The Manley Report fails the simplest test

I have a lot of respect for John Manley but I hope that his study and report on Afghanistan didn't cost more that about $4025. That amount would pay for a researcher to Google on the Internet for a month to collect the background and foreground information that Manley claims he and his team discovered. There is nothing new here!

Let's pick a couple of issues that show the best of what I am talking.

The report claims that the mission must be working because the Taliban have resorted to IEDs and other small skirmishes rather than taking on NATO directly. It is interesting to note that Manley even mentions that the largest number of Canadian casualties occurred when Canada went on a major offensive in 2006. Guess what, John. It is a different kind of war; different than the one's starring John Wayne. IEDs and ambushes are tactics that work when you have no deadline to end a war. And make no mistake about it, the Taliban are not in any hurry.

Second, on page 21, the report talks about our goal of not allowing Afghanistan to revert to being the headquarters of global terrorism. But guess what? The headquarters for global terrorism is a figment of an over centralized imagination. Do you think that nuts in Spain and Indonesia and other hot spots around the world sit down around a table in Afghanistan like NATO does in Brussels. Terrorism has its headquarter all across the world; when ever two or more bizarros get together to foment hate!

I have some ideas on Afghanistan that I will impart later. In the meantime maybe I can get CGG (Canada's Greatest Government TM) to pay for a trip south to collect my thoughts.

The Manley Report - Part 2

John Manley will make his report to Canada's Greatest Government (TM) today. According to some news sources he will recommend that Canada stay in Khandahar, demand that NATO provide 1000 more troops (I wonder if he calculated in the 3500 new Americans who are already on their way?) and do a better selling job on why were are there.

So much for Part 1... what about Part 2? Has he written it yet? Does he have a clue about what should be in it?

Let me enlighten him!

First, Canada must decide on the goals of the mission. If it is peace making then let the army make the peace. If it is peace keeping then get the army out of there and send in some cops. The army cannot be makers and keepers at the same time. They are not trained that way. No one is!

Second, give the troops the correct equipment. Tanks are useless in the desert with 110 degree temperatures unless you are fighting a rolling war. This is a static war! Get the troops off the ground and into the air. Of the 77 Canadians killed so far, almost all have been due to IEDs hitting fast tracks and transport vehicles. Give them helicopters!

More to come from the Manley Report? I hope so.