AFGHAN FIGHTING: CANADIANS UNDER ATTTACK Introduction

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1 Focus This CBC News in Review story focuses on the continuing Canadian military operation in Afghanistan, its rising cost in casualties, the debate at home about this country s involvement there, and how the government is dealing with the loss of life among our troops. Update As this issue of News in Review was being produced a new poll by The Strategic Counsel for CTV and The Globe and Mail found 54 per cent of Canadians were against the deployment of troops. In mid- March the number opposed was only 41 per cent. Canadian support for the mission is likely to be volatile. YV Sections marked with this symbol indicate content suitable for younger viewers. AFGHAN FIGHTING: CANADIANS UNDER ATTTACK Introduction On April 22, 2006, four Canadian soldiers Cpls. Matthew Dinning and Randy Payne, Lieut. William Turner, and Bombardier Myles Mansell, were killed while on patrol near Gumbad, about 75 kilometres north of Kandahar, in southern Afghanistan. An IED (improvised explosive device) placed by Taliban insurgents blew up the lightly armoured vehicle in which they were travelling as part of a convoy on a remote road. The deaths of these four soldiers brought the death toll of Canada s operations in Afghanistan to 16, including one diplomat, and represented the greatest loss of life of Canadian troops on a single day since the Korean War of the early 1950s. As the four soldiers bodies were brought home for burial, Canadians confronted the rising casualties of this country s military mission to Afghanistan amid growing concerns about its purpose, goals, and cost in human life. There was also an intense debate regarding the decision of the Conservative government of Prime Minister Stephen Harper not to lower the flag on the Parliament Buildings in Ottawa to half-staff in honour of the dead. In addition, Harper s government was criticized for its decision to ban media coverage of the arrival of the coffins containing the four dead soldiers at the Canadian Forces Base in Trenton, Ontario. Since the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan that ousted the Taliban in the fall of 2001, Canada s commitment to defeating remnants of that regime and helping the new Afghan government to establish peace and stability there has grown steadily. As a member of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), composed of troops from a number of countries, Canada has been playing an increasingly important military role since the first troops arrived in early But shortly after the election of Stephen Harper s Conservatives in January 2006, the new government decided to strengthen this country s commitment. In February 2006, a battle group of over personnel from the Princess Patricia s Light Infantry assumed command of the volatile Kandahar region from a U.S. task force. Canadian troops now find themselves confronted with the difficulty of pursuing and destroying remnants of the Taliban in a rugged, mountainous area of Afghanistan that is one of their strongholds. The latest deaths of Canadian troops patrolling this difficult terrain will likely not be the last in an ongoing operation that Defence Staff Chief General Rick Hillier has speculated could take as long as 10 years to complete. So far most Canadians back this country s troops in Afghanistan and are generally supportive of the goals of the military operation there. The government s position is that Canadian forces are contributing to the war against international terrorism that began shortly after the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on September 11, The ousted Taliban regime had been a strong supporter of Osama bin Laden s Al Qaeda group, the organization responsible for these acts. In addition, Canada is helping the newly elected democratic government of Afghan President Hamid Karzai bring peace, stability, and economic development to a country that CBC News in Review May 2006 Page 6

2 Quote Canada is in Afghanistan today to: defend our national interests; ensure Canadian leadership in world affairs; and help Afghanistan rebuild. from Foreign Affairs Canada Web site has known nothing but war and upheaval since the Soviet Union invaded it in the late 1970s. Along with a significant military presence, Canada is also contributing substantial humanitarian and development aid to Afghanistan, where most people live in poverty, without access to health care, education, or other basic social facilities. At first, Prime Minister Harper s position was that there was no need for a debate in Parliament on the government s decision to increase its involvement in Afghanistan. But yielding to opposition demands, a debate was finally held in April 2006, but no vote was permitted. In mid-march, Harper visited Afghanistan and addressed Canadian troops there, along with the assembled media, about the importance of this country s role there, and why people at home should continue to support it. He acknowledged that some people may be troubled by the rising casualties and may harbour doubts about the objectives of the mission and how long it may take to achieve them. But in his view, Canada s presence in Afghanistan was vital to Canada, to the free world, and to the Afghan people. As of late April 2006, none of the opposition parties in Parliament was demanding that Canadian troops be withdrawn from Afghanistan. But as the casualties mount, public unease and confusion about the purpose and goals of the military mission are likely to increase. Harper and his government are already finding themselves in a difficult position regarding their decisions on the flag and media coverage of the return of soldiers bodies to Canada. Should many more young Canadian soldiers meet their deaths in Afghanistan, public opinion in this country may turn against the operation, in much the same way as Americans are beginning to question their country s continuing military presence in Iraq. To Consider 1. Why were the deaths of four Canadian soldiers on patrol in Afghanistan in April 2006 so significant? 2. What controversies has the Conservative government of Prime Minister Stephen Harper encountered as a result of its policies on Canada s mission to Afghanistan? 3. What is the view of most Canadians regarding this country s military operation in Afghanistan? How might this change if casualties continue to mount? 4. Briefly, but clearly, outline your personal views of the Canadian mission to Afghanistan. CBC News in Review May 2006 Page 7

