Afghanistan

[White Doors]

maybe he is more concerned with soldier morale than the un-educated knee-jerk populace for once.

Boy it never ceases to amuse me to see just how shallow the Canadian right wing's populism runs. I mean, conservatives constantly justify policy based on notions like "individuals know better than the government how to run their lives," but the instant a plurality of the population disagrees with conservative doctrine, wellsir, those fucking jerkwater rubes don't know shit from shinola. Oh, but it's "Teh Left" who are the elitists.

But I digress.

Funny, I thought the Afghan mission was a liberal one supported by the UN et al?

I find it ironic that you hate the left-right paradigm but use it on a whim when it suits your pre-conceived notions.

There are plenty of 'jerkwater rubes' on the right side as well. And there are lots on the right side of the spectrum who do no support this war as well.

My ire was aimed at the spoiled, unworldly western vision of isolationism. But you spew out whatever makes you feel better and call it a day BD.

[Black Dog]

I find it ironic that you hate the left-right paradigm but use it on a whim when it suits your pre-conceived notions

I'm talking about specific posters with track records of conservative sympathies. Hardly the stuff of broad generalizations or preconceptions.

My ire was aimed at the spoiled, unworldly western vision of isolationism. But you spew out whatever makes you feel better and call it a day BD.

Speaking of spew...

[White Doors]

Ouch! what a biting rebuttal!

haha

[Black Dog]

Ouch! what a biting rebuttal!

haha

Can't make chicken salad from the chickenshit of your last post.

[White Doors]

Ouch! what a biting rebuttal!

haha

Can't make chicken salad from the chickenshit of your last post.

ok then

[jdobbin]

Top news story this morning, front page of the G&M......

I can gaurentee this.....the next election won't be over Afghanistan...well, maybe for Taliban Jack.....but that will be his loss....

I guarantee this: Afghanistan won't help Harper in the polls.

Finland lost its first soldier today. I said weeks ago that there was a rise in attacks in the north. First the Norwegians this week and now the Finns.

http://www.bakutoday.net/view.php?d=37228

I don't know that our NATO allies are going to stick around. Each week, NATO has to defend the mission as well as convince Canada's allies to stay.

http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/a...ack=1&cset=true

Some of the speeches Harper has made in Afghanistan seem to indicate he is planning to say beyond 2009.

[jdobbin]

Don Martin had a lot to say about Harper's visit this week.

http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/news/st...13-9f99793b517a

The highlight of the first day was Mr. Harper visiting the same school where two of his ministers had already posed for pictures on separate visits. The school for the underprivileged received $39,500 from Canada last year, precisely matching the cost of Canadian International Development Agency Minister Josee Verner's visit with students there last October.

The only difference seemed to be that Mr. Harper gave the students pencil cases to put into the backpacks handed out by Ms. Verner.

This part was good too.

These prime ministerial trips are logistical and security nightmares, costing taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars to fly politicians and their entourages halfway around the world to give the appearance of personal risk while wrapped inside a protective military bubble.

And the sheer number of politicians flying into Kandahar in the last year has undoubtedly inconvenienced the military base in hosting a blitz that smacks more of damage control for the Conservatives than moraleboosting for the troops.

Defence Minister Gordon O'Connor has been to Kandahar three times with every trip taking off across the Atlantic just ahead of a rumble of calls for his resignation in the House of Commons. He was there just two months ago and is back there with the Prime Minister now.

Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay has gone twice while Cabinet colleagues Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day, Treasury Board president Vic Toews and Environment Minister John Baird did a tour along with tagalong Conservative MPs Helena Guergis, Ted Menzies, Laurie Hawn, Jay Hill and Rick Casson.

[jdobbin]

And here is what Harper was expected to say on extension beyond 2009.

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/reuters/070523/...ghan_canada_col

Canada could keep its military mission in Afghanistan beyond the scheduled February 2009 withdrawal date despite increasing pressure to bring the troops back on time, Prime Minister Stephen Harper indicated on Wednesday.

Harper made the comments during a surprise visit to Afghanistan, where 2,500 Canadian troops are based in the southern city of Kandahar.

[hiti]

And what do the soldiers in Afganistan think of being used for photo-ops?

Quote- Scores of soldiers began filing out the moment the prime minister finished speaking. An officer stopped them and said: "The prime minister is still here - so that means we're still here. Get back inside."

[Michael Bluth]

And what do the soldiers in Afganistan think of being used for photo-ops?

