Harper not ready to "cut and run" in Afghanistan

[CBC News]

Prime Minister Stephen Harper has set the benchmark for what might be called winning conditions on a vote to extend Canada's military mission in Afghanistan.
Harper said Sunday there'll be no vote in Parliament any time soon unless he can find enough support to ensure his wish to "finish the job."
He said that job entails getting Afghan military and police forces to the point where they can provide security for their own country.
Harper announced in June that the current military mission, which is set to expire in February 2009, would only continue if his minority Conservative government could get a consensus in Parliament.
With the Bloc Québécois, NDP and Liberals all lined up against an extension, many pundits argued Harper was throwing in the towel after publicly declaring that Canada would never "cut and run."
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What do you think is the right thing to do about the Afghan mission?




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[Cobalt_Kid]

He's taking a simplistic approach to a very complicated situation and needs to find concensus in Parliment instead of dictating terms to the other parties the way he's been trying to do.

Canada has shouldered a great deal of the military end of the NATO mission while other countries forces sit in relative safety in the North. We've more than met our commitments in Afghanistan and if Harper isn't willing to have an open and honest debate on the issue he and his party will pay the price come the next election. Canadian soldiers are dying for a cause there's still no evidence is sustainable, we need the input of all parties in Parliment.

Harper should stop acting like he holds a majority or he'll soon find out just how weak his mandate really is.

 

[Avro]

Prime Minister Stephen Harper has set the benchmark for what might be called winning conditions on a vote to extend Canada's military mission in Afghanistan.
Harper said Sunday there'll be no vote in Parliament any time soon unless he can find enough support to ensure his wish to "finish the job."
He said that job entails getting Afghan military and police forces to the point where they can provide security for their own country.
Harper announced in June that the current military mission, which is set to expire in February 2009, would only continue if his minority Conservative government could get a consensus in Parliament.
With the Bloc Québécois, NDP and Liberals all lined up against an extension, many pundits argued Harper was throwing in the towel after publicly declaring that Canada would never "cut and run."
Full story
What do you think is the right thing to do about the Afghan mission?




More...

The right thing would have been to do nothing but it's to late for that. I'm afraid our only choice is to see things through even though it may take decades to finish.

 

[Cobalt_Kid]

The right thing would have been to do nothing but it's to late for that. I'm afraid our only choice is to see things through even though it may take decades to finish.

Finish what, I have yet to see any real achievable objectives in Afghanistan. Defeating the Taliban isn't realistic, the US bombed the crap out of them in 2002 and they still came back. They have an almost unlimited supply of new recruits from Pushtun dominated areas in the south of Afghanistan and Pakistan, and a safe haven in that country. Musharraf has his hands full dealing with Islamic extremists in his own country, he's not going to shut the border down to stop insurgents.

If we have no clear mission in Afghanistan we should get out, this isn't a Peacekeeping mission and NATO lacks the forces to succeed militarily there because of the moronic decision by Bush to invade Iraq. Remember the "Mission Accomplished" declaration back in 2003, we're supporting a US leader that doesn't have the slightest clue what's going on.

 

[Nuggler]

Cut n Run..............Naw..............no way

CUT N RUN like it makes a goddammm bit of difference to "Steve" Neither "Steve" nor his offspring are dodgin bullets.

Cut n Run...........Who else said that.................oh.....................George Said That

Ok, how about we just leave, close the door, and throw them back the goddam key. Taliban will be back in a heartbeat, just like they will if we leave in 2009 or 2209; EXCEPT some decent Canadian kids might get the chance to come home, marry, have kids, raise a family, or see their existing family again. Why have any more Canadians die in that rock strewn cesspool?? T'aint werth it. We ain't fightin Hitler. We is killin TRIBES, who have killed one another for the last millenium.

Give that slippery little neoKKKon Steve a rifle and send him over. Guaranteed, we'd be outa there before he had a chance to change his underwear.

Did I mention I don't really care for "Steve"??

Suggest you don't vote for him. But, if you wanna, hey, knock yerself out.

N'Ugg.(SEND STEVE!!!!!!!!!

 

[Tonington]

Cut n run has to be one of the stupidest tricks he could pull out of the bag. I know what pops into my head when I hear that term, and I don't think this is a person that Harper should try to emulate, most especially if he wants to win votes. Cut n run was rolled out as support for an unpopular war, and it didn't work for him, it will not work for Harper. It makes a good sound byte maybe, but it's unoriginal, tried and failed.

 

[earth_as_one]

Just like God Bless Canada?

Canada made a commitment to be in Afghanistan up to a specific point in time. Staying there until then is called keeping your word. Leaving after that date isn't cutting and running. Its also called keeping your word.