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Link to original article on ruxted.ca
No Security Without Combat
The debate on Canada's role in Afghanistan rages on. Ruxted would be prepared to accept arguments that Canada needs to wind down its battle group between November 2009 and August 2010 in order to ensure forces are available for the February Olympics. So far, we have not heard that. Sadly, it still seems the debate revolves around fantastic misconceptions about the provision of security and the reality of the threat in Afghanistan.
"The military forces of Canada have a role to play after February 2009 — even though it's not combat, it will be for security," Dion told reporters Sunday the 13th of January 2008. Ruxted finds this position particularly worrisome as it suggests a continued naivety despite Mr. Dion's visit to Afghanistan. Even the classical peacekeeping, of which Canadians take as a source of pride, required Canadian troops to engage in combat in places such as Cyprus and Bosnia. Combat aversion is the sort of half-measure that was responsible for the atrocity of Rwanda.
Fortunately, Mr. Dion may be on to the right idea but it is not what he thinks. Three days after his first comment, Mr. Dion observed, "The war against terrorism is mainly a police matter." Here in Canada, people would not accept if police only arrested criminals that they caught in the act. There is an expectation that, in the provision of public security, the police will conduct investigations and go after the "evil doers." At the same time, police have tactical units capable of responding to the armed and aggressive threat. So, how do we provide security in Afghanistan without doing the same?
Here in Canada, organized crime does not make a business of hunting the police but in Afghanistan that is what the threat does. In Canada, organized crime does not attempt to seize political control (even local control of municipalities) by armed force but the threat in Afghanistan does. In Afghanistan, the armed and aggressive threat is insurgent militias. In this environment, the “typical police patrol car” might look like an infantry platoon and the emergency response team may resemble a combat team or special forces.
The combat mission is essential to the success of Afghanistan. In its absence, everything else is only a half measure.
No Security Without Combat
The debate on Canada's role in Afghanistan rages on. Ruxted would be prepared to accept arguments that Canada needs to wind down its battle group between November 2009 and August 2010 in order to ensure forces are available for the February Olympics. So far, we have not heard that. Sadly, it still seems the debate revolves around fantastic misconceptions about the provision of security and the reality of the threat in Afghanistan.
"The military forces of Canada have a role to play after February 2009 — even though it's not combat, it will be for security," Dion told reporters Sunday the 13th of January 2008. Ruxted finds this position particularly worrisome as it suggests a continued naivety despite Mr. Dion's visit to Afghanistan. Even the classical peacekeeping, of which Canadians take as a source of pride, required Canadian troops to engage in combat in places such as Cyprus and Bosnia. Combat aversion is the sort of half-measure that was responsible for the atrocity of Rwanda.
Fortunately, Mr. Dion may be on to the right idea but it is not what he thinks. Three days after his first comment, Mr. Dion observed, "The war against terrorism is mainly a police matter." Here in Canada, people would not accept if police only arrested criminals that they caught in the act. There is an expectation that, in the provision of public security, the police will conduct investigations and go after the "evil doers." At the same time, police have tactical units capable of responding to the armed and aggressive threat. So, how do we provide security in Afghanistan without doing the same?
Here in Canada, organized crime does not make a business of hunting the police but in Afghanistan that is what the threat does. In Canada, organized crime does not attempt to seize political control (even local control of municipalities) by armed force but the threat in Afghanistan does. In Afghanistan, the armed and aggressive threat is insurgent militias. In this environment, the “typical police patrol car” might look like an infantry platoon and the emergency response team may resemble a combat team or special forces.
The combat mission is essential to the success of Afghanistan. In its absence, everything else is only a half measure.