Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan has such an impressive resume, it’s hard to imagine why he feels the need to embellish it. However, in an April 18 speech while on a trip to India, he declared himself the “architect of Operation Medusa”.
The backlash has been swift and charges of ‘stolen valour’ have been fierce. The truth of his role in Operation Medusa was good enough, so why in the world would he embellish his record and say he was the “architect?”
“I must say Major Sajjan is one of the most remarkable people I have worked with and Major Sajjan has single-handedly changed the face of intelligence gathering and analysis in Afghanistan.”
The General went so far as to say “his analysis was so compelling that it drove a number of large scale theatre-resourced efforts, including Operation Medusa, a large scale conventional combat operation that resulted in the defeat of the largest Taliban insurgent cell, yet identified in Afghanistan.”
I guess we’ll never know what motivated Sajjan to overstate the truth, but the question now is whether his apology and retraction is enough, and if his integrity can be restored.
Judging by the calls I received today from military servicemen, the jury is still out. Below is my interview with Canadian Centre for Military, Security and Strategic Studies analyst David Bercuson, combined with listener calls.
What do you think? Should Minister Harjit Sajjan resign? Let me know at danielle@newstalk770.com.