After 9/11 (starting with the previous Martin government) Canada, began to have impact in international matters -- thanks almost entirely to our revitalized military in Afghanistan, doing both fighting and reconstruction.
Sadly, for purely political purposes, Prime Minister Stephen Harper now seems eager to pull back from the thankless task of imposing peace. Maybe a safer, more passive role. He says early 2009 is the date for withdrawal -- by which time no one expects Afghanistan to be pacified.
Why this sudden change of mandate? It's surely not because our troops are unwilling to stay the course, or because Canadians want out.
No, it's because there's a political perception that Quebecers will not vote for a government that is resolved to stay in Afghanistan for as long as fighting soldiers are needed.
Harper so lusts for a majority government that he seems willing to trim our mandate in Afghanistan in hopes of winning Quebec votes. Like previous Tory parties, he bows to polls and listens to faint-hearts who fear a "conservative" agenda turns off voters.
We now have the unprecedented situation where Germany is "begging" (according to a Globe and Mail headline) Canada to continue in Afghanistan beyond 2009, with NATO echoing this theme.
Again, why is this?
http://www.torontosun.com/News/Columnists/Worthington_Peter/2007/09/14/4495591-sun.php
Note: http://www.torontosun.c...

Since Canada is doing frontline duty and takes the brunt of mortalities, then I'm not surprised that NATO wants to keep canadian soldiers there. It is because of the increasing protest against Afghanistan's mission that Harper is acquiescing, simple as that. We KNOW he personally wants nothing more than to line up canadian soldiers for whatever country the US wants to invade, even Iraq. This is political reality and why I LOVE minority governments.
an article)
"In Afghanistan, for the first time since Suez, 1956, Canada, is being taken
seriously by those who matter, thanks to our military."
Who is this a-hole talking about? Who matters? It has been very obvious that
the majority of Canadians do not want our military to be occupying a country
that did nothing to us. The majority do not want to be fighting an
USAmerican empire building war. Who is MORE important than the majority
of Canadian citizens? Who?
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"The most sustainable product is the one you never bought in the first place."
Alex Steffan
<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Worthington">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Worthington</a><p>---<br>"The most sustainable product is the one you never bought in the first place."<br />
Alex Steffan
What can you expect