Well, What's Our Answer Going to Be?
The U.S. government will ask Canada to keep as many as 500 to 600 troops in
Afghanistan after this country’s military deployment in Kandahar ends in 2011. Sources inside and outside the government say the formal request is expected toward the end of this year through NATO. The troops would act as military trainers and would most likely be located in Kabul. The deployment would not involve putting Canadian troops in harm’s way, but could nonetheless set off a rancorous national debate among Canadians and especially within the Liberal Party.
No specific request has been raised in meetings between Defence Secretary Robert Gates and Defence Minister Peter MacKay. But officials in the departments of State and Defence have advised their Canadian counterparts that an “ask” is coming.
To fulfill the terms of the parliamentary resolution that Canadian Forces leave Afghanistan, any troops would have to be outside the Kandahar region, and not engaged in military operations ....
Columnist Norman Spector brings up a good point:
.... If our troops are serving as military trainers, sooner or later they will have to accompany the Afghan troops they are training into combat operations. Which means they will be in harms way ....
OK, Special Committee on the Canadian Mission in Afghanistan, IF this happens, are you going to spend any time considering this? Or more wild goose chasing?
More on the theme:
Who Protects Civilians in Canada's PRT Post-2011?
posted by milnews.ca at 6:36 a.m.
4 Comments:
Why Kabul? Will the PRT be pulled out of Kandahar completely?
Brad:
According to the Commander of CEFCOM speaking to CanWest, “It is cease operations across the board in July, 2011,” Lt.-Gen Marc Lessard said in an interview. “The (operational mentor and liaison team), the battle group, the PRT, helicopters. Operations cease.” That, to me, means no more CF pers at the PRT. Barring any other statements to the contrary, we can take that to mean civilians will stay, protected by troops from another country. Then again, Ottawa's not been clear yet, so who knows?
Trainers in Kabul could do basic things with recruits plus staff stuff with officers--no necessity to accompany them into the field, desirable though that might be in terms of military effectiveness.
Mark
Ottawa
Plus, a Kabul mission would be quite in accord with the Commons' resolution which merely says out of Kandahar/Kandahar. Which the gov't and most of the media ignore, intentionally or otherwise.
Mark
Ottawa
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