My friends in the Forces have been saying for some time that the mission is "problematic" at best. This story from the Post, a brief passage below, supports that concern:
The fighting displaced families. Local farmers who remained complained that they lacked water for their crops. Closer to the provincial capital, factories were closing thanks to a scarcity of electrical power. But there was a sense of optimism. The Canadians were promising change.
Last year, one could feel a shift. Most of the fighting had stopped, the Taliban having turned almost exclusively to so-called asymmetrical tactics such as suicide attacks and remote bombings. Crime was on the rise. Kidnappings for ransom were all too frequent and police were said to be complicit in them.
Businessmen who had arrived from exile in America with hard- earned cash expressed fear and dismay. The Taliban carried out gruesome assaults on schoolgirls.
This year, girls don't attend schools. The same businessmen and their families with whom I spoke have left, for Kabul, for Dubai, for the West. The lights are still out. And now, elected officials have no place to meet and do their work.
Story here: http://www.nationalpost.com/news/canada/story.html?id=1737628
2 comments:
It's spelled, Afghanisnam.
Troubling indeed. Originally I supported the mission but I now have grave doubts. Still, I worry about the Afghan people and what will happen to them if we pull out?
Post a Comment