3 AFGHAN FIGHTING: CANADIANS UNDER ATTACK Video Review Respond to the questions as you view the video. Further Research Not all Canadians support the mission in Afghanistan. One group opposed to Canada s military role in Afghanistan is the Canadian Peace Alliance ( Quote If a country is to recover from being a failing state, you need to help it. Omar Samad, Afghanistan Ambassador to Canada, (Toronto Star, March 17, 2006) 1. Why is Canada s mission to Afghanistan seen as so different from our traditional peacekeeping role? 2. What are the two prongs of the mission? 3. Who is Sherigah and what is his job? 4. What happened to Sherigah? 5. What problems do aid workers such as Siddiqui see for the Canadian mission? 6. What is the length of the current mission? 7. How does Mullah Naki Bullah view the Canadian mission? 8. What work is done at the local school? 9. Do you think Canadians can successfully serve as a military force and an aid force at the same time? Explain in detail. CBC News in Review May 2006 Page 8

4 YV AFGHAN FIGHTING: CANADIANS UNDER ATTACK Document Study Did you know... It is estimated that Afghanistan is the source of 90 per cent of the world s heroin. Heroin represents about 35 per cent of this poor nation s income. The drug trade employs about one in 10 Afghans. Further Research To stay informed about the Prime Minister Harper s comments on Afghanistan, consider visiting the official Web site at Opposition Web sites include the Liberals at the NDP at the Green Party at and the Bloc Québécois at The following is the text of the speech Prime Minister Harper delivered to Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan on March 13, 2006, while visiting the country. In it, he justifies Canada s military operation and seeks to explain to Canadians back home the importance of the operation. Thank you for your warm welcome. I want to begin by telling you how proud I am of the work you re doing. You have put yourself on the line to defend our national interests, protect Canada and the world from terror, and help the people of Afghanistan rebuild their country. I thank you. Canadians thank you. And I know that the Afghan people thank you. Your work is important because it is in our national interest to see Afghanistan become a free, democratic, and peaceful country. Before its liberation, under the Taliban regime, Afghanistan often served as an incubator for Al Qaeda and other terrorist organizations. This reality hit home with brutal force on 9/11, when two dozen Canadians lost their lives suddenly and senselessly in the destruction of the World Trade Center. Those were ordinary Canadians, people with families, partners, children, and dreams of a better future. Just like all of our citizens, people who died suddenly and for no reason at the hands of fanatics. Since that time, Al Qaeda has singled out Canada as one of the countries it has targeted for terror. And beyond the threat of terror, there s the threat of drugs. An unstable Afghanistan represents easy pickings for drug lords who would use the country as a safe haven for the production of heroin, which wreaks its own destruction on the streets of our country. Our Canada is a great place, but Canada is not an island. And what happens in places like Afghanistan threatens and affects all of us back home in our own country. Your work is about more than just defending Canada s interests. It s also about demonstrating an international leadership role for our country. Not carping from the sidelines, but taking a stand on the big issues that matter. You can t lead from the bleachers. I want Canada to be a leader. And I know you want to serve your country, a country that really leads, not a country that just follows. That s what you are doing. Serving in a UN-mandated, Canadian-led security operation that is in the very best of the Canadian tradition, providing leadership on global issues, stepping up to the plate, doing good where good is required. Finally, but no less important, is the great humanitarian work you re doing. Working with the Afghan government and Afghan people to enhance their security helps them. It helps them rebuild their country to make a better life for themselves and their children. Already a great deal has been accomplished. Reconstruction is reducing poverty, millions of people are now able to vote, women are enjoying greater rights and economic opportunities than could have been imagined under the Taliban regime, and Afghan children are now in school studying CBC News in Review May 2006 Page 9

5 the same things Canadian kids are learning back home. These are important victories for the people of Afghanistan, and they represent things worth standing up for. Of course, standing up for these core Canadian values may not always be easy at times. It s never easy for the men and women on the front lines. And there may be some at home who want to cut and run. But cutting and running is not your way. It s not my way, and it s not the Canadian way. We don t make a commitment and then run away at the first sign of trouble. We don t and we won t. Friends, we have made real progress here. Your work is vital to Canada, to the free world, and to the Afghan people. As you get ready to go back to work, know that I am behind you. Your government is behind you. And, most importantly, the Canadian people are behind you. Thank you. God bless Canada. Source: CBC News Indepth: Afghanistan, Text of Prime Minister Stephen Harper s address to Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan Analysis 1. What arguments does Harper make to support his claim that Canada s military presence in Afghanistan is vital for this country s national interests? 2. Why does Harper believe that the success of the military mission to Afghanistan will be beneficial a) for that country, b) for Canada, and c) for the world as a whole? 3. How does Harper link Canada s current military operation in Afghanistan with previous peacekeeping missions in other countries? 4. What answer does Harper give to those who might think that Canada should withdraw its troops from Afghanistan? 5. Are you persuaded by Harper s justification of Canada s ongoing military operation in Afghanistan? Why/why not? CBC News in Review May 2006 Page 10

