On Friday, June 4, 2010, MP Jim Abbott concluded a seven-day trip to Afghanistan. Abbott, a member of the House of Commons’ Special Committee on Afghanistan, had been travelling with the other committee members to Kandahar and Kabul. The purpose of the trip was to effectively observe the situation facing our troops and aid workers in Afghanistan.

Many observers agree that Afghanistan is a failed state. Movement “outside the wire” of the Kandahar airfield is immensely dangerous and almost invariably is done in gun-equipped helicopters and heavily armoured vehicles. Western politicians driving through Kabul streets still have to wear sixty pounds of body protection in armoured vehicles, driven by heavily armed bodyguards. That is the situation today, but due to selfless dedication of Canadian Armed Forces personnel and Canadian police in Afghanistan things are changing, dramatically.


Security arrangements kept the Taliban far enough away from the jirga that the grenades, intended to kill the participants, exploded well short of their target. The Taliban insurgents were tracked down within minutes of trying to exterminate the peace delegates.

“It was an extreme privilege to shake hands with such dedicated Canadians, Armed forces, RCMP, Correctional Services, CIDA, DFAIT and civilian agencies, committed to making our world more secure,” said Abbott.