Liberals back Tories on Afghan mission, reject calls for vote (Canada)

[Minstrel Boy]

Liberals back Tories on Afghan mission, reject calls for vote

MICHAEL DEN TANDT
From Monday's Globe and Mail

Ottawa — The Liberals appear to be lining up solidly behind the Conservative government over the mission in Afghanistan, rejecting NDP calls for a parliamentary vote on the matter.

"We are against a vote because it's a responsibility of the executive and because we should not second-guess when we have an important mission to succeed," Liberal foreign affairs critic Stéphane Dion said yesterday on CTV's Question Period.

...

Canada has 2,300 troops in Afghanistan, all but 100 of them based in the volatile southern province of Kandahar. Many of the troops are now engaged in combat operations, in support of the Afghan army and national police.

Canadian troops took control of a multinational brigade in the region at the beginning of this month and immediately suffered a number of casualties, including two deaths. Insurgents in the country have promised a wave of suicide bombings against coalition troops in the months to come.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20060320.wxafghanistan20/BNStory/National/home

[SixStrings]

1. Was it the new conservative gov't that put them in Afghan.? n/t

[Lisa]

3. nope, the Liberals did ...

... not too long after 9/11. And keeping them there this long (plus altering their role) is possibly a trade-off for our not sending troops to Iraq.

[MrPrax]

2. Good luck Stephane

on that leadership campaign--you've struck the motherload of Quebec support on this stand.

Marissen shouldn't have any problem selling the idea that Canada is proud to be Karzai's favorite harem eunuchs in le belle province.

[ConcernedCanuk]

4. Prostituting our nation to the Bush Regime - shame on us

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Why the feck do we have 2,300 in Afghanistan while the USA loots and pillages Iraq with over 130,000??

We are "guilty by association" by supporting the Bush Genocide

And it bothers me

BIG time

[INDIA]

6. I'm as anti Iraq war as anyone

but I fail to see the problem with the ousting of the Taliban. I don't think mentioning Afghanistan and Iraq in the same sentence is realistic. Afghanistan actually supported terrorists that were launching attacks on the United States, Iraq didn't. As far as I can see, the invasion of Afghanistan was a net positive event, for the citizens of Afghanistan and the US as well. I feel that Canadians should be proud in their role in Afghanistan, not ashamed of it. Not starting an argument, just my 2cents.

[daleo]

5. Liberals are still calling for a debate, but not a vote now

The NDP and BQ want both claim to want both a debate and a vote. That's how I read it.

There is probably a bit of parliamentary game playing going on here too. The Liberals probably don't want to bring down the government now that they are leaderless, and the NDP must know this. So, they assume the Liberals would vote with the government, if only to prevent an election. Thus, the NDP and BQ would be free to "vote their conscience", knowing that the Liberals will not pull the plug on the Conservatives right now and risk an election.

I think there is also some jockeying for position in the upcoming Liberal leadership here. I would have thought Dion would have taken a position more in line with the historical Quebec preference for non-interference, though. Perhaps he is trying to show status quo opinion makers (and the U.S.) that he is a "reliable element".

Personally, I think a debate would be worth having, even if there is no vote, just to force the Harper government and everyone else to clarify their positions. But a debate and vote would be better.