Thursday, March 11, 2010

"Keeping our Promises--Canada in Afghanistan Post-2011: The Way Forward"

Report by Canada-Afghanistan Solidarity Committee should be available here. Directly military-related excerpts from the Synopsis:
...
  • Canada should not be faulted for choosing to end its “combat role” in Kandahar in 2011, but it would be a folly for Canada to squander the expertise and experience our military has gained in Kandahar. It would be especially foolish to squander the trust that the Canadian Forces has established among the Pashtun people of Kandahar, from whom the Taliban derives most of its rank-and-file fighters, and within whom Talibanism has spread its deepest roots.
  • Canada’s “battle group” should come home. These soldiers can now withdraw with honour and with the heartfelt gratitude of Afghans and Canadians.
  • Canada’s military presence should be dramatically scaled back to the most cost-effective and concentrated efforts. Canada’s priorities for a limited military contribution in Afghanistan post-2011 should focus on:

    1/ Leadership and guidance to our NATO allies in Kandahar and other southern provinces; Accelerated training of the Afghan National Security Forces by building on the existing Operational Mentor and Liaison Team (OMLT) model; Accelerated contributions to the national capacity of the Afghan police services, justice services and prisons;Enhance the “human terrain” capacity of Canada’s special forces, i.e. Joint Task Force – Two (JTF-2).

    2/ Canada should also consult with ANSF and NATO allies on the potential for continued contributions from elements of Canada’s Air Wing, especially UAV reconnaissance and surveillance capability, and helicopter airlift services.

    3/ Canada should maintain its leadership role with the Kandahar Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT), carrying on its polio eradication program and completing its Education and Dahla Dam signature projects. The PRT should explore the possibility of initiating further hydroelectric and irrigation projects in Kandahar province. The PRT should also assist in the development and expansion of Kandahar University, with an emphasis on women’s education and Canadian-Afghan academic partnerships, and should provide greater support for collaborative initiatives such as the Afghan-Canadian Community Centre in Kandahar City...

Not unreasonable, to my mind. Earlier:
Meeting in Ottawa tonight: "Afghan report argues for Canadian presence after troops depart"/Audio Update
...
Update: Audio of interview with Maj.-Gen. (ret'd) MacKenzie and Terry Glavin on CFRA Ottawa this morning:
Tuesday, March 09, 2010
Afghanistan After 2011
Madely in the Morning - 8:10am --- Steve Madely is joined by Ret'd General Lewis MacKenzie, and Terry Glavin, award-winning author and journalist. They are live in studio to promote tonight's event called "Canada and Afghanistan: Keeping Our Promises" hosted by the Free Thinking Film Society of Ottawa and is also a fundraiser for the Afghan School Project.
mp3 (click here to download)

1 Comments:

Blogger Babbling Brooks said...

The KPRT doesn't operate in a vacuum - unless we're going to keep our own force protection guys there, we'll have to rely on allies to ride shotgun on those reconstruction missions.

9:42 p.m., March 11, 2010  

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