Intelligence presented to Trudeau said Afghanistan would not fall for months – By Ryan Tumilty (National Post) / Aug 24, 2022
The memo, given to the PM just weeks before the Taliban took control, and obtained by National Post, would prove catastrophic for Afghans desperate to leave
OTTAWA — Intelligence assessments presented to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau before the fall of Afghanistan last year said it would be months before the Taliban took Kabul and likely weeks before fighting would even resume, predictions that proved to be catastrophic for Afghans desperate to leave.
The National Post obtained the memo through access to information. It was given to the prime minister on July 23, just weeks before the Taliban would ultimately march into Afghanistan. At the time, the intelligence suggested to Canadian officials that while the situation was dire the Afghan army could hold on for weeks.
The memo said the Canadian embassy was monitoring the situation, but officials expected it would remain open while preparing for the worst.
“While a major assault on the capital is not expected in the near term, officials are monitoring key enablers that are essential to sustaining operations, such as access to medical care, airport- services, key infrastructure and fuel,” reads the memo. “The embassy is running at reduced capacity and is currently at a 72-hour ‘ready to move’ posture.”
