Baby Steps — Hopefully Forwarded
| 2/4/2008 | Posted by Patti under Afghanistan, Canadian Politics, General |
CanWest is reporting today that Poland is prepared to let Canada share two of their helicopters that they have in Afghanistan. In a speech in Ottawa this morning, their foreign minister declared that Poland is unequivocal in their support for the NATO mission. Poland has 1,200 troops in southeastern Afghanistan and eight helicopters. They serve without caveats limiting where they are deployed. The foreign minister also indicated as the Polish troops are withdrawn from Iraq more contributions may be made in Afghanistan.
I read some where else on the web today that France has over 700,000 men and women in uniform. Now I’m beginning to understand why much of the spotlight is on both them and Germany to provide troops to actually take part in establishing security instead of taking up residence in less volatile areas of the country. France needs to remember that the very countries they are leaving to struggle getting the job done were the ones who liberated them 60+ years ago.
Meanwhile back on the ranch… Dion and Taliban Jack are supposed to be having a meeting today. Dion is reportedly going to urge Taliban Jack to recognize that Canada has international commitments that means we need to stay in Afghanistan and Taliban Jack is reportedly going to urge Dion to support him in pushing Canada into a cowardly exit right away. Two brick walls talking to each other, sounds like something that should be filmed for YouTube.
Robby McRobb at the Military Blog Site appeals to both those blockheads to pay attention to Canada’s top Generals — Hillier & Lessard — as they might just have a clue as to what they are talking about when it comes to Afghanistan.
Dion really needs to be getting a clue and focusing on developing a consensus within the Liberal caucus that the members can live with instead of pronouncing repeatedly like a parrot that February 2009 the combat must end. As Rick Hillier stated rather clearly on Friday, if Canadian troops remain in Kandahar there will be combat. There are no troops needed in other areas of the country to move our troops to and to switch them with another country in order to put another set of boots on the ground in Kandahar would mean that the new troops would have to redevelop the gains that the Canadians have already made.
You don’t just send in fresh troops and expect they can pick the ball up and run with the same continuity that the previous troops had. Even our own troops being rotated in have been carefully trained before arriving in country about the situation and what they can expect to encounter. They are trained in the Canadian way and will be able to carry on. Another country’s troops would have to re-establish themselves with the local population. Even I can figure that out Dion.
Back to Dion and his caucus. Keith Martin, a member of his shadow cabinet, has called for Dion to allow a free vote in the house on whatever motion Harper puts forward. It’s not a bad idea actually and if Dion wants to differentiate himself from the other parties it could become a challenge to the other parties to allow a non-partisan free vote in the house.
Let’s face it, the Liberals are a divided camp, especially on this issue. They are also divided on their desire to have Dion as a leader which lessens his ability to pull the bunch of school children into a cohesive group and to find common ground. If he allows a free vote, Liberals will be able to vote based more on the wishes of their constituents or their own strong view and less on a party line they may be very unwilling to follow.
Damn we need a decent leader!
[...] so the journalists could do what they want rather than having a R* rep demonwww.thegtaplace.comBaby Steps — Hopefully Forwarded CanWest is reporting today that Poland is prepared to let Canada share two of their helicopters [...]