Canadian Prime Minister Harper: Foreign troops can't defeat Afghanistan's insurgency

[Douglas Carpenter]

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2009/03/01/cnn-harper.html

snip:

"The insurgency in Afghanistan will never be defeated only by maintaining an international troop presence in the country, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said in a U.S. television interview Sunday.

"We're not going to ever defeat the insurgency. My reading of Afghanistan in history is that it's probably had an insurgency forever of some kind," Harper told Fareed Zakaria of CNN."

snip:

"Harper said he welcomes plans to boost the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan, but was cautious about entertaining any request for Canada to alter its commitments. On Feb. 17, U.S. President Barack Obama said he'll send an additional 17,000 American soldiers to Afghanistan this spring and summer, a 50 per cent increase to the 36,000 soldiers who are there already.

Harper said if Obama were to ask Canada for a larger contingent or a continuation of the existing contingent of about 2,500 Canadian soldiers, he would ask the president what his plans are for leaving Afghanistan and allowing Afghans full control over security.

"If we think that we are going to govern Afghanistan for Afghans, or over the long-term be responsible for day-to-day security in Afghanistan and see that country improve, we are mistaken," Harper said. "

link:

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2009/03/01/cnn-harper.html

[truebrit71]

1. The Prime Minister is 100% correct. If you think otherwise please ask the Russians or the British...

...how their "rule" over Agfhanistan worked out...

[kirby]

2. Except, this is not Obama's plan...

In fact, he does not yet have a plan. When he took office, he ordered a full strategic review of what needs to be done in relation to Afghanistan. He has also said over and over that you cannot win these things militarily. The review is supposed to be complete by the end of March I believe so that he has a plan to take to NATO.

[Douglas Carpenter]

3. yes that is true.

I have trouble believing that President Obama would be so naive as to imagine that Afghanistan can be resolved militarily.

He tends to be a pragmatist and a realist and to listen to pragmatist and realist.

It will be interesting to see how the policy develops.