Radsickle

Firstly, the UN's ISAF for Afghanistan was created in 2001. NATO took control in 2003. Look it up. Secondly, a lot of the bullets being used in Iraq come from a Canadian company.... though you're right, Canada has been more mature in the amount of government money it spends on Defence. Granted, the Liberals might've cut a bit too deeply into this budget but that is being fixed. What we don't want to get into is trying to invent wars with other countries so that we can buy more weapons and equipment and keep more people employed in the bullet business..... I like Elizabeth May's suggestion: change it from the Department of Defence to the Department of PEACE. Immature brush-offs like that are used by people who can't even spell the problem, let alone understand it.

My point? That you shouldn't believe everything you read online. That supposed BBC article didn't even mention Karzai and couldn't even spell Massoud's name right. Info not from Wikipedia And the Leader of the Northern Alliance, Massoud, was Assassinated by Taliban f-heads posing as journalists on Sept 13, 2001. Karzai supported him, yes. But not at first... My point is there wasn't a clear government in Afghanistan at the time Khadr was caught. Canada should've assumed responsibility for this citizen found in an unstable, law-less country.

It was a commitment, not an obligation. Tell me, how's our economy.... apparently, you know best... Canada Commits Troops

I thought it was a bad idea to publish her picture when I read the June 8th article by Rosi DiManno in the Toronto Star about, Malalai Kakerthe, a great female cop in Kandahar. the start of the article... they now want money for the rest ... I thought to myself that I was looking at a woman who will be marked for death by the Fascist, Patriarchal, F-Heads in Afghanistan. These religious extremist F-Heads would target her as a threat to their `women are subordinate' attitude and belief. Why wasn't there more protection for her? I imagine she would have resisted it. She was courageous to the end and will hopefully influence the future of Afghanistan for the better.

MMPR sounds like the answer then. Anything's better than this half-conscious caucus. I'm still shocked over how many Canadians believed Harper's claim that parliament was disfunctional. It was his excuse to break his own rule and take the wind out of his competition. I'm not excusing the childish antics that most of these highly-paid people exhibit daily in their jobs, but what should the opposition do in parliament, agree all the time?! Thanks for wasting over 300 Million of our tax money, Mr. Harper! I hope you're sent packing the next time you gamble our tax money on a grab for a majority. You're simply not popular enough. Get over it. Go to the States if you want to appeal to more people. Stop trying to mess with Canada. If your'e truly for `reform', then bring in MMPR!

Hooeh to that.

McCain's losing his marbles. Obama's politely asking him to get out of the way.

"The United States vrs. Omar Khadr" Thursday Oct. 16. 9pm EST on CBC US vrs. Omar Khadr

Actually, I think it's more along the lines of Naomi Klein's `Shock Doctrine'; Part of this `economic crisis' is orchestrated to scare us into the SPP. Normal Media coverage has already been mocked as sounding `alarmist'. I'm so glad Harper didn't get his majority.

Ok, Karzai won in the end, supposedly democratically, and it's now hard to find links on a moments notice but Karzai was ushered into leadership without needing the Loya Jirga in 2002. It was humerous and tragic how obvious a `puppet' he was at the time. A lobbyist for the oil industry... hmmmm.... All I could find for now.

Sir, I understand your perspective. I'd be jaded too. I'd be friggin' rageful. But the horrors you describe shouldn't stifle our efforts to be better than those who would tell a 10 year old to kill another person. I see this as a `slippery slope'; if we treat 15-year-old Khadr like an adult, Al Qaeda pushes the envelope with 10 year olds -- we validate their use of children by allowing our allies to treat a child like an adult. It only gets worse unless we become the first to say "stop".

It was common knowledge that the initial governments of both Afghanistan and Iraq were not legitimate governments but `hand-picked' governments. Democracy didn't actually `sweep' those lands till years later.

Dude, it's our UN commitments that led us to Afghanistan. What keeps this war going? Other than the military/industrial complex that Conservatives rely on to drive an economy, it's a silly, romantic notion of war among powerful people, in and outside of the Canadian government, that keeps this war going. It's time we wake up, throw up, and find enlightened ways to solve the Afghanistan problem without making our own kids sick or dead.

an elected government - not the one Bush picked

Army Guy, this is not a charade. It may seem like an insignificant football for us arm-chair quarterbacks, us `civies', to toss around. But I promise you it means a hell of a lot more to me. I didn't think Canada would regress so easily, quickly forgetting itself when faced with a difficult foe. Have the terrorists already won? This battle's not going to be won with bullets. We need better leadership than that. Karzai wants negotiations with the `Taliban'. We should stop being binary about it and allow the possibility. If they put down their weapons, they can have a seat beside the seat of power. If they mess it up, the world painfully continues to kick their ass. Our diplomats should at least live up to our Nation's signed commitments, all of them. Including the ones about 15 year old soldiers and Canadian citizens being allowed a fair trial.

Was your name inside the quote? No. I was responding to a different post. If you were following all the posts in this thread, you would have noticed. There was no government of Afghanistan until 2005... which government invited us to invade?! The Taliban in 2001?!?! You sound like you're pre-judging Canadians. Only read what you want to hear, eh? Post a link to your imagined `fact' Again, you should read the other posts and follow the threads.... I wasn't responding to you.

I doubt whether the lack of posts in the starving girl's blog means that no one cares, if that's what you were insinuating. I dont' think it would be right to post anything, might encourage her. Luckily, we still have public health care. When she passes out from lack of food, a Canadian hospital will fix her. It's a sticky topic. I'm going back to the topic about Omar's plight making me ashamed of my country...

Wouldn't every `established' party be partially against proportional representation? Independents would have much more strength in such a system and therefore a threat to the `establishment'. Only the Green and NDP parties are honestly pushing for PR. The Conservatives and Liberals see it as a threat... something from the `new school'.... those enlightened countries across the pond. It would be their mutual undoing; no majorities, ever again.

Only 20% of Canadians voted for Harper's thugs. Thank you, Quebec and Newfoundland for stopping Harper from having his way -- without opposition. I'm all for proportional representation though...

He took up arms against a military force that was attacking where he was. If a Canadian goes to a law-abiding country and breaks one of their laws, they are subject to that countries punishment. The Taliban had already been declared `unfit' to rule Afghanistan anymore.. If the country doesn't have an established government, what law is he breaking? That's for his homeland, Canada, to decide. Not the attacking Army's homeland. Why isn't any other country involved over there bringing their captives to mock trials in their own torture chambers? Surely the Canadian Forces have many lawsuits against the captured Taliban F-Heads who've attacked our soldiers, right? Dude, he was in a small hut with numerous other people with guns. A warm rifle on the other side of the room is not good evidence. Why aren't you mentioning the smoking grenade anymore? Because a witness to the event admitted that it was probably someone else who threw it? No, the one who saved his life when they stopped putting bullets in his back. That's a good soldier.

Omar was born in Canada.... what past would you like him to let go of?

What surprises me is that you assume him guilty based on rumour.

Hooeh. Although I would say all taxes could go down if a carbon tax were introduced instead.

Why do you try to equate a "Canadian going down to the States" with a Canadian being on the wrong side of a battle in a far-away country where there was no rule of law. Do you think such a comparison is fair? Does such fuzzy logic make you feel warm and fuzzy?

You'd like to re-write history too, eh? Preston Manning for PM? They took some good ideas from Preston's party ... kinda like the Conservatives trying to re-brand the Liberal's `Energuide Home Renovation Rebate Program" after cancelling it and realizing their mistake. Doesn't mean Preston EVER had a chance of winning.