Advocating what?
There has been much speculation recently regarding the possibility of maintaining some sort of Canadian Forces presence in Afghanistan post-2011. From what has been reported, one could be forgiven for believing the Liberals on the Afghanistan parliamentary committee have had some sort of epiphany.
But Bob Rae angrily clarified his party's position today on CTV's Question Period, and what's being proposed is hardly heavy lifting. Specifically, he said that committee members were open to considering the idea of having some Canadian soldiers training Afghans, but solely "inside the wire."
Perhaps there's a role there for us. Perhaps there's value to the Afghans in having trainers who teach theory only, and don't accompany them into the field. Perhaps there's value to our allies in freeing up non-combat troops - backfilling personnel, as it were. I don't know.
What I do know is that our current trainers - CF, police, correctional services, even diplomatic mentors - all go outside the wire regularly to do their work. Many of them want to get out into the field with the Afghans they teach even more. Because the work of building Afghanistan really takes place outside the wire.
None of that is even on the table, apparently.
So much for the grand move towards compromise of our Official Opposition, and the stubborn intransigence of our government. This is an argument over half-measures at best.
But Bob Rae angrily clarified his party's position today on CTV's Question Period, and what's being proposed is hardly heavy lifting. Specifically, he said that committee members were open to considering the idea of having some Canadian soldiers training Afghans, but solely "inside the wire."
Perhaps there's a role there for us. Perhaps there's value to the Afghans in having trainers who teach theory only, and don't accompany them into the field. Perhaps there's value to our allies in freeing up non-combat troops - backfilling personnel, as it were. I don't know.
What I do know is that our current trainers - CF, police, correctional services, even diplomatic mentors - all go outside the wire regularly to do their work. Many of them want to get out into the field with the Afghans they teach even more. Because the work of building Afghanistan really takes place outside the wire.
None of that is even on the table, apparently.
So much for the grand move towards compromise of our Official Opposition, and the stubborn intransigence of our government. This is an argument over half-measures at best.
posted by Babbling Brooks at 11:17 a.m.
2 Comments:
Babbling: Quarter measures, I would sadly say but all that might be possible given the political climate and public opinion. And very important symbolically--also practically to some extent--for the Afghans and our allies.
We are in fact already sending a fairly small number of "inside the wire" trainers to Kabul, the sort of thing we could build on.
Bob Rae does rather slap down cackling Craig Oliver on “Question Period”.
Mark
Ottawa
Point being that Mr Oliver was trying as hard as he could to discredit any/any further CF mission by insisting it would necessarily involve "combat". In my view Mr Rae was doing his best to make the case for a further mission by stressing that it could well be non-combat--and thus politically and publicly acceptable.
Something better than nothing--which is what the government has been offering. Loudly.
Mark
Ottawa
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