But details of the trip were revealed ahead of time by French diplomats, much to the surprise, consternation and in some cases alarm of the Conservative government in Ottawa.
"I am not going to discuss details of the minister's schedule," Bernier spokesman Neil Hrab said in a brief-mail note after the schedule was publicized.
French diplomats said Bernier and Bernard Kouchner will be in Kabul on Saturday, and Kandahar on Sunday.
Both Hrab and the prime minister's office were asked whether there would be any changes to the itinerary now that it had been it had been leaked. There was no response.
Senior defence officials were aghast Friday at what they considered to be a French security faux pas, but declined to criticize their ally who will bolster its presence in eastern Afghanistan in order to give Canadians the reinforcements they need in the south.
The military has made it a matter of the highest security whenever the prime minister, cabinet minister or other dignitaries visit the war-torn region. Their presence on the ground is usually not revealed until they have either landed - or left the theatre entirely.
Journalists travelling with Harper during his two trips to Kandahar were told they would declared a security risk and banned from future prime ministerial travel if they disclosed the trip ahead of time.
Defence Minister Peter MacKay came under rocket attack while visiting a forward operating base last fall. Senior military commanders later denied he was targeted by insurgents, but they often use the incident to reinforce the blackout mantra.
A political storm erupted over Christmas when Liberal Leader Stephane Dion and deputy leader Michael Ignatieff's itinerary in Afghanistan was disclosed by Helena Guergis, the foreign affairs parliamentary secretary.
Similarly, Prince Harry's combat tour of Helmand province with the British army was cut short when word of his presence was leaked to the international media last winter.
New Democrat defence critic Dawn Black said there are now serious concerns for the safety of both Bernier and Koucher.
"This is a serious breach of security and I hope the Canadian government will at the very least express its concerns to the French," she said Friday.
The visit is meant as a follow-up to the French announcement last week that it is sending 700 more troops to Afghanistan. France's offer of more troops at a NATO summit in Bucharest averted a looming crisis in the alliance over Afghanistan.
Canada had threatened to pull out its 2,500 beleaguered soldiers in the southern Kandahar province unless they had reinforcements from another ally.
France has 1,430 troops serving as part of the 47,000-strong NATO force in Afghanistan and reports Friday in Paris suggested the French contribution could reach 3,000.
Washington has been lobbying European allies for months to send more troops to the front lines of the fight against the Taliban.
NATO is seeking to boost flagging public support for the mission in the face of growing Taliban violence.
The trip will also help with France's preparations for an international donors conference for Afghanistan in June.
The French donors conference is aiming at not just raising money but also reaching a broad new international strategy for Afghanistan, a French diplomat said.
James Morton
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1 comment:
I don't know about everyone else, but I'm getting a bit tired of politicians (from both sides) visiting Afghanistan for publicity photo ops, esp. on the taxpayer's dime!!!! They put themselves and journalists at unnecessary risk and I am not convinced that their visits actually accomplish anything at all.
We are committed to the mission, for the next while anyway, why not just let the soliders do their difficult job in peace.
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