Canada quietly marks 10 years since troops left Afghanistan

It has been said that Canada's war in Afghanistan grabbed hold of a generation of soldiers, diplomats, aid workers and even journalists and never quite let go.

That notion was on full display Sunday as several dozen veterans and dignitaries gathered on the cold, rain soaked square around the country's national war memorial in Ottawa to mark the 10th anniversary of the withdrawal of troops from the long-suffering South Asian nation.

It was an understated ceremony, much like the one a decade ago in Kabul when the Canadian flag was hauled down for the last time at the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force headquarters.

Back in 2014, no government ministers attended the ceremony and the public initially learned the news of the final withdrawal from the training mission via press release on March 12th as the last troops boarded helicopter, the first leg on the long journey home.

On Sunday, the country's veteran's minister and the parliamentary secretary for defence attended along with a smattering of soldiers, veterans and families of the fallen. There were, however, many empty chairs, partly a reflection of the weather and partly the occasion itself.

«Afghanistan experience has left none untouched,» said Gen. Wayne Eyre, the country's top military commander, «Many — including families — were scarred physically, mentally and morally from it. Many of us have asked and have been asking, 'Was it worth it?'»

Taliban resurgence

While Eyre acknowledged it is a «deeply personal» question. It has become more sharp — even painful — since the fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban in 2021. In reimposing their brutal theocracy, the once virulent insurgent group has swept away almost everything Canada and its allies fought to achieve.

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