New Media » Canadian Forces

Event. Canadian Sacrifices and Beijing’s Looming Shadow

jnarvey — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 08:48:09 +0000

If you’re a political observer who cares about Canada’s mission in Afghanistan and the role of China in Central Asia – and if you happen to be in Vancouver next week – this is a presentation not to be missed. Be there. I will be.

Canadian sacrifices and Beijing’s looming shadow

Thursday, March 8th, 2012

Fraser Institute Boardroom
4th Floor-1770 Burrard St
Vancouver

A conversation with Terry Glavin, author of Come from the Shadows: The Long and Lonely Struggle for Peace in Afghanistan and co-founder of the Canada-Afghanistan Solidarity Committee

There can be little argument that Canadian troops have played a critical role in Afghanistan, whether driving the Taliban out of Kandahar or providing training to Afghan security forces and helping rebuild needed infrastructure.

But despite Canada’s ongoing commitment to helping the Afghan people find liberty and self-determination, policy vacillation in Washington is creating an opening the Chinese government is all too willing to exploit, says journalist Terry Glavin, author of the book, Come from the Shadows: The Long and Lonely Struggle for Peace in Afghanistan, and co-founder of the Canada-Afghanistan Solidarity Committee.

After having failed to lift a finger in support on the United Nations action in Afghanistan, Beijing is now rushing in and acquiring vast copper and other mineral leases as well as forming ties with the Pakistani ISI while the United States is prepared to abandon the Afghan people to recurring threats of Islamic violence and oppression. Meanwhile, Canada and other Western nations have failed to stand up to Washington.

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One Way To Deal With The Taliban

jnarvey — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 05:58:47 +0000

“I put my foot on his neck and I shot him in the head with my AK47.”

Afghanistan requires a multifaceted approach. But at least regarding the appropriate manner of negotiating with the Taliban, best practices are pretty straightforward.

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Who Will Take Up The Torch?

jnarvey — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 02:43:07 +0000

To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.

Right now, it looks like it’s lights out for Canada’s top military blog. It’s a sad day.

H/T to Adrian MacNair.

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Remembering D-Day

jnarvey — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 17:17:34 +0000

On this day in 1944, Canadians helped lead the fight for the liberation of Europe from tyranny by storming the beaches of Normandy.

Their courage was the stuff of legend, something to inspire Canadians of all generations. But times change.

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Time to Show Some Leadership, PM Harper

jnarvey — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 07:28:18 +0000

The Afghans want it. Our allies want it, too. The Liberals are asking for it. Most of all, Canadians need it. Prime Minister Stephen Harper, are you finally ready to publicly discuss a role for Canada in Afghanistan after 2011?

The latest:

Liberal foreign affairs critic and Afghanistan committee member Bob Rae says the MPs’ comments were “a little hyped up.” He’s leaving it up to the government to create a plan for post-2011, but says there eventually must be a debate in Parliament.

“I don’t think we can keep on pretending that these discussions don’t need to take place,” Rae said.

The committee heard a number of ideas about the role Canada could play, including training Afghan security forces, Rae said.

Canada’s parliament did not vote to end our involvement in Afghanistan at the end of 2011. They voted to end our battle group’s role in Kandahar. PM Harper, there is no contradiction with the “will of parliament” in discussing a renewed role for Canada in Afghanistan. Let’s remain engaged just as momentum finally seems to be going our way.

More at the Torch: CF in Afstan post-2011? PM still “the biggest stumbling block”

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The Taliban Don’t Want Peace. If Karzai Doesn’t Get It Now, He’ll Never Get It

jnarvey — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 19:53:52 +0000

How many times do “peace” negotiations need to literally blow up in this statesman’s face before he finally gets it?

Once again, Afghan President Hamid Karzai attempts to jump-start peace talks with the Taliban.

And for the umpteenth time, the Taliban tell Karzai and the rest of the world they’re not interested in stopping the violence. And they do it in their usual way: guns blazing, mortars firing, suicide bombers bearing down on unarmed civilians.

