Mighty Intellect
Posts: 1,782 
Location: in town
Location: in town
February 25th, 2008, 07:25 PM
Hello!! Everyone back to Canada... Parliament Hill!!
Afghan mission most important debate facing nation: MacKay
Liberals support revised Conservative motion on Afghanistan as debate begins in House of Commons on extension of Canada's military mission to 2011
He is playing on our emotions like on a fiddle!!!! He must have had a psychologist write his speech!!
And the Liberals are damned if they do, and damned if they don't!! They only have thoughts and concerns for their own best political survival of the moment in mind.
Dion disappoints me! But I understand they are caught between a rock and a hard place.
I think, we people should be asked:
a) start complete troop withdrawal immediately?
b) keep fighting until mandate runs out Feb. 2009?
c) or promise Afghan government we will help with reconstruction once war is over and a peace agreement with the Taliban has been signed... no sooner?!!
http://tinyurl.com/23xyp8
Hello!! Everyone back to Canada... Parliament Hill!!
Afghan mission most important debate facing nation: MacKay
Liberals support revised Conservative motion on Afghanistan as debate begins in House of Commons on extension of Canada's military mission to 2011
Quote:
Sending us Canadians on a guilt trip, IF we don't agree with what our Harper/Bush Government wants is sickening to me!!
History will judge Canada harshly if it abandons the people of Afghanistan and its international allies before the fragile country can stand on its own, Defence Minister Peter MacKay told the House of Commons Wednesday as he opened debate on a government motion to extend the military mission in Kandahar from 2009 to 2011.
“This is perhaps the most important debate facing our Parliament and our nation today,” Mr. MacKay said. “It has important broad implications for Canadians, Afghans and for the world.”
Mr. MacKay said Canada's efforts have won it the respect of the Afghan people, the international community and its allies, and to leave now would be an abandonment of all three. He warned that Afghanistan could again become a “breeding ground for terrorists” if the insurgency succeeded.
“This is perhaps the most important debate facing our Parliament and our nation today,” Mr. MacKay said. “It has important broad implications for Canadians, Afghans and for the world.”
Mr. MacKay said Canada's efforts have won it the respect of the Afghan people, the international community and its allies, and to leave now would be an abandonment of all three. He warned that Afghanistan could again become a “breeding ground for terrorists” if the insurgency succeeded.
Quote:
Sacrifice yourselves, Canadians, or big shame on you!!
“We can't assume that others are going to do the difficult work for us. If we truly believe in this difficult mission, it's not words that count,” he said.
He is playing on our emotions like on a fiddle!!!! He must have had a psychologist write his speech!!
And the Liberals are damned if they do, and damned if they don't!! They only have thoughts and concerns for their own best political survival of the moment in mind.
Dion disappoints me! But I understand they are caught between a rock and a hard place.
I think, we people should be asked:
a) start complete troop withdrawal immediately?
b) keep fighting until mandate runs out Feb. 2009?
c) or promise Afghan government we will help with reconstruction once war is over and a peace agreement with the Taliban has been signed... no sooner?!!
http://tinyurl.com/23xyp8
Newbie
Posts: 26
Location: Alberta
Location: Alberta
February 25th, 2008, 10:46 PM
The biggest development in the Afghanistan problem is not happening in Ottawa.
M K Bhadrakumar, writing in Asia Times Online suggests the Turkish offensive against the PKK signals a few Middle East developments.
1. The US has abandoned the Kurds as their main ally in Iraq. Now the US has learned that bribing the Sunni Iraqis works better than trying to fight them, the Peshmerga is no longer needed as their pointman.
2. Turkey has been picked as the tough guy acting as an ally to the US to keep control over northern Iraq and keep the pressure in the region on Iran and Syria.
3. In exchange for US granting Turkey permission to throw their weight around on their borders, they are pressuring Ankara to increase its 1000 strong contingent in Afghanistan. Expect the 1000 new fighting troops sent to satisfy the Harper government's insistence on more allied help to be Turks rather than the 700 French spoken of before. The desire has long been to deploy more Islamic troops in Afghanistan -- these will likely only be the first.
Okay guys -- let's see if the far seeing window I use to analyze Middle Eastern affairs is accurate. My post on Pakistan is partly right so far -- and as time goes on may turn out to be more prescient.
Chriskander.
The biggest development in the Afghanistan problem is not happening in Ottawa.
