Politics and Afstan

Two stories, one with a domestic and one with a foreign flavour:

1) Emerson: Canadians should have realistic expectations for Afghanistan

The first step in Canada’s exit strategy from Afghanistan will be for Canadians to shed the rose-coloured glasses about what can be accomplished over the next three years, says a senior Conservative minister.

The best Canada can hope for in Afghanistan in the short-term is that it will become a "viable state," Trade Minister David Emerson said Thursday during a weekly briefing.

"I don’t think any of us should be under the illusion that Afghanistan is going to be a thriving, prosperous democracy by 2011.

"But we hope we can get to the point where Afghanistan has become a viable state and we can normalize Canada’s relationship," said Emerson, chair of a cabinet committee overseeing Ottawa’s war-and-development strategy.

At last week’s NATO summit in Bucharest, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said Canada would set its own benchmarks and goals in Kandahar province, which will pave the way for withdrawal.

Emerson, a former business executive, said the cabinet committee is setting those priorities.

"Our committee will be paying particular attention to being realistic as to what we can achieve by 2011."

Among the immediate goals is to reduce the number of casualties as Canadian soldiers battle Taliban insurgents in frustrating hide-and-seek warfare, Emerson suggested...

The benchmarks, which the government hopes to point to in three years in order to declare the mission accomplished, will touch on security, governance, economic development and education.

The committee, which includes all ministers who have a responsibility for Afghanistan projects, has been trying to establish a clear picture of the Kandahar situation.

Meanwhile, the country’s top military commander gave the House of Commons foreign affairs committee a cautious assessment of the insurgency on the ground.

"The direct threat is still very real," said Gen. Rick Hillier, the chief of defence staff.

"The mission continues in a positive direction, but that threat remains high especially in the south of Afghanistan and especially, from our perspective, in the west and north of Kandahar city itself."

2) Afghan Mission Gets High Praise

Canada's efforts in Afghanistan received high praise from two disparate corners yesterday -- a Clinton-era defence secretary and a British Conservative MP. Both praised Canada's combat mission while criticizing European allies for not pulling their weight on the battlefields of Afghanistan.

Former U.S. defence secretary William Cohen said some European countries were growing too fond of "soft power" and were shying away from "hard power responsibilities."

Meanwhile, British Conservative defence critic Liam Fox said Canada was a "model NATO citizen" that other reluctant European allies should emulate.

Mr. Cohen, a moderate Republican who served as Democrat Bill Clinton's defence secretary, yesterday criticized European members of NATO that did not permit their troops to engage in the heavy fighting in southern Afghanistan...

During the Clinton years, the United States criticized Canada for putting too much emphasis on soft power -- using hard rhetoric but not backing it with military might as they cut defence spending. Former Liberal foreign affairs minister Lloyd Axworthy championed soft power.

Mr. Cohen also had high praise for the Conservative government's commitment to greater defence spending to back the Canadian Forces in their fight against the Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan. Mr. Cohen said that had brought Canada and the U.S. closer than in the Clinton years...

Yesterday, Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Defence Minister Peter MacKay and Finance Minister Jim Flaherty met with Mr. Fox.

After the meeting, Mr. Fox wrote on his Web site, "More European nations should follow Canada's example and start playing a more meaningful role in the NATO alliance.

"Canada is the model NATO citizen. Under the Government of Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Canada has seen a steady increase in its defence spending and a modernization of its defence capabilities, along with an increasing willingness to play a full role in international security."