The right "boots on the ground" in Kandahar province?

Nipa Banerjee has serious doubts about this development--I certainly think she's on to something about the politics involved:

A recent news report that Canadian civilians were being posted to areas in Kandahar known for fearsome fighting (Panjwaii and Zahri) sends shivers down my spine. What is the rationale for putting Canadian officials' lives in danger?..

Is this deployment pure sensationalism in the venture of earning Canadian public support? Or does this reflect our government's artless response to the Manley Commission critique of Canada's Afghanistan mission as disproportionately military-oriented?

It seems that this desperate effort is not for aiding Afghanistan but an attempt to raise the civilian profile and give a civilian face to our Afghan mission [emphasis added]. Some army officials say that in effect, the civilian officials will hardly be functional, being placed in the forward operating bases under the custodial protection of the Canadian troops, making the much desired civilian face invisible.

Besides, should Canadian visibility even be an objective of our Afghan mission? Are we not there to stabilize the country? Isn't this stabilization to be achieved through promotion of security, capacity and, most critically, legitimacy for the Afghan government? How will Canadian visibility manage to attain the legitimacy objective?

To enhance the Afghan government's legitimacy it is necessary to increase its presence in the most conflict-prone districts for earning the loyalty and support of the people against the Taliban rampage. To attain this, the Afghan government, rather than Canadian officials, must be visible and seen to deliver essential services...

This deployment is another indicator that our Afghan mission strategy is not well thought out. Endangering Canadian lives in the false hope of gaining a civilian face or higher Canadian visibility for our Afghan mission, in order to address an independent commission's recommendations, is not the smartest move...

Nipa Banerjee served as the head of Canada's aid program from 2003 to '06. She currently teaches international development at the University of Ottawa and continues to visit Afghanistan frequently, pursuing her professional interests.

Ms Banerjee isn't a fan of big Canadian "signature projects" either [more on them here].