6 AFGHAN FIGHTING: CANADIANS UNDER ATTACK A Timeline of Canada s Involvement, Further Research To stay informed about Canadian participation in Afghanistan, visit the official Web site of the Department of National Defence at Quote If we meet these bad guys, we destroy them. Simple as that. Captain Mark Larose (Toronto Star, March 10, 2006) October 10, 2001 U.S. and British forces launch air strikes on the Afghan capital, Kabul, responding to the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, D.C., a month earlier. The main targets are the Taliban leadership and Al Qaeda training camps. October 17, 2001 Three Canadian ships leave the Arabian Sea to join U.S. and British forces in Afghanistan. January 25, 2002 Canada re-establishes diplomatic relations with Afghanistan for the first time since the Soviet invasion of February 2, 2002 The first Canadian troops arrive in Afghanistan. April 18, 2002 Four Canadian soldiers, Pte. Nathan Smith, 27, of Tatamagouche, NS, Cpl. Ainsworth Dyer, 24, of Montreal, QC, Pte. Richard Green, 21, of Mill Cove, NS, and Sgt. Marc Leger, 29, of Lancaster, ON, are killed and eight are wounded when an American pilot mistakenly drops a bomb on them while they are participating in a nighttime training exercise near Kandahar. July 17, 2003 Canadian Brig.-Gen. Peter J. Devlin assumes command of the Kabul Multinational Brigade, composed of troops from 19 countries. A few days later, Canadian troops arrive to defend the Afghan capital from Taliban attacks. October 2, 2003 Two Canadian soldiers, Sgt. Robert Alan Short, 42, of Fredericton NB, and Cpl. Robbie Christopher Beerenfenger, 29, of Ottawa, ON, are killed and three are injured when a bomb destroys their light jeep on a road southwest of Kabul. January 27, 2004 One Canadian soldier, Cpl. Jamie Brendan Murphy, 26, of Conception Harbour, NL, is killed and three others are wounded by a suicide bomber while on patrol near Camp Julien, the base in Kabul. February 9, 2004 Lt.-Gen. Rick Hillier assumes command of the International Security Assistance force in Afghanistan. August 5, 2004 Norwegian troops replace the Royal 22nd Regiment, nicknamed the Vandoos, patrolling central Kabul. During their deployment, the Vandoos completed patrols without suffering a single casualty and finished 154 humanitarian projects that spent $ on schools, orphanages, roads, and water supply projects. August 24, 2004 A Department of National Defence inquiry concludes that the deaths of Canadian troops in light utility jeeps could not have been prevented. July 15, 2005 The chief of Canada s defence staff, Maj.-Gen. Rick Hillier, warns that Canadians should expect military casualties in Afghanistan. He claims that increasing Canada s deployment of troops there will help Canada in the long run by eliminating detestable murderers and scumbags from the Taliban and Al Qaeda. August 5, 2005 Canadian troops prepare to leave Camp Julien for their new mission in the southern Afghan city of Kandahar, where the situation is more dangerous. November 24, 2005 One soldier, Pte. Braun Scott Woodfield, 24, of Eastern Passage, NS, is killed and three CBC News in Review May 2006 Page 11

