Latest news with #RickHillier
Toronto Sun
5 days ago
- Politics
- Toronto Sun
Rick Hillier says feds must help former translator's family escape Taliban: 'We can do better'
The retired general, a former chief of the defence staff, said it would be appalling if Canada failed to help the ex-translator's sister Published Aug 14, 2025 • Last updated 3 minutes ago • 2 minute read Retired Canadian Forces General Rick Hillier during the Heroes Among Us event at Toronto's Hockey Hall of Fame, Wednesday June 26, 2024. Photo by Peter J. Thompson / Postmedia OTTAWA — A former top general says it would be 'unconscionable' for Ottawa to allow the family of an Afghan translator who risked his life to help Canadian soldiers to be deported back to Afghanistan. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Retired general Rick Hillier, a former chief of the defence staff, said it would be appalling if Canada failed to help the ex-translator's sister, who fled to Turkey from Afghanistan but has been denied permission to remain in that country. 'That would be unconscionable, if she ends up getting deported from Turkey and has to go back to Afghanistan to live under that brutal Taliban regime — who hate women just as a starting point,' Hillier told The Canadian Press in a recent interview. 'We can do better.' The woman and her children fled Afghanistan and the Taliban in 2018. That was too early to qualify them for a special, temporary federal policy designed to bring the extended families of former military language and cultural advisers to Canada. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Now, she said she fears that she and her 22-year-old son will soon face deportation from Turkey and reprisals in Afghanistan because her brother assisted Canadian troops. Hillier said adhering too closely to the policy's strict time frame 'would be ludicrous in the extreme.' 'Let's not get stuck on a bureaucratic number,' he said, adding that the woman 'needs our support because her brother supported and served us.' The woman said she believes the Taliban killed her husband in 2013 because of her brother's work with Canadian troops. The Canadian Press has agreed to not publish the names of members of the family because of the threat posed by the Taliban. Her brother, a Canadian citizen who worked under the code name 'Sam' for the Canadian Armed Forces in Afghanistan 15 years ago, has written letters to Immigration Minister Lena Diab and Prime Minister Mark Carney, to no avail. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada said it cannot comment on specific cases due to privacy legislation. 'The government of Canada takes the safety and security of Afghans extremely seriously and we sympathize with people in this extremely difficult situation. For reasons of privacy and security, we are unable to provide specific details, even with the consent of the person in question,' said department spokesperson Danielle Hickey in an emailed statement. Sam also has raised the matter with the office of the Canadian Armed Forces Ombudsman. He said he is running out of both time and places to turn for help. Sam and two other former military language and cultural advisers — whose families also did not qualify under the policy _ challenged the government over the policy in Federal Court. Their case was dismissed earlier this summer. Toronto & GTA Sunshine Girls World Sunshine Girls Relationships
CTV News
5 days ago
- Politics
- CTV News
Former general says Ottawa must help former translator's family escape Taliban
A Taliban fighter stands guard next to the Shah-Do Shamshira Mosque while people attend the Eid al-Adha prayer in Kabul, Afghanistan, Saturday, June 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) OTTAWA — A former top general says it would be 'unconscionable' for Ottawa to allow the family of an Afghan translator who risked his life to help Canadian soldiers to be deported back to Afghanistan. Retired general Rick Hillier, a former chief of the defence staff, said it would be appalling if Canada failed to help the ex-translator's sister, who fled to Turkiye from Afghanistan but has been denied permission to remain in that country. 'That would be unconscionable, if she ends up getting deported from Turkiye and has to go back to Afghanistan to live under that brutal Taliban regime — who hate women just as a starting point,' Hillier told The Canadian Press in a recent interview. 'We can do better.' The woman and her children fled Afghanistan and the Taliban in 2018. That was too early to qualify them for a special, temporary federal policy designed to bring the extended families of former military language and cultural advisers to Canada. Now, she said she fears that she and her 22-year-old son will soon face deportation from Turkiye and reprisals in Afghanistan because her brother assisted Canadian troops. Hillier said adhering too closely to the policy's strict time frame 'would be ludicrous in the extreme.' 'Let's not get stuck on a bureaucratic number,' he said, adding that the woman 'needs our support because her brother supported and served us.' The woman said she believes the Taliban killed her husband in 2013 because of her brother's work with Canadian troops. The Canadian Press has agreed to not publish the names of members of the family because of the threat posed by the Taliban. Her brother, a Canadian citizen who worked under the code name 'Sam' for the Canadian Armed Forces in Afghanistan 15 years ago, has written letters to Immigration Minister Lena Diab and Prime Minister Mark Carney, to no avail. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada said it cannot comment on specific cases due to privacy legislation. 'The government of Canada takes the safety and security of Afghans extremely seriously and we sympathize with people in this extremely difficult situation. For reasons of privacy and security, we are unable to provide specific details, even with the consent of the person in question,' said department spokesperson Danielle Hickey in an emailed statement. Sam also has raised the matter with the office of the Canadian Armed Forces Ombudsman. He said he is running out of both time and places to turn for help. Sam and two other former military language and cultural advisers — whose families also did not qualify under the policy — challenged the government over the policy in Federal Court. Their case was dismissed earlier this summer. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 14, 2025. Kyle Duggan, The Canadian Press
Toronto Star
5 days ago
- Politics
- Toronto Star
Former general says Ottawa must help former translator's family escape Taliban
OTTAWA - A former top general says it would be 'unconscionable' for Ottawa to allow the family of an Afghan translator who risked his life to help Canadian soldiers to be deported back to Afghanistan. Retired general Rick Hillier, a former chief of the defence staff, said it would be appalling if Canada failed to help the ex-translator's sister, who fled to Turkey from Afghanistan but has been denied permission to remain in that country.
