PM Leaves Much Unsaid In Praising Afghan Role

"We do not know why Canada's government has chosen to put its troops into the midst of the heaviest fighting while countries such as France and Germany, all of whom are also apparently meeting their NATO obligations, are stationed in safer parts of Afghanistan."<p> <blockquote> "One of the enemy soldiers removed his water bottle and passed it around. I will never forget this gesture as long as I live. Those troops now occupying our positition turned out to be Canadians. After being searched for weapons and documents we were led away. Passing through the enemy's lines we saw an enormous number of artillery pieces, collected and lined up in unending rows. But at the same time we saw evidence of the work of our own guns - dead Englishmen were lying everywhere. So marched into captivity all that was left of the 2nd Company of the 165th Infanterie Regiment: two officers and twelve men." Gefreiter Fritz Heinemann, (Battle of the) Somme, 26 September 1916 </blockquote> Our troops are there, because they are good at surviving the heavy fighting, and because the Germans and French are not.<p>---<br>"I think it's important to always carry enough technology to restart civilization, should it be necessary." Mark Tilden<br />

Newsflash to Mr. Harper: 9/11 was an inside job, as a result if you want to talk symbolism, 9/11 is becoming for increasing numbers of us a symbol of the absolute corruption and untrustworthiness of our own supposedly democratic governments, which is, of course, not the symbolism you would like to associate with it and to draw on for support for your Afghanistan policy.<br />
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Demo Expert Confirms WTC-7 Was "Controlled Demolition"<br />
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Controlled Demolitions Expert Danny Jowenko:<br />
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"...it starts from below... They have simply blown away columns."<br />
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"This is controlled demolition"<br />
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"A team of experts did this."<br />
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"This is professional work, without any doubt."<br />
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Dutch program Zembla investigates 9/11 theories - streaming video<br />
<a href="http://cgi.omroep.nl/cgi-bin/streams?/tv/vara/zembla/bb.20060911.asf">http://cgi.omroep.nl/cgi-bin/streams?/tv/vara/zembla/bb.20060911.asf</a><br />
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One of the more interesting moments in this documentary (about 46:25 minutes into it) is when they ask demolition expert Danny Jowenko (who has his own demolition firm and reportedly has been active in this business for 27 years) to comment on videos of the collapse of the Twin Towers and WTC 7.His response to the WTC 7 video: "This is controlled demolition".<br />
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More info and links to video clips of WTC Building 7's collapse at: <a href="http://www.911blogger.com/node/2807">http://www.911blogger.com/node/2807</a><br />
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Top 40 Reasons to Doubt the Official Story on 911<br />
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THE DAY ITSELF - EVIDENCE OF COMPLICITY<br />
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1) AWOL Chain of Command<br />
a. It is well documented that the officials topping the chain of command for response to a domestic attack - George W. Bush, Donald Rumsfeld, Richard Myers, Montague Winfield - all found reason to do something else during the actual attacks, other than assuming their duties as decision-makers.<br />
b. Who was actually in charge? Dick Cheney, Richard Clarke, Norman Mineta and the 9/11 Commission directly conflict in their accounts of top-level response to the unfolding events, such that several (or all) of them must be lying.<br />
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2) Air Defense Failures<br />
a. The US air defense system failed to follow standard procedures for responding to diverted passenger flights.<br />
b. Timelines: The various responsible agencies - NORAD, FAA, Pentagon, USAF, as well as the 9/11 Commission - gave radically different explanations for the failure (in some cases upheld for years), such that several officials must have lied; but none were held accountable.<br />
c. Was there an air defense standdown?<br />
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3) Pentagon Strike<br />
How was it possible the Pentagon was hit 1 hour and 20 minutes after the attacks began? Why was there no response from Andrews Air Force Base, just 10 miles away and home to Air National Guard units charged with defending the skies above the nation's capital? How did Hani Hanjour, a man who failed as a Cessna pilot on his first flight in a Boeing, execute a difficult aerobatic maneuver to strike the Pentagon? Why did the attack strike the just-renovated side, which was largely empty and opposite from the high command?<br />
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4) Wargames<br />
a. US military and other authorities planned or actually rehearsed defensive response to all elements of the 9/11 scenario during the year prior to the attack - including multiple hijackings, suicide crashbombings, and a strike on the Pentagon.<br />
b. The multiple military wargames planned long in advance and held on the morning of September 11th included scenarios of a domestic air crisis, a plane crashing into a government building, and a large-scale emergency in New York. If this was only an incredible series of coincidences, why did the official investigations avoid the issue? There is evidence that the wargames created confusion as to whether the unfolding events were "real world or exercise." Did wargames serve as the cover for air defense sabotage, and/or the execution of an "inside job"?<br />
