February 25, 2008
Canada May Withdraw From Afghanistan In 2011
Canada's Conservative government proposed a withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan by 2011 at the open of parliamentary debate on the future of the Canadian mission there.
"It is the opinion of the House that Canada should continue a military presence in Kandahar beyond February 2009 to July 2011 in a manner fully consistent with the U.N. mandate on Afghanistan," said Royal Galipeau, the Conservative deputy chair of Committees of the Whole House.
The Canadian House of Commons is debating that country's lead role in the Afghanistan mission. Support for the ongoing mission has dwindled among Canadians, who have seen a disproportionately large number of casualties in the Afghan conflict.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper's government has bristled at what it sees as reluctance among the other large NATO members to contribute resources and manpower to the fight against the resurgent Taliban. The patchwork-style NATO mission -- with Canadians, Britons, Dutchmen and Americans doing the lion's share of security and reconstruction work -- is facing Taliban fighters who have adopted tactics used by al-Qaida and insurgents in Iraq (e.g., suicide bombings) and a rampant opium trade that Afghan farmers are reluctant to abandon.
Ahead of a contentious NATO meeting in Lithuania early this month, Harper's government threatened to bring the Canadian mission to an end if other NATO countries did not increase their contributions. That threat still holds as the Canadian parliament hammers out its Afghanistan timeline.
Speaking for Conservative members of the House, Galipeau said that the extension of Canada's mission until 2011 was "expressly on the condition that... NATO secure a battlegroup of approximately 1,000 to rotate into Kandahar, operational no later than February 2009" and "to better ensure the safety and effectiveness of the Canadian contingent, the government secure medium helicopter lift capacity and high-performance unmanned aerial vehicles for surveillance, reconnaissance and intelligence before February 2009."
Defense Minister Peter MacKay followed Galipeau and pointedly thanked Poland for contributing two Mi-17 medium lift helicopters. "Others, we hope, will follow soon, for we know every little bit helps," he said.
Canada, the U.S. and Britain have complained loudly in recent months about other nations' failure to contribute equipment and supplies on top of troops. When announcing the donation of the helicopters earlier this month, Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski accused other NATO members of "free riding" in Afghanistan.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice warned earlier this month that in the debate over Afghanistan, the future of the NATO alliance was at stake. Unlike the war in Iraq, the war in Afghanistan was undertaken with great determination and enthusiasm by the world community. But the situation in Afghanistan has deteriorated greatly, with several recent independent reports warning that the country may become a failed state. Instead of rallying behind the NATO mission, nations such as Germany are quietly sniping that the war in Iraq is to blame for American and British neglect of Afghanistan.
The Canadian government plans to shift the emphasis of its mission away from combat and toward security training, diplomacy and reconstruction.
"The ultimate aim of Canadian policy is to leave Afghanistan to the Afghans, in a country that is better governed, more peaceful and more secure, and to create the necessary space and conditions to allow the Afghans themselves to achieve a political solution to the conflict," Galipeau said.
The Bush administration has been working furiously behind the scenes to keep the Canadians on board, and will not be pleased by the announcement of a withdrawal timeline.
Adm. William Fallon of U.S. Central Command hinted yesterday that the Taliban might be emboldened "if they perceive there's little commitment -- or it's words and not a lot of action to back it up." During an appearance on CTV's "Question Period" news program, Fallon did not criticize the 2011 deadline, but added that "you can't forget about" the combat mission in favor of the diplomatic and reconstruction missions.
MacKay seemed optimistic that other NATO countries would fall in line behind the renewed push to secure Afghanistan. "We are currently in talks with our allies and partners so that there can be more troops in Kandahar. We are also exploring options available to us so that our military can have the equipment they need," he told the House.
The Canadian parliament will be debating "firm targets and timelines" for the Afghan mission and is expected to beef up aid to Afghanistan's judicial system and correctional system. The 2011 deadline was a compromise with the opposition Liberal Party, which is angry at Canada's disproportionate contributions to Afghanistan and pessimistic about the NATO mission there. Nearly 80 Canadian soldiers have died in the war in Afghanistan, according to CBC.
Americans have seen the most casualties by far -- 415, per a CTV count -- followed by the British, with 87 troops lost. But the U.S. has around 15,000 troops in Afghanistan and the British have 7,800. By comparison, Canada has just 2,500. Canadians are also viewed as the most vulnerable, since they are in charge of the volatile southern province of Kandahar.
"The world is watching, including the Afghan community and their oppressors," MacKay said. "We know there are those in the House who will oppose this mission. [It] reflects our international obligations as well as our commitment to the Afghan people, who we said we would protect and help further their own development and capacity to allow them to assume full responsibility for their own national security and sovereignty within their own borders. That goal can be achieved, but it will not be achieved if we bring our soldiers home."
Posted at 2:42 PM
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Afghanistan, Asia, Bush Administration, Canada, Condoleezza Rice, Iraq
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