Afghanistan was not invaded

Letter to the Editor, Guelph Mercury

Afghanistan was not invaded

November 21, 2008
Mark Collins

Dear Editor - Michael Keefer's letter to the editor ("We mustn't participate in 'criminal follies'," Nov. 19) says "the American invasion of Afghanistan was a direct violation of international law; the ensuing occupation is likewise illegal."

Keefer is, despite being a university professor, singularly ill-informed.

There was no "invasion" of Afghanistan.

Before the fall of Kabul to the insurgent Afghan Northern Alliance in November 2001, and the consequent collapse of the Taliban regime, there were no foreign regular combat formations in Afghanistan. The Northern Alliance did receive air support and assistance from special forces (both U.S. and British); that however is not an invasion.

Substantial foreign ground combat forces -- including Canadian -- only entered the country after the Taliban had been deposed by indigenous Afghan forces.

Those foreign troops entered with the agreement of the Northern Alliance -- which was the internationally recognized government of Afghanistan and held the country's seat at the United Nations. In any event, the U.S was exercising its legitimate right of self-defence against the Taliban regime that was harbouring al-Qaida, the group behind the murderous Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the U.S.

Indeed the U.S action was fully in accord with UN Security Council Resolution 1368 of Sept. 12, 2001, that stated that the council, "recognizing the inherent right of individual or collective self-defence in accordance with the (UN) Charter . . . calls on all states to work together urgently to bring to justice the perpetrators, organizers and sponsors of these terrorist attacks and stresses that those responsible for aiding, supporting or harbouring the perpetrators, organizers and sponsors of these acts will be held accountable. . . ."

There also is no "occupation" of Afghanistan.

The International Security Assistance Force is not an occupying force but rather a mission to assist in Afghanistan that was authorized by the security council in December 2001.

That authorization was most recently extended by a resolution this September.

There is, therefore, nothing "illegal" about the assistance force or Canada's participation in it.

-- Mark Collins, Ottawa