John Manley's Afghanistan Report: Rhetoric and Reality

by Joe Hueglin, Canadian Political Columnist

	John Manley (left) presents his Afghanistan report to Prime Minister Stephen Harper (right).

Manley's Report is unrealistic is suggesting 1 000 more troops will make a substantial difference. Seventy-five hundred British troops have been unable to bring about stability in the neighbouring Province of Helmand.

Both there and in Kandahar the only territory effectively controlled are the camps and the ground being traversed by NATO patrols.

Manley's statement "We'll be out much sooner than that. Much sooner than a decade." [1] is based on developing the Afghan Army's capability. The plan is to rapidly churn out infantry battalions.

Battalions which must also have "real concrete suggestions about how to establish the professional Afghan military cadres like the medical, logistics, police, legal and engineering officers that will be required to make the ANA a stand-alone force,". for without these as well as infantry training "NATO will never be able to disengage." [2]

"It was a superb year. The insurgents won nothing on the battlefield." [3] General Dan McNeill, outgoing International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) commander said of 2007. The cost of winning however has been "collateral damage". [4]

Civilians killed through the use of air power or being shot "are inspiring people to take up "jihad," or holy war, against coalition forces as a form of blood debt." [5] These are debts unrelated to the Taliban flowing but rom Pushtunwali, the Honour Code of the Pashtuns. [6], debts that must be collected.

The rhetoric of the Manley Report is that there are winning conditions. Reality, based on the history of the Pushtuns, is there are none for "No one has ever managed to subdue or unite them: the Mughals, Sikhs, British and Russians have all suffered defeat at their hands." [7]

The conditions laid out by Manley will most probably be met. It is realistic to assume the recommendation requiring air transport will reduce Canadian casualties. It is not realistic to assume that the 1000 troops and the additional air power will defeat the insurgency.

Endnotes:

[1] Combat role won't exceed 10 years, Manley says LINK

[2] Shortfalls of report on Afghan mission no laughing matter. LINK

[3] NATO force chief vows more pressure on Taliban in 2008. LINK

[4] Afghan civilian deaths damaging NATO. LINK

[5] Canadian military probes Afghan civilian deaths. LINK

[6] Attachment, Pushtunwali, "Honour among them" -- Document.

[7] The Pashtun (or Pathans). LINK

About the writer:

Joe Hueglin is a former Member of Parliament and co-founder of the Progressive Canadian Party. You can email him any comments that you have about his political column. LINK

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