18 jet fighters from combat against the Islamic State. He said the minister also made misleading statements about the air force's capability gap and who was responsible for cutting danger pay for soldiers in Kuwait.

Dave Perry, an analyst with the Canadian Global Affairs Institute said his remarks at the conference raised eyebrows.

Comments were 'surprising'

"They were pretty surprising, because that operation is well documented, and his role has never been characterized in that way, although it is well recognized that the Minister of National Defence served with distinction and was an excellent intelligence officer," he told CBC.

Operation Medusa took place between Aug. 26-Sept. 17 2006, and according to the defence department's website was, at the time, "the most significant land battle ever undertaken by NATO."

Designed to root out Taliban forces operating in Panjwa'i and Zhari districts of Kandahar Province, Operation Medusa was led by the 1st Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment Battle Group.

Over the course of three weeks, a combined force of Canadian, U.S. and Afghan troops fought an enemy force estimated at 1,400 strong.

About 550 insurgents were killed, according to the Department of National Defence. Twelve Canadian soldiers and three Afghan National Army soldiers were killed in action, and 10 Green Berets and six Afghan National Army soldiers were wounded.

 http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/sajjan-medusa-architect-claim-1.4091609

What Harjit Sajjan really did while serving in Afghanistan

At 'no time was he in on the planning' of Operation Medusa, soldiers tell CBC News

By Murray Brewster, CBC News Posted: Apr 29, 2017 9:00 AM ET

 

Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan, right, looks on as Canadian Brig.-Gen. Dean Milner talks with U.S. Maj.-Gen. James Terry in this 2010 photo. Sajjan was serving his third tour in Afghanistan at the time. (Murray Brewster/CBC) 

Truth being the first casualty of war has taken a decidedly different turn with growing outrage in both the political and military communities about Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan's characterization of himself as the architect of Operation Medusa in Afghanistan.

The bloody, protracted battle in the scorched grape fields west of Kandahar city in September 2006 was a significant milestone in Canada's five-year combat mission in the country and an emotional touchstone for many soldiers involved.

Sajjan's claim, made earlier this month during a visit to India, is not the first time the former lieutenant-colonel has referred to his role in the battle in this way.

On a regional B.C. podcast called Conversations That Matter, he said the current chief of the defence staff, Gen. Jonathan Vance, considered him to be the central figure.

"If I could quote him, he said I was the architect of Operation Medusa, one of the biggest operations since the Korean war that Canada has led," Sajjan said in July 2015, when he was running as a Liberal candidate.

• Sajjan regrets claim he's architect of battle against Taliban
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The political and social media firestorm that followed the India speech, made April 18, prompted a pinched apology from the minister, who regularly references his three tours of Afghanistan as a reserve officer to burnish his credibility in the defence portfolio.

His appointment to cabinet in November 2015 was followed by a series of flattering stories about his service, including photos of him smiling in the field, clad in a flak jacket, prompting some to call him "Canada's badass defence minister."

This photo of Sajjan in the field, serving as a combat officer in Afghanistan, prompted several people to call him 'Canada’s badass defence minister.' (Twitter)

There has, however, never been a critical examination of his role beyond vague suggestions that he did some intelligence work.
In fairness, Sajjan has tried on occasion to downplay the notion he was an intelligence officer, but that has only muddied the perception.

He has declined to discuss his work in Kandahar in detail.

Soldiers who were there in 2006 tell CBC News that Sajjan did have a key role, but at "no time was he in on the planning of the operation."

Soon after arriving he was "bolted to the hip" of the battle group commanders.

First it was Lt.-Col. Ian Hope and then, in September 2006, Lt.-Col. Omar Lavoie, who led the fight in Zhari district against Taliban militants who had chosen to stand and fight a conventional battle rather a hit-and-run guerilla campaign.

Intelligence gathering

Sajjan was the liaison between Canadian commanders and two local Afghan leaders, the notorious governor Asadullah Khalid and Ahmed Wali Karzai, the half-brother of the former Afghan president and head of the Kandahar provincial council.

"My responsibilities were vague at first," Sajjan told military historian Sean Maloney in the book Fighting for Afghanistan: A Rogue Historian at War. "I discovered there was a gold mine of information flowing into the [governor's] palace."

Eventually, "Harj was able to send two pages of solid intelligence intelligence to [Task Force] Orion per week," said the book, which provides the most detailed public accounting of Sajjan's time in the field.

In the run-up to Operation Medusa, the Afghan leadership was putting pressure on the Canadians to stop the Taliban buildup west of the city.

Remains of the Little White Schoolhouse, a former Taliban stronghold that was a focal point of in the fighting during Operation Medusa. (Murray Brewster/CBC)

"At meetings in Kandahar and Kabul, senior Kandahari leaders — including Governor Asadullah Khalid and presidential brother/provincial kingpin Ahmed Wali Karzai — have suggested that NATO's

ISAF [International Security Assistance Force] is 'unwilling to take the fight to the Taliban,'" said a Canadian diplomatic cable, written on Aug. 28, 2006, and quoted in the book The Savage War: The Untold Battles of Afghanistan.

How much of a role Sajjan's assessments played in convincing Canadian commanders that an offensive was necessary is not clear.

Politically, the exaggeration is likely to hurt Sajjan's standing among the troops more than anything else.
Conservatives have for weeks been eager to point out other misleading statements Sajjan has made, including references to the Iraqis being satisfied with Canada's withdrawal of CF-18s from combat against ISIS.

No architect of Medusa

A diplomatic readout of the December 2015 meeting with the Iraqi defence minister, dug up by Conservative researchers and shared with CBC News, flatly contradicted the minister.

Canadian soldiers often like to describe themselves as "quiet professionals" and take a dim view of bragging, which they consider to be an American quality.

"There was no one hero of Medusa, no one architect," said one senior officer with direct knowledge of Sajjan's role in Afghanistan.

He asked not be named because he didn't want to get dragged into the unfolding political battle over the minister's credibility.

It spoke volumes on Friday when Vance was asked about the controversy and declined to answer, choosing instead to go on answering questions about the politically toxic issue of sexual misconduct in the military.