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SNIP<br />
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What did officials know? How did they know it?<br />
a. Multiple allied foreign agencies informed the US government of a coming attack in detail, including the manner and likely targets of the attack, the name of the operation (the "Big Wedding"), and the names of certain men later identified as being among the perpetrators.<br />
b. Various individuals came into possession of specific advance knowledge, and some of them tried to warn the US prior to September 11th.<br />
c. Certain prominent persons received warnings not to fly on the week or on the day of September 11th.<br />
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9) Able Danger, Plus - Surveillance of Alleged Hijackers<br />
a. The men identified as the 9/11 ringleaders were under surveillance for years beforehand, on the suspicion they were terrorists, by a variety of US and allied authorities - including the CIA, the US military's "Able Danger" program, the German authorities, Israeli intelligence and others.<br />
b. Two of the alleged ringleaders who were known to be under surveillance by the CIA also lived with an FBI asset in San Diego, but this is supposed to be yet another a coincidence.<br />
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10) Obstruction of FBI Investigations prior to 9/11<br />
A group of FBI officials in New York systematically suppressed field investigations of potential terrorists that might have uncovered the alleged hijackers - as the Moussaoui case once again showed. The stories of Sibel Edmonds, Robert Wright, Coleen Rowley and Harry Samit, the "Phoenix Memo," David Schippers, the 199i orders restricting investigations, the Bush administration's order to back off the Bin Ladin family, the reaction to the "Bojinka" plot, and John O'Neil do not, when considered in sum, indicate mere incompetence, but high-level corruption and protection of criminal networks, including the network of the alleged 9/11 conspirators. (Nearly all of these examples were omitted from or relegated to fleeting footnotes in The 9/11 Commission Report.) <br />
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<a href="http://www.911truth.org/article.php?story=20041221155307646">http://www.911truth.org/article.php?story=20041221155307646</a><br />
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Is American Democracy Too Feeble To Deal With 9/11?<br />
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By Paul Craig Roberts<br />
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Alexander Hamilton is often portrayed as an early advocate of strong central government. But even Hamilton understood the danger from government. In the Federalist Papers he wrote:<br />
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"Safety from external danger is the most powerful director of national conduct. Even the ardent love of liberty will, after a time, give way to its dictates. The violent destruction of life and property incident to war, the continual effort and alarm attendant on a state of continual danger, will compel nations the most attached to liberty to resort for repose and security to institutions which have a tendency to destroy their civil and political rights. To be more safe, they at length become willing to run the risk of being less free."<br />
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I would be more confident of the survival of democracy and civil liberty in the United States if, on this fifth anniversary of the September 11 attacks, a majority of Americans were reading David Ray Griffin’s challenging new book, Christian Faith and the Truth Behind 9/11.<br />
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It is an inexpensive book and available quickly from online booksellers. A person only needs to read the first 56 pages to realize that the official account of the collapse of the three World Trade Center buildings has many problems and that defenders of the official account have no hard evidence upon which to stand.<br />
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On pages 57-75, Griffin summarizes the inconsistencies in the 9/11 Commission’s incredible tale of flights 11, 175, 77, and 93. The official account is a story of improbable incompetence and failure.<br />
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On pages 76-82, Griffin concludes that the failure of the 9/11 Commission Report to produce a believable account or even to acknowledge the most important known facts is itself a conclusive case that the report is a cover-up.<br />
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Griffin believes that 9/11 was a false flag operation to provide the neoconservative Bush regime with a "new Pearl Harbor" excuse to launch its imperial ambitions for hegemony in the Middle East and beyond. On pages 85-106, Griffin provides an excellent summary of the neocon agenda and how it was enabled by 9/11.<br />
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<a href="http://vdare.com/roberts/060910_911.htm">http://vdare.com/roberts/060910_911.htm</a><br />

Comparing WW1 and Afghanistan is not a fair comparison.

Could it be that the French and German governments are now just acting with more responsibility? I think so.

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If there was ever a time for Canadians to become pushy - now is the time - for time is running out on this nation called Canada.

Is allowing many to starve in southern Afghanistan more or less responsible? (Not trying to pick a fight here Roy) I believe it is our responsibility to do what we can to bring aid to these people.

I saw last night on CBC where CF had just come across a refugee camp where no one basically has any food. No one (except the Taliban) knew about the camp until we got on the scene, but it's been there for years. From the looks of the report, the UN will be the next hurdle to getting aid in there.

