Canada's Dark Day in Afghanistan

4 Canadian soldiers and 1 Canadian journalist were killed in Afghanistan due to bombing yesterday. The names of the soldiers are not being released until all family members have been contacted. The journalist, 34 year old Michelle Lang, was in Afghanistan on a six week assignment. She is the first Canadian journalist to be killed since Canada began sending troops in 2002.

Former Free Press editor Cam McAlpine, who worked with Lang in Prince George, said she was a terrific reporter.

32 Canadian soldiers have died this year in Afghanistan.

Progress in 2010

2010 will bring Afghan progress, U.S. general says

BY JULIET O'NEILL, CANWEST NEWS SERVICE

DECEMBER 16, 2009 9:56 PM

 Gen. Stanley McChrystal, commander of the International Security Assistance Force and commander of United States Forces Afghanistan, and Canada's Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Walt Natynczyk salute after laying a wreath during a ceremony at the National War Memorial in Ottawa Dec. 15, 2009.

Photograph by: Chris Wattie, Reuters

OTTAWA — By the time American and Canadian combat forces are withdrawing in July 2011, "we will have reversed Taliban momentum," Gen. Stanley McChrystal, commander of coalition forces in Afghanistan, said Wednesday.

He predicted that this time next year there will be hard proof "the insurgency will be defeated" and he spoke of a role for coalition forces in protecting the lives and families of Taliban insurgents who want to "leave the fight" and reintegrate into Afghan life.

"This is not a fight to the death, but a fight for the minds of the Afghan people," he asserted, adding that the people of Afghanistan do not regard coalition forces as occupiers but as protectors and stabilizers.

McChrystal is commander of ISAF, the International Security Assistance Force, comprised of more than 130,000 military personnel from 44 countries, and he commands U.S. Forces in Afghanistan.

He made the prediction of success against the Taliban at a news conference and in a speech to about 500 defence experts, diplomats and government officials at an event organized by the Canadian Conference of Defence Associations Institute during a two-day visit to Ottawa.

Contrary to some other American officials who have publicly urged Canada to prolong at least some parts of its 2,830-member military mission in Afghanistan past July 2011, McChrystal declined to be drawn into that debate, saying it is up to Canada to decide.

The government has said the Canadian mission ends July 2011 and Gen. Walt Natynczyk has told a parliamentary committee the withdrawal will be complete by the end of the year and will include not just combat forces but military personnel who protect provincial reconstruction teams.

McChrystal said that while U.S. President Barack Obama has said U.S. forces will begin withdrawing in July 2011, the pace of that withdrawal is not decided. U.S. forces will soon total more than 90,000 after the arrival of an additional 30,000 troops recently committed by the United States.

"The date of July 2011 to begin the withdrawal of American forces is a decision," he told reporters. "We will begin the withdrawal of American forces. The rate and pace of that withdrawal will be up to national leadership. And I'm sure I'll have a recommendation into that but it will be a decision based upon conditions then."

He said there are not enough forces in Afghanistan now to defeat the Taliban but there will be enough with the extra U.S. troops, additional coalition forces and the continued growth of Afghan security forces.

McChrystal called Canada's contribution to the Afghan campaign over the last eight years "extraordinary." He had been impressed by Canadians' performance in close combat and said Canadian methods of securing stability and a chance for development were a model to other military forces.

His measure of the success of the war in 2011 would be "whether the Afghan people get a chance to shape their own future" and whether they have a chance to earn a living, go to school and live without violent coercion.

© Copyright (c) Canwest News Service

"Taliban Should Be Admired..."

Bishop States “Taliban Should Be Admired For Their Conviction In Faith & Loyalty”

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11:05 pm, Tue 15 Dec 2009

The Taliban "can perhaps be admired for their conviction to their faith and their sense of loyalty to each other", the new bishop for the Armed Forces has said.

In an interview with The Daily Telegraph The Rt Rev Stephen Venner argued against demonising the Taliban and said the attitude taken towards them had been "too simplistic".

