Afghanistan and Canada

Keep the war to a minimum
editorial


An I.E.D, better known as the roadside bomb, exploded on Friday October 27 killing 14 civilians. Meanwhile, mass prayers were held in the south of the country for more civilians killed in another bombing by coalition forces. A political debate at home rages about whether or not to bring troops home. And all the while, an insurgency comprising of radicals gains momentum in its efforts to dislodge what it sees as foreign occupiers.

Is this Iraq? No; this is Afghanistan.

For the first time in generations, Canadians have had to deal with the reality of casualties coming in from war. Questions, naturally, have arisen about our country’s role in Afghanistan, what our mission objectives ought to be and whether we are prepared to shoulder the mounting toll of casualties. Yet before these questions can be answered, it is necessary to deal with the issue of why we are there in the first place.

We can trace back the roots of the conflict to that fateful day in September of 2001. Twenty-four Canadians, along with thousands others were killed when terrorists who had been aided by the former regime of Afghanistan launched their attacks on New York and Washington. The immediate reason for our presence in Afghanistan is to prevent another terrorist-friendly regime from taking over and creating conditions that would be conducive to a second major attack. The second underlying reason for Canadian troops to be in Afghanistan is to be part of the greater War Against Terror and to take the fight to the enemy. This reason assumes that as long as battles against terrorists take place in far-off places such as Afghanistan and Iraq, they won’t have to be fought on Canadian or American soil. However, such thinking doesn’t take into account the idea that at some point, our troops will have to come home. Fighting a perpetual war overseas comes dangerously close to the idea of a “clash of civilizations.” One must ask oneself, are we fighting terrorists or are we fighting a culture?

Many Muslims, including moderates, have begun to look at the wars being fought in Iraq and Afghanistan as part of a war against Islam. That opinion was only furthered this past summer with the Israel-Lebanon conflict. Muslims share a common bond amongst each other, regardless of nationality or race. Over the past few years, they have watched their fellow Muslims suffer gravely as a result of war and conflict. At best, they feel anguish at the pains inflicted on the victims. At worst, they feel that it is their duty to take action to avenge their fellow Muslims. Arguments have been made that the more Taliban and insurgents are killed, the more radicals rise up to take their place.

But for the most part, Muslims as a whole are on the same side as Canadians in this conflict. What some extremists on both sides declare to be a war of cultures is simply not true, and credence given to such opinions is damaging. Our similarities on the issues, including disgust for terrorist tactics, desire for economic progress and need for collective security, not to mention belief in the same God, are vital for establishing a lasting peace.

The real war that must be fought is not the military one, but the one for the hearts and minds of the civilians of Afghanistan. Despite news stories of our troops suffering casualties, it is the Afghanis who are making the greatest sacrifices. Their land is being turned into a battleground and their families are enduring losses all for the sake of a better future. Healing the wounds of war and ensuring that future generations of Afghanis don’t hold a grudge against us is key to victory. Their success is our success.

The fighting in Afghanistan must be kept, for both sides’ sake, to the absolute minimum of what is necessary to get the job done. There have got to be definite goals set and an exit strategy of how to get out when those goals are met. Prolonging the fighting will only result in excess casualties for Canadian troops and civilians and miring our forces in an endless conflict. Afghanis would see a prolonged presence in their country as further evidence that our troops are occupying, rather than peacekeeping.

The Canadian forces servicemen and women serving in Afghanistan are generally young and college age. It is our peers, our generation that is fighting over there. We must recall the sacrifices they make on our behalf and the valour of their service. One thing that both Afghanis and Canadians can agree upon is the beauty of the peace that will come at the end of this long road.

=//Turnquest