CTV News
6 days ago
- Politics
- CTV News
Former top general says reviewing medals for Afghan vets a ‘no-brainer' for Carney
OTTAWA — A former top general who led the military during the Afghanistan conflict is urging Prime Minister Mark Carney's government to revisit the files of soldiers who served there to see if any of their awards should be upgraded to the Victoria Cross. Rick Hillier said that despite the failure of recent attempts to trigger such an independent review, he thinks the odds are better now that Ottawa is bent on revitalizing the Canadian Armed Forces. 'I am more optimistic right now. I think for the government, this should be a no-brainer,' Hillier, chief of the defence staff from 2005-2008, told The Canadian Press. Hillier is part of the civil society group Valour in the Presence of the Enemy, which has been pressing Ottawa to consider awarding veterans of the 2001 to 2014 Afghanistan campaign the country's highest military honour. He said commendations awarded to Afghanistan veterans should be examined in light of new information to see whether any of them qualify for the Victoria Cross. 'Let's do an independent review, not committing to anything, which is right and appropriate,' he said. 'And if we should find that one or two or more individuals are deserving of the Victoria Cross, what a shot in the arm that would be for our soldiers and aviators and sailors.' In 2022, former Conservative leader Erin O'Toole pushed to have a the House of Commons endorse the creation of a review panel that would take a second look at military decorations. Hillier said it may have been a strategic error to have the former leader of the opposition bring that proposal forward, since it 'almost guaranteed' that the governing Liberal party would oppose it. The issue is being brought to the fore again through a parliamentary petition sponsored and endorsed by Liberal MP Pauline Rochefort which also calls for a review panel. Twenty Stars of Military Valour — Canada's second-highest military award — and 89 Medals of Military Valour were awarded to soldiers who served in Afghanistan. No serving Canadian soldier or veteran has been awarded the Victoria Cross since the Second World War. The Government of Canada says just 81 Canadians have ever been awarded the Victoria Cross — 4 from the Boer War, 64 from the First World War and 13 from the Second World War. Gen. Walter Natynczyk, chief of the defence staff from 2008 to 2012, ordered a review in 2012 of the 20 Stars of Military Valour awarded for the Afghanistan conflict. Ottawa has resisted calls in recent years for another review. Department of National Defence spokesperson Andrée-Anne Poulin said in an emailed statement the awards process is designed to be insulated from political influence and public pressure. 'All honours for the Afghanistan mission have been processed and the time limits for such nominations (two years between the action and the nomination for Military Valour and Bravery Decorations) have now elapsed,' she said. 'These time limits ensure events are judged by the standards and values of the time, are compared with other contemporary examples, past decisions are not second-guessed and history is not reinterpreted.' Many have cited the case of Jess Larochelle of North Bay, Ont., as one that deserves a closer look. The late army private's supporters maintain he should be awarded the Victoria Cross for his heroic actions in holding off a 2006 Taliban attack on an observation post after sustaining serious injuries. Hillier, who chaired the committee that awarded Larochelle his Star of Military Valour, said details of his story that came to light in the years since make his case worth a fresh look. 'I don't think we made a mistake, but having done something doesn't mean that it's cast in stone forever and ever,' he said. Hillier said new details about 'how badly injured' Larochelle was during the battle, and the fact that he volunteered to take the position, should merit a reappraisal of his case. Retired lieutenant-general Omer Lavoie suggested the Department of National Defence may be reluctant to reopen awards files because it would be a complex project that would stir up grim memories of the conflict — and because it could quickly give rise to claims of unfair treatment if veterans of other wars aren't also honoured. Hillier also observed that Canadians tend to be hesitant about lavishing praise on individual acts of greatness. 'We in Canada have forever been loath, reluctant, slow to recognize the very top acts of courage and valour,' he said. 'Throughout our history, we seem to have this sort of group-thought process sometimes, where it keeps people all in one level.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 13, 2025. Kyle Duggan, The Canadian Press
