Paul S. Graham

This just came into my mailbox from the Canadian Peace Alliance. I couldn’t have put it better.

The US-led combat mission in Afghanistan is now over six years old, longer than World War Two. And sadly, there is now more instability and violence in Afghanistan than in 2001.

NATO forces continue to back a government dominated by warlords and drug lords. In 2007, NATO bombs killed over 6,500 people in Afghanistan ­ the highest death toll since the war bega.

Stephen Harper’s government has been implicated in scandals involving the torture and abuse of Afghan detainees. Independent reports show that reconstruction has come to a virtual halt while hundreds of millions in aid money is unaccounted for.

Opium production in Afghanistan is at its highest levels ever, providing 93 per cent of the world market. Violence against Afghan women is still widespread, while their security deteriorates on a daily basis.

A clear majority of Canadians now oppose Canada’s mission in Afghanistan. Sixty-one per cent are against plans to extend the mission past February 2009.

But Stephen Harper is proposing to do just that: extend Canada’s mission in Afghanistan until 2011. Canadian troops have suffered one of the highest casualty and death rates of all NATO forces and thousands of Afghan civilians have been killed.

It’s time to stand up to Stephen Harper. We call on the Government of Canada to stand with the majority of Canadians and say no to extending the mission in Afghanistan.

Don’t extend it. End it.

Bring the troops home now.

Visit their website at www.endit.ca. They have put together a good package of materials you can use to take action to end Canada’s shameful role in this war.

For those who think Canada’s military efforts in Afghanistan will produce a victory for NATO (or for the Afghan people), this article offers a chilling perspective. And for those who believe we never should have invaded Afghanistan, it is one more grim reminder of the needless bloodshed that was loosed on the Afghan people.

It was supposed to be “the good war”; a war against terror; a war of liberation. It was intended to fix the eyes of the world on America’s state of the art weaponry, its crack troops and its overwhelming firepower. It was supposed to demonstrate—once and for all– that the world’s only superpower could no longer be beaten or resisted; that Washington could deploy its troops anywhere in the world and crush its adversaries at will.

Then everything went sideways. The war veered from the Pentagon’s script. The Taliban retreated, waited, regrouped and retaliated. They enlisted support from the Pashtuns and the tribal leaders who could see that America would never honor its commitments; that order would never be restored. Operation Enduring Freedom has brought neither peace nor prosperity to Afghanistan; just occupation. Seven years have passed and the country is still ruled by warlords and drug-merchants. Nothing has gotten better. The country is in shambles and the government is a fraud. The humiliation of foreign occupation persists while the killing goes on with no end in sight.

War is not foreign policy. It is slaughter. Seven years later; it’s still slaughter. The Taliban have taken over more than half of Afghanistan. They have conducted military operations in the capital of Kabul. They’re dug in at Logar, Wardak and Ghazni and control vast swathes of territory in Zabul, Helmand, Urzgan and Kandahar. Now they are getting ready to step-up operations and mount a Spring offensive. That means the hostilities will progressively intensify.

The Taliban’s approach is methodical and deliberate. They’ve shown they can survive the harshest conditions and still achieve tactical victories over a better-equipped enemy. They are highly-motivated and believe their cause is just. After all, they’re not fighting to occupy a foreign nation; they’re fighting to defend their own country. That strengthens their resolve and keeps morale high. When NATO and American troops leave Afghanistan; the Taliban will remain, just as they did when the Russians left 20 years ago. No difference. The US occupation will just be another grim footnote in the country’s tragic history . . .

Read more: Swan song for NATO: The real cost of defeat in Afghanistan

The caption for the photo, taken from the PM’s website reads “Prime Minister rallies Canadian troops in Afghanistan”. Look at their faces and tell me this is a rally. It looks more like a requiem for those who have died and those who were yet to die in an unwinnable war. ISAF Commander General Dan McNeil has said:

“By U.S. counterinsurgency doctrine, we should have security forces that total well over 400,000. That’s not going to happen . . . So we’re going to have to do what we have to do with what we have.” MORE.

Or, we can do what we should have done in the beginning. End this military disaster. Stop wasting lives and let the Afghans work out their problems on their own terms.

