Paul S. Graham

Holy Shit, Batman! Canada might run out of combat troops before we run out of war!!

According to the Vancouver Sun, “The Canadian Armed Forces continue to face difficulties in securing the resources to keep 2,500 troops in Afghanistan. Recruitment drives have been under way to boost both the regular Forces and reserve numbers, but many soldiers are returning to Afghanistan for a second and third rotation.”

This is a serious problem, folks, but a remedy is at hand: send the people with the biggest stake in the outcome. That’s right, send bankers, senior bureaucrats, arms manufacturers (and their leading shareholders), and of course, the entire Liberal and Tory caucuses.

And while we’re at it, send the editorial board of the Winnipeg Free Press. Anyone who could write “Five years on, however, the world is a better, safer place because of the Iraq war.” needs a sabbatical, and fast. Where better than in the front line of Canada’s own little war?

But I digress.

Back to our politicians. It just isn’t fair that our Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, and Stephane Dion, Leader of Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition, just get short, teensie-weensie, little visits when they are such eager warriors. (Is it a coincidence that they have the same first name? I think not!) They royally deserve the opportunity to experience the thrill of combat, first hand, for an extended period — say to the end of December, 2011. And so they won’t be lonely, they should take their fellow members with them.

They would be a formidable force. Judging from their antics in Question Period, the Taliban wouldn’t stand a chance.

And in that time honoured tradition, I’ve even found a song to speed them on their way. (What would a war be without a song, I always say!)

You can sing along.

We Hate To See Them Go
by Malvina Reynolds

Last night I had a lovely dream.
I saw a big parade with ticker tape galore,
And men were marching there
The like I’d never seen before.

Oh the bankers and the diplomats are going in the army.
Oh happy day! I’d give my pay to see them on parade,
Their paunches at attention and their striped pants at ease.
They’ve gotten patriotic and they’re going overseas.
We’ll have to do the best we can and bravely carry on,
So we’ll just keep the laddies here to manage while they’re gone.

Chorus:
Oh, oh, we hate to see them go,
The gentlemen of distinction in the army.

The bankers and the diplomats are going in the army,
It seemed too bad to keep them from the wars they love to plan.
We’re all of us contented that they’ll fight a dandy war,
They don’t need propaganda, they know what they’re fighting for.
They’ll march away with dignity and in the best of form,
And we’ll just keep the laddies here to keep the lassies warm.

(Chorus)

The bankers and the diplomats are going in the army,
We’re going to make things easy cause it’s all so new and strange;
We’ll give them silver shovels when they have to dig a hole,
And they can sing in harmony when answering the roll,
They’ll eat their old K-rations from a hand-embroidered box,
And when they die, we’ll bring them home, and bury them in Fort Knox.

(Chorus)

White House photo by Eric Draper

“The men and women who crossed into Iraq five years ago removed a tyrant, liberated a country, and rescued millions from unspeakable horrors.”

— George W. Bush, March 19, 2008

A young Iraqi near Basra being “rescued from unspeakable horrors” in the early days of the invasion. Photo: Associated Press/BBC

How do you account for George Bush’s speech earlier today at the Pentagon? Is it possible that he is completely unaware of the crimes he has committed? Was he blinded and deafened by the “shock and awe” he unleashed on the Iraqi people five years ago today? Have his handlers neglected to tell him about the civil war, the ethnic cleansing, the two million refugees, the annihilation of a culture and a people, the uncountable deaths?

Are his assertions that America rescued Iraqis from “unspeakable horrors” the ravings of a madman? Or the lies of a monster?

Not surprisingly, the Americans have gone to great lengths to minimize the Iraqi death toll. Back in 2006, Bush put the figure at 30,000. I guess that figure falls within his idea of speakable horrors.

But the question remains, how many people have died as a result of this war?

Counting corpses in a war zone is difficult, dangerous work because, after all, the action is taking place in a war zone. People are getting slaughtered in great numbers all over the place and it is pretty much impossible (and risky) to count them individually.

