Here's a story so daft I had to check the calendar to make sure it's not April 1st.
Seems there's a plan afoot to festoon the country with decommissioned LAV III armoured vehicles left over from our mission to bring democracy and stability to Afghanistan. These will serve to honour the sacrifices made by our brave men and women in uniform etc. If matters unfold as hoped, there will be 250 such monuments scattered across the nation.
Derelict war wagons parked randomly in towns and cities across Canada won't honour anyone. They glorify what was an ill-conceived and poorly executed campaign from beginning to end. No serious person imagines that Afghanistan is in any way a better place due to our efforts.
In an irony that speaks volumes about Canada's delusions of sovereignty, the plan to gloss over our failure in Afghanistan is temporarily on hold awaiting approval from Washington.
Showing posts with label Canada in Afghanistan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Canada in Afghanistan. Show all posts
Saturday, April 25, 2015
Friday, March 7, 2014
As Canadians cut and run from Afghanistan, top General admits Taliban still have "some influence"
When you read this, you realize that Maj-Gen Dean Milner is the kinda guy who is going places.
Nosiree, the Afghan adventure has not been an abject failure!
Nosiree, the Afghan adventure has been well worth every one of those 158 Canadian dead.
Just look at all those Afghan schoolgirls going to school!
The Major General's ruminations are beyond pathetic. The last time Afghan schoolgirls went to school in significant numbers was in the bad old days when Afghanistan was aligned with the Soviet Union.
That's when Afghan women were university professors and lawyers and cabinet ministers.
But we fixed that good.
It was the US who brought the neanderthal Talib fundamentalists to prominence.
Milner's comments need to be read against a background of previous proclamations from Canada's do-gooders.
It was General Hillier who got himself way offside with his uncouth remarks about killing those Taliban scumbags. To hear him talk, you'd think he and his ubermensch crew were gonna have those Talibs sorted out within weeks.
That was followed by numerous proclamations from Big Steve himself about how Canada does not cut and run etc.
All the while, the complacent Canadian media played a patriotic background role, cheering on the cheerleaders and celebrating kites and bicycle paths in Kabul.
Which brings us to the present moment.
The Major General in charge of Canada's retreat claims we have won a great victory.
But he acknowledges that the Taliban, Hillier's "murderers and scumbags," still have some influence.
Sorry Mr. Milner.
It's not that they have "some influence."
They won the war.
You lost.
Nosiree, the Afghan adventure has not been an abject failure!
Nosiree, the Afghan adventure has been well worth every one of those 158 Canadian dead.
Just look at all those Afghan schoolgirls going to school!
The Major General's ruminations are beyond pathetic. The last time Afghan schoolgirls went to school in significant numbers was in the bad old days when Afghanistan was aligned with the Soviet Union.
That's when Afghan women were university professors and lawyers and cabinet ministers.
But we fixed that good.
It was the US who brought the neanderthal Talib fundamentalists to prominence.
Milner's comments need to be read against a background of previous proclamations from Canada's do-gooders.
It was General Hillier who got himself way offside with his uncouth remarks about killing those Taliban scumbags. To hear him talk, you'd think he and his ubermensch crew were gonna have those Talibs sorted out within weeks.
That was followed by numerous proclamations from Big Steve himself about how Canada does not cut and run etc.
All the while, the complacent Canadian media played a patriotic background role, cheering on the cheerleaders and celebrating kites and bicycle paths in Kabul.
Which brings us to the present moment.
The Major General in charge of Canada's retreat claims we have won a great victory.
But he acknowledges that the Taliban, Hillier's "murderers and scumbags," still have some influence.
Sorry Mr. Milner.
It's not that they have "some influence."
They won the war.
You lost.
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Doing half right by Major Darryl Watts
As has been mentioned here before, the Canadian Forces have been embarrassing themselves with the prosecution of Major Watts.
Watts had the misfortune of being in charge of a training session that went horribly wrong. He became the fall guy for a breakdown in training protocol and was charged with causing the death of a fellow Canadian soldier.
In a verdict announced today Major Watts was cleared of the most onerous charge against him, but will still be sentenced on some lesser charges. Hopefully goodwill and common sense will prevail at the sentencing.
Congratulations and good luck, Major Watts.
Watts had the misfortune of being in charge of a training session that went horribly wrong. He became the fall guy for a breakdown in training protocol and was charged with causing the death of a fellow Canadian soldier.
In a verdict announced today Major Watts was cleared of the most onerous charge against him, but will still be sentenced on some lesser charges. Hopefully goodwill and common sense will prevail at the sentencing.
Congratulations and good luck, Major Watts.
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Peter "Pinocchio" MacKay accidentally speaks truth on Afghan visit
Canada's high-flying ever-lying Minister of Defense actually spoke a truth while on his visit to perk up the spirits of Canadian troops.. er, make that "trainers" over there today.
Commenting on the fact that by the end of this year, 99% of Afghanistan's security will be in the hands of the Afghan police and defense forces, he added "and for the first time in a long time the Afghan people have some hope for the future."
True enough, but that's got nothing to do with those police and soldiers we've been training.
It's got everything to do with the fact that the ISAF/NATO/USA occupiers are packing their bags and leaving.
Commenting on the fact that by the end of this year, 99% of Afghanistan's security will be in the hands of the Afghan police and defense forces, he added "and for the first time in a long time the Afghan people have some hope for the future."
True enough, but that's got nothing to do with those police and soldiers we've been training.
It's got everything to do with the fact that the ISAF/NATO/USA occupiers are packing their bags and leaving.
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Gov't of Canada determines that two legs and a testicle are worth $260,000
Doesn't it just amaze you how quickly our leadership class can go from singing the praises of our troops to nickel-and-diming them half to death when they get home?
