(Canwest) Canadian troops making things worse: Afghan legislator

[tuvor]

Mike De Souza, CanWest News Service
Published: Saturday, September 09, 2006

QUEBEC -- Canada's troops are making matters worse for the Afghan people, a popular member of the war-torn country's national assembly told an NDP policy convention Friday.

With federal New Democrats debating a resolution to withdraw Canadian troops from combat in southern Afghanistan over the next six months, Malalai Joya, 27, the youngest elected Afghan parliamentarian, said efforts to fight the Taliban are helping warlords and drug lords take control of the country, suppressing the voices and rights of women and children.

"If (Canadians) want to prove themselves as real friends of the Afghan people, they must act independently," said Joya, who has escaped several assassination attempts since she was first elected in 2003. "They continued the policy of the U.S. and our people don't agree with U.S. policy, and this is why there is no positive results right now."

NDP Leader Jack Layton said the federal government is insulting Canadian troops by keeping them in a mission without a clear strategy or analysis of the consequences.

http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/story.html?id=5dac8c63-42f2-42d3-b12c-7c5c27e12a56&k=66244