Published estimates are based on compiling statistics from media sources, such as those published by Iraq Body Count. Their research puts the death toll at just under 90,000.

Or, they are based on random sample surveys of the population, such as those conducted by Johns Hopkins (published in The Lancet) and Opinion Business Research. The Johns Hopkins study, conducted in 2006, put the carnage at 655,000. The ORB survey, published in 2008, concludes that between 946,000 and 1,120,000 Iraquis have been killed since the 2003 invasion.

The latter two studies form the basis for the “Iraqi Death Estimator” published below by Just Foreign Policy.

Today’s Guardian describes the various attempts that have been made to calculate the carnage. It’s worth reading.

Whether it is 90,000 or 900,000, Bush is guilty of crimes against humanity.

On March 4, 2008, voters in two Vermont towns approved a measure that would instruct police to arrest President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney for “crimes against our Constitution.” The measure, which is described as symbolic and non-binding, instructs town police to “extradite them to other authorities that may reasonably contend to prosecute them.” Read more.

One can easily imagine there would be no shortage of “authorities” eager to prosecute them.

Winnipeggers demonstrate against the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq March 15, 2008. Photo: Paul Graham

We are all conscripts in the war on Afghanistan. Yes, I know, we have a volunteer army. The military draft does not exist here, nor is it likely to in the foreseeable future. Whether we like it or not (and a majority of Canadians do not) we have been conscripted, a fact that should be made abundantly clear as we fill out our income tax returns.

Every bullet that finds its mark, every shell, bomb, grenade that turns a human being into hamburger and ashes was bought and paid for by someone. Canadian taxpayers have contributed $7.2 billion to this carnage, and thanks to the Tories and the Liberals, we will continue to bankroll murder for at least another three years.

Winnipeggers demonstrate against the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, March 15, 2008. Photo: Paul Graham

As taxpayers, we share the blame for the deaths of the 8,000 plus Afghans who were killed last year. Fifteen hundred of these folks were civilians, but I’m tired of drawing these distinctions. War is murder, plain and simple. None of these people had to die, and we ought to be ashamed of our role in their deaths.

On March 13, the day our Parliament was voting on extension of Canada’s murder mission, the Independent reported on the recent deaths two women and two children who were killed in an air strike called in by the British military. This is not an isolated incident, and the victims have families who will grieve their slaughter and family members who will seek vengeance.

They have families who love them, and they have names. Here are a few of the thousands who have died hideously and needlessly in this war:

• Sardar Muhammad Makai, 22, a male street vendor
• Bilal Gulam Rasul, 4, a boy
• Kaled Gulam Rasul, 6, a boy
• Wares Gulam Rasul, 12, a boy
• Samin Gulam Rasul, 9, a boy
• Sukuria Rasul, 30, a mother
• Said Mir-Said Jan, 55, a male
• Said Mir-Said Mir, 26, a woman
• Nazira-Said Mir, 21, a woman
• Sofi Kasim, 39, a woman
• Aziza-Khuja Fagir, 23, a woman

There are many more, some of whom have been remembered at The Afghan Victim Memorial Project. Visit the memorial. Imagine the children playing together; visualize young lovers and old married couples, grandparents walking with their grandchildren, young people dreaming of their future, old people looking back on their lives. Say their names out loud. Weep for them. Tell them you are sorry for the part Canadians have played in this disgusting act of imperialism.

Then get mad and do something about it!

Winnipeggers demonstrate against the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq March 15, 2008. Photo: Paul Graham

Illustration: D.H. Monet

When is a government initiative not a government initiative? Who should one believe? The Premier of Manitoba or the Co-ordinator of his Secretariat?

A little over a month ago I emailed Premier Doer to express my outrage at Manitoba’s decision to support the “Yellow Ribbon Campaign” and by extension, Canadian participation in the war in Afghanistan.

