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Reproduced below, in accordance with the fair dealing provisions of the Copyright Act, is the debate, in the pages of today’s Globe and Mail, between Minister O’Connor and the defence sritics from the BQ, Liberals and NDP re: the question:
"WHEREAS the Government of Afghanistan has requested international assistance to protect its new administration and to ensure the country's peaceful transition to democracy,
BE IT RESOLVED that Canada should deploy Canadian Forces to Aghanistan in a NATO combat mission in furtherance of this objective."
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20060227.wxafghandebate0227/BNStory/Afghanistan/home
"WHEREAS the Government of Afghanistan has requested international assistance to protect its new administration and to ensure the country's peaceful transition to democracy,
BE IT RESOLVED that Canada should deploy Canadian Forces to Aghanistan in a NATO combat mission in furtherance of this objective."
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20060227.wxafghandebate0227/BNStory/Afghanistan/home
Should Canada lead the fight in Afghanistan?
They are not debating that question in Parliament. So we're debating it in The Globe and on globeandmail.com
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2006 POSTED AT 11:07 AM EST
FROM MONDAY'S GLOBE AND MAIL
On Tuesday, Canada takes control of the NATO-led troops battling insurgents in the Kandahar region of southern Afghanistan. It's a war mission, not traditional peacekeeping.
But Parliament has never debated the deployment and the new Conservative government said Sunday it opposes a vote on the issue in the Commons. Jeff Sallot reports Defence Minister won't support vote on troops in Afghanistan
So The Globe invited the four federal parties to debate the following resolution and to follow it up today by having the same key figures discuss the issue on-line with readers of globeandmail.com. Mr. O'Connor declined to take your questions. You can follow the discussion with the other three here.
The resolution:
WHEREAS the government of Afghanistan has requested international assistance to protect its new administration and to ensure the country's peaceful transition to democracy,
BE IT RESOLVED that Canada should deploy Canadian Forces to Afghanistan in a NATO combat mission in furtherance of this objective
We will stay the course in Afghanistan, says Defence Minister Gordon O'Connor
Since its original participation in Operation Enduring Freedom in 2001, Canada's overarching goal in Afghanistan has been to prevent the country from lapsing into the failed state that gave terrorists and terrorist organizations a safe haven for so many years. This mission is ongoing, and is evolving to meet the current security threats of southern Afghanistan.
In August of 2003, under Operation Athena in Kabul, Canadian Forces personnel began helping Afghanistan down the long road to peace, stability and democracy. This was followed, in August of last year, by a Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT), which was sent to Kandahar in southern Afghanistan. The PRT has helped lay the groundwork for the follow-on Canadian missions in the south with the goal of creating a stable society under Afghan governance.
As part of this PRT, members of the Canadian Forces are helping to reinforce the authority of the Afghan government in and around Kandahar. They are also conducting security patrols, supporting local governance institutions and facilitating reforms to the security sector.
Together with troops from other countries, the Canadian Forces are making a real impact in Afghanistan. All over the country, buildings are being rebuilt. Refugees are returning home. Marketplaces are bustling. And little girls once again attend schools.
There has also been substantial progress in governance. Afghans were able to choose their own leaders in free and fair presidential and parliamentary elections. And institutions such as the Afghan National Army and the Afghan National Police are assuming ever-increasing responsibilities. But challenges remain. Extremism remains a force and the drug trade remains a currency for many.
This means that our work is not done. We will continue to support Afghanistan by increasing our commitment to the UN-mandated operations in that country and by deploying in a leadership role to the southern region of Kandahar.
The Canadian Forces are currently in the midst of increasing their force level in Afghanistan to 2,300 troops. These additional troops will build on the work that the Canadian Provincial Reconstruction Team has been doing there.
Long-term success in Afghanistan requires a long-term commitment from Canada, NATO and the United Nations. We will stay the course in Afghanistan. It's important for the future of Afghanistan. It's important for the stability of the region. And it's important for international security.
Gordon O'Connor is Canada's Defence Minister.
The Liberals recognize that securing Kandahar comes first, says Ujjal Dosanjh
The Liberal Opposition fully supports the deployment of the Canadian Forces to southern Afghanistan. The previous Liberal government launched this multifaceted mission in direct response to the expressed needs of the democratically elected government of Afghanistan, as well as the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, in recognition of the global commitment to establish peace and security in the country. NATO will soon be responsible for all of the international military forces in Afghanistan.
Providing a stable future for Afghanistan is a critical mission: Continuing instability can be a breeding ground for international crime and terrorism. Our mission in Afghanistan also allows our Canadian Forces to act against the suffering and denial of human rights that exist under regimes such as the Taliban that represent an affront to universal Canadian values.
The Liberal Opposition supports a multifaceted mission in Afghanistan with a strong humanitarian component, an emphasis on building civil society and democratic institutions, and a commitment to reconstruction. That is why the Liberal government sent a Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT), comprised of military and civilian government officials, to Kandahar last summer. We believe that incorporating these components into the mission is vital to a successful future for Afghanistan. The reconstruction efforts of the Canadian Forces in Afghanistan are a reflection of Canadian values and are one of the great strengths of the Canadian Forces (as compared to many other military forces). The Liberal Opposition accepts that security in this region is a precondition for reconstruction to take place. That is why our government decided to send a combat-capable task force to Kandahar. We continue to view this as an essential part of the reconstruction effort.
