canada in afghanistan

so it seems our troops will be getting extra help, as in more equipment, which is always welcome. however, a more constructive solution to canadian deaths would be to release them from united states control. right now, we're following the game plan that the u.s. has carved out in afghanistan, but i don't think the u.s. is as focused on afghanistan as they are in iraq. i also don't think they see the extent to which the war has changed on the ground, considering the canadians have been doing the heavy lifting in that area for at least the past three years.

i think it may be about time that the canadians start doing things their own way. i'm not saying to take over complete control, but maybe there should be a new strategy, because clearly, the current one, doesn't benefit the canadians or the afghan forces. and considering how much of a bang up job the united states has been doing in iraq, maybe it's time for new ideas. a good first step is to get the afghan government more involved, as is suggested in the bottom article from the cbc, but how realistic that is, is still in question.

this is why i don't think we should be involved in a peacekeeping mission in lebanon. we've spread our forces too thin over the years; our soldiers are overworked and overstressed. we don't have a million strong standing army; which means we can't be everywhere at once. heck, it is clear that even the united states can't, otherwise they would have gone into iran by now. at any rate, below is the article:

'Canada can do more' for Afghanistan: O'Connor

Last Updated Thu, 31 Aug 2006 06:28:50 EDT
cbc news.

Ottawa wants to help put more equipment in the hands of Afghanistan's army and police forces, Defence Minister Gordon O'Connor said Thursday before meeting with the Afghan president.

"I've asked [the army] to develop a plan to increase Canada's contribution to the provincial reconstruction team," said O'Connor, who spoke before wrapping up a two-day visit with Canadian troops in Kandahar.

"The job in Afghanistan is not done. Canada can do more."

O'Connor, who left the main Canadian base in Kandahar for Kabul, didn't say whether that means the federal government would increase its financial assistance to Afghanistan.

Canada has already provided roughly 2,200 soldiers to the country's volatile southern region and pledged $1 billion for reconstruction over 10 years. About 200 soldiers, civilian and diplomatic experts make up the provincial reconstruction team in Kandahar City.

Since the mission started four years ago, 28 Canadian soldiers and one diplomat have been killed in Afghanistan, many at the hands of Taliban fighters.

Canada expects more from Afghans:

While in Kabul, O'Connor will meet with Afghan President Hamid Karzai. The defence minister made it clear he'll ask Karzai for something in return for Canada's efforts.

"We would like to see more of the Afghan national army, more effort on the [part of] the police, more construction efforts from the central government here in the south," he said.

O'Connor, a retired general, is also expected to meet with Pakistani officials during his visit to the region.

Pakistan is believed to be an operations centre for the Taliban, Afghanistan's former hardline rulers, and a source for Taliban fighters.

On Wednesday, O'Connor said he believes the security situation in Afghanistan will improve over the next year, saying the media focuses too much on violence and not enough on the improvements soldiers are making there.
With files from the Canadian Press