A Fight That Can't Be Won. Afghanistan Mission.

[White Doors]

I KNEW you couldn't stay away. Quit already! hang up that keyboard. you will NOT be missed.

[reasonoverpassion]

My own observation is that some Canadians (and Americans) would rather second guess any comitment(s) because of an unkown outcome or potential for success

Outcomes can't be guananteed, but the potential for success should at least be there. Governments find it difficult to "sell" nation building because they know what will happen if they are truthful with their people. The fear is that if the magnitude of commitment becomes known, it will greatly diminish the amount of support any of these missions would have. This fear is probably legitimate.

The reality is in order to mobilize the amount of people required to do the job in Iraq it is necessary to bring back the draft in the USA. What politican on any side of the political spectrum is willing to propose this?

The reality is in Afghanistan that the Canadians and Dutch cannot do it alone. This mission requires full NATO commitment from all member states. Anythiing less is almost doomed to failure.

[bush_cheney2004]

Outcomes can't be guananteed, but the potential for success should at least be there. Governments find it difficult to "sell" nation building because they know what will happen if they are truthful with their people. The fear is that if the magnitude of commitment becomes known, it will greatly diminish the amount of support any of these missions would have. This fear is probably legitimate.

There will always be differing levels of commitment....like a famous analogy to a bacon and eggs breakfast. Canadian Forces are committed, without much of a vote in the matter. Other Canadians are only "involved".

The reality is in order to mobilize the amount of people required to do the job in Iraq it is necessary to bring back the draft in the USA. What politican on any side of the political spectrum is willing to propose this?

Not sure why you think this is so....Iraq has been invaded and occupied without conscription.

The reality is in Afghanistan that the Canadians and Dutch cannot do it alone. This mission requires full NATO commitment from all member states. Anythiing less is almost doomed to failure.

The Canadians and Dutch are not alone...just check the body count:

http://icasualties.org/OEF/ByNationality.aspx

If the mission is worth doing, it is worth doing regardless of support from "all member states".

Edited December 20, 2008 by bush_cheney2004

[Topaz]

If the mission was worth doing then the US should have done it right the FIRST time and not had pulled out so soon! Bush was so anxious to get into Iraq he's made a mess of both countries, made more enemies for the west and put US and Canadians citizen unsafe to travel overseas.

[bush_cheney2004]

If the mission was worth doing then the US should have done it right the FIRST time and not had pulled out so soon! Bush was so anxious to get into Iraq he's made a mess of both countries, made more enemies for the west and put US and Canadians citizen unsafe to travel overseas.

Really? I recall that Canada didn't even bother to show up in Afghanistan in numbers until February 2002....and only then with American help. If it was so important to have high force levels, where was the beef?

What took Canada so long?

[DogOnPorch]

The US has and has always had about 6-7 or so soldiers in Afghanistan for our one. Also I believe the elite 10th Mountain division (part) is operating there. They never 'pulled out'. Troops have been transfered between the two theaters of action though. That's how wars work...troops go where they're needed.

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Death has a tendency to encourage a depressing view of war.

---Donald Rumsfeld