M K Bhadrakumar, writing in Asia Times Online suggests the Turkish offensive against the PKK signals a few Middle East developments.
1. The US has abandoned the Kurds as their main ally in Iraq. Now the US has learned that bribing the Sunni Iraqis works better than trying to fight them, the Peshmerga is no longer needed as their pointman.
2. Turkey has been picked as the tough guy acting as an ally to the US to keep control over northern Iraq and keep the pressure in the region on Iran and Syria.
3. In exchange for US granting Turkey permission to throw their weight around on their borders, they are pressuring Ankara to increase its 1000 strong contingent in Afghanistan. Expect the 1000 new fighting troops sent to satisfy the Harper government's insistence on more allied help to be Turks rather than the 700 French spoken of before. The desire has long been to deploy more Islamic troops in Afghanistan -- these will likely only be the first.
Okay guys -- let's see if the far seeing window I use to analyze Middle Eastern affairs is accurate. My post on Pakistan is partly right so far -- and as time goes on may turn out to be more prescient.
Chriskander.
Ponderous Intellect
Posts: 4,325
Location: Minnesota: Gopher State
Location: Minnesota: Gopher State
February 25th, 2008, 11:09 PM
http://tinyurl.com/34c6rj
Bush's alliance in Afghanistan is falling apart even faster than his occupational forces in Iraq.
http://tinyurl.com/34c6rj
Bush's alliance in Afghanistan is falling apart even faster than his occupational forces in Iraq.
Mighty Intellect
Posts: 1,782
Location: in town
Location: in town
March 6th, 2008, 09:58 PM
NATO foreign ministers approve new Afghan plan
OTTAWA — Foreign Affairs Minister Maxime Bernier emerged from a meeting with his NATO counterparts in Belgium on Thursday more confident that Canada will get the help it needs in southern Afghanistan.
He said in a phone interview from Brussels he walked other ministers through the Manley commission report, which recommended Canada extend its deployment in Kandahar to 2011, as long as alliance members sent 1,000 more troops to the south.
Mr. Bernier called it a “constructive dialogue.”
read whole story here: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servl...rnational/home
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It looks and sounds like there is enough interest and good will with NATO countries to help out the Canadians. I'm sure the Harper government counted on that. Our forces will stay another 3 years! As Hillier said, it will take decades to get the country stabilized.
Here is an article I very much would like you to read. It's sobering, focused and insightful.
http://www.zmag.org/55qaframe.htm
NATO foreign ministers approve new Afghan plan
OTTAWA — Foreign Affairs Minister Maxime Bernier emerged from a meeting with his NATO counterparts in Belgium on Thursday more confident that Canada will get the help it needs in southern Afghanistan.
He said in a phone interview from Brussels he walked other ministers through the Manley commission report, which recommended Canada extend its deployment in Kandahar to 2011, as long as alliance members sent 1,000 more troops to the south.
Mr. Bernier called it a “constructive dialogue.”
read whole story here: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servl...rnational/home
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It looks and sounds like there is enough interest and good will with NATO countries to help out the Canadians. I'm sure the Harper government counted on that. Our forces will stay another 3 years! As Hillier said, it will take decades to get the country stabilized.
Here is an article I very much would like you to read. It's sobering, focused and insightful.
http://www.zmag.org/55qaframe.htm
Newbie
Posts: 26
Location: Alberta
Location: Alberta
March 7th, 2008, 12:05 PM
I think the zmag article you posted was very thoughtful, Dancing Loon. The only section I found lacking was their take on the issue of oil pipeline routes – and it was lacking because the conflict over the Trans-Caspian, the Iran-India, and other pipelines had not developed enough to show it as geopolitical adventurism by the US at the time of writing. If the Europeans want to rely upon the Russians for the bulk of their oil and gas that’s their prerogative – Russia is, after all, a European country.
The root of the issue is whether US military and commercial expansion across the world, with nuclear missiles aimed at other nations, huge bases in neutral countries (eg Bondsteel), and nuclear armed aircraft carrier task forces off everyone’s coastal waters, is a good thing for humanity and social progress or not. While I would say there have been times when the US has been a positive influence in the world, the pendulum is swinging the other way – particularly under the Bush regime.
The whole matter will not be settled for some time yet, but meanwhile free people all over the world have to watch over their shoulders for Predator drones that might be aiming missiles at them and their families. That is not acceptable at all. The Bush regime and its backers have made a mockery of democracy – even now bribing and muscling the Pakistani generals to keep Musharraf ascendant over the new democratically elected leaders who want to change the country’s policies and heal damaging rifts at home.
