Jack Layton, the federal NDP leader, will call on Stephen Harper today to demand that U.S. and NATO forces cease air strikes in Afghanistan.[...]
Layton plans to speak with Harper today, asking him to instruct Canada's representatives on NATO's North Atlantic Council, which manages NATO's day-to-day operations and meets two or three times a week at NATO headquarters in Brussels, to call for an end to NATO and U.S. aerial bombing.
"The increasing death toll of Afghan civilians is something Canadians don't accept," Layton said. "Across the country people have told me spontaneously that destruction of villages was not what they expected to be part of the Afghan mission in which we're participating.
This contemptible poseur would have you believe that he's only looking out for the welfare of Afghan civilians. What a stinking liar. If he really cared about ordinary Afghans, he'd in favor of doing whatever it takes to pound the Taliban back into their ratholes whenever they stick their heads out.
I trust and pray that nobody in the Pentagon or NATO would pay the slighest attention to Layton -- what, though, would be the practical effects if they did do his bidding?
Leaving aside their superiority in training, firepower and technology, the one unanswerable ace in the hole that Canadian troops can draw on is American or other NATO airpower. It's an overwhelming asset when the enemy tries to make a stand. I wrote about this some months ago, quoting a Forward Observation officer with the Princess Pats:
When the Company Commander asked me what the safety distance for a hellfire was I literally had to go to the reference manual I carry (J Fires Manual) because I had never seen one before and had no idea what it actually could do. I told him the safety distance was 100m. To which he asked how far we were from the compound -- the laser said 82m. We debated the ballistic strength of the mud wall beside us and in the end he decided to risk it. Nothing like seeing an entire Company in the fetal position pressed up against a mud wall! The hellfire came in and it was the loudest thing I have ever heard.
The Taliban knows this full well, which is why they hide amongst civilians as often as possible. So you could expect many more -- hundreds more -- Canadian deaths as they slug it out hut by hut, street by street. (And with probably just as many innocent Afghans cut down in the crossfire.)
But then that suits Layton's goal, doesn't it? More Canadian casualties means more coffins for him to dance on, shrieking that the war is lost, lost: Aieeeee!
Keep that in mind the next time Layton and his crowd babble about how they "support the troops." They don't. They want them to die; the more the better.
Comments (7)
Oh Joy....now Jack Layton is going to be Canada's military general. Whew!!! I feel safe now.
Posted by anonymous | July 10, 2007 10:55 PM
Posted on July 10, 2007 22:55
Yes that's exactly what Jack Layton and the NDP want, more dead soldiers and Afghan civilians.
Get a grip.
Nice to see you are willing to sentence "hundreds more" Canadians to the whims of US interests. If you really think that Harper or Bush cares about the Afghan civilians you are wrong as well. How many "accidental" civilian deaths are you willing to have on your hands?
If you believe so strongly in this mission then get yourself into the army and into Afghanistan.
Its people like you that give Conservatives a bad name.
Posted by Sean S. | July 10, 2007 11:10 PM
Posted on July 10, 2007 23:10
Well Sean, it's always lefties that tell us to get into the army, but surprisingly no lefties ever apply. Why are lefties so quick to support terrorists, but only give lip service to our troops.
Let me turn it around on you, if negotiation is the way to end the war, you go over there and talk to the Taliban, tell me how it turns out. Oops, guess you can't talk without your head!
Posted by Hunter | July 10, 2007 11:24 PM
Posted on July 10, 2007 23:24
I don't have any faith in the mission as it's being fought right now, but to renege on a commitment with NATO would dishonour Canada and it's troops.
The NDP have "never" wanted to go to war - Tommy Douglas was against going over the fight Hitler.
I can't imagine the NDP being the government of Canada and we would be at their mercy when it comes to protecting our country or getting involved somewhere else that may be necessary.
Interesting the double-standards. Layton is horrified that Canada would break a commitment and back out of Kyoto, but it's OK to back out of our commitment with NATO. Then, there's Harper who would be horried if we backed out of our NATO commitment but has no qualms about backing out of the Kyoto commitment. Talk about hypocracy with these two. For Harper and Layton - it's selective commitments rather than living up to all our commitments.
Posted by Sara | July 11, 2007 7:11 AM
Posted on July 11, 2007 07:11
Didn't Layton moan about the use of tanks in Afghanistan too? If he's going to complain, can't he just stick with the "we don't want troops in Afghanistan" bit instead of trying to find bizarre variants (no tanks/planes/certain ammo/etc.) to complain about? But then, if he did that, he couldn't make more headlines, I suppose.
Posted by Alex | July 11, 2007 7:31 AM
Posted on July 11, 2007 07:31
Gee, gnotalex, tell us what you really think!
But I agree with you. The NDP are clearly cheering for the other side. It's the only conclusion that makes sense. They want the Canadians and Americans out of Afghanistan. So do the Taliban. When the Taliban manage to succeed with one of their cowardly attacks, Jack Layton jumps in front of the cameras and makes the same statements a Taliban leader would make.
And Sean? A Taliban victory -- the inevitable result of the premature withdrawal of Western military support -- would make the current tragic civilian casualties look trivial by comparison. So, yes, Jack Layton is doing his part to cause the massive bloodshed of civilians. He should be ashamed.
Posted by Bruce Gottfred | July 11, 2007 4:11 PM
Posted on July 11, 2007 16:11
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Posted by upilg nbej | July 14, 2007 3:38 PM
Posted on July 14, 2007 15:38