As the Israel-Lebanon conflict dominates the media, Canadian forces continue to take casualties in Afghanistan while our government continues to provide unstinting support to American imperial designs. Can somebody please tell me why we are still in Afghanistan? Did the Taliban attack us? Were they trying to impose their beliefs on us? The simple answer is – No.
If the roles were reversed and the Afghani army was here trying to occupy Canada under the pretext of “peace-keeping” (a Canadian legacy that now all but finished under the Harper government), I would expect no less than all Canadians rising up in arms to defend our land, our dignity, and our freedom.
Whatever happened to diplomacy? Instead of open combat with insurgents, Canada should be proactive in establishing a common understanding between the different ethnic groups in the Loya Jirga (Afghan parliament) and try to foster a sustainable democracy using peaceful means. Fighting a resistance only strengthens it as can be seen in Lebanon and Iraq.
So who exactly are we fighting for? A US-installed former UNOCAL official in Hamid Karzai who is laughingly referred to as the “Mayor of Kabul”? Or are we fighting for the US so they can leave one mess and attend to the one they have created in Iraq?
Harper always speaks of Canadian sovereignty and independence. I ask what kind of sovereignty and independence sees families grieving over their loved ones who have died in a conflict that does not even concern them? Canada should let the US solve its own self-inflicted problems and leave our soldiers for the defense of our own country.
copyright Aurangzeb Qureshi 2006
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