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"I think it's important to always carry enough technology to restart civilization, should it be necessary." Mark Tilden

"Comparing WW1 and Afghanistan is not a fair comparison."<p> K, apples to apples:<p> <blockquote> A British Company from 3 Para had been isolated and surrounded by Taliban in the Helmand Province in the Sangin District Center. They were running out of food and were down to boiling river water. They had tried to air drop supplies but they ended up landing in a Taliban stronghold (thank you air force). C Coy. was tasked to conduct an immediate emergency resupply with our LAVs. We headed off to what can only be described as the Wild West. The Company (B Coy) of the Paras that was holding the District Center had lost four soldiers there and was being attacked 3 to 5 times a day. We rolled in there after a long and painful road move across the desert. When we arrived in Sangin the locals began throwing rocks and anything they could at us, this was not a friendly place. We pushed into the District Center, and during the last few hundred meters we began receiving mortar fire. They never taught me on my LAV Crew Commander course how to command a vehicle with all the hatches closed using periscopes in an urban environment. I truly did it by sense of touch, meaning as we hit the wall to the left I would tell the driver to turn a little right!! We resupplied the Brits and unfortunately it turned dark and we couldn’t get out of there, so we had to spend the night. We were attacked with small arms RPGs and mortars three times that night, I still can’t believe that the Brits have spent over a month living there under those conditions. They are a proud unit and they were grateful but embarrassed that we had to come save the day. And as good Canadians we didn’t let them hear the end of being rescued by a bunch of colonials!! <p> . . . We accomplished something in the last two weeks that Canadian soldiers have not done since Korea. The Afghan Government, elected by the Afghans, requested our assistance and we were able to help. We were the equal, if not superior of our allies in everything we did. I hope that I gave you all an appreciation of what these young brave men and women are doing over here, and even if the media can’t find the time or effort to report what we are doing and the difference we are making, hopefully you can pass it on. </blockquote> http://www.smalldeadanimals.com/archives/004342.html#c92062<p>---<br>"I think it's important to always carry enough technology to restart civilization, should it be necessary." Mark Tilden<br />

"No one (except the Taliban) knew about the camp until we got on the scene, but it's been there for years."

So billions of dollars worth of satellite serveilance equipment that can read the letters off a license plate from 200 miles up couldn't even tell a refugee camp from the surrounding area?

If that's the case, you'd be better off doing recon by reading the entrails of animals during a full moon.

They knew about it, you can bet on it.

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"and the knowledge they fear is a weapon to be used against them"

"The Weapon" - Rush

WW1 was a war fought between nation states by their own volition. They all decided upon their own paths to war. Just how they fell into their own decision making beyond the assassination of the Archduke is for the historians, but it does not relate to Afghanistan - and here is why - we are told repeatedly by the Conservative government and the Liberals before them that we are fighting a terrorist organization. Terrorist organizations are NOT nation states, and if they are, then the Taliban should be considered the recognized government should they not? Are we then not involved in a civil war as many say?

Name a time in history when a foreign intervention has been successful in stopping a civil war. There have been many recent examples and all have ended badly or other than intended.

If we want to help the Afghan people it's best to let them do things themselves as they have always done. They don't need us, and it's clear that they don't want us there. Reports show even among those in the North patience is running out and running out quick. Nothing good is coming of our efforts because for every one instance like the one that you pointed out there are two more where they come to hate us more than before.

Foreign adventurism like this is not Canadian in my book.

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If there was ever a time for Canadians to become pushy - now is the time - for time is running out on this nation called Canada.

I forgot to add - the Taliban are not even recognized by the US state department as a terror organization so how is it we are fighting terrorists? Couple that with the complete lack of evidence that the Taliban knew or assisted in the Sept 11 attacks. There is plenty of circumstantial evidence, but if we are to go about with our air of superiority we must at least adhere to our own idea of what constitutes evidence, and in this case the evidence now out there would not convict them in any Western court.

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If there was ever a time for Canadians to become pushy - now is the time - for time is running out on this nation called Canada.

Also see <a href="http://www.st911.org/">Scholars for 9/11 Truth - Exposing Falsehoods and Revealing Truths</a> <br><br> Given the large amount of material, to get started quickly there's a <a href="http://www.scholarsfor911truth.org/#Beginner">section for people unfamiliar with the 9-11 scam</a>. <br><br> Be sure to read this peer reviewed paper (available from link above): <br> <a href="http://www.scholarsfor911truth.org/WhyIndeedDidtheWorldTradeCenterBuildingsCompletelyCollapse.pdf">Why Indeed Did the WTC Buildings Collapse? by Steven E. Jones, Ph.D. (PDF format)</a>

