Former top commanders urge Ottawa to support Afghan-Canadian combat advisers

The federal government needs to listen to the pleas of Afghan-Canadian combat advisers who — having played a pivotal role in helping Canada complete its mission in the Afghan War — were denied benefits and health coverage, former top military commanders say.

The Department of National Defence (DND) recruited 81 Afghan-Canadians as language and cultural advisers (LCAs) during the conflict. Unlike interpreters, they also provided Canadian soldiers with crucial advice on Afghan culture and interpreted conditions on the ground.

The LCAs also had high-level security clearances and partnered with top commanders carrying out some of the most dangerous assignments, including gathering intelligence on the Taliban, warning of impending attacks and eavesdropping on insurgent communications.

They were considered the eyes and ears of the Canadian Armed Forces. But after the Afghan war ended ten years ago, the LCAs found themselves ineligible for veterans benefits because they were hired by DND as civilians on temporary contracts.

"I don't think it's fair," said retired major-general Denis Thompson, who commanded NATO's Task Force Kandahar in 2008 and 2009. "Anybody that served Canada should be granted the access to the health care that they need."

Thompson said he never went anywhere outside the wire without his LCA.

"They took exactly the same risks that we did, dressed in the same uniform that we had," he said. "The only difference is they weren't armed."

WATCH | Aghan-Canadians who risked their lives for Canada in Afghan war demand justice 

Afghan Canadians who worked with military fight for recognition, benefits

14 days ago

Duration 2:10

Afghan Canadians who worked with the military as interpreters and cultural advisers during the war say they have been ignored by the federal government and are still fighting for the same recognition and health benefits as the soldiers they served beside.

Like a lot of Canadians who took part in the Afghan mission, many LCAs returned home injured and broken. 

Ten years after Canada's Afghanistan mission ended, three former cultural and language advisers are breaking their silence to share their stories with CBC News.

They said they want DND to recognize them as it has other veterans.

Abdul Hamid Hamidi said he dropped everything to become an LCA from 2009 to mid-2012. When he returned home, he said he couldn't restart his driver's education business and lost contact with his wife and children. 

Hamidi said he turned to DND for help but nothing was available.

Hamidi said he was told he was "just a contractor, that's it.'"

"No, I'm a human," he added.

When Hamidi arranged an appointment on his own with a psychologist, he said he didn't know what he could divulge about his secret missions in Afghanistan.

"I was crying for 45 minutes," he said. "I could not say anything."

Hamidi and half-dozen other LCAs protested on Parliament Hill the day after Remembrance Day.

Jamail Jushan said he was told the LCA job was an office position.

"They sent us out of there, working shoulder by shoulder with [the] army," he said.

Jushan said he worked with the Canadian military as an LCA in Afghanistan from 2006 until 2011.

"I am ready again to sacrifice myself for Canada, but I am very sad. National Defence ignore us, forget us," he said. "We have PTSD. We are sick."

During the Parliament Hill demonstration, former LCA Jalaluddin Sayah pulled a piece of shrapnel from his pocket. He said it was from one of the many close calls he and other LCAs experienced.

"They put me in danger and I still served this country and I wanted to serve this country, " Sayah said. 

Sayah was recruited in 2008 and worked with the military until 2014. He was one of the last Canadians to return home from the mission.

"I have no health coverage," he said. "I have no help from the Department of National Defence, not even a call. Not even appreciation."

Former LCAs are never invited to Remembrance Day ceremonies, said Sayah.  

"I have to invite myself," he said. 

Retired major-general Dean Milner, the last Canadian commander of NATO Training Mission – Afghanistan and the last task force commander in Kandahar, said the LCAs should be supported.

"They supported us fighting the Taliban and making Afghanistan a better place," Milner said.

"The fact that nothing has happened, that they're not even being listened to — I'm not happy with that."

In a media statement, Defence Minister Bill Blair's office said he's met with Robyn Hynes, interim ombudsman for the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Forces, about the challenges experienced by the former LCAs.

"The minister recognizes the important work of former language and cultural advisers​​​, and thanks them for their service to our country," the statement said.

DND has so far referred LCAs to Ontario's Workplace Safety and Insurance Board, where their claims are often rejected.

Hynes launched an investigation in September into the treatment of the former LCAs.

She delivered her findings to DND on Wednesday. Her final report is set to be released with recommendations for Blair early in the new year.

It's expected to present a clear description of the challenges faced by 18 LCAs who filed a complaint with her office. 

"Canada has a moral obligation to support the people who supported our country and the mission in Afghanistan," Hynes told CBC News in her first TV interview. 

"If the country and the department fails to act … they're going to have a very hard time making the case to recruit people to do this type of work moving forward."

Hynes said DND also needs to make clear what kind of details LCAs can share with mental health professionals about their service. 

Opposition parties are also pressuring the Liberals to act.

"Were it not for their efforts, many more Canadian troops may have been lost fighting against the Taliban," said James Bezan, Conservative defence critic, in an emailed statement sent to CBC News. 

"The Trudeau government should heed the advice of the defence ombudsman, show some leadership and recognize that they have a moral obligation to provide answers to those who served Canada."

"It's a shame," said Lindsay Mathyssen, NDP defence critic. "These people served in so many ways alongside military men and women … A lot was asked of them."

Green Party Leader Elizabeth May said she plans to raise the plight of the former LCAs with Blair as soon as Parliament resumes next week.

"We should be moving heaven and earth, now that we know about it, to make sure these LCAs get the supports that they deserve," May said.