Inkless Wells

Inkless Wells

Paul Wells on all the latest out of Ottawa—along with the occasional post about jazz. Follow Paul on Twitter: @InklessPW

The Afghanistan briefing: It's getting worse

by Paul Wells on Wednesday, November 5, 2008 11:23pm - 29 Comments

From PBS, a dynamite Frontline documentary designed to suit the moment: a new President who has promised to pay more attention to what’s happening in Afghanistan. At the risk of repeating something I’ve said a few times lately, Obama’s attention, while welcome, is certainly insufficient to turn around a declining situation in Aghanistan. A review of the Frontline documentary is here; the whole documentary, an hour’s television cut into more digestible chapters, is here. It is tremendously sobering viewing…(UPDATE)…and especially in the fifth chapter, has unsettling images of extreme violence, so viewer beware.

UPDATE: Watch this and ask yourself whether it portrays a challenge Lawrence Cannon can begin to comprehend. As a handy gauge, recall how much trouble he had deciding who is or is not a member of the Québécois nation.

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  • Geiseric the Lame

    “BUT THAT WOULD MEAN THE NDP WERE RIGHT ALL ALONG!!! THIS MUST NEVER BE ALLOWED TO HAPPEN!!”

    Even a stopped clock is right twice a day.

  • Jack Mitchell

    Surely, though, the Taliban will only agree to peace if they have something to gain from it. That would mean building up NATO forces in the short term. Otherwise, why wouldn’t the Taliban just keep fighting? It’s not like they’re, uh, peace-loving.

    Just watched the documentary. Some amazing footage, especially from inside Waziristan! And of the US troops in the hills. (How did/do the Pathans ever manage to feed themselves, incidentally? The whole country looks like it’s in permanent drought!) They’re clearly doing a good job, though you can tell they’re not of the same calibre as our guys. The local villagers literally look like they stepped out of a Kipling story.

    I must say, the documentary reinforces my sense that the Pakistanis neither can nor want to do anything about the Pathan problem.

  • Ted

    There is a dispassionate report on the cost of the Canadian war in Afghanitan published by Kevin Page, Parliamentary Budget Officer. Interesting to note in the report that the war will costs Canadians $18 billion in future costs. Can we afford to fight this unwinnable war when the economy is tanking…

  • Sean

    Kevin Page’s war cost report is a must read for Canadians who would like to know how Ottawa spends cash.

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