The Premier had issued a news release and held a news conference announcing provincial support for the campaign. As well, he turned the Manitoba Legislative Building into a temporary drop-in centre for campaign supporters to sign yellow ribbons that would be sent, along with Manitoba and Winnipeg flags, to Canada House in Kandahar for permanent display. A Winnipeg Free Press story about the announcement said that the campaign would be taken to shopping malls and schools, which prompted this post.

I had been wondering when or if the Premier’s Office would respond and what they might say. Well, the response came today. In a fashion typical of government, the email said very little. It was, however, interesting how the responder tried to deflect my anger in another direction by noting that the campaign was the project of retired soldiers and suggesting that I should write my local MP and the Minister of National Defence, Peter McKay.

My local MP (Pat Martin, Winnipeg Centre) has nothing to do with Manitoba’s pro-war stance. In fact, the federal NDP of which he is a member supports ending Canada’s military occupation of Afghanistan. And Mr. McKay? It is difficult to know what he has to do with turning the Manitoba Legislature into a yellow ribbon drop-in centre.

It’s time to cut the crap

Sadly, citizens who write to politicians are accustomed to getting evasive responses that fail to speak to the issues they have raised. My respect for the Premier would have gone up considerably if his flack had written back saying “Yes, Mr. Doer supports this war.” and explained why he held this position. I might have disagreed with his reasons, but at least there would have been some honesty – and without honesty there can be no true democracy.

Illustration: D.H. Monet

For your amusement and edification, here’s my email to the Premier, his flack’s response, the provincial news release, and Mr. Doer’s reported statement on the war.

My email

From: Paul Graham
Sent: Wednesday, February 06, 2008 4:09 PM
To: Premier
Cc: Altemeyer, Rob (NDP Caucus); Layton, Jack – M.P.
Subject: Yellow Ribbon Campaign

Mr. Doer,

Your reported decision to provide provincial support for the “Yellow Ribbon” campaign is deeply disturbing. Even more outrageous is your decision to allow campaigners access to Manitoba schools.

The Yellow Ribbon campaign is propaganda for the Canadian combat role in Afghanistan, a role opposed by a majority of Canadians and most New Democrats. War propaganda has no place in our schools.

You are welcome to your personal opinions, but you have no business imposing them on the rest of us. As a Manitoban and a New Democrat, I am outraged that you should align yourself, and by extension, Manitobans, with the criminals who control Afghanistan.

If you genuinely cared for Canadian soldiers, you would join Jack Layton in condemning this war and pushing for an end to Canada’s complicity in it. Do not expect thoughtful Canadians to “support our troops” by sending them to Afghanistan to help the Americans secure their oil supplies while propping up a gang of warlords and drug runners.

Your decision is shameful and disgraceful.

Paul Graham

Premier’s Flack’s Tardy, Disingenuous Response

March 12, 2008

Dear Mr. Graham:

On behalf of the Honourable Gary Doer, Premier of Manitoba, I would like to thank you for your correspondence regarding the Yellow Ribbon Campaign.

Our office appreciates hearing your comments on this matter. Although the campaign was launched at the Legislative Building, please note that it is not a government initiative. The project was developed by two retired soldiers in order to provide any Manitoban who so chooses with the opportunity to extend best wishes and support for the soldiers departing for Afghanistan.

We would also like to encourage you to share your concerns with the Honourable Peter Mackay, Minister of National Defence, as well as your local Member of Parliament.

Thank you again for sharing your views with Premier Doer.

Sincerely,

Judith Baldwin
Coordinator of the
Premier’s Secretariat

Provincial News Release

February 6, 2008
Manitoba Legislative Building To Host Yellow Ribbon Campaign

Visitors and the general public will now be able to show their support at Manitoba’s Legislative Building for Manitoba soldiers deploying to Afghanistan, Premier Gary Doer announced today.

