Buckdog

Well,

I really don't want to read it, since I almost always disagree with Tom Walkom, but you made it clear that anyone who follows Canada's involvement in Afghanistan MUST read it, and since I follow Canada's involvement, I guess there's no two ways about it.

But I'm not happy about it...

Now see .... that wasn't so hard was it?

P.S. Olaf - I hope you do well in your category in the 2006 Canadian Blog Awards!

Thanks for the support on the Blog awards, however I'm not too optimistic I must say.

In any case, I read the article, and as I expected, I didn't much like it. I think he is blatantly trying to manipulate the reader by posting false information (Frist clarified his position, and it couldn't be further from Layton's, and comes much closer to Harper's/Karzai's).

Having said that, I think that his predictions about Afghanistan becoming the next Iraq are possible. His claim that in 2 years "it will be hard to find any serious politician who admits to having supported the Kandahar mission as it now stands", for some reason has a ring of truthiness to it, and could well be the case (as many supported Iraq, once apon a time).

However, I think Walkom blatantly mischaracterises Harper's position, which is emphatically not "all we need is to kill all the terrorists", but is more, by my reading, "we must create physical security in the south before we can start rebuilding in full"... which I think is reasonable.

And this line pissed me off to no end ""Layton, too, thinks a negotiated settlement beats fighting an unwinnable war."" as if Harper would be offered a ceasefire with the Taliban that included their recognizing the legitimacy of the Afghan government, he'd be like "if that, these people deserve to die". Harper would love a negotiated settlement more than anything, the question is whether the Taliban are willing to negotiate in the knowledge that them returning to government is not on the table.

Anyways, I could go on, and on, and on... but I'll spare you. I'm sure I'll post on this tomorrow if you're interested, but for now, a beer run must be made if we're gonna make this Flames game the rousing success it so badly wants to be!

Game starts in 3 minutes (I do hope the flames beat the oilers (but the Flames are my 2nd team not my first)).

I too have more to say on Walkom's article. I want to add another - I might even do a post on it tomorrow, but here is an advance peek...(and I ask the question - what is up with Harper on all this? His ideological stuff seems to be getting in the way of his logical stuff.
Harper - Wassup"

I look forward to reading your post... I'll be sure to link to it along with my own. I'm sure we'll be back at this tomorrow...

Olaf,

"we must create physical security in the south before we can start rebuilding in full"... which I think is reasonable.

Reasonable? Absolutely? Doable? They haven't convinced me yet.

Then again, the other side hasn't convinced me yet that it *isn't* doable, either. What I wouldn't give to read an in-depth analysis of why each side thinks this war is/isn't winnable...

Allow me to speculate on how Russian historians may answer that question.

We know of the USSR's 1976 invasion of Afghanistan. As I understand it, over the next few years, over 500,000 Soviet troops were deployed - approximately 40,000 casualties convinced them to withdraw.

How the hell could Canada's minisule force of 2300 make any kind of a dent in that nation?

This is merely Harper's propaganda tool to try and play like he is some kind of big time world leader.

IP,

Reasonable? Absolutely? Doable? They haven't convinced me yet.

To be honest, they haven't convinced me either. I would love to read the exact same thing from both sides of the argument.

I would particularly like to hear how Layton thinks that we can pull NATO troops out of the south, and how this won't result in the Taliban retaking the region. How reconstruction can be done without physical security. I just think it defies common sense. If he thinks we should pull out, and let happen what will, than so be it, but say that then.

Buckdog,

In any case, I'm almost done my post on the Walkom column... looking forward to yours in support.

Yes looking forward to yours... but you may not like the post I just put up where Harper calls any thought of a ceasefire to be 'despicable' - he forces me to kick him a bit!