What Canadians Should Know about the ‘Dangerous Afghan Mission’

Canadians are increasingly becoming involved in debating Canada's dangerous mission in southern Afghanistan. Well, not really involved but let's say incredibly divided. According to a recent poll conducted by the Globe and Mail, 62 percent of Canadians are against sending troops to Afghanistan and 27 percent are in favour. So, what is the big deal?

At the heart of the problem lies a serious lack of awareness about and appreciation of the complexities of the obstacles confronting Afghanistan’s post-conflict recovery. No matter how much we might tend to distance ourselves from Afghanistan, the reality is that it is in Canada's interest to stay the course in Afghanistan. There are several significant reasons why Canadians should support Canada's long-term commitment in rebuilding Afghanistan.

First, the remnants of the Taliban backed by their Al-Qaeda supporters have recently emerged sturdily in undermining both reconstruction and political efforts aimed at restoring peace to Afghanistan. More specifically, past few months have witnessed an escalation in torching of the schools, orchestration of the suicide attacks and relentless attacks on government bodies, especially in the southern and eastern Afghanistan. In fact, the security issue is so cumbersome that it can not be dealt with by the Afghan government alone.

Security. Security. Security. This is a persistent call for international assistance from the Afghan government, civil society and most importantly from the ordinary Afghans. How could peace and stability be envisaged without reassuring the safety of aid workers, citizens and elected representatives? Canada’s crucial role in bringing security as a prerequisite for reconstruction projects cannot be overestimated.

Secondly, opium production and drug trafficking have not still been substantially dealt with by the international community. It is an issue that threatens, in its strongest forms, the stability, prosperity and recovery of Afghanistan. Accounting for over 50 percent of the country's formal GDP, the drug economy feeds terrorism, strengthens warlordism, contributes in human rights abuses and undermines the civil society’s reconstruction strides. The international community has done little to provide the farmers with alternative livelihoods, amongst others.

Thirdly, Afghanistan remains as one of the most impoverished nations in the world with one of the worst child and maternal mortality indicators in the world. Although undeniably some progress has been achieved in Afghanistan since the collapse of the Taliban, the country's institutional capacity to improve the economic and social infrastructures persists far from acceptable. Take a walk throughout Afghanistan and you are sure to be touched by the scars of over 25 years of war and sufferings in every sphere of life across the strife-raven country.

Most important, Afghans have high expectations from the international community, especially Canadians in assisting them build a dream of their own. They want to be reassured that Afghanistan would not slide back to a haven for terrorism and a forgotten crisis. After the defeat of the Soviet Union in 1989, the international community had every opportunity to stabilize Afghanistan. But, it was lost at the costs of both Afghans and the international community. It is a lesson learnt, not one that should be neglected.

For these reasons, Canadians should understand that the new Afghan mission is an extremely critical decision. It is not only vital for Afghanistan's recovery and addressing the complex security, opium production and poverty challenges, but also to Canada's security interests. The merciless 9/11 events has taught us that we can not undermine the crisis of fragile states like Afghanistan. This, by no means, suggests that the new mission is an ideal one. The development assistance, for instance, has been largely sidelined in favour of greater military assistance. However, calling for withdrawal of all Canadian troops from Afghanistan, if implemented, might be a naïve measure that would have disastrous consequences for Afghanistan and the international community.

Moreover, we cannot turn a blind eye to the persistent sufferings of an entire generation growing up with violence and sufferings in Afghanistan. In Saa’di’s words (a famous Persian poet), all humans are members of the same body, created from one essence. If fate brings suffering to one member, the others cannot stay at rest.

Rather than debating the essence of Canada's commitment in Afghanistan, it is ripe time to extend a helping hand towards the resilient Afghan nation and shoulder them in their struggles to democracy and prosperity. The costs of such an extremely dangerous mission are high, but it is a monumental commitment by Canadians that the Afghan nation would never forget. It is an opportunity that Canadians should not lose at any cost for the sake of peace and freedom.

Nonetheless, the central question remains: are we willing to learn about the miseries the Afghan nation are confronted with prior to making a call for the withdrawal of Canada's commitment from Afghanistan?

One would hope that Canadians stand in solidarity with the Afghan nation in their march towards peace and stability. In all this, the missing component is greater understanding about the Afghan cause.