Quote- Scores of soldiers began filing out the moment the prime minister finished speaking. An officer stopped them and said: "The prime minister is still here - so that means we're still here. Get back inside."

Hmm, it is the military. They serve under a chain of commander. They were ordered by a superior officer to return to the area and that means they are being used for photo-ops?

Where the hell does that come from?

[hiti]

And what do the soldiers in Afganistan think of being used for photo-ops?

Quote- Scores of soldiers began filing out the moment the prime minister finished speaking. An officer stopped them and said: "The prime minister is still here - so that means we're still here. Get back inside."

Hmm, it is the military. They serve under a chain of commander. They were ordered by a superior officer to return to the area and that means they are being used for photo-ops?

Where the hell does that come from?

Yup they were being used for photo-ops cause it sounds like Steve would have been blabbing to an empty room if the superior officer did not issue the order to stay in the same room. LOL

[Michael Bluth]

And what do the soldiers in Afganistan think of being used for photo-ops?

Quote- Scores of soldiers began filing out the moment the prime minister finished speaking. An officer stopped them and said: "The prime minister is still here - so that means we're still here. Get back inside."

Yup they were being used for photo-ops cause it sounds like Steve would have been blabbing to an empty room if the superior officer did not issue the order to stay in the same room. LOL

If the Prime Minister had finished speaking then he wouldn't have been blabbing to anything would he?

Care to reload the attack? You aren't usually that easily proven wrong.

[noahbody]

Don Martin had a lot to say about Harper's visit this week.

This is a good example why Harper went to Afganistan. Writing about the rebuilding that is going on in Afganistan just doesn't make a good story and surely doesn't sell papers. Canadians who get their 'informed' opinions from the media only see one side of the story. Since the troops hear how Canadians don't support their mission, it's a good move to take members of the media (even hostile ones like Robert Fife) and bring attention to the other side so Canadians can better judge the war, even the ones who still think Afganistan and Iraq are the same place.

[jdobbin]

This is a good example why Harper went to Afganistan. Writing about the rebuilding that is going on in Afganistan just doesn't make a good story and surely doesn't sell papers. Canadians who get their 'informed' opinions from the media only see one side of the story. Since the troops hear how Canadians don't support their mission, it's a good move to take members of the media (even hostile ones like Robert Fife) and bring attention to the other side so Canadians can better judge the war, even the ones who still think Afganistan and Iraq are the same place.

Every time Harper gets into trouble at home, he runs to Afghanistan. His plans for an extension are just not going to win him any votes at home.

[hiti]

http://communities.canada.com/nationalpost...07/427x375.aspx

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/v5/images/n...cartoon-400.png

Hilarious

[jdobbin]

Latest offensive leaves one Canadian soldier dead, one injured.

One Canadian soldier was killed and another injured Friday at the start of a major offensive against the Taliban in southern Afghanistan.

"We lost a good kid today," said Col. Mike Cessford during a news conference in Kandahar.

The soldier was killed in an explosion.

He is the 55th Canadian soldier to be killed in Afghanistan since the mission started in 2002. His identity is being withheld.

The wounded soldier has non-life-threatening injuries.

Harper's visit might have boosted morale but casualties give Canadians pause back home.

[M.Dancer]

Harper's visit might have boosted morale but casualties give Canadians pause back home.

As it should. We shouldn't be callous with our soldiers lives, the work they are doing is important and dangerous. They should know we understand that.

[jdobbin]

As it should. We shouldn't be callous with our soldiers lives, the work they are doing is important and dangerous. They should know we understand that.

I think Canadians know this and that is why they want them home as soon as 2009.

[M.Dancer]

As it should. We shouldn't be callous with our soldiers lives, the work they are doing is important and dangerous. They should know we understand that.

I think Canadians know this and that is why they want them home as soon as 2009.

They want them home because the work is important? Or they want them home because the work is dangerous?

Or is it they are afraid of upsetting Osama?

[jdobbin]

They want them home because the work is important? Or they want them home because the work is dangerous?

Or is it they are afraid of upsetting Osama?

I think that the Strategic poll said that Canadians don't believe the mission will succeed because the government has not managed it properly.

http://www.thestar.com/opinion/article/216557

May 23, 2007 04:30 AM

How do Canadians feel about our military role in Afghanistan, almost six years after our first special forces landed there?

Unhappy. Deeply confused. And unwilling to stay very long.