The Canadian Forces have been operating in Afghanistan for more than four years. Their achievements, and their sacrifices, have been significant. Canadians are proud of the work of our military in Afghanistan, and do support this critical and often dangerous mission. We can be secure in the knowledge that contributing to the security and the rebuilding of this troubled country is in our national interest, in the interest of international peace and progress, and reflective of our values as a people.
Ujjal Dosanjh is Liberal defence critic.
The Bloc demands absolute respect for humanitarian law, says Claude Bachand
In October of 2001, when then-prime minister Jean Chrétien told Bloc Québécois Leader Gilles Duceppe that he was preparing to offer Canadian military assistance in toppling the Taliban, Mr. Duceppe assured him that the government had the support of the Bloc Québécois. The operation was legal because it had been approved by the United Nations, legitimate because the Taliban constituted a threat to peace, and humanly justifiable because the regime was terrorizing the Afghan people.
During the conflict, the Bloc Québécois was insistent on strict respect for international
humanitarian law. It condemned the use of fragmentation bombs, which do not distinguish between civilians and combatants, and sharply criticized the government when Canada handed prisoners over to the American military without making sure that their rights would be respected. In the end, the Bloc Québécois obtained a commitment from the government that it would respect international law.
The Canadian Forces did very good work. In Kabul, they were able to restore and maintain the semblance of order that the Afghan government needed to begin functioning. With the flight of the Taliban from Kabul, international intervention has become necessary in southern Afghanistan. The Afghan government needs help to control its territory, pacify the country and make possible a return to normal life. As in Kabul, the upcoming mission will be under the aegis of the UN and conducted jointly with NATO.
Certainly this is more hostile territory — the fiefdom of the Taliban and the warlords. But the 3-D approach, integrating defence, diplomacy and development assistance, seems well-suited to this kind of mission. A comprehensive and integrated approach will make it possible to achieve the mission's goals, including renewed security, delivery of humanitarian aid, the strengthening of institutions, and economic development.
For these reasons, we are supporting the extension of the Canadian Forces' mission. However, we hope that Parliament will be given an opportunity to vote on it. Given the size of the contingent being deployed, and the uncertainty surrounding how long the mission will last, this is a very important issue.
Lastly, the Bloc Québécois demands absolute respect for international humanitarian law: Civilians and prisoners must be protected. The fiasco in Somalia, where the situation was similar to the one facing the Canadian soldiers in southern Afghanistan, must not be allowed to happen again.
Claude Bachand is Bloc Québécois defence critic.
The NDP insists that Parliament debate this mission, says Dawn Black
This would be an excellent motion for the House of Commons to debate and vote on, were it not for the fact that the government has already agreed to the request, and our troops are already in Afghanistan.
In fact, Canada has been playing a role in this region for years without any motions being debated in the House of Commons. In February of 2002, the Liberal government launched Operation Apollo in Kandahar. It was on this mission that four Canadian soldiers were killed by friendly fire from a U.S. warplane. This mission ended in the summer of 2003.
Through last summer and fall, the Liberals quietly made commitments to the U.S. and Afghan governments for Canada to join a robust mission in Kandahar that included direct combat with the Taliban.
On Aug. 16 of last year, the Liberals announced that a Canadian officer was taking command of the multinational-force team in Kandahar. It wasn't until Oct. 4 that the Commons defence committee received its closed-door briefing from bureaucrats and military commanders about the new mission.
The call for a debate in the House of Commons is no empty gesture. It is required to answer a number of questions and to ensure that Canadian values are upheld abroad. Here are two examples.
First, Canada has developed a proud reputation opposing the use of anti-personnel land mines. But as UBC professor Michael Byers has pointed out, when Canadian soldiers have refused to plant land mines in Afghanistan on multinational-force ventures, the Americans have simply performed the task anyway. Is Canada complicit in undermining the global land-mine treaty to which it contributed so much energy less than a decade ago?
Second, although the Liberals claimed to be seeking assurances that prisoners captured by Canadian forces and handed over to the Americans or Afghans would not be tortured, no agreements have been forthcoming.
Canadians need assurances that we are following the rule of law and promoting Canadian values abroad. That we even need these assurances speaks volumes about how far Canada has strayed from its role of peacekeeping. This fundamental shift, above all, requires better and timely communication, public engagement, and a full debate in the public forum designed for just that purpose: the House of Commons.
In their platform, the Conservatives promised to "make Parliament responsible for exercising oversight over the conduct of Canadian foreign policy and the commitment of Canadian Forces to foreign operations." Now is the time to see that in action.
Dawn Black is NDP defence critic.
My god my fellow Canadian are full of themselves.
f Afghanistan, but people thinking that Canada is LEADING had better give their head a shake.
