Denise Savoie

A LETTER TO CONSTITUENTS: On Canada's Role in Afghanistan

The question of what role Canada should play in Afghanistan has been a difficult one for me to resolve. It is a complex, multi-layered, and deeply important issue to all Canadians. I have received letters from hundreds of well-informed Canadians offering a range of perspectives and asking thoughtful questions. I would therefore like to elaborate on my own personal position.

I join the NDP in calling for the rebalancing and refocusing of the Canadian operation in Afghanistan, because the mission as it currently stands is misguided and cannot lead to sustainable peace. It lacks clear measures of success, and it contains no exit strategy. Given these conditions, I think we can best support our troops by removing them from this combat-oriented operation in Afghanistan’s southern region.

Increasingly, credible sources are stating publicly that we cannot defeat terrorism through military means alone. For example, Captain Leo Docherty, a former aide-de-camp to the commander of British forces in Helmand Province, recently said the NATO-led mission had been “grotesquely clumsy” and has “sucked [NATO] into a problem unsolvable by military means.” Even Gordon O'Connor, the Minister of National Defence, has admitted that: “we cannot eliminate the Taliban, not militarily anyway.”

In his recent meeting with the U.S. Council on Foreign Relations, Afghan President Karzai has said,” Bombings in Afghanistan are no solution to the Taliban. You do not destroy terrorism by bombing villages.” Malalai Joya, a member of Afghanistan’s Parliament, has urged Canada to adopt an alternative role in Afghanistan, one that is independent of US operations.

Canada initially entered Afghanistan as part of the UN-sanctioned International Stabilization Force (ISAF), which was created in 2001 to provide security to Afghanistan’s capital region of Kabul. Canada’s original role consisted of providing stability and security for the new government, assisting with reconstruction, and supporting humanitarian aid efforts.

Our mission has since changed dramatically – with virtually no public debate or consultation. Canadian soldiers now operate under NATO command, as part of a counterinsurgency campaign in the Kandahar region. For every ten dollars Canada spends on the Afghan mission, nine dollars go to military operations, and one dollar goes to aid.

This approach has allowed extremist groups to garner increasing support throughout Afghanistan. A growing body of evidence shows that the current basis of the Canadian mission to Afghanistan breeds more radicalism than it eliminates, and makes our world a far more dangerous place. As one Afghan commander in Kandahar told UK researchers at the Senlis Council, “The foreigners came here and said they would help the poor people and improve the economic situation, but they only spend money on their military operations. The poor people are poorer now than when the Taliban were the government….We would be fools to believe their lies.”

We also have much to learn by listening to the humanitarian actors in Afghanistan. As CARE Canada's president has asserted, “[the war in Afghanistan] is unwinnable if we keep concentrating on the military/technological side without undercutting the world view that motivates our enemies.”

What we can and should do is actively encourage a political peace process among the key players in the conflict - including Pakistan where the porous border has made the containment of extremist forces impossible. While some say it is unrealistic or undesirable to negotiate with the enemy, nearly all lasting resolutions to modern-day wars have come through negotiated peace settlements.

It is essential that we redefine the terms of our military mission to focus on reconstruction and renewal. This is not happening now; our current mission is devoid of both a comprehensive rebuilding plan and adequate development assistance. By working toward these goals, Canada would be pursuing an independent foreign policy – one that is more likely to contribute to genuine peace and democracy in Afghanistan.

Until our government is prepared to seriously re-examine the terms of the Canadian mission and answer some tough questions, I support the NDP’s demand to bring home the Canadians currently serving in southern Afghanistan. It is out of a deep respect for these individuals and their families that I oppose the unwarranted risk to their lives.

Sincerely,

Denise Savoie