Father calls for Canada to finish mission
| 5/15/2010 | Posted by Patti under Afghanistan, Canadian News, Canadian Politics |
Just two days away from returning safely home, Pvt. Kevin McKay was on patrol in Afghanistan on Thursday. In an instant his life ended. Instead of returning home to a party, he will be returned to his family for a funeral. He is the 144th Canadian to die on this mission.
The father of this brave young Canadian has looked past his own grief to call on our government to stay the course in Afghanistan. He’s calling on the government not to set an end date but to set obtainable objectives and stay until they’re finished. He’s calling for the objective to be the training of the Afghan army and police.
Pvt McKay’s father is a deputy fire chief in Toronto. Firefighters in Toronto and along the Highway Of Heroes all understand the cost of this war, they have been a strong presence on every overpass between Trenton and Toronto every time Canadian soldiers are repatriated. I understand the cost of this war. I weep privately for our fallen and then join the firefighters on the bridges.
Parliament by way of a confidence motion in 2008 determined that Canada’s mission in Afghanistan would end in 2011 and our troops would be brought home. At the time Canada was battling alone in Kandahar Province. One of the conditions for Canadian troops to remain until 2011 was another NATO Force willing to send 1000 troops to join us.
Public support for the mission wavered as young Canadians were dying with little indication that any progress was being made. Almost 3000 troops was not enough to try to tame the Taliban insurgency, more were greatly needed. More were not readily forthcoming and Canada was sustaining the highest rate of deaths per capita of any nation serving in Afghanistan, it was no wonder Canadians questioned the mission.
Harper has made it clear all Canadian troops will be leaving Afghanistan in 2011. Around the same time that Harper made this clear, Obama initiated a troop surge of 30,000 American troops, about one third are expected to be sent to Kandahar. With this change in circumstances one would expect that Harper would be willing to bring the mission and its conclusion back to parliament for debate.
Harper appears to have gone from steadfastly supporting our troops and their mission to being unwilling to even discuss any possible change in their mission. Yes, this mission is costing Canada in blood and treasure. The plea from those who have lost family members to this mission need to be listened to and given careful consideration.
Our pool of experienced combat troops are a valuable resource for the training of the Afghans. A reduced force of experience troops remaining in Afghanistan after 2011 devoted to the training and mentoring of the Afghans while leaving other nations like the U.S. to take on securing the country for the Afghan forces to take over and hold would contribute to completing the mission.
Training of security forces in the middle of an insurgency is not something that can be done without danger. As long as one Canadian remains in Afghanistan, Canadian lives will be at risk. Yet if Canada and other countries pull out of Afghanistan there is a clear danger that chaos will create an opening for terrorism to once again establish a base of operations there.
I think often of my discussions with my late father, a veteran of WWII, about our mission in Afghanistan. Dad was adamant, the troops were sent in to do a job, and they needed to be allowed to complete the job. He said trying to cut losses by leaving only served politicians and didn’t honour the sacrifices of those who have served.
I have wondered if now, four years later, dad would have wavered in that resolve. Then I remember that edge of steel that I heard in his voice, that steel that was forged fighting up through Italy and across Europe. He’s fought beside those who’ve died, he understood the sacrifice, the need to honour it, to not waste it. He understood the courage needed to push on and get the job done.
Politicians, in their statements after the death of our soldiers all pledge that their service will not be forgotten. Part of honouring that pledge is ensuring that their sacrifice was not made in vain. Part of honouring that pledge is having the courage to do what’s right, even if it’s not popular. Our war dead deserve at minimum the future of the mission to be properly debated and for their family’s wishes to be heard.
We will remember them. We must remember and honour.
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