Here's a story about a Canadian Afghan War vet who suffered grievous injuries while doing his patriotic duty for his country.
The same crew of bureaucrats who never tire of gloating of the achievements of "their" military don't mind playing hardball when those men and women are injured and need our support.
It's enough to make you sick.
Here's a story about a Canadian Afghan War vet who suffered grievous injuries while doing his patriotic duty for his country.
The same crew of bureaucrats who never tire of gloating of the achievements of "their" military don't mind playing hardball when those men and women are injured and need our support.
It's enough to make you sick.
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Canada in Kandahar, not punching above their weight after all
Brian Stewart has what amounts to an extended book review at the CBC site today. Stewart is a recently retired journalist.
The three books he references apparently all have less than flattering portrayals of Canada's efforts in Afghanistan. Not only did the Canadians fail to bring much weight to the game in the first place, they certainly didn't punch above it. Stewart now claims this assessment rings true.
From General Rick Hillier's ill-advised opening salvo about "killing scumbags" the Canadian mission in Afghanistan was doomed by overreach and hubris from the very beginning. Stewart lays the blame for this at the feet of both the civilian and military leadership.
I'd like to implicate another culpable party; the media.
When Hillier and Peter MacKay were busy running off at the mouth and making asinine statements about Canada's enviable reputation for "punching above our weight" the media were uncritical cheerleaders.
Editorials in the major papers regularly trotted out this nonsense, and continue to do so.
After 158 Canadian deaths, many more grievously maimed, billions of dollars pissed away, it's time we started hearing the truth.
The three books he references apparently all have less than flattering portrayals of Canada's efforts in Afghanistan. Not only did the Canadians fail to bring much weight to the game in the first place, they certainly didn't punch above it. Stewart now claims this assessment rings true.
From General Rick Hillier's ill-advised opening salvo about "killing scumbags" the Canadian mission in Afghanistan was doomed by overreach and hubris from the very beginning. Stewart lays the blame for this at the feet of both the civilian and military leadership.
I'd like to implicate another culpable party; the media.
When Hillier and Peter MacKay were busy running off at the mouth and making asinine statements about Canada's enviable reputation for "punching above our weight" the media were uncritical cheerleaders.
Editorials in the major papers regularly trotted out this nonsense, and continue to do so.
After 158 Canadian deaths, many more grievously maimed, billions of dollars pissed away, it's time we started hearing the truth.
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Exploiting the ultimate sacrifice
Trevor Greene now believes he understands what it means to make the ultimate sacrifice to allow loved ones back home to live in a democracy.
His insights on the matter have come at a considerable cost. Greene, a former Captain in the Canadian Forces, was grievously injured while serving in Afghanistan in 2006. His reflections about what he almost died for appear in today's Toronto Star.
It is one of two stories about our heroes making the ultimate sacrifice that appear in the Star this Mother's Day. The other is a front page feature about Trooper Marc Diab, poet and musician, who died in Afghanistan in 2009. His story has been made into a documentary, If I should fall.
The Star reminds us several times that our fallen are making the ultimate sacrifice to preserve our freedom. These stories fall into a grand narrative in which every scared kid who steps on an IED is instantly a hero, we are unquestionably the "good guys", the people we are liberating from themselves are "the evildoers" and so on.
In every case our fallen are in Afghanistan to preserve our freedom and our democracy.
In truth, the Afghan people are the worse for our meddling, our soldiers have died and been maimed for nothing, and the entire exercise has cost billions while undermining the very freedom and democracy we are supposedly defending.
Responsible media should tell the truth instead of spreading propaganda.
Monday, February 20, 2012
US taxpayers on hook for $250 million to finish Canadian legacy project in Afghanistan
Remember the Dahla Dam?
It was to be Canada's signature project in Afghanistan. It was trotted out regularly as an example of Canada's humanitarian assistance to the people of Afghanistan.
Well, turns out the "we-don't-cut-and-run" Canucks left the job in disarray when they cut and ran.
Don't know what they spent their tens of millions on, but apparently not much happened in the way of dam rehabilitation. Knowing the Canadian way, it's likely that ten years didn't really provide enough of a time window to do much besides planning, setting out parameters and protocols, and funneling money to various Karzai-related intermediaries.
That, and write a few feel-good news stories about it.
Now that the planning is done and Canadians are long gone, the US Army Corp of Engineers are looking for a few good contract proposals for finishing the job.
It's all there on the fbo.gov website, solicitation number W5J9LE-12-SS-0003.
The Corp estimates that the job will cost in the range of $100 to $250 million to complete.
In case your thinking about submitting a proposal, be aware that there's a timeline for completion. The US Army wants the job done by December 2014.
That's America's cut-and-run date and they want to have the project wrapped up in time to turn it over to the Taliban.
It was to be Canada's signature project in Afghanistan. It was trotted out regularly as an example of Canada's humanitarian assistance to the people of Afghanistan.
Well, turns out the "we-don't-cut-and-run" Canucks left the job in disarray when they cut and ran.
Don't know what they spent their tens of millions on, but apparently not much happened in the way of dam rehabilitation. Knowing the Canadian way, it's likely that ten years didn't really provide enough of a time window to do much besides planning, setting out parameters and protocols, and funneling money to various Karzai-related intermediaries.
That, and write a few feel-good news stories about it.
Now that the planning is done and Canadians are long gone, the US Army Corp of Engineers are looking for a few good contract proposals for finishing the job.
It's all there on the fbo.gov website, solicitation number W5J9LE-12-SS-0003.
The Corp estimates that the job will cost in the range of $100 to $250 million to complete.
In case your thinking about submitting a proposal, be aware that there's a timeline for completion. The US Army wants the job done by December 2014.
That's America's cut-and-run date and they want to have the project wrapped up in time to turn it over to the Taliban.
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