Monday, April 05, 2010

Our Afghan Ally

“If you and the international community pressure me more [to clean up corruption], I swear that I am going to join the Taliban,” [Afghan President Hamid] Karzai said, according to the Parliament member.

2011 and out, baby! Canada is gone! Like a dot on the far horizon!!!

14 comments:

Ti-Guy said...

Just when you think this conflict can't get any more mystifying.

A mistake from day one.

Canada should get out sooner. Like right now. A lot of terrible things can happen in a year.

ridenrain said...

So Chretien made a mistake when he sent in our troops?

Ti-Guy said...

Not as big as the mistake your mother made by not aborting you.

ridenrain said...

..Another round of that strong red kool-aid for my friend here.

Ti-Guy said...

*yawn*

If you saw first comment as an opportunity for a partisan shot, you're not only drinking the Koolaid, you're embalmed with it.

I can't think of anything dumber than Conservatives looking to take a shot at Liberals for actions they approved of.

Ti-Guy said...

Off-topic: I think I just found a new candidate for the "Men who Look like Old Lesbians" web site.

bigcitylib said...

Bad, Tiguy Bad! I'll never get my Senate appointment now.

ridenrain said...

It wasn't a political cheap shot. I just wanted to see of anyone here would drop their party screens for a second.

I've been very clear that I approved of the mission from day 1.
It was the right move for Canada back in 02 and it's still the right move. I don't like leaving in 2011 but it was finally put to a vote and the people decided.
I'm sure that Karzai quote is out of context but the media is pushing to make this another Vietnam, regardless of what it takes.

The Mound of Sound said...

Why would anyone assume the Karzai quote, if accurate, would have to be taken out of context? Karzai was, is and always will be an Afghan warlord. Treachery and betrayal are their stock in trade. Switching sides at opportune moments is second nature. That explains why Karzai has been negotiating with Hekmatyar and vice versa. Who is a more rotten, vicious swine than Gulbuddin Hekmatyar and yet Karzai senses the need to try to bring him onside.

Ridenrain, Canada has been fed a load of horsecrap about Afghanistan and the criminal enterprise that passes as its government.

Ti-Guy is right. Out now. The only people who can support this mission in today's circumstances are those who choose to remain ignorant of today's circumstances.

ridenrain said...

I disagree.
I do not believe the government of Afghanistan is as bad as that. In any case, it's still better than a murderous and fanatic religious order.
The government of Afghanistan was branded corrupt before, during and after the election and with the polar opposite factors of allied support, civilian casualties and the inevitable bad world press, I can see them getting frustrated.

In any case, was this a mistake from day-1 or did it suddenly become a problem just 4 years ago?

Southern Quebec said...

Any moment now RIDENRAIN will invoke the spirits of the 141 dead Cdn soldiers. What did they die for?

I think it is time for this little "adventure" to end. Karzai is a corrupt little despot and we are his enablers.

Ti-Guy said...

I just wanted to see of anyone here would drop their party screens for a second.

It's unfortunate you can't have a conversation like normal people do.

In any case, was this a mistake from day-1 or did it suddenly become a problem just 4 years ago?

I'll contradict myself and say just four years ago. When HarperHitler came to power.

There. Happy now, troll?

Tof KW said...

ridenrain said...
It wasn't a political cheap shot. I just wanted to see of anyone here would drop their party screens for a second.

I spit up my coffee when I read that. I could believe that if you weren't such a partisan hack.

For the record, I was a strong supporter of this mission when it first began. That soured when the US invaded Iraq, and I realised quickly the Libs were stepping up our involvement in Afghanistan as conciliation for not joining Bush Jr's coalition of the stupid.

By 2006 there was little doubt the Afghan mission had mutated into nothing more than an occupation. Our objective of finding bin Laden and crushing Al Qaeda, became a war against the southernmost indigenous Pashtun tribes. Taliban were not automatically Al Qaeda, but it made little difference to NATO - not we're out to try to fight a homegrown religious/nationalist movement.

The sooner we get out of this Hellhole the better. Let the US clean up the mess they've created since 1979 (the Carter administration helped instigate the USSR's invasion, hoping it would become their Vietnam). This is not Canada's responsibility, and I resent our hand in helping a corrupt regime maintain power - to the tune of 141 dead, hundreds more badly injured, and God knows how many billions of dollars wasted for nothing.

Ti-Guy said...

For the record, I was a strong supporter of this mission when it first began.

The only thing I agreed with was the principle that state support for international terrorism could not be tolerated by the international community. But then I started thinking about all the American foreign destabilisation campaigns throughout the decades which led directly to the 9/11 attack and realised this was just not Canada's fight.

I wish it were nice to be right all the time, but it isn't. It's hell.