Eugene Lang, an adjunct professor at Queen’s University in Canada, has said that Canada exceeded U.S. expectations during its military mission in Afghanistan.
Speaking on Tuesday, February 3, Lang referred to remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump, who had said that NATO forces were “underperforming,” and stressed that Canada’s armed forces were deployed for more than a decade in high-risk areas in and around Kabul, repeatedly placing their lives in danger during operations.
Lang added that in 2003, then U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld formally asked Canada to take command of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Kabul. Canada responded by deploying more than 2,200 troops and establishing an operational headquarters.
He said these forces played a key role in stabilizing Kabul and preparing for the 2004 elections, noting that several Canadian soldiers lost their lives during the mission.
Lang emphasized that Trump’s remarks about Canada’s role are “entirely inaccurate,” adding that the United States genuinely needed the support of Canadian forces.
Trump had previously said he was not confident NATO would support the United States if needed, and claimed that NATO member states’ forces in Afghanistan had “stayed away from the front lines.”