False Security

Canada's involvement in Afghanistan is not about "supporting the troops", nor is it about "making Canada safe".

Sadly, the more that we learn about the situation that has emerged in Afghanistan, it becomes increasingly clear that Canadian troops have been put in the midst of what would be called a civil war in any other situation. Between "Taliban", "al Quaeda" and assorted warlords, it's pretty clear that Canada has been roped into taking sides in a civil war - in this case, it's the "anybody but" side - primarily focused on both the Taliban and al Quaeda as the two most undesirable options.

Unlike Iraq, Canada has a moral obligation to help bring that country to some degree of order. We were a part of the coalition that went into Afghanistan in 2001, and as such are morally bound to be a part of the cleanup. As the situations in both Afghanistan and Iraq so clearly demonstrate, bringing about what we would understand to be a "civil society" in that part of the world is no small task. That society has remained stubbornly in the quasi-feudal era for the last millenium or so. (This isn't a bad thing, necessarily, merely a recognition of the social context which the region seems to be embedded in)

Having said that, there remains significant reasons to question why Canada has taken sides in what appears to be a civil war. As much as I think the Taliban regime in Afghanistan was run by a bunch of knuckle-dragging reprobates, I also have to ask myself whether Canada has any right to "take sides" in what appears to be a recycling of the ongoing tribal and regional disputes that have been part of politics in the Middle East for decades.

Saws that are dragged out about "supporting the troops" are little more than thinly disguised guilt trips. Trust me, conservatives won't be able to sell me one either - I've had to fend off someone who is far more masterful at guilt trips sales than they ever will be. It's not about "courage", nor is it a matter of "supporting the troops". Canada has to ask itself just what its obligations are on the world stage, and whether it is appropriate for us to take sides in a civil war. I can morally support the work of our troops, while still questioning the orders that are given to them by their political masters.

In practical terms, we have to ask ourselves if our presence in Afghanistan is legitimate, and actually contributing to Canada's security - either directly by removing a threat, or indirectly by being a stabilizing influence in the world stage? To be honest, I'm not so sure that we are accomplishing either in Afghanistan.