A Canadian detective was considered the best intelligence asset in Afghanistan. Look him up: Karjit Sajjan, a Sikh, now Canadas defence minister. What set Sajjans anti-terrorism intelligence apart was his ability to connect and build trust with local populations, something hes known to attribute in part to the Canadian militarys openness to turbans. His access granted him special appreciation of the unique dynamics and local conditions on the ground in Afghanistan.
Sajjans intelligence-gathering and analytic skills soon attracted the attention of senior U.S. military and strategic advisors. His opinion letter concerning the Taliban, local warlords and the Afghan opium trade was appended in full in a major 2008 report on U.S. anti-narcotic strategies by Barnet Rubin, senior advisor to the U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan. In both 2006 and 2009 Sajjan came under enemy fire, saw open combat and coped with dead and wounded soldiers.
Following Sajjan's second deployment in 2009, U.S. Major-General James Terry, Commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistans southern provinces, requested that he join the U.S. Command Team for a third deployment 2010, where he served as Special Assistant to General Terry.
Theres irony here as well. Very few of the military have the chance to enter the pantheon of heroes, as Larry mentioned. Joining up doesnt get anyone past the gate in Canada. Most Canadians think that way, as do all the vets Ive known and interviewed