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Former top general says reviewing medals for Afghan vets a 'no-brainer' for Carney
OTTAWA — A former top general who led the military during the Afghanistan conflict is urging Prime Minister Mark Carney's government to revisit the files of soldiers who served there to see if any of their awards should be upgraded to the Victoria Cross. Rick Hillier said that despite the failure of recent attempts to trigger such an independent review, he thinks the odds are better now that Ottawa is bent on revitalizing the Canadian Armed Forces. "I am more optimistic right now. I think for the government, this should be a no-brainer," Hillier, chief of the defence staff from 2005-2008, told The Canadian Press. Hillier is part of the civil society group Valour in the Presence of the Enemy, which has been pressing Ottawa to consider awarding veterans of the 2001 to 2014 Afghanistan campaign the country's highest military honour. He said commendations awarded to Afghanistan veterans should be examined in light of new information to see whether any of them qualify for the Victoria Cross. "Let's do an independent review, not committing to anything, which is right and appropriate," he said. "And if we should find that one or two or more individuals are deserving of the Victoria Cross, what a shot in the arm that would be for our soldiers and aviators and sailors." In 2022, former Conservative leader Erin O'Toole pushed to have a the House of Commons endorse the creation of a review panel that would take a second look at military decorations. Hillier said it may have been a strategic error to have the former leader of the opposition bring that proposal forward, since it "almost guaranteed" that the governing Liberal party would oppose it. The issue is being brought to the fore again through a parliamentary petition sponsored and endorsed by Liberal MP Pauline Rochefort which also calls for a review panel. Twenty Stars of Military Valour — Canada's second-highest military award — and 89 Medals of Military Valour were awarded to soldiers who served in Afghanistan. No serving Canadian soldier or veteran has been awarded the Victoria Cross since the Second World War. The Government of Canada says just 81 Canadians have ever been awarded the Victoria Cross — 4 from the Boer War, 64 from the First World War and 13 from the Second World War. Gen. Walter Natynczyk, chief of the defence staff from 2008 to 2012, ordered a review in 2012 of the 20 Stars of Military Valour awarded for the Afghanistan conflict. Ottawa has resisted calls in recent years for another review. Department of National Defence spokesperson Andrée-Anne Poulin said in an emailed statement the awards process is designed to be insulated from political influence and public pressure. "All honours for the Afghanistan mission have been processed and the time limits for such nominations (two years between the action and the nomination for Military Valour and Bravery Decorations) have now elapsed," she said. "These time limits ensure events are judged by the standards and values of the time, are compared with other contemporary examples, past decisions are not second-guessed and history is not reinterpreted." Many have cited the case of Jess Larochelle of North Bay, Ont., as one that deserves a closer look. The late army private's supporters maintain he should be awarded the Victoria Cross for his heroic actions in holding off a 2006 Taliban attack on an observation post after sustaining serious injuries. Hillier, who chaired the committee that awarded Larochelle his Star of Military Valour, said details of his story that came to light in the years since make his case worth a fresh look. "I don't think we made a mistake, but having done something doesn't mean that it's cast in stone forever and ever," he said. Hillier said new details about "how badly injured" Larochelle was during the battle, and the fact that he volunteered to take the position, should merit a reappraisal of his case. Retired lieutenant-general Omer Lavoie suggested the Department of National Defence may be reluctant to reopen awards files because it would be a complex project that would stir up grim memories of the conflict — and because it could quickly give rise to claims of unfair treatment if veterans of other wars aren't also honoured. Hillier also observed that Canadians tend to be hesitant about lavishing praise on individual acts of greatness. "We in Canada have forever been loath, reluctant, slow to recognize the very top acts of courage and valour," he said. "Throughout our history, we seem to have this sort of group-thought process sometimes, where it keeps people all in one level." This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 13, 2025. Kyle Duggan, The Canadian Press
