British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has issued an ultimatum to the Afghan government: either get rid of corruption, or Britain will pull all its troops from the country.
In a speech Friday Brown said he will no longer “put the lives of British men and women in harm’s way,” in Afghanistan unless the government there takes action against corruption.
Public support for Britain’s presence in the country has plummeted, especially in the last few weeks, CTV’s London Bureau Chief Tom Kennedy reported.
Ninety three soldiers have died, with seven just last week. Five of them were shot by an Afghan police officer they were training.
Last week’s corruption-marred presidential election and the rising number of casualties have led to increased pressure on Brown to justify Britain’s mission in Afghanistan.
Brown said it is up to Afghan President Hamid Karzai to restore international confidence in his government.
“International support depends on the scale of his ambition and the degree of his achievement in five key areas: security, governance, reconciliation, economic development, and engagement with Afghanistan’s neighbours,” he said.
“If the government fails to meet these five tests, it will have not only failed its own people, it will have forfeited its right to international support.”
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Notes:
Harper saw this coming two years ago. Therefore the 2011 pullout date passed by parliament at that time. The truth is this and many soldiers have told him so.
Until Iran is dealt with we can’t win in Afghanistan.
Gordon Brown (the British) have it right. Karzai need to change the political culture of corruption in Afghanistan. Pressure should be applied for him to cleanup his government. Cheers.
The simple truth is this. The west cannot control a country ruled by tribes and warlords. All we can do is destroy their ability to make war abroad and then we should leave.
When they are ready they will join us and it’s not our problem. It’s theirs.
We have built our country. Now they have to do the same…just like teaching a baby to walk. There is no easy route.
I agree Jack.
I sent an e-mail to PM Harper 3 tears ago to formulate an exit strategy to pull our troops out of this woe begotten country. Hopefully other Canadians of the same mind did this also.
It would be different if this was a conventional war and the enemy wore a uniform however this is not a war in that sense. It is a conflict where a surprising number of the Taliban are from neighboring countries (Iran, Pakistan etc.) and are using the afghan people as cannon fodder. The Afghans must stand up and fight for freedom and not kowtow to religious ideologues.
I agree, shape up or we all get out. Maybe, once they realize they could be on their own they will change direction. Why should our people get killed by IEDs that many afghans know where they are and who put them there.
Enough, out in 2011.
Fast thought. It is clear we cannot educate Afghans in their current environment. That does not mean that we can’t change things. What we can do is create a school system in Canada for them and we can pick Afghan teachers and their children we want to send here to be educated — in peace.
Then we send them back to take over their country and change it. For Canada this is ”loose change” and much cheaper than what we are doing now.
Just a thought.
Jack, it is good to see that the nickle has dropped in that you now accept that we must terminate this unwinnable “war” and start examining other ways to help this ravaged country.