Much has been said about the disaster that will befall Afghans if we leave. The sad fact is foreign military campaigns (the Russians, ours) has made life in Afghanistan much worse.

According to Human Rights Watch, 20 years of war have created 3.7 million refugees. The World Health Organization says Afghan life expectancy at birth is 42 for men and women alike. (In Canada it is 78 and 83, respectively.) According to the World Food Programme 54% of children under five are stunted from malnutrition; 6.7% are wasted.

Jan.23, 2005 – Kabul: Children search garbage to find food or pieces of metal and plastic for sale. Many of children belong to families who came to Kabul from Pakistan and Iran or moved from provinces where warlords brutalize them. Photo: RAWA.ORG.

I could go on, but you get the picture. Afghanistan is devastated by war, and the countries that have made war on and in that country owe it big time. An immediate emergency relief operation coupled with an ongoing commitment to helping rebuild its bombed communities and shattered economy are the least we should be doing — that, and working for peace.

Barring a political miracle of cosmic dimensions, Canadians can look forward to at least three more years of war in Afghanistan; three more years of propping up a corrupt gang of warlords – three more years of killing people who never posed a threat to this country – three more years of Canucks in coffins – sacrificed on the altar of American oil lust.

The Tory position is no surprise. Neither is that of the Liberals – they got us into this mess – remember that.

But even the Bloc and the Greens can’t seem to let go of this dirty war. Their positions are more nuanced, couched as they are in humanitarian language. But they lead to the same dismal conclusion – aid and comfort for the imperialists.

Only the New Democrats have demanded an immediate end to Canada’s combat role. This was in 2007. More recently:

“Instead of extending a strategy that isn’t working, Canada must aim to support and facilitate efforts towards the peaceful resolution of the Afghan conflict,” said NDP International Development Critic Alexa McDonough (Halifax).

“Canada should lead the international community towards a political solution, not continue the failed military approach. This means the international body in charge should be the United Nations, not NATO,” said McDonough.”

Tory-Liberal Two Step
Can you detect any important difference between these two positions?

Tweedledum
“The Government also announced it is giving notice of a motion to extend Canada’s commitment to the United Nations mandated mission in Afghanistan until the end of 2011 on the condition that Canada can secure a partner that will provide a battle group of approximately 1,000, as well medium helicopter lift capacity and high performance Unmanned Aerial Vehicles.”

Tweedledee
“Mr. Harper must agree to the following three conditions:

• The Government of Canada must immediately notify NATO that Canada will end its military presence in Kandahar as of February 1, 2011 and as of that date, the deployment of the Canadian Forces troops out of Kandahar will start as soon as possible, so that it will have been completed by July 1, 2011;

• NATO must secure troops to rotate into Kandahar to allow Canadian troops to be deployed pursuant to the mission priorities of training and reconstruction; and

• The government must secure medium helicopter lift and high performance Unmanned Aerial Vehicles.”

‘Nuff said?

The Bloc Québécois

Although the Bloc Québécois voted against extending Canada’s military folly the last time this matter was discussed in Parliament, it seems to be having a change of heart. While arguing for “an immediate rebalancing in favor of diplomacy, humanitarian aid, reconstruction and development,” the Bloc maintains that Canada must continue its military involvement within ISAF. According to the Bloc, “A sudden withdrawal would have profound consequences for the Afghan population. As well, this gesture would be irresponsible with regard to our allies who are counting on Canada’s collaboration.” You can verify my translation here.

How will the Bloc vote? It isn’t clear, but in one important sense it doesn’t matter. By insisting that we have a “responsibility” to continue killing Afghans it doesn’t really matter how much they insist on their humanitarian motivations.

The Greens

It would be interesting to see how Elizabeth May would handle this issue if she had the opportunity to vote on it in Parliament. For the meantime, all we have are public statements. In a news release dated Feb. 11, 2008:

“The Green Party believes Canada must rebalance our role in Afghanistan, shifting away from combat operations and toward diplomacy and peacekeeping,” said Ms. May.

“We must also redirect our resources to another critical area – rapidly building up logistics capacity within the Afghan National Army (ANA).”

Ms. May said that this logistics capacity would include field medical support, military engineering, transportation, communications, materiel management and other essential support functions.

