It's Getting Worse, And Harper Knows It

We know the Chretien Liberals began the Afghanistan mission and we know why. The Martin Liberals, with the support of the opposition, kept that going. However "the mission" found its natural father in the arms of Stephen Harper and, it seems, he can't get enough of it. Harpo loves the mission so much that he's already talking about staying past February, 2009 and making dire pronouncements of what might befall Afghanistan, its people and our friend, Hamid Karzai if we leave. The Harpies even have the Bush lexicon down pat, stuff like "cut and run" and "stay the course."

When Harpo speaks of Afghanisnam, he's careful to be upbeat. He knows the Canadian people aren't happy with the war and the casualties our soldiers have been taking. So he has to talk about saving the Karzai government and driving the Taliban out of southern Afghanistan and all the success we're having.

If he believes that upbeat pitch it's only because he's convinced himself. The Globe & Mail has used the Freedom of Information Act to pry a copy of the PMO's true assessment of the situation over there and it's markedly at odds with Harpo's swill:

"The Taliban resurgence has been dramatic," stated a document dated Nov. 9, 2006.

It describes how the faltering insurgency was given a huge boost by support from sources in Pakistan, the Gulf states and "Jihadi-minded groups and individuals."

"The unpredicted success that suicide bombers and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) had in southern Afghanistan last winter further reinforced the spiralling growth of financial assistance, recruitment, training, equipping and morale improvement" of the Taliban, it said, noting that insurgent spirits were particularly raised with the high-profile shooting down of several helicopters.

"Because of expanding poppy cultivation and the growing insurgency, the analysis noted, the deterioration of security had effectively created "two Afghanistans" with the North and West advancing while the South and East remain "fractious and relatively stagnant."

"As for Mr. Karzai, the PCO analysis noted that his leadership is "continuously challenged and eroded by the many problems facing Afghanistan and the complex relationships over which he has no control. Consequently, Karzai's support may be weakening to a new low."

"It adds that Mr. Karzai faces "questions of legitimacy for his governance team - both in Kabul and out in the provinces.'"

Two remarkable aspects of this assessment. The first is that it almost precisely parallels every other objective assessment coming out of Afghanistan. The second is that it is so directly at odds with the spin and propaganda we get fed to us by the Harpies, an act of sheer contempt for the Canadian people.