The Church of England bishop was recently commissioned in his new role by Dr Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury.

He told the newspaper:

"We've been too simplistic in our attitude towards the Taliban.

"There's a large number of things that the Taliban say and stand for which none of us in the West could approve, but simply to say therefore that everything they do is bad is not helping the situation.

"The Taliban can perhaps be admired for their conviction to their faith and their sense of loyalty to each other."

The bishop said he admired the sacrifices made by the British forces fighting in Afghanistan and he said some of the Taliban's methods were not honourable or acceptable.

Bishop Venner said all the people of Afghanistan, including the Taliban, needed to be involved in a solution to the country's problems.

Within moments of this message being aired, you could almost sense that their would be a severe backlash from the pro war British Hawks, any narrative that dares to oppose or step out of line of the simplistic official narrative of "Good V Evil" will be severely rebuked.

As the bishop was seen to be grovelling as he backtracked over his previous message with the usual "It was taken out of context" and "I'm not trying to support the Taliban, what they are doing is evil." as he said to the BBC.

At a time when British Muslims are pressurised to distance themselves from their fellow Muslims around the world who fight against invading western forces, often with the tried and tested formulae of labelling any resistance to imperialist schemes as being a distorted and "extreme" version of Islam, one which all "moderate" British Muslim groups are forced to condemn.

Yet Tony Bliar will openly admit that he lied and misled the British people to launch illegal wars and there is no widespread condemnation for his actions, his actions will never be viewed as hateful or extreme.

Read more: http://www.mpacuk.org/story/151209/bishop-states-“taliban-should-be-admired-their-conviction-faith-loyalty”.html#ixzz0ZojxONZi

"It is not what the Taliban say or even what they say they stand for, it is what they do. They hide out in the mountains, come down to villages and shoot people without any recourse for crimes they may or may not have committed. They rule through terror; they subjugate women; they bomb innocent people. Organized crime rings also have convictions of faith and a sense of loyalty to each other but that does not make them admirable."

Join US in a Mighty Fight

The front page of today's South China Morning Post shouts out "US sees bigger role for China in Afghanistan." Obama is requesting that Papa Beijing open up the tiny border between the northwest of China and east of Afghanistan for the purpose of forming supply lines to the troops. Obama's pledge to send 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan over the next few weeks, pushing the number of troops to about 100,000, raises more concerns about the most efficient way to supply those troops. In the past, lines through Pakistan have been repeatedly attacked.

According to Foreign Minister spokesman Qin Gang "negotiations were continuing." While Beijing would be happy to see the Taliban and al Qaeda supporters crushed, it remains wary of the US-led operation in Afghanistan.

The US is also seeking a bigger role for China with infrastructure after the withdrawal in Afghanistan in 2011. China has been directly investing in Afghanistan with a 3.5 billion dollar deal  to operate a copper mine in Aynak. China is building a mosque and hospital for local workers and will get half the output when production begins in 2011.

To The Rescue

A new book, called Design for Obama, features over 200 posters inspired by Barack Obama's election victory last year.

This image is called Obama Superman by Mr Brainwash

Everyone needs a hero and, whether the people of Afghanistan want it or not, here comes President Barack Obama to the rescue. Maybe some American people think this war is stupid and maybe many believe it is about the evils of religion. Whatever the current beliefs are, Superman is attempting to save the day, with 30,000 additional troops being deployed before Christmas. Each one of those soldiers will be leaving family and friends behind to fight an uphill battle. War is one of the harshest facts of life, since the dawn of humankind and to the dusk, it will exist. If forces do not fight back they flee and when they flee other forces take over.

It is a complex situation and there are no simple solutions. I just always want to remember that human beings are fighting on both sides. Some human beings want to kill anyone who does not believe in what they believe. Belief is a powerful force and in our human consciousness it is belief that drives us all.

Many nations believe in the power of Barack Obama and will show their support by backing "the leader of the free world." Long live the free world.