Buckdog

Oh, wouldn't that be grand, the CPC with Hillier at the helm. I mean he did such a splendid job with Afghanistan, perhaps he could work the same magic on the Tories. Hillier's fundamentally failed judgment in goading Martin into approving Kandahar is like an archery target pinned to his back. I think the Big Cod knows he's a dead duck politically.

I am not sure who I find more scary. Luckily, it was written by Martin who has his firmly pen tied to Ignatieff staffers at the pub.

Only good thing about Hillier is that he knows how to lead. That alone puts him streets ahead of Harper.

Harper knows how to pout, whine, snarl and be petulant and controlling.

Someday we will get a person worthy of the title Prime Minister.

The pity is that we've been without one for several years now.

Sure he knows how to lead - from a safe distance to the rear. He led 2,500 Canadians into a terrorist nest with 890,000 civilians to secure against an insurgency he described, at the time, as just "a few dozen... scumbags." I don't know any country that has much to gain from that kind of leadership.

I'm not a big Hillier fan, but Mound's criticism that he "led from the rear" is unfair.

Sorry to say, but it's been at least 700 years since generals led from the front. Unless you want to demonstrate further ignorance of the art of war, I suggest you leave off the tactical criticisms.

Gee Mac, really? Generals don't ride horses anymore, no waving sabres and yelling "charge"? Thanks for correcting me on that.

Where Hillier led from behind is that he crafted a force to perform a mission - 2,500 soldiers to field a 1,000-rifle combat force whose job was to kill "a few dozen" "scumbags" in Hillier's words. When we'd killed that few dozen several times over and it became apparent the insurgents were numbered in the hundreds and were soon to be in the thousands what did our Rommel do? Did he do what Rommel might have done, ordered an appropriate force of reinforcements in or at least told Parliament he needed them?

No, he sat mute as year by year our force became increasingly miniscule to the growing threat.

Then, when it became apparent to all that "the mission" had gone south, that would be the "Hillier Mission," the guy bugged out, he retired.

That's leading from the rear, Malcolm.