A recent Strategic Counsel poll found 55 per cent of Canadians oppose sending more troops. And other surveys have found 70 per cent of those polled think Canada's 2,500 soldiers in Kandahar are chiefly peacekeepers when, in fact, they are fighting insurgents. Even so, 60 per cent want our troops out by February 2009, when the current mission ends.

[M.Dancer]

long.

A recent Strategic Counsel poll found 55 per cent of Canadians oppose sending more troops. And other surveys have found 70 per cent of those polled think Canada's 2,500 soldiers in Kandahar are chiefly peacekeepers when, in fact, they are fighting insurgents. Even so, 60 per cent want our troops out by February 2009, when the current mission ends.

Thank god policy isn't decided by people who don't know what the topic is......

And other surveys have found 70 per cent of those polled think Canada's 2,500 soldiers in Kandahar are chiefly peacekeepers when, in fact, they are fighting insurgents.

All I can say is most people are morons who shouldn't be allowed to decide what tomorrows dinner will be....

[Topaz]

I've found a website that is a "Timeline" for several world events like "9/11" invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq etc. Its documented by US government, the news etc. This website is very long , it took me a weekend of constant reading but it was so interesting and I couldn't stop. Perhaps you will find info out that will surprise you as it did me.

[jdobbin]

Thank god policy isn't decided by people who don't know what the topic is......

All I can say is most people are morons who shouldn't be allowed to decide what tomorrows dinner will be....

I don't see how calling the electorate morons will be a winning campaign strategy.

Harper won't explain how Canada's strategy is say better than...the Netherlands. He rarely answers questions in Parliament except to call his opponents aligned with the Taliban. This has largely contributed to a majority of Canadians turning thumbs down on Tory management of the war.

[Canadian Blue]

I knew Cpl McCully personally from Kingston since he was my det commander, he loved his job, he was a great person, a great soldier, and it's truly unfortunate that we lost another great member.

A recent Strategic Counsel poll found 55 per cent of Canadians oppose sending more troops. And other surveys have found 70 per cent of those polled think Canada's 2,500 soldiers in Kandahar are chiefly peacekeepers when, in fact, they are fighting insurgents. Even so, 60 per cent want our troops out by February 2009, when the current mission ends.

If people still think we are nothing more than UN peacekeepers they've been out to lunch for quite a while.

[hiti]

Afghanistan does not want to be rebuilt in Canada's image.

If we take our 2,500 soldiers from Kandahar in 2009 as planned and shift our soldiers efforts to reconstruction, or to policing, we will hardly be dooming the mission.

NATO will be forced to find another country to volunteer its soldiers to serve as target practice for the Taliban.

"Unfortunately, the people in the West think their lives are more important than our lives," Pakistan president Pervez Musharraf said recently. In fact, the civilian deaths -- conservatively numbered at 136 this year, and 700 last -- are increasing tension within Afghanistan, where President Hamid Karzai has been pleading with NATO to be more careful.

He likes to keep things simple for us: We can't be trusted with complications. We aren't supposed to notice, for instance, that the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, far from thwarting terrorism, appear to be spawning a new epidemic of suicide bombings.

We are expected to believe that sending tanks to Afghanistan will keep us safe at home and ignore the failure to properly screen tarmac workers at Canadian airports.

When he wasn't handing pencil cases to orphans, Harper gave Karzai an Ottawa Sens sleeper for the president's four-month-old son.

Some will find the gesture touching: that was the intent. For others (including me), it was cheap theatrics: using hockey and a newborn to sell a war.

There is no doubting that Harper sincerely believes in this war: It is hardly a vote-getting gambit.

But that doesn't mean he is right.

Susan Riley writes for the Ottawa Citizen

I totally agree with Susan Riley. Steve just wants to have an excuse to strut around in a helmet and a vest (flak jacket) and play Bush. Buying 100 Leopard tanks for the military is overkill considering that at present we only have 17 tanks. And lying about the cost of the tanks is typical Steve.

We are not doing our job in Afghanistan. We are threatening the county and it's population with the killing of civilians and the burning of crops. Canada should get back to it's original mission........ a shift back to a more constructive, peacekeeping role with genuine reconstruction and training of Afghanistan soldiers and policemen.

And don't any Harperite try to say that it was the Liberals who sent our forces to Afghanistan because Steve changed the mission to a military agenda and only he wears the mission now. Steve extended the mission after only a two-hour debate in the Commons and a 149-145 vote which does not give him carte blanche to stay in Afghanistan as long as he needs a handy photo-op.