14 October 2008
15 Sep
I am no military strategist by any stretch of the imagination so maybe I’m off base.
However, this had me perplexed when the Opposition was trying to put firm deadlines on Canada pulling the plug on Afghanistan. Now that the Conservatives are talking about a 2011 withdraw, well…
Telling the Taliban when you’re leaving just doesn’t seem smart. Granted there are other countries there and this isn’t just Canada’s war but some kind of measure of success besides a date thrown out during an election campaign would seem to be a better idea.
In the Fredericton riding which is home to CFB Gagetown, it will be interesting how this plays out at the polling booths. Should we be there or not has been a debate across the country but it is worth noting that since 9/11 there have been no terrorist attacks on North American soil and life for many Afghanis has improved thanks to the Canadian Military.
War sucks but it would be a shame if all the work done by our soldiers (counting nearly 100 who gave their lives) ended up being reversed the moment we pull the plug because of an arbitrary deadline set in the heat of an election.
Crossposted – Spink About It

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One Response for "How would Afghanistan vote?"
You make a good point. It’s the exact argument that Bush and others in the U.S. make regarding Iraq. Even Clinton and Obama could never be pinned down on a pullout date. It just doesn’t make sense to announce it to the enemy. I think Harper announced the date simply to quell any discussion of it during the election. It’s unfortunate because I think our leaders should be talking about it more, regardless of where they stand on the issue.
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