With the Taliban, this can be a lost case, he's a hero.
Some called him the Angel of Afghanistan but most knew him as ‘Canadian Dave.’
When innocent people were fleeing for their lives during the fall of Afghanistan, Dave Lavery was at the Kabul Airport saving as many people as he possibly could.
He was their key to freedom.
Now, it’s the Canadian Forces veteran who needs help slipping the grip of the Taliban.
At Kabul airport’s infamous Abbey Gate, Canadian Dave was personally responsible for getting more than 100 Afghans over the wall and onto flights to freedom in Canada. Now, it seems the fixer who helped fleeing Afghans escape during the fall of Kabul in August 2021 disappeared Nov. 11 in Afghanistan, where he had returned as part of his Raven Rae Consultancy Services business to help extract the hundreds left behind there.
“He is a Canadian hero,” said retired Canadian Forces General Dean Milner who was Canada’s final commander in Afghanistan when they ended their mission there in 2014.
Now, Lavery is looking for a hero of his own. The problem is that Canada has no standing, nor any contacts, in the Taliban-run Afghanistan.
“Global Affairs Canada is aware of a Canadian detained in Afghanistan,” Global Affairs said in a statement Thursday. “Canadian officials continue to monitor the situation closely and are providing consular assistance.”
Global Affairs is keeping its cards close – common in war zones or hostile countries. Things move slow and information is scarce. People are on a need-to-know basis.
For example, while it is known that Lavery was taken at the Kabul airport, it is unclear if he was arrested, kidnapped, violently assaulted, killed or wounded.
“It’s a rough place,” Milner said. “And he is a well-known figure there.”
It’s believed Lavery had the proper visas to be there – as he was in the country from 2010 until 2021, prior to the Taliban takeover.
Lavery was on one of the last flights to take off from the airport in 2021. It’s unclear if his wife, Junping, and son, Brant, were with him in Afghanistan or are still in Canada.
Some called him the Angel of Afghanistan but most knew him as ‘Canadian Dave.’
When innocent people were fleeing for their lives during the fall of Afghanistan, Dave Lavery was at the Kabul Airport saving as many people as he possibly could.
He was their key to freedom.
Now, it’s the Canadian Forces veteran who needs help slipping the grip of the Taliban.
At Kabul airport’s infamous Abbey Gate, Canadian Dave was personally responsible for getting more than 100 Afghans over the wall and onto flights to freedom in Canada. Now, it seems the fixer who helped fleeing Afghans escape during the fall of Kabul in August 2021 disappeared Nov. 11 in Afghanistan, where he had returned as part of his Raven Rae Consultancy Services business to help extract the hundreds left behind there.
“He is a Canadian hero,” said retired Canadian Forces General Dean Milner who was Canada’s final commander in Afghanistan when they ended their mission there in 2014.
Now, Lavery is looking for a hero of his own. The problem is that Canada has no standing, nor any contacts, in the Taliban-run Afghanistan.
“Global Affairs Canada is aware of a Canadian detained in Afghanistan,” Global Affairs said in a statement Thursday. “Canadian officials continue to monitor the situation closely and are providing consular assistance.”
Global Affairs is keeping its cards close – common in war zones or hostile countries. Things move slow and information is scarce. People are on a need-to-know basis.
For example, while it is known that Lavery was taken at the Kabul airport, it is unclear if he was arrested, kidnapped, violently assaulted, killed or wounded.
“It’s a rough place,” Milner said. “And he is a well-known figure there.”
It’s believed Lavery had the proper visas to be there – as he was in the country from 2010 until 2021, prior to the Taliban takeover.
Lavery was on one of the last flights to take off from the airport in 2021. It’s unclear if his wife, Junping, and son, Brant, were with him in Afghanistan or are still in Canada.
