‘ Last day of the snake,’ says Taliban as Canadian troops say final goodbye
KABUL, Afghanistan — A round of goodbye messages are following the last Canadian troops out the door in Afghanistan and some of them are rather nasty.
The Taliban’s information arm issued a statement to followers in Kandahar congratulating its fighters in a number of rural districts claiming that Canada has been defeated and fled the country.
“Your sacrifices have brought us freedom. The beacons of your blood have lit the way to independence. Celebrate the victory and freedom from the Canadians,” said the statement, written in Pashtu.
It said the Canadians followed Holland, Denmark, Australian, Poland and Spain in “retreat and failure.” Those countries have also begun withdrawing their forces from the International Security Assistance Force mission run by NATO.
The last of Canada’s training contingent of 100 soldiers formally ended the country’s 12- year military involvement on Wednesday.
The statement named dead Taliban commanders, many of them killed by Canadians, and implored them to raise their heads from the grave to listen to the news.
The propaganda, although blatantly obvious and expected, will probably have an effect in the isolated rural district villages where Canadian troops helped build schools, roads and provide security.
Aside from the attempt to stoke the Pashtun warrior mythology of expelling “foreigners,” the message also reinforces the long- held belief that the Taliban are the only enduring presence.
“That Canada which came to Kandahar with dreams of colonization, these dreams have been shattered with our powerful explosions and iron- fist attacks. The Canadians who crossed the Atlantic are now retreating back to hide in their safe- havens,” said the statement. “Today was the last day of this snake in this land and it has officially ended its occupation.”