Indefinite end to Afghan mission a challenge for all: Manley
The head of an independent panel that has recommended extending Canada's mission in Afghanistan said an open-ended war would be a concern for many Canadians but that security there, as well as Canada's international reputation, were at stake if the mission ends next year.
"I think it is of concern to all Canadians," former Liberal cabinet minister John Manley said during an appearance on CBC's The National Tuesday night.
"This was a very challenging assignment. We took it on. We're responsible for it.
"It's not enough to call our lawyers and ask them to send a notice to NATO saying 'Oh by the way, we're leaving in 12 months time.' It's something that will affect very badly the security situation in Kandahar, the prestige and influence of Canada in the international community if we were to do that."
The panel spent 10 days touring Afghanistan and received hundreds of submissions in order to make recommendations on the Canadian mission, which is set to expire in February 2009.
In its report released Tuesday, the panel said Canada must remain in Afghanistan if it hopes to achieve its goal of helping stabilize the country, but will also require about 1,000 more troops and specialized equipment.
"It is doable, it is not an impossibility … it will take time. It will take more time than February 2009, and nobody can credibly say it's going to be on a particular date. It's going to take a number of years," Manley said.
Manley admits war effort unpopular
A November 2006 CBC-Environics poll of more than 2,000 Canadians showed the majority of respondents — 59 per cent — felt Canada's troops should return before the 2009 deadline. Pollsters said results are accurate 19 times out of 20.
Manley said it is a lack of understanding of what is happening in Afghanistan that makes the war effort unpopular in Canada. He said a dearth of proper communication and political debate about the mission has left most people without an accurate picture of what it involves.
"Consequently, the most that Canadians seem to know about what's happened in our engagement in Afghanistan is that they see reports of IED [improvised explosive device] explosions and lost lives of Canadian soldiers and I think that just doesn't do them justice," he said.
"I don't think Canadians are going to flinch at some sacrifice — nobody needs to teach us about sacrifice. We have a history of doing hard things, but I think without a context in which to understand what's happening, Canadians are understandably reluctant to see the continuation of this mission.
"They like to change the channel … they like to just take the remote control and stop hearing people talk about Afghanistan — click, let's watch something else."
Across the country, Canadians with close ties to the Afghan mission weighed in on the panel's recommendations of an extended mission — many of them saying they supported staying the course.
"The situation, I still believe, is that if we do pull pull back, the Taliban will eventually run that country over and the soldiers we lost to date and the casualities we suffered would definitely have been in vain," said Jim Davis of Halifax. His son, Cpl. Paul Davis, was killed in 2006.
'Don't get wishy-washy,' urges fallen soldier's wife
Others echoed his sentiments, such as Susan Short in Fredericton whose husband Sgt. Robert Short was killed in Afghanistan in 2003.
"He would not be proud of a government that got wishy-washy and decided now that the [death] numbers got high enough and it's time to pull out. Finish what they went there to do. Please."
But the idea of having their loved ones participate in a war with no foreseeable end was a disturbing possibility for others.
"If it was that they would review it every two years, I would be better with that. It's just the word indefinitely, just would kind of scare me a bit," said Mandi Hein, a soldier's wife.
Jenn Purdy's husband is slated to leave for Afghanistan soon. She said an extension of the mission is scary, especially because the couple is planning to start a family.
"If it is going toward more of a peacekeeping role like Canadian soldiers are supposed to be, that's fine," said Purdy, whose husband is based at CFB Shilo in Manitoba.
"But if we going to be doing full combat like we have been doing, it's not a good idea."