I’ve been looking back over some newspaper clippings.
Here’s a quote:
The Afghans fought for three hours before calling in support, said Lt. Col. Ian Hope, commander of the Canadian force in Kandahar, who was at the scene. Canadian troops provided a cordon to block the escape of the Taliban rebels, he said. American helicopters, according to villagers, fired on farmhouse compounds, wounding civilians, damaging homes and killing animals.
These kinds of mistakes are inevitable in war and will continue to happen. In the end, there is no military solution to the problem of terror. Especially not in Afghanistan.
In January I wrote that we should plan to pull out of that country. The Liberals, who committed us to this combat mission had no real idea as to what they were doing. The Conservatives, who were in opposition back then- had no idea either. Nor did the Canadian Chief of Defence, General Hillier.
After winning the election, Stephen Harper finally agreed to a debate on the issue. That “debate”, which took place on April 10th was as useless as the one held by the Liberals when they first sent our soldiers over there.
The NDP called on the Minister of Defence to answer questions that he himself had posed to the previous government The most important of those was: “What are the goals and objectives of this mission and how do they meet Canada’s foreign policy objectives?
The Conservatives spoke the same platitudes we’d already heard. They said we were fighting “the war on terror”, and that we were there to “help the Afghan people.” I have no objection to helping the Afghans, but I strongly question the use of military force to do it.
The Liberals spoke like Conservative parrots…what choice did they have? They authorized this mission. When they were in government, the Liberals didn’t answer Conservative questions and after the Conservatives assumed power, they didn’t answer NDP questions. But then how can you answer a question when deep down, you don’t know the answer.
When Bush sneaked into the war against Iraq- Americans felt confused, afraid, but highly supportive of their soldiers. The government played on the fears of the general public about terror. But in fact, the public didn’t know what was going on or why.
Canadian officials who support our mission in Afghanistan, both military and civilian, sound very much like their American counterparts did about Iraq. Let’s build a nation, they say. Let’s create a democracy. Let’s end terror.
Well, American soldiers have been dying at the rate of 2 or 3 a day; Americans now realize they were bamboozled by a clutch of incompetent, ignorant leaders. The American death toll is approaching 3,000; thousands more have been horribly wounded and maimed for life; and countless Iraqi civilians are dead.
There is no democracy, terror is on the increase, and there is no “nation”. In fact, Iraq is expected to split into 3 parts, and the American action has handed Iran a huge gift of influence and power. It’s a mess.
I grant you that Afghanistan is different from Iraq. But soldiers are being killed. Innocent civilians are being killed too, sometimes by our soldiers. There will be more of that and as a result- more hatred and rebellion. There has to be a better way.
Stephen Harper is the head of a minority government. Seven out of ten Canadians voted for someone else. Unless he tells us very soon why it is we are in this situation and how we are going to get out of it…he will end up like George Bush.
As for the “war on terror”, Pakistan is likely the bigger threat.
Sir Jim
I thought the whole point of the 2002 USA invasion of Afghanistan, which the world sanctioned after 9/11, was to dismantle and eradicate the pro-AlQaida terrorist-sponsor Taliban structure.
Looks like the USA started the job and didn’t finish it.
Have I missed something?
lord anthony
The Taliban and their al Quaeda friends are gaining ground in Afghanistan and this letter from a reader of The New York Times is an example of American and international frustration with the Afghan “Mission”, which is so dear to the heart of our mini-generalissimo.
“May 5, 2006
Losing Afghanistan Again
To the Editor:
Re “Taliban Threat Is Said to Grow in Afghan South”
Is it a surprise to anyone that the Taliban control increasingly large swaths of Afghanistan?
Instead of finishing the job there with a long-term, large-scale occupation of the entire country, our president decided to divert our military to start an unrelated war in Iraq.
When we had the chance, we brought no real stability to Afghanistan, and then greatly destabilized Iraq.
Nic Arp
Iowa City, May 3, 2006
You haven’t missed anything Anon- just the Bush Administration’s incompetence.
Cheers
When you’re wounded and left on Afghanistan’s plains,
And the women come out to cut up what remains,
Jest roll to your rifle and blow out your brains,
And go to your Gawd like a soldier.
—Rudyard Kipling, “The Young British Soldier”
Britain failed in Afghanistan. Russia lost its shirt ( about 80% of everything they took in, I read).
Perhaps the most awful aspect of Canada’a pathetic me-too militarisation is our steadfast refusal to glance at a history-book once in a while.
Lord Anthony
Dear Anon
You’re so right.
“Afghanistan”, the traveler said,”is where great nations go to die”.
One of the biggest Iraq lies is US Homeland’s blind, adoring endorsement of “our gals and guys over there…” and since our recent change in government I see Canadian media pimping this line too, about Aghanistan.
Having travelled extensively in usa over the past two years, I’ll be the one to ask the tough question, like the kid as the naked emperor strutted by.
As a general observation, US and UK military “over there” can be looked at in bundles, with fair accuracy.
One bundle, perhaps the largest, is made up of poor whites, blacks and hispanics, typically not well-educated, who sign up as the best chance in their lives. Another bundle is made up of thugs and morons, unless Michael Moore faked it in Fahrenheit 911, who gleefully conduct their violent racist rampages to heavy-metal music in their headphones, the only difference is they’re now protected by a uniform.
Then there are young men and women from decent families who don’t think too deeply about much, other than Saddam Hussein deserving the death penalty for flying jets into the World Trade Centre. They will do and think as they’re told.
I saw one of this type interviewed after returning from his first Iraq tour. When asked what soldiering he did over there, he replied, “nothing special, I’m a door kicker-inner”..
Finally, the most culpable: the officers, who are relatively well-educated and can have no doubt about the evil fraud for which they are killing countless Iraqi civilians.
Add them all together. What’s left may contain a few real “heroes” who have earned it going well above the call of duty to protect brothers and sisters-in-arms, or innocent Iraqi civilians.
Nobody becomes a hero by just “being there”.
lord anthony