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War tour would aid morale analyst
Defence minister would be wasting time, McDonough says
Chris Lambie, Halifax Chronicle Herald, 3 Oct 06
http://thechronicleherald.ca/Metro/532035.html
Defence Minister Gordon O’Connor should go on a cross-Canada speaking tour to boost flagging support for the mission in Afghanistan, says a local military analyst.
A recent poll indicates a clear majority of Canadians consider the mission to be a lost cause. Fifty-nine per cent of more than 2,000 people polled by Decima Research agreed that Canadians are dying for a cause we cannot win.
"If the government simply gathers its tent around it and becomes silent, those numbers will increase," said Alex Morrison of Dalhousie University’s Centre for Foreign Policy Studies.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper has been promoting the mission quite heavily over the past month, even suggesting Canadian soldiers could remain in Afghanistan past 2009. Mr. Harper also made an impromptu appearance at a "Support the troops" rally in Ottawa last month, telling the massive audience that they owe their freedoms to soldiers just like the ones who are fighting terrorism in Afghanistan.
But that’s not enough, according to Mr. Morrison, a retired lieutenant-colonel.
"The military is feeling a bit lonely; I think it’s feeling a bit abandoned by the government," he said.
"Certainly over the past few months, government statements in support of the military have not been as strong and as frequent as they were up to about the beginning of the summer."
Mr. O’Connor could not be reached for comment.
"The government has got to continue to explain to the Canadian people why we are in Afghanistan," Mr. Morrison said. "And this can’t be done with a speech here and a speech there. It’s got to be done all the time."
Thirty-seven Canadian soldiers and one diplomat have died in Afghanistan since 2002.
Those deaths do play a role in public opinion, Mr. Morrison said.
"Canadians need to get used to the fact that our military is an instrument of last resort," he said. "In a democratic society, the military does what the government wants it to do, and unfortunately, that includes taking casualties."
It is "the duty and responsibility of Canadian government to make plain as many times as it can" why it has sent troops into the dangerous area, he said.
"We should continue to be in Afghanistan because the citizens there are being persecuted in a way no one should be persecuted," Mr. Morrison said. "Canada and other countries in the international community are doing their part to try to give the Afghan citizens an opportunity to decide what sort of life they want for themselves."
Scott Taylor, editor of Esprit de Corps magazine, doesn’t believe a tour by the defence minister would change public opinion on Afghanistan.
"I don’t think it’s going to work," Mr. Taylor said.
"(Conservatives) have been putting out their message as often as they can. The media has certainly given them an ample platform . . . and it’s still not convincing Canadians."
People are asking more questions than they did in past wars, he said.
"It’s not an easy sell any more," Mr. Taylor said. "It’s tough to tell them we’re in direct danger of this and make a plausible case."
Sending Mr. O’Connor across the country to justify the war in Afghanistan would be the "worst possible" response to decreased public support for the mission, said Halifax MP Alexa McDonough.
"The most superficial, morally bankrupt kind of response that one might fear from this government would be, ‘Well, we need to go out on a big hard sell mission here,’ " said Ms. McDonough, foreign affairs critic for the New Democratic Party.
Her party, which last month advocated a quick pullout from Afghanistan, is launching a series of roundtable discussions across the country on what should be done in the war-torn country.
"This government has shown no openness, no willingness to deal with it in any way except the most simplistic kind of jingoism and boosterism," Ms. McDonough said. "What they should have done remains something that Canadians want, which is an open, honest, frank, informed discussion about what’s going on, what the options are and what kind of role Canada could and should be playing in Afghanistan that would have much more promise of success."
( [email protected])
War tour would aid morale analyst
Defence minister would be wasting time, McDonough says
Chris Lambie, Halifax Chronicle Herald, 3 Oct 06
http://thechronicleherald.ca/Metro/532035.html
Defence Minister Gordon O’Connor should go on a cross-Canada speaking tour to boost flagging support for the mission in Afghanistan, says a local military analyst.
A recent poll indicates a clear majority of Canadians consider the mission to be a lost cause. Fifty-nine per cent of more than 2,000 people polled by Decima Research agreed that Canadians are dying for a cause we cannot win.
"If the government simply gathers its tent around it and becomes silent, those numbers will increase," said Alex Morrison of Dalhousie University’s Centre for Foreign Policy Studies.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper has been promoting the mission quite heavily over the past month, even suggesting Canadian soldiers could remain in Afghanistan past 2009. Mr. Harper also made an impromptu appearance at a "Support the troops" rally in Ottawa last month, telling the massive audience that they owe their freedoms to soldiers just like the ones who are fighting terrorism in Afghanistan.
But that’s not enough, according to Mr. Morrison, a retired lieutenant-colonel.
"The military is feeling a bit lonely; I think it’s feeling a bit abandoned by the government," he said.
"Certainly over the past few months, government statements in support of the military have not been as strong and as frequent as they were up to about the beginning of the summer."
Mr. O’Connor could not be reached for comment.
"The government has got to continue to explain to the Canadian people why we are in Afghanistan," Mr. Morrison said. "And this can’t be done with a speech here and a speech there. It’s got to be done all the time."
Thirty-seven Canadian soldiers and one diplomat have died in Afghanistan since 2002.
Those deaths do play a role in public opinion, Mr. Morrison said.
"Canadians need to get used to the fact that our military is an instrument of last resort," he said. "In a democratic society, the military does what the government wants it to do, and unfortunately, that includes taking casualties."
It is "the duty and responsibility of Canadian government to make plain as many times as it can" why it has sent troops into the dangerous area, he said.
"We should continue to be in Afghanistan because the citizens there are being persecuted in a way no one should be persecuted," Mr. Morrison said. "Canada and other countries in the international community are doing their part to try to give the Afghan citizens an opportunity to decide what sort of life they want for themselves."
Scott Taylor, editor of Esprit de Corps magazine, doesn’t believe a tour by the defence minister would change public opinion on Afghanistan.
"I don’t think it’s going to work," Mr. Taylor said.
"(Conservatives) have been putting out their message as often as they can. The media has certainly given them an ample platform . . . and it’s still not convincing Canadians."
People are asking more questions than they did in past wars, he said.
"It’s not an easy sell any more," Mr. Taylor said. "It’s tough to tell them we’re in direct danger of this and make a plausible case."
Sending Mr. O’Connor across the country to justify the war in Afghanistan would be the "worst possible" response to decreased public support for the mission, said Halifax MP Alexa McDonough.
"The most superficial, morally bankrupt kind of response that one might fear from this government would be, ‘Well, we need to go out on a big hard sell mission here,’ " said Ms. McDonough, foreign affairs critic for the New Democratic Party.
Her party, which last month advocated a quick pullout from Afghanistan, is launching a series of roundtable discussions across the country on what should be done in the war-torn country.
"This government has shown no openness, no willingness to deal with it in any way except the most simplistic kind of jingoism and boosterism," Ms. McDonough said. "What they should have done remains something that Canadians want, which is an open, honest, frank, informed discussion about what’s going on, what the options are and what kind of role Canada could and should be playing in Afghanistan that would have much more promise of success."
( [email protected])
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