When is Karzai going to get it? You don’t negotiate with these people. You hunt the Taliban down and kill every one of them you can find until their last shell-shocked comrades wave the white flag.

Canadians have made huge sacrifices in this country. We have the right to insist the government we’re supporting get on board with a plan for total victory. Completely contrary to what Karzai seems to think, anything less is just going to keep foreign troops in Afghanistan even longer.

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Afghanistan. Training Up and Getting Out?

jnarvey — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 18:29:07 +0000

Trying very hard not to look a gift horse in the mouth, here. The Conservatives’ new commitment of 90 trainers for the Afghan National Army and police, bringing out total commitment to nearly 3000 personnel, is certainly welcome news. This is totally consistent with what is being asked for by Afghans, Afghan Canadians, analysts and others who just want to see that country’s positive metrics (personal freedoms, access to health care and education, sparks of economic development) keep going up in the face of a dedicated insurgency.

That said, why are these new trainers going to stick to what pretty well everyone agrees was a limited and fairly arbitrary deadline at the end of 2011? From my post on the Canada-Afghanistan Solidarity Committee blog:

The deadline MacKay and others refer to is the end of our formal support for the Canadian battlegroup’s presence in Kandahar (not necessarily, as some believe, a predetermined end for ALL military support for Afghanistan). Yet a scaled down mission more focused on training, consultation with NATO and the Afghan government and perhaps protection of our own humanitarian aid and development assistance personnel, ought not be lumped into the same pile. Deadlines are fine, but they ought to be informed by the actual situation on the ground, not determined on a whim.

An Overview of Canada’s Training Effort in Afghanistan

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The Afghan Scandal Ottawa Doesn’t Want You to Know About

jnarvey — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 05:02:39 +0000

The Canada-Afghanistan Solidarity Committee has released a report urging Canada to continue an active role in Afghanistan after the military mission ends next year. Committee co-founder Terry Glavin and Nasrine Gross, an Afghan-American writer at Kabul University, discuss the situation on the ground.

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No Backroom Deals with the Taliban

jnarvey — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 17:48:12 +0000

No retreat. No “reconciliation” with psychotic thugs. No backroom deals with those who intend to turn Afghanistan into a vast refugee camp full of militant religious fanatics.

That’s the view from pretty well everyone in Afghanistan worth quoting about President Hamid Karzai’s clumsy and self-defeating efforts to somehow bring the Taliban into the fold of the government.

“The sacrifices you have made here, and all your taxpayers’ money. What for? You will have to ask that,” Mr. Abdullah said in an interview.

He said Canada would not be trespassing on Afghanistan’s sovereignty if it moves to block a “reconciliation” deal that circumvents Afghanistan’s parliamentary system. More importantly, he said, Canada is burdened by a duty to its own citizens to see that it does not happen.

“You have more than a right to stay firm in that,” Mr. Abdullah said. “Not just for the sake of any Afghan persons or an Afghan movement, but for the sake of the sacrifices you have made here. You are not in the business of betraying your own people. In that sense, it is an obligation.”

The full story by Terry Glavin, reporting from Afghanistan, is at the National Post, ‘STAY FIRM’ AGAINST TALIBAN: ABDULLAH. Read every word.

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Fight, Win and Hold

jnarvey — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 06:20:50 +0000

Spare a thought for heroes clearing a far-away land of thugs and monsters. Operation Moshtarak in Afghanistan is well underway, with our Afghan allies aided by ISAF forces overrunning Taliban-held territory.

With the enemy mostly melting away in the face of superior firepower, with the exception of a rearguard action by some desperate suicide attackers, the next objective will be to hold these gains. Nothing less than the future of Afghanistan is at stake.

It’s long past time for our politicians to acknowledge the critical events happening on the ground in Afghanistan right now and provide real leadership. With victory in sight, there is no reason to be shy about having a discussion that many Canadians — not least, Afghan Canadians, have been wanting for some time.

Armed Forces hail Moshtarak success

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