Afstan round-up
Last week, Colonel (ret'd) Brian MacDonald, CDA Senior Analyst, and I had the opportunity to represent the Conference of Defence Associations (CDA) in testimony before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development. Our intervention focused on four key points:
* Criteria for assessing the ISAF mission's effectiveness
* The ISAF Concept of Operations
* Assessing the success of ISAF Operations
* Assessing the Consequences of a premature withdrawal of ISAF
We argued that significant progress has been and is continuing to be made in Afghanistan, but that we have a great deal further to go before we can consider the task of reconstructing Afghanistan to have been completed. We further argued that premature withdrawal of ISAF forces would disrupt the balance of power, to the extent that Afghanistan would likely return
to civil war.
The full brief submitted to the Foreign Affairs and International Development Committee can be found on our website at:
http://www.cda-cdai.ca/Parliamentary_Presentations/Testimony%20To%20FAAE%202007.pdf
The comments made by our fellow witness, Mr. Nigel Fisher, National President and CEO of UNICEF, Canada are worthy of note. Mr. Fisher worked in Afghanistan for a number of years and thus was able to provide his own first-hand experience. He is a supporter of the ISAF/CF presence in Afghanistan, and concurs that security must precede development and that there is no quick fix for the country.
A transcript of the entire Committee session of 17 April, including the question and answer session, can be found at:
http://cmte.parl.gc.ca/cmte/CommitteePublication.aspx?SourceId=201658&Lang=1&PARLSES=391&JNT=0&COM=10475
NATO spokesman James Appathurai was recently interviewed by CBC Newsworld, where he indicated that Canada's allies are now doing much more in the southern provinces of Afghanistan where Canada is also operating, contributing some 13,000 troops or 13 times the number of troops that were in place 18 months ago. This number will soon be further increased by the arrival of some 6000 troops from the USA, UK, Poland and Australia in the Southern and Eastern provinces, bringing the overall total of troops under NATO command to some 42,000 troops in the near future. And by the way Denmark will also be deploying Leopard tanks in Southern Afghanistan.
On Tuesday's Parliamentary vote on whether or not to extend Canada's mission to Afghanistan beyond February 2009 fostered a great deal of discussion in the Canadian media.
Retired Major-General Lewis Mackenzie argues in yesterday's Globe & Mail (see link below) against the use of the term "exit strategy" to describe the conditions for leaving Afghanistan. He further decries those who attempt to put a deadline on when democracy and stability can be achieved. As I mentioned in front of the House Committee, the "Afghan people" fear what may
happen if our search for an early "Exit Strategy" places its emphasis upon "Exit" rather than "Strategy" and leads to the callous abandonment of a fragile but growing state which is still too weak to stand to its oppressors.
The editors of the Ottawa Citizen agree. In Wednesday's editorial (see link below), they argue that it would be irresponsible to bring Canadian troops home so long as Afghanistan remains unstable. They argue that the federal government should continue to aim for a February 2009 withdrawal, but only if it is a responsible one. If that is impossible, then Canadian troops
should remain. The CDA agrees with this logical approach.
Colonel (ret'd) Mike Capstick, former commander of Canada's Strategic Advisory Team in Afghanistan, writes in an op-ed for The Calgary Herald (see link below) that talks of withdrawal only encourages the Taliban to bid their time until ISAF has withdrawn and then launch new offensives.
For further reading on the current situation in Afghanistan, we also recommend the following articles:
In an interview with the International Herald Tribune (see link below), General Dan McNeill of the US Army and new Commander of ISAF reminds us that although the anticipated Taliban spring offensive has not materialized, we should not fall into complacency.
In an article for the Foreign Policy Research Institute (see link below), Greg Mills lays out the "Ten Counterinsurgency Commandments from Afghanistan". This well-crafted piece provides valuable insight into the lessons that have been learned by ISAF (as well as the lessons
that should be learned).
In "Afghanistan and Iraq: Two Sunni War Theaters Evolving into One", written for Terrorism Focus (see link below), Michael Scheuer addresses the ties that link insurgents in Afghanistan and Iraq, and notes that "the lack of reliable metrics that can be used to measure progress or the lack thereof in the war on terrorism is a continuing problem"...
Links
Lewis MacKenzie. "There is no such thing as an "exit strategy". The Globe & Mail April 25, 2007. Available online at:
Lewis MacKenzie. “There is no such thing as an “exit strategy”. The Globe & Mail April 25, 2007. Available online at:
“Staying the Course (Editorial)”. The Ottawa Citizen April 25, 2007. Available online at:
http://www.canada.com/components/print.aspx?id=220b9440-3f46-4e7a-8083-d7730699b649
Colonel (ret’d) Mike Capstick. “Canada must honour pledge”. The Calgary Herald April 24, 2007. Available online at:
http://www.canada.com/components/print.aspx?id=fc260c6e-c822-48c3-9e7e-2cd55ec435f6&k=95514
C.J. Chivers. “Major Taliban offensive hasn’t materialized, NATO general says”. International Herald Tribune, April 18, 2007. Available online at: http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/04/18/news/afghan.php
Greg Mills. “Ten Counterinsurgency Commandments from Afghanistan”, Foreign Policy Research Institute, April 2007. Available online at:
http://www.fpri.org/enotes/200704.mills.afghanistancounterinsurgency.html
Michael Scheuer. “Afghanistan and Iraq: Two Sunni War Theaters Evolving Into One?”, Global Terrorism Analysis, Volume 4, Issue 10 (April 17, 2007) . Available online at:
http://www.jamestown.org/terrorism/news/article.php?articleid=2373330
posted by Mark, Ottawa at 4:08 p.m.
4 Comments:
Mark, your links aren't working.
louise--try copying them.
Mark
Ottawa
They're working now. Did you fix something?
I lied. They're not working.
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