Canada in Asscrackistan

Well, as told here in the Toronto Star

TheStar.com - Ambush in Afghanistan

one of our boys took an axe to the head today from a young Afghani, "less than 20 years old", who would up eating about 14 rounds in response.

Canada, and most Canadians, supported the U.S. expedition into Afghanistan back in 2002. However, events of the past few years and last few months especially have given many of us second thoughts.

I suppose you could argue that since we've agreed to a Canadian presence in the country, we're stuck. But I think one of the legitimate complaints Canucks can make is that while we are now being asked to take casualties, we have had little say in shaping the military/strategic direction of the mission. And as it has spiralled slowly down the same toilet as Iraq, our armed forces have been taken along for the ride.

And now that Canada (as well as several other U.S. allies) have taken responsibility for the Taliban hotbeds around Kandahar, we are hearing talk of U.S. troop "draw downs" and "pullouts" (and have been since Xmas). What I fear is that the Bush administration, which seems to have tailored its military policy in the area around domestic political considerations, will want to have something concrete to show the American people in time for November's mid-terms. This probably won't be possible in Iraq, and so the temptation to short-change the Afghan mission may be overwhelming. And as U.S. troops come out, Canadian troops, as well as troops from the other allied nations, will be left holding the bag and catching the bullets.