“When our combat tour of duty in Khandahar province ends in 2009, this critical non-combat role will be an invaluable continuing contribution from Canada,” said Ms. May.

More rebalancing. More humanitarianism. Do May and Duceppe have the same script writers?

” . . . rapidly building up logistics capacity within the Afghan National Army” could have come out of Dubbya’s White House. It sounds erily like Richard Nixon’s Vietnamization policy — a reference old lefties like May and Duceppe should be able to appreciate, if somewhat uncomfortably.

However compassionate their motivations may be regarding the Afghan people, they need to understand that any military assistance strengthens the grip of a corrupt, reactionary, woman-hating gang of thugs.

Don’t take my word for it. Check out RAWA News on the right hand column of this page. They want us to take our troops home.

I think we would listen to RAWA if we could. After all, the majority of Canadians oppose the war.

However, a majority of MPs are prepared to continue the war. With the exception of the NDP, we have been betrayed – grievously by the Tories and Liberals – foolishly by the Bloc and the Greens.

However much the Liberals would like to avoid it, the war in Afghanistan is an election issue. Perhaps it is THE election issue.

It’s pretty clear to me where my vote will go. What about you?

Lieutenant- Colonel Dave Corbould, Commanding Officer, Second Battalion Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, shakes hands with Progressive Conservative Leader Hugh McFadyen as Premier Gary Doer looks on during the launch of the Manitoba Yellow Ribbon campaign. Photo: Winnipeg Free Press

The growing avalanche of bullshit aimed at convincing Canadians to back the war in Afghanistan picked up a little steam yesterday with the announcement that Manitoba’s government was supporting a project to send yellow ribbons to Manitoba soldiers in Afghanistan.

Knowing that a majority of Canadians oppose Canadian involvement in this war, the message is “if you can’t support the war, at least support the warriors.”

The yellow ribbon campaigners are collecting the signatures of Manitobans on ribbons as 800 soldiers from Canadian Forces Base Shilo plan to ship out. According to the Winnipeg Free Press:

Lt.-Col. Dave Corbould, who’s leading the deployment to Afghanistan, said his men and women are impressed with the support they’ve received from fellow Manitobans.

“Politics aside, let’s talk about what’s really important here,” he said.

I agree, let’s talk about what’s important. Contrary to Col. Corbould, politics must be a part of the equation. Politics — misguided at best and pathologically corrupt, vicious and cynical the rest of the time — got us into Afghanistan. And honest politics will get us out and free Canada to begin to become a force for peace in the world.

The government line, loosely paraphrased, is that brave Canadian soldiers risk their lives to free the Afghan people from the grip of terrorists so that they may one day live and prosper in a free, democratic society.

The reality is that 78 Canadian soldiers have died supporting a gang of thugs who are no more interested in freedom and democracy than the Taliban they replaced.

Afghan refugee students chant slogans during an anti-war rally organized by the Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan in Islamabad April 28, 2007. Photo: REUTERS/Faisal Mahmood

Don’t take my word for it. Listen to women of the Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan. RAWA struggled for freedom against the Soviet Union and the Taliban, and they continue to carry on that struggle today.

The US and her allies tried to legitimize their military occupation of Afghanistan under the banner of “bringing freedom and democracy for Afghan people”. But as we have experienced in the past three decades, in regard to the fate of our people, the US government first of all considers her own political and economic interests and has empowered and equipped the most traitorous, anti-democratic, misogynist and corrupt fundamentalist gangs in Afghanistan. . .

After about seven years, there is no peace, human rights, democracy and reconstruction in Afghanistan. On the contrary, the destitution and suffering of our people has doubled everyday. Our people, and even our unfortunate children, fall victim to the Jehadis’ infighting (Baghlan incident), the Taliban’s untargeted blasts and the US/NATO’s non-stop bombardments. The Northern Alliance blood-suckers, who are part of Karzai’s team and have key government posts, continue to be the main and the most serious obstacle towards the establishment of peace and democracy in Afghanistan. READ MORE.

