An apology that falls short
Harjit Sajjan is a brave man: even his critics agree on that. The general who commanded him in Afghanistan commended Sajjan for “remarkable personal courage.” It’s a record to be proud of.
All of which makes it even more puzzling, as well as disappointing, that the defence minister would grossly exaggerate his role in the biggest Canadian military operation against the Taliban.
On Monday, Sajjan took a third stab at explaining his claim to be the “architect” of Operation Medusa, a drive against Taliban fighters in September 2006. It didn’t go well.
Sajjan repeatedly apologized to the House of Commons for what he called his “mistake,” and said he was ready to “own” it and learn from it. What he didn’t do was actually explain it.
Nor did he acknowledge that his statement — made first in a CBC interview in 2015, then again last month in a speech in India — was more than a simple “mistake.” It was not a one-off slip of the tongue, but something he inserted into a prepared speech.
This is the kind of thing that military people find particularly unacceptable — claiming a bigger share of the credit than you deserve when you face danger alongside comrades-in-arms.
And Operation Medusa was dangerous. Twelve Canadian soldiers died fighting the Taliban west of Kandahar. Sajjan was a reserve major who by all accounts did outstanding work in intelligence and won well-deserved praise. But as he himself now acknowledges, he was far from being the “architect” of the operation.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stood up for his minister on Monday, saying Sajjan still “has my full confidence.”
That’s fine, but the most important thing in this case is that Sajjan retain the confidence of the military he oversees. It’s not clear he has that now, and he will have to do a better job at explaining his statements if he wants to weather this storm.
For one thing, he could actually explain what motivated his claim, rather than endlessly repeating a handful of rehearsed lines. He has responded three times, beginning with a bland statement of “regret” on Friday and ending with Monday’s apology. But he has yet to give a convincing explanation of why he embellished his role in the Afghan operation, or what exactly he has learned from this episode.
This is all the more unfortunate because Sajjan appeared to be an ideal person to fill the role of defence minister when Trudeau appointed him in November 2015. A former Vancouver police officer who served three tours of duty as a reserve officer in Afghanistan, Sajjan had the front-line credentials to win respect among military people.
Since then, his tenure has been rocky. The Canadian Forces’ decades-old problems with procuring new equipment have certainly not gotten any better. Indeed, it was reportedly frustration with the stalled process for approving a naval supply ship that prompted the forces’ deputy commander, Vice-Admiral Mark Norman, to allegedly divulge cabinet secrets and get himself fired.
There are signs things are getting even worse for the military. The recent federal budget postponed billions of dollars in planned defence purchases, leading to fears that vital equipment for the forces will be delayed even more.
And Sajjan himself has been accused by the opposition of fudging the truth in other areas, including the role of Canada’s CF-18 fighters in Iraq and the capability of the air force.
Sajjan’s impressive background and personal valour make him the kind of minister that people from all parties should want to succeed. But he will have to do better if he is to survive this episode and retain the confidence of the people he leads.
The most important thing in this case is that Sajjan retain the confidence of the military he oversees. It’s not clear he has that now