Harper: Afghanistan no longer a source of global terrorism

[Moonlight Graham]

Visiting Afghanistan and speaking to the troops, Harper says:

'This country does not represent a geostrategic risk to the world. It is no longer a source of global terrorism'

Al-Qaeda presence in the country is hugely reduced, but i'd say you're overstating it a bit there Stephen. Will this be a "Mission Accomplished" moment for Harper?

Any other thoughts?

[punked]

Great bring em home.

[Bonam]

Any country can become a "source" of global terrorism overnight, because terrorism is committed by individuals, not countries. Terrorist individuals can come from any country, including Western countries, as we've seen with "homegrown" terrorist plots. As such, I don't see much meaning in the way that Harper's statement was phrased. It would have been somewhat more accurate to say that Afghanistan is no longer a primary base of operations for organized international terrorist networks. But that's not saying much.

There really is no "mission accomplished" in the "war on terror". The conflict is a constant damage control and damage prevention effort. It is more like policing than warfare. As such, it can never end, not until and unless the nations, peoples, and ideologies that populate the world are fundamentally altered.

[capricorn]

I have no clue whether Afghanistan is still a source of global terrorism. Nevertheless I sense it will continue to be the hell hole it was well before Al Qaeda mounted their training camps and plotted attacks on the West. Try as we may, it is not possible in such a short time to organize a rather medieval people into a semblance of modern society. The real test of what has been achieved, if anything, will come when NATO finally pulls out completely.

As for Harper's speech, it's a Prime Minister's job to boost the morale of this country's soldiers. So of course, Harper had to use words that are positive and praise the job the troops have done at great sacrifice in what amounts to a ten year war. For good measure he assured the soldiers they are the best "bar none". IMO his impromptu visit and the speech accomplished what he set out to do: convey the government's and the country's appreciation for a very tough mission. It provides a nudge that the combat troops need to come home with their heads held high.

[Guest American Woman]

Al-Qaeda presence in the country is hugely reduced, but i'd say you're overstating it a bit there Stephen. Will this be a "Mission Accomplished" moment for Harper?

Any other thoughts?

Isn't this the year that Canada is supposed to pull its troops out of Afghanistan? If that's still the case, it makes sense that Harper would in effect say "mission accomplished" - it justifies having had the troops there all this time while justifying pulling them out now. What else could he really say under the circumstances?

[August1991]

Any other thoughts?

I heard that quote on the radio the other day and thought that it warranted a QOTD.

IMHO, Harper stated well the reason for our military intervention in Afghanistan. We are there primarily to ensure that Afghanistan never becomes a place where anti-Western fanatics can stage attacks against us, and warn other dysfunctional places what happens if they allow fanatics to organize against the West. If Afghan men want to continue to live in the 12th century, I find that sad but frankly, I can live with that.

---

I think Harper is being a bit optimistic. We in the West still face potential threats elsewhere but Afghanistan is no longer the safe haven for terrorists that it was 10 or so years ago.

Compared to other threats that Western Civilization has faced in the past, this one is minor. But in this fight, our troops have shown good sense and have done the right thing. As an ordinary Canadian, I am proud of them. For many years, they took on the difficult task in Afghanistan's underbelly.

Edited June 1, 2011 by August1991

[RNG]

I think world-wide peace would be significantly advance if we nuked Pakistan the 15 min. it would take to move them back into the stone age.

[bloodyminded]

I think world-wide peace would be significantly advance if we nuked Pakistan the 15 min. it would take to move them back into the stone age.

I doubt you really do think that, to your credit.

[Sandy MacNab]

I think world-wide peace would be significantly advance if we nuked Pakistan the 15 min. it would take to move them back into the stone age.

A few smart bombs to take out their nuclear arsenal should be sufficient. They have never really gotten past the stone age.

[fellowtraveller]

It is no longer a source of global terrorism'

No doubt that is true. The Taliban in Afghanistan are not capable of operating with the impunity they enjoyed in the 90s and certainly not capable of staging major missions inside the country, much less outside it. In that sense, mission accomplished.

It will be much more difficult to bring ay kind of modest prosperity to the country, and it has nothing to do with the religion, culture, or history.

It is because Afghanistan is truly , truly poor: it has little arable land, nothing much for natural resoures and an illiterate populace. The only one of those that we can effect is literacy, and it won't nearly be enough.