For two weeks beginning today, yellow ribbons will be available near the front entrance security desk for visitors and the public to sign.

“Yesterday, we launched this campaign at the Legislative Building,” said Doer. “Today, I am proud to announce the building will become one of the venues providing Manitobans the opportunity to support our troops in this unique way.”

The campaign was developed by two retired soldiers who wanted to give Manitobans a way to express support and best wishes for the province’s departing soldiers. The goal of the campaign is to obtain 10,000 signatures.

“The Yellow Ribbon Campaign is one way Manitobans can show their support for Canadians deploying to Afghanistan,” said Bonnie Korzeniowski, Manitoba’s special envoy for military affairs. “I am pleased the Legislative Building will host the campaign which will give visitors and the public an opportunity to show their support for our troops.”

The signed ribbons, together with a Manitoba and City of Winnipeg flag, will be taken to Afghanistan in late April or early May 2008 and will be housed in Canada House in Kandahar as a permanent symbol of the province’s support for Manitoba soldiers.

Gary Doer on the war

Doer said he supported the ribbon campaign and Canada’s mission in Afghanistan, despite federal NDP leader Jack Layton’s comments that the Taliban cannot be defeated by international troops and the war in Afghanistan is unwinnable.

“I don’t worry about what people say in Ottawa,” Doer said.

Source: Winnipeg Free Press: Ribbons to honour troops: Vets seek signatures as province OKs campaign; Feb. 6, 2008

Iraq Veterans Against the War was founded in 2004 to give those who have served in the US military since September 11, 2001 a way to unite against an unjust, illegal and unwinnable war. IVAW says it has over 800 members in the U.S., on military bases overseas and in Canada.

IVAW is planning an educational event this week that should be accessible everywhere the Internet is uncensored.

From March 13-16 at the National Labor College just outside of Washington, D.C., veterans from across the States will be sharing their experiences and explaining why they oppose these wars. Their stories will be broadcast live via satellite and on the Internet. Go here for more details.

The event has been named Winter Soldier to honor a similar gathering in 1971 by veterans of the Vietnam War. “Winter soldiers,” according to Thomas Paine, are the people who stand up for the soul of their country, even in its darkest hours.

The four-day event promises to deliver more than the testimonies of American soldiers, as important as these are. The list of scheduled topics includes:

• Winter Soldier and the legacy of GI Resistance
• Rules of Engagement
• The Crisis in Veterans’ Heath Care
• Corporate Pillaging and Military Contractors
• Aims of the Global War on Terror: the Political, Legal, and Economic Context of Iraq and Afghanistan
• Divide To Conquer: Gender and Sexuality in the Military
• Racism and War: the Dehumanization of the Enemy
• Civilian Testimony: The Cost of War in Iraq and Afghanistan
• The Cost of the War at Home
• The Breakdown of the Military
• The Future of GI Resistance

For too long we have had to depend on government propaganda or an embedded and compromised news media for information on these conflicts. Winter Soldier promises to fill an important gap. Don’t miss it. And tell your friends.

Parliament is expected to vote, March 13, to extend Canadian military involvement in Afghanistan to the end of 2011. The result of the vote is a forgone conclusion. Even though most Canadians oppose the war, the Liberals will vote with the Tories at a time when you might expect them to demonstrate their legendary opportunism and tilt to the left for a while. (Never forget, the Liberals got us into this mess. Huffing and puffing aside, Liberal and Tory positions are almost identical.)

Peace Alliance Winnipeg is organizing two events:

• March 13: Rally at the corner of River Avenue and Osborne Street between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m.
• March 15: Rally at the corner of Water Avenue and Main Street from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Bring your own placard and dress warmly.

For information on national and international anti-war activities, and what you can do to help, consult the Canadian Peace Alliance web site.

We need to tell the Liberals and the Tories that they do not speak in our name. They have no mandate and no right to continue this war.

NOT IN OUR NAME!

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?