‘It is our fault’: Canadian veteran horrified by situation in Afghanistan

WINNIPEG (CityNews) ─ As the Taliban continue their sweep of Afghanistan and violence increases in the country, a Canadian veteran who served there is watching on with horror.

Veteran Chris Paradise of St. Francois Xavier, Man., served in Afghanistan from November 2009 to August 2010 with the 408 Tactical Helicopter Squadron. He operated in Kandahar, a city now in the hands of the Taliban.

The Taliban are rapidly securing provincial capitals in a lightning offensive that has brought them closer to Kabul just weeks before American and Canadian troops are set to officially end the two-decade war.

“I want to go back and help,” said an emotional Paradise. “You don’t understand how bad. And I know I’m not alone in that.

“For me personally, it hurts a little more because my grandfather fought in World War II. At least when they were done fighting, they freed people. And we did not. I feel terrible.”

Around 40,000 Canadian troops were deployed to Afghanistan from 2001 to 2014. Now Canada and the United States are evacuating the country after 20 years of war.

The Canadian government plans to send over special forces troops to evacuate Canada’s embassy in Kabul.

Insurgents now hold half of Afghanistan’s 34 provincial capitals and control more than two-thirds of the country.

“There can’t be one service member that has served over there that can honestly tell you this doesn’t sting because we all sacrificed over there,” said Paradise.

The U.S. military has estimated that Kabul could come under insurgent pressure within 30 days and that the Taliban could overrun the rest of the country within a few months.

Paradise feels like everything they worked so hard for is being ripped away.

“Anybody that I would have seen or spoken to, or any of the guys I was over there serving with or any of the gals I was serving with, they will not be breathing by the time this year is done. I don’t know how we can sit here and be OK with that because it is our fault.

“I went there to fulfill a mission I was given with the group of people that I was sent to go with,” he said. “We may have performed well while we were there but, in the end, we still failed.”

With files from The Associated Press.