In RAWA’s opinion, we should get out. Afghans, they insist, can and must solve their own problems. As RAWA expressed it in the above-linked communique:

Instead of defeating Al-Qaeda, Taliban and Gulbuddini terrorists and disarming the Northern Alliance, the foreign troops are creating confusion among the people of the world. We believe that if these troops leave Afghanistan, our people will not feel any kind of vacuum but rather will become more free and come out of their current puzzlement and doubts. In such a situation, they will face the Taliban and Northern Alliance without their “national” mask, and rise to fight with these terrorist enemies. Neither the US nor any other power wants to release Afghan people from the fetters of the fundamentalists. Afghanistan’s freedom can be achieved by Afghan people themselves. Relying on one enemy to defeat another is a wrong policy which has just tightened the grip of the Northern Alliance and their masters on the neck of our nation.

The yellow ribbon campaigners hope to get 10,000 signatures (50 per ribbon). With provincial approval, they will take their campaign to Manitoba schools. Under Gary Doer’s tutelage, another generation of young people will be fed the lie that you can make the world a better place by killing people.

However well-meaning its supporters might be, the yellow ribbon campaign is disgusting. By playing on the emotions of Canadians who fear for the lives of our soldiers, they hope to build support for the war. Gary Doer should be ashamed for his role in allowing pro-war propaganda into Manitoba schools.

If the folks who peddle these pathetic little rags really want to “support our troops” they would bring them home.

Take Action

This campaign comes at a time when pro-war forces are working overtime to influence the pending vote in Parliament on whether to extend Canada’s combat mission in Afghanistan. I hope you will join with me and write our premier and our MLAs and tell them that war propagandists should not be given the keys to our schools. I also hope you will encourage your friends to do likewise.

Here is a list of MLAs and their email addresses: http://www.gov.mb.ca/legislature/members/alphabetical.html

By Andy Worthington, Counterpunch Magazine, Jan. 19/20, 2008

How humiliating.

The story begins with the shameful case of Maher Arar, a Syrian-born Canadian who was kidnapped by US agents as he changed planes in New York in 2002, and rendered to Syria, where he was tortured for a year on behalf of the Americans before being released.

Mr. Arar — who was awarded millions of dollars in compensation by the Canadian government in January 2007, but has yet to receive even an apology from the US administration — had been wrongly fingered by Canadian intelligence, and his case his one of many chilling examples of the damage caused by failed intelligence in the American’s program of “extraordinary rendition.”

In an attempt to prime diplomats about how to spot the signs of torture when they visit Canadians in foreign jails, the Canadian government’s Foreign Affairs Department instigated a “torture awareness workshop,” which also informed the diplomats of where they could expect to find what CTV in Canada described as “countries and places with greater risks of torture.”

The list, in a training manual issued by the Foreign Affairs Department, included traditional offenders — Afghanistan, China, Egypt, Iran, Mexico, Saudi Arabia and Syria — but also included some torturers that are not generally mentioned in polite Western company: Israel and the United States. Specific mention was made of Guantánamo Bay, where, to drive the point home, the manual noted specific “US interrogation techniques,” including “forced nudity, isolation, and sleep deprivation.”

Oops. READ MORE.

The Pinky Show is a damned cute, hand-drawn educational TV show that focuses on information and ideas that have been misrepresented, distorted, suppressed, ignored, or otherwise excluded from mainstream discussion. The main character of the show, a cat named Pinky, presents and analyzes the material in an informal, easy-to-understand way.

Are these shows for children? They could be useful in a classroom setting. However, as the creators put it: “Although the simplified visual style of the show recalls children’s programming, The Pinky Show is in fact intended for an adult audience.”

In the episode I watched, I appreciated the down to earth, factual and non-rhetorical presentation of the evidence that the American government is guilty of numerous crimes against humanity in Iraq.

Episodes are available on the internet for free at www.PinkyShow.org. Here’s the episode entitled “The Iraq War: Legal or Illegal.” Please share it widely.

Is Canada joining the Surveillance Societies of the world? Not yet, perhaps, but we are on the way.

Each year since 1997, the US-based Electronic Privacy Information Center and the UK-based Privacy International have conducted a comprehensive survey of global privacy. The Privacy & Human Rights Report surveys developments in 70 countries, assessing the state of surveillance and privacy protection. The most recent report published in 2007, available at http://www.privacyinternational.org/phr.