The next US president will have to change the country’s direction before the world can look to the US again for social progress. The test will fall upon the US electorate if they wish to uphold and restore the USA’s honour or if they want to continue in the present path toward conflict and a constantly embattled imperialism.
I think the zmag article you posted was very thoughtful, Dancing Loon. The only section I found lacking was their take on the issue of oil pipeline routes – and it was lacking because the conflict over the Trans-Caspian, the Iran-India, and other pipelines had not developed enough to show it as geopolitical adventurism by the US at the time of writing. If the Europeans want to rely upon the Russians for the bulk of their oil and gas that’s their prerogative – Russia is, after all, a European country.
The root of the issue is whether US military and commercial expansion across the world, with nuclear missiles aimed at other nations, huge bases in neutral countries (eg Bondsteel), and nuclear armed aircraft carrier task forces off everyone’s coastal waters, is a good thing for humanity and social progress or not. While I would say there have been times when the US has been a positive influence in the world, the pendulum is swinging the other way – particularly under the Bush regime.
The whole matter will not be settled for some time yet, but meanwhile free people all over the world have to watch over their shoulders for Predator drones that might be aiming missiles at them and their families. That is not acceptable at all. The Bush regime and its backers have made a mockery of democracy – even now bribing and muscling the Pakistani generals to keep Musharraf ascendant over the new democratically elected leaders who want to change the country’s policies and heal damaging rifts at home.
The next US president will have to change the country’s direction before the world can look to the US again for social progress. The test will fall upon the US electorate if they wish to uphold and restore the USA’s honour or if they want to continue in the present path toward conflict and a constantly embattled imperialism.
Steven Hawking's Tutor
Posts: 4,891
Location: Saint John, N.B.
Location: Saint John, N.B.
March 7th, 2008, 12:42 PM
Chriskander said:
One place where Predator drones have been used that can be remotely called free.
Much less one free person attacked by a Predator drone.
Just one.
Chriskander said:
Quote:
Name ONE.
but meanwhile free people all over the world have to watch over their shoulders for Predator drones that might be aiming missiles at them and their families
One place where Predator drones have been used that can be remotely called free.
Much less one free person attacked by a Predator drone.
Just one.
Mighty Intellect
Posts: 1,782
Location: in town
Location: in town
March 9th, 2008, 12:56 PM
Anyway, I'm sure you remember the country, the US claimed they were only destroying terrorists. Same old excuse that fits anywhere and any time!
Quoting Colpy
Colpy, just look what the US is doing in that African country, where we have a thread going... grrrr, I can't get the name of it right now... is old age creeping up on me already???
Chriskander said:
Name ONE.
One place where Predator drones have been used that can be remotely called free.
Much less one free person attacked by a Predator drone.
Just one.
Name ONE.
One place where Predator drones have been used that can be remotely called free.
Much less one free person attacked by a Predator drone.
Just one.
Anyway, I'm sure you remember the country, the US claimed they were only destroying terrorists. Same old excuse that fits anywhere and any time!
Steven Hawking's Tutor
Posts: 4,891
Location: Saint John, N.B.
Location: Saint John, N.B.
March 9th, 2008, 01:10 PM
Quoting dancing-loon
Somalia
Colpy, just look what the US is doing in that African country, where we have a thread going... grrrr, I can't get the name of it right now... is old age creeping up on me already???
Anyway, I'm sure you remember the country, the US claimed they were only destroying terrorists. Same old excuse that fits anywhere and any time!
Anyway, I'm sure you remember the country, the US claimed they were only destroying terrorists. Same old excuse that fits anywhere and any time!
Newbie
Posts: 26
Location: Alberta
Location: Alberta
March 9th, 2008, 02:08 PM
Chris
Quoting Colpy
That's very revealing, Colpy. Just what is your definition of free? It would appear to be connected with agreeing with your version of politics and religious truth. It's been quite clear for many years that the right wing wants dictatorial powers over every other independent nation on Earth -- thanks for confirming that.
Chriskander said:
Name ONE.
One place where Predator drones have been used that can be remotely called free.
Much less one free person attacked by a Predator drone.
Just one.
Name ONE.
One place where Predator drones have been used that can be remotely called free.
Much less one free person attacked by a Predator drone.
Just one.
Chris
