Canada takes up `unfinished business'

[CHIMO]

Canada takes up `unfinished business'
Graham persuaded PM of need to go

New mission boosts relations with U.S.


BRUCE CAMPION-SMITH
OTTAWA BUREAU
OTTAWA—Defence Minister Bill Graham went to Prime Minister Paul Martin in early spring with a message: Canada had "unfinished" business in Afghanistan.

While Canadian troops had helped bring stability to the capital, Kabul, violence was running high in many other parts of the country, threatening to undercut President Hamid Karzai's government.

NATO, in the midst of assuming more and more of the Afghan mission from the United States, was putting pressure on its member nations to boost their contributions to military operations outside the capital.

Graham told Martin that the federal government, at the time deciding its future commitment to Afghanistan, had an obligation to step up to the plate.

http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_PrintFriendly&c=Article&cid=1122070220411&call_pageid=968332188492

NATO's role to grow

The former Dutch foreign minister also stressed that NATO's role in overseas missions is set to expand.

"The demand on NATO to run missions will increase and not diminish," he said. "I doubt if all parliaments and all parliamentarians understand this."

Urging leaders to drive a debate on changing security needs to avoid a repeat of the transatlantic rifts exposed by the US-led strike on Iraq, De Hoop Scheffer said politicians had to accept the need for a stronger alliance.

http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,1564,1389734,00.html

Looks to me like NATO's role has grown and SSM kept it out of parliament. Wow wasn't that a neat move.

Failed states pose grave dangers, top general warns

By DANIEL LEBLANC

Saturday, July 23, 2005 Updated at 2:02 AM EDT

Globe and Mail Update
Canadians have yet to realize fully the extent of the dangers that have blossomed in failed states in the past decade and that are now facing Canada, General Rick Hillier said yesterday.

Speaking to military and security experts, the Chief of the Defence Staff said the post-Cold War era has seen a steady rise in terrorism and organized crime that poses a real danger to Canadians.

Gen. Hillier pointed to a picture of Afghan women and children standing in a field of poppies that will be used to make heroin, and called it a “weapon of mass destruction.” He also compared some of the enemies facing Canadian troops overseas to killers Clifford Olson, Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka.

“I see the Canadian population right now, in general, waking up from a bit of a long slumber,” he told the conference organized by the Canadian Institute for Strategic Studies.

Gen. Hillier said that Ottawa's current 3-D strategy (defence, diplomacy and development) needs to be enhanced to include a greater business component. He likened the situation to the Team Canada missions of the past in which politicians and business leaders travelled to growing markets.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20050723.hillier23/BNStory/National/

Now I wonder if he has told his enforcers who the bad guys are? Are they the Taliban, or the warlords or some other group?

Warlord democracy in Afghanistan

CBC News Viewpoint | July 21, 2005

Afghanistan has seen many faces of government during the past three decades of violent conflict and revolution. Communism, monarchy, lawlessness, ethnic genocide and extremist theocracy have all made an appearance on the country's political stage.

After the fall of the Taliban, the international community has now decided that electoral democracy is the answer to Afghanistan's never-ending horrors.

But as the September parliamentary election draws near, the surge in anti-government violence and the continued impotence of President Hamid Karzai in the lawless rural areas raise serious questions as to whether or not the country is in any condition to hold free and fair elections.

As a new contingent of Canadian troops departs for the troubled country, Afghans strive to create peace with yet another political system composed of militia commanders. But when asked whether they believe elections will bring peace to Afghanistan, almost all Afghans laugh and say "Insha Allah" – "Only if God wills it."

http://www.cbc.ca/news/viewpoint/vp_ahmad/20050721.html

[Maple]

1. Fire Bill Graham

Better yet, make him our ambassador to Afghanistan, and send him over there to live.

[CHIMO]

2. Well

He may have been the one who takes the rap but it is the cabinet now that has made the decision. So looks to me that they will be squeezed between the Reform and Bloc for their lack of insight or spine when the bad news starts registering.
I would never think that the Liberals would use a rally round the flag issue in the upcoming election?

[Maple]

3. Martin appears

to agree with everyone, no matter what the issue.

It's extremely irritating...maybe the result of a minority govt, but I wish he'd stop it.

I hope our troops come home once this vote is over, and we quit picking up Imperial socks. This ain't our job.

[Spazito]

4. Until the bush cabal focuses on Afghanistan instead of Iraq

our forces should NOT be covering their asses, imo. When Canada first committed to this it was with the understanding that Afghanistan was the focus of the US and NATO would be doing security and re-building. I totally disagree with the change of 'mission' and REALLY distrust the new defense guy, his rhetoric is mimicking Rumsfeld imo.

[Maple]

5. I don't think we should have

gone into Afghanistan in the first place, but since we're there, and the majority of Americans have moved on to Iraq, I fail to see why we not only have to 'stay the course', but even send more troops.

[wli]

6. more like a Canadian interest in Afghan opium

[Maple]

7. Afghan opium

goes to Europe, not NA.

And if Canada wanted to grow it, goodness knows we've got plenty of space, outdoors and indoors, to do it in. Without observation.