In 2006, Privacy International decided to use this annual report as the basis for a ranking assessment of the state of privacy in all European Union countries together with eleven non-EU benchmark countries. The new 2007 global rankings extend the survey to 47 countries (from the original 37) and, for the first time, provide an opportunity to assess trends. PI has mapped the results and if current trends hold, we may all have to move to Greece to escape the prying eyes of government spies — which is pretty scary when you consider the less than democratic state of this birthplace of democracy over the last few decades — but I digress.

Privacy International observes “The 2007 rankings indicate an overall worsening of privacy protection across the world, reflecting an increase in surveillance and a declining performance of privacy safeguards.”

Canada, which in 2006 was described by PI as a country with “significant protections and safeguards” has slipped to the status of having “some safeguards but weakened protections.” While we seem to be moving, lockstep, with the rest of the countries surveyed, we still have a way to go before we join the category described by PI as an “Endemic Surveillance Society.”

Who are the “endemic surveillance societies?” They include China, Russia, the UK and the United States. Given Stephen Harper’s fabled love of all things American, we should be concerned.

Photo: BBC — The state of Tabasco suffered the worst flooding in 50 years.

A Winnipeg family and Assiniboine Credit Union (ACU) have partnered to channel donations to nongovernmental relief agencies assisting Mexican flood victims in the state of Tabasco.

“The situation in Tabasco is extremely serious,” says Winnipegger Jorge Leon, whose extended family is among those hardest hit by the disaster. “Even though the news media have stopped covering the story, many people need our help to cope with shortages of food, drinking water, clothing and medicines.”

Donations can be made at any of ACU’s 22 branches in Winnipeg, or at their Gillam and Thompson branches.

The flood, which covered parts of Chiapas and 80 per cent of Tabasco destroyed hundreds of thousands of houses and businesses and directly affected over one million people. At least 90 per cent of the city of Villahermosa, Tabasco’s state capital, was under water and 80 per cent was without electricity and running water. While flood waters have receded in most parts of the state, the devastation will be felt for much time to come.

Many people are dependent on aid for food, water and medicine because the economy is at a standstill until the cleanup is completed and businesses can reopen.

“Many Manitobans know from personal experience how terrible it is to be flooded out,” says Leon. “Imagine how much more serious the situation is in countries that are not as wealthy as Canada.”

The Leon family of Winnipeg is urging Manitobans to help. People who donate to “Mexican Flood Relief” at the ACU can direct their contribution to either the Canadian Red Cross or the Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace.

The Canadian Red Cross will channel funds to the Mexican Red Cross; CCODP will direct donations to Caritas Mexicana.

Funds will be used to provide emergency assistance in the form of drinking water, food, clothing, health and sanitation kits, mosquito nets, and cooking utensils. It will also help in the coordination efforts currently underway to help families to return to their houses, by providing them with cleaning kits to help them sanitize and clean their homes.

The relief agencies will issue charitable tax receipts for donations over $10.

The federal government has created a panel to review Canada’s role in Afghanistan beyond the current mandate.

Former Liberal MP and deputy prime minister John Manley was appointed chair of the five-person committee.

The other members of the panel are Derek Burney, former ambassador to the United States and chief of staff to former prime minister Brian Mulroney; former clerk of the Privy Council Paul Tellier; former Conservative cabinet minister Jake Epp, who served in both Joe Clark’s and Mulroney’s governments, and Pamela Wallin, former journalist and Canada’s former consul general in New York.

Manley’s position in the Liberal Party will doubtless be trumpeted as proof this committee is nonpartisan and independent. As Stephen Harper expressed it at his news conference: “I am pleased to announce the formation of an independent panel of eminent Canadians who will consider our options and provide expert non-partisan advice that will help parliamentarians make our decision.”

Independent? Nonpartisan? Where are the members of the Bloc Quebecois? Where are the New Democrats?

From here it looks like a committee set up to tell Harper what he wants to hear.

Manley’s position is indistinguishable from that of Mr. Harper. Early in 2002, an interview with Manley was posted on Mapleleafweb which is pretty revealing. For Manley, the “military action in Afghanistan is an act of self-defence . . .”.

Harper has said many times over the past while that he wants to maintain Canada’s military presence in Afghanistan beyond 2009. Don’t be surprised if this committee tells him exactly what he wants to hear.