As opposition politicians scramble to score political points on Afghanistan, Stephane Dion's position bears the most scrutiny because his party has the only chance of replacing the government.

On the Liberal party website, we read: "In the face of a mounting insurgency in Afghanistan, and with fading support from our NATO partners, our troops are facing an increasingly difficult mission. We owe it to our soldiers to develop a strategy that will achieve real results in establishing a lasting peace."

But last week Dion said: "I want the prime minister to say right away that we are out of the combat mission in February 2009."

If the Liberals think that'll bring "real results," they really should update their website.

Dion says Canadians could do development and humanitarian work or help train Afghan soldiers and "provide security in certain provinces" -- in other words like what some European NATO countries do in the so-far safer zones.


While that line might work with focus groups, there is no development without security. Australian counter-insurgency expert David Kilcullen, now an adviser to U.S. Gen. David Petraeus in Iraq, hit the nail on the head.

A Dec. 18, 2006, New Yorker article says Kilcullen met senior European officers with the NATO force in Afghanistan applying "a development model to counterinsurgency," hoping that gratitude for good work would do the trick. "The gratitude effect," Kilcullen said, "will last until the sun goes down and the insurgents show up and say, 'You're on our side, aren't you? Otherwise, we're going to kill you.'"

That harsh reality is why Retired Maj.-Gen. Lewis Mackenzie recently called for at least another 10,000 NATO combat troops in the south.

Dion doesn't answer the tough question -- who will replace the Canadians? As with the Europeans, the unstated answer is Let George Do it. The sorry pattern is familiar: The Europeans won't do their share of the heavy lifting, but are then quick to accuse the Americans of unilateralism.

Meanwhile, can we expect to see Dion touring Europe, encouraging NATO allies to step up to the plate?
(Courtesy: ED FEUER)