<p>Whether this little bit of info is really true or not, I can't say but in a book I recently finished called "Countdown to Crisis: The coming nuclear showdown with Iran" by Kenneth R. Timmerman, Mr. Timmerman says that Iran was a major contributor to 9/11 in planning and financing. If that were true then why indeed did the US lead the way into Afghanistan?</p> <p> However, I really do have a problem believing it considering that <ol> <li>I don't think Iran would give anymore money to the US gov't. <li>The entire book is a rising crescendo of cries by a paranoid jew <li>His list of sources for his information is very scant and <li>Most of the book reads like a spy novel, for example, he sets the scenes for secret meetings among the Mullahs or CIA with such great detail, you almost see the faces of the actors.</ol></p> <p>A definite "two thumbs down"! Do not waste your time on this one folks!<p>---<br>Canada for Canadians

"but it does not relate to Afghanistan - and here is why -" <p> No, my point was not about WWI, but about how our soldiers consistantally fight with honour, and why our troops are the ones doing the heavy fighting alongside the Dutch and British, and bearing the brunt of the casualties for it. <p> "Terrorist organizations are NOT nation states, and if they are, then the Taliban should be considered the recognized government should they not?" <p> The only country in the world to recognize the Taliban as the rightful government of Afghanistan was Chechnya. <p> "Are we then not involved in a civil war as many say?" <p> Perhaps we are, but should we have waited till they were finished to bring the financier and planner of 9/11 to justice? <p> "Name a time in history when a foreign intervention has been successful in stopping a civil war." <p> The 1990's - Bosnia. But you are right, it did end badly and other than intended, but what hasn't ended that way in that region in the last 1000 years? <p> "If we want to help the Afghan people it's best to let them do things themselves as they have always done." <p> I hate to use this as a quote, but it is relevant and to the point (so just ignore the messenger, listen to the message): <p><blockquote> "The Soviet Union was defeated in Afghanistan. And then they left. And we left, too," Rice said in a news conference with Canadian Foreign Minister Peter MacKay. <p> "And when we left and we left the Afghan people without any means of support, without political support, economic support, security support, Afghanistan turned into a failed state that harbored and supported Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda, and we all came to pay for that," she said. <p> Rice said she remembers being asked by members of the 9/11 commission why she and other officials didn't do anything about Afghanistan before the September 11, 2001, terror attacks against the United States. <p> "Well, we didn't. In fact, we left Afghanistan to its own devices," Rice said. <p> "If we should have learned anything, it is if you allow that kind of vacuum, if you allow a failed state in that strategic location, you're going to pay for it," she said. </blockquote> http://edition.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/americas/09/13/rice.afghanistan<p> <p> As I've pointed out here before, every military action from the West (specifically the US) has been involved in since 1960 has been due to a 'failed state'. Sometimes caused by the US, and due to fallen democracies or dictators or economic collapse. <p> It is so much cheaper to help them be self sufficient than to initiate military action against them at a later time. So, no, it is probabally not a good idea to leave them as they are. <p> "There is plenty of circumstantial evidence, but if we are to go about with our air of superiority we must at least adhere to our own idea of what constitutes evidence, and in this case the evidence now out there would not convict them in any Western court." <p> That assumes 'Harbouring Terrorists' is a crime, when it is a violation of International Law. UN resolutions allow any state that is the victim of terrorism to use military force against countries harbouring those terrorists. While the evidence is circumstantial, court testimony etc., and everyone keeps tasking me to 'prove he did it' and 'they were going to try him under islamic law', what I never hear about is the denial that Bin Laden and Sheihk Mohammed actually did the deed. Even when the Taliban were told to hand him over, there was never any denial. <p> So, we exercised our rights under International law, and went to get them. <p>---<br>"I think it's important to always carry enough technology to restart civilization, should it be necessary." Mark Tilden<br />

Having worked with German soldiers, I can assure you, they are excellent. I have no experience with French soldiers, but against guys armed with AK-47's and RPG's, I'd say they'd do ok.

No, we are making a STATEMENT to the US. We have backed up this statement with 'boots on the ground' propaganda posters, distributed in the US.

This is because the Stephen Harper government wants to clearly demonstrate that Canada is a close ally of the United States and is willing to send it's troops in harm's way to prove it. He has no plan, our military has no plan, as to how to change Afghanistan from it's current state.

The Germans and French are smart. They have no stomach for spilling their soldier's blood in order to appease the Americans.

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“The war is not meant to be won, it is meant to be continuous, the essential act of warfare is the destruction of the produce of human labour”

So now you are defining our mission as running south looking for starving Afghanistanis. Ok, that sound's pretty good, let's go with THAT plan this week.

keep us informed when it changes again.

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“The war is not meant to be won, it is meant to be continuous, the essential act of warfare is the destruction of the produce of human labour”

I'd agree with your assessment, and having worked with French troops, I'd say their regular forces are top notch too. The conscript part of their forces however, deserves the 'tank with 1 foreward and 6 reverse gears' reputation.

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"I think it's important to always carry enough technology to restart civilization, should it be necessary." Mark Tilden