During the leadership campaign each of the four frontrunners offered a slightly different take on 'the mission' in Afghanistan.
Now that the leadership is resolved, the Dion Liberals need to formulate a clear policy on Afghanistan and quickly. If they don't, they may find themselves overtaken by events.
There are two issues looming. Bloc leader Gilles Duceppe is reported to be threatening to bring a non-confidence motion to topple the Harper government if the mandate of the Canadian mission isn't changed. Duceppe wants more progress on reconstruction and more load sharing from other NATO countries. He said that, without fundamental change, Canada faces the prospect of a results-free waste of life.
Stephane Dion says he'll wait to see the Bloc motion before making a decision on whether to support it. However he treats the motion, Dion urgently needs to formulate a clear, coherent policy on Afghanistan.
The motion is but one issue. Of potentially far greater significance is the looming spring offensive by the Taliban and other groups that have joined the insurgency. There can be no excuse, given the many warnings that have emerged in recent weeks, if we allow our force to be mauled in this offensive.
Supporting our soldiers means more than putting magnetic stickers on the back of your pickup. It also means ensuring that they're not exposed to unacceptable risks for unattainable goals.
3 comments:
One only needs to read the headline in your post to agree.
However, we get there is so very important but you sum it all up quite nicely in the headline.
Your posting made a lot of sense until I reached the line about supporting the troops meaning more than having a bumper sticker on your pickup. At that point I knew you were unable to control your huge Liberal ego and wit. It is clear you don't give a crap about the troops and that you are a condescending fool.
I think anonymous is a little sensitive and should appreciate a writer's way of engaging his readers. I will read on.
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