05) AFGHANISTAN DISASTER NOT OVER

People's Voice Editorial

     Almost ten years after it began, Canada's disastrous entry into Afghanistan is far from over. While the official combat mission in Kandahar is winding up, Canada remains a prominent player in the NATO occupation of the country, with no end in sight. And despite all the media hype about the accomplishments of "our brave troops", Afghanistan remains under the thumb of violent warlords and their imperialist paymasters. Most ordinary Afghan citizens are no closer to freedom or equality than they were a decade ago at the end of the Taliban era. The civil war which has wracked the country for much longer shows no sign of conclusion, as the recent killing of the governor of Kandahar province indicates.

     For Canada, the human and financial costs of the Afghan disaster will keep piling up. We have lost count of the number of times when Canadian and other NATO generals have claimed that the "Taliban are on the back foot." The quickening pace of attacks against the Karzai regime's troops and police means that Canadian troops engaged in "training" these forces will continue to fight and to face grave dangers. Canadian casualties will mount beyond the 156 dead to date, and Afghans will keep being killed in huge numbers.

     Billions of dollars have also been wasted on this war, with little result. As reliable military analysts frequently note, many of the Karzai troops "trained" by NATO forces often simply switch sides with their weapons. In effect, Canadian taxpayers are financing the insurgent Taliban forces.

     For years, the majority of Canadians have expressed opposition to continuing this country's participation in the Afghanistan war. The "end of the combat mission" is no reason to change this view. On the contrary, it's time to tell Parliament to bring home the 1,000 troops still propping up the Karzai regime.

(The above article is from the August 1-31, 2011, issue of People's Voice, Canada's leading communist newspaper. Articles can be reprinted free if the source is credited. Subscription rates in Canada: $30/year, or $15 low income rate; for U.S. readers - $45 US per year; other overseas readers - $45 US or $50 CDN per year. Send to People's Voice, c/o PV Business Manager, 706 Clark Drive, Vancouver, BC, V5L 3J1.)