Roger Varley has been in the news business almost 40 years with The Canadian Press/Broadcast News, Uxbnridge Times-Journal, Richmond Hill Liberal and Uxbridge Cosmos. Co-winner with two others of CCNA national feature writing award. In Scout movement over 30 years, almost 25 as a leader. Took Uxbridge youths to World Jamboree in Holland. Involved in community theatre for 20 years as actor, director, playwright, stage manager etc. Born in England, came to Canada at 16, lived most of life north and east of Toronto with a five-year period in B.C.
Previous
Afghanistan is not Iraq
Understandably, last week's edition of the Cosmos carried a front-page picture
and article about Capt. Jack Wesselo, who is headed for duty in Afghanistan. After all, he is a local lad. And he is not the only Uxbridgian - current or former - to have served in that unhappy land: Capt. Jeff Peck, for one, also served in Afghanistan. Not only that, but it's probable several Uxbridge residents have relatives serving with the Canadian Forces there. Yvonne Carroll has a brother - Cpl. Robert Leonard of Burlington - serving in She has been sharing some of Cpl. Leonard's e-mails with me. They are titled Letters From the Sandbox and talk about his experiences and his interactions with the locals who work on the Canadian base.
Cpl. Leonard's letters tell a great deal about the man. He comes across as a no-nonsense, stand-up sort of fellow, who is straightforward with the Afghan workers he supervises, and expects them to be straightforward with him. When he has problems with them (as he explains, there is a lot of theft, because many of the workers have so little) he deals with them firmly, but with an even hand. In one of his letters from the sandbox, Cpl. Leonard spoke of the loss of some of his comrades and how the calls to bring our soldiers home increase with every new Canadian military death. In his same straightforward manner, which belies the eloquence of his words, Cpl. Leonard said such calls belittle and demean the sacrifices made by our dead servicemen.
I believe he is right. Canada and other allies went to Afghanistan to root out Al Qaeda, the perpetrators of the horrific 9/11 attack on the World Trade Centre, and the Taliban, who, as the governing body of Afghanistan, supported and harboured Al Qaeda and refused to hand them over and shut down their
training bases. For the allies not to use military force in Afghanistan, given the circumstances, would, in my opinion, have been unforgivable. And we're still there, because if we leave before a stable government is installed, the Taliban will return with their ferocious regime of public executions, enforced religion, subjugation of women and girls and complete elimination of human rights. I believe the mounting chorus of calls to bring our servicemen and women home from Afghanistan is fuelled in part by the mounting wave of public sentiment in the U.S. for the return of their troops from Iraq. And in so doing, I believe many Canadians are ignoring the fact that Afghanistan and Iraq are completely different kettles of fish.
I believe the Iraq war is an illegal war, based on lies, perpetrated by men in power with their own personal agendas that have nothing to do with U.S. rights or interests. The war in Afghanistan is a battle to bring to justice unrepentant terrorists and those who support them. The war in Iraq now is being waged against Iraqis who want what they see as foreign invaders to leave their land. If and when the Americans leave, it is unlikely those still loyal to Saddam Hussein will seize power again. It is likely, however, that eventually we will see an Islamic state emerge and since the vast majority of Iraqis are Muslim, one must assume that's what the Iraqi people want. The Taliban, however, were more than an Islamic government. They ran a regime of terror, a regime most Afghans would rather not see return. The Taliban used terror, thinly disguised as Sharia law, to stay in power and would do the same if they returned. For Canada and the allies to allow that would be shameful.
It seems to me Canadians should mourn the deaths of our servicemen, feel pain for the loved ones left behind, but demand that our forces stay until the Afghan people can safely look after their own affairs.
Tell me, am I wrong?