7 Did you know... From 2001 to April of 2006, Canada had deployed a total of troops to Afghanistan. are injured when their LAV-3 armoured vehicle rolls over near Kandahar. January 15, 2006 A Canadian diplomat, Glyn Berry, 59, is killed and three soldiers are wounded after a suicide bomber attacks a military convoy near Kandahar. Berry, the political director of a provincial reconstruction team, is the first Canadian diplomat ever to be killed while serving abroad. February 15, 2006 Three soldiers, two of them Canadian, are injured when their Mercedes-Benz vehicle rolls over in Kandahar. One day later, two more soldiers are injured in a road accident. February 28, 2006 Brig.-Gen. David Fraser assumes command of the multinational force in southern Afghanistan from U.S. Gen. Karl Eikenberry. Shortly after, a roadside bomb explodes in front of a convoy carrying Canadian soldiers. March 2, 2006 Two Canadian soldiers, Cpl. Paul Davis, 28, of Bridgewater, NS, and Master Cpl. Timothy Wilson, 30, of Grande Prairie, AB, die when their LAV-3 armoured vehicle crashes into a taxi during a patrol on the main highway west of Kandahar. One day later, five soldiers are injured when a suicide bomber attacks their armoured vehicle. March 4, 2006 During a meeting between Canadian soldiers and village elders in Gumbad, near Kandahar, Capt. Trevor Greene, a journalist and former navy officer from Vancouver, BC, is attacked by a man wielding an axe. He suffers serious head injuries. Almost two months after the attack, Greene emerges from a coma and begins physiotherapy. March 7, 2006 Prime Minister Stephen Harper rejects opposition demands for a debate on Canada s military operation in Afghanistan and states that he expects Canadians will support the mission and the troops. March 12, 2006 Harper arrives in Afghanistan on an unannounced visit. In a speech to troops on a Kandahar airfield a day later he states that Canada will not cut and run and will remain committed to the Afghan mission for as long as it takes to complete it. March 14, 2006 Canadian soldiers shoot an Afghan taxi driver near the Kandahar military base. Afghan police begin an investigation of the shooting. March 29, 2006 A Canadian soldier, Pte. Robert Costall, 22, of Thunder Bay, ON, is killed during a nighttime firefight with Taliban insurgents, the first to die in combat in the Afghan mission. Eight Afghan troops and one American are also killed, and three other Canadians are wounded. A month later, a military commission of inquiry is convened to determine whether Costall was killed as a result of friendly fire from nearby U.S. troops. March 30, 2006 A Canadian soldier and six civilians are wounded by a suicide car bomber in Kandahar. April 16, 2006 The Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) announces it is suspending aid projects in Afghanistan because the situation there is too dangerous. April 22, 2006 Four Canadian soldiers, Cpl. Matthew Dinning, 23, of Wingham, ON, Lieut. William Turner, 40, of Edmonton, AB, Bombardier Myles Mansell, 25, of Victoria, BC, and Cpl. Randy Payne, 32, of Gananoque, ON, are killed when a bomb rips apart the lightly armoured military vehicle in which they are travelling while on patrol near Gumbad. Source: CBC News Indepth: Afghanistan: Timeline of Canadian Involvement CBC News in Review May 2006 Page 12

8 Activities 1. To date, how many Canadians have lost their lives as a result of the military mission to Afghanistan? 2. What trends do you note in the casualty rate of Canadian troops participating in the mission to Afghanistan since it began in 2001? 3. What conclusions about the dangers facing Canadian troops in Afghanistan can be drawn from this timeline? 4. How successful will the Canadian mission likely be in your opinion? Explain fully. CBC News in Review May 2006 Page 13

9 AFGHAN FIGHTING: CANADIANS UNDER ATTACK Canada s Military and Humanitarian Mission Further Research To learn more about all Canadian activities in Afghanistan go to Further Research To explore Canada s role in Afghanistan further, consider the official Web sites of the RCMP at at and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at Since the removal of the Taliban regime in the fall of 2001, Canada s military involvement in Afghanistan has steadily increased. In early 2006, Canadian troops assumed command of the southern part of the country, including the major city of Kandahar and the surrounding area considered a Taliban stronghold. Their mission, code-named Operation Archer, involved patrolling this rugged, remote region for remnants of the Taliban and engaging in aggressive search and destroy attacks against them. An important part of this operation involves the effort to win the hearts and minds of the local Afghan population, in both the city of Kandahar itself and in the many remote villages scattered throughout the region. Many of these people are traditionally suspicious of foreigners, especially those from Western countries. Some have also been supporters of the Taliban in the past. However, it is not clear to what extent any assistance they might now be offering the insurgents is a result of genuine allegiance or a result of a campaign of fear and intimidation the Taliban is waging throughout southern Afghanistan. But Canada s role in Afghanistan is more than a strictly military operation. Another key component of it is the Provincial Reconstruction Team that has been dispatched to the Kandahar region in order to assist in the rebuilding of its shattered economy and infrastructure of transportation, communication, and social services. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, CIDA, and the RCMP are all involved in this undertaking, working closely with local Afghan community leaders in reconstruction projects. Canada s humanitarian aid to Afghanistan has increased greatly from the $10-million per year that was being donated prior to the fall of the Taliban. Since diplomatic relations between the two countries were restored in 2002, and the new Canadian embassy was opened in Kabul a year later, Canada s financial commitment to rebuilding Afghanistan has dramatically increased. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Afghanistan is now the single largest recipient of Canadian foreign bilateral aid. Between 2001 and 2009 it is estimated that Canada will contribute $616.5-million to the country s reconstruction. After decades of conflict that began with the Soviet invasion of 1979, Afghanistan s economy and infrastructure of transportation, communication, schools, health care, and social services are almost totally wrecked. For the newly elected democratic government of President Hamid Karzai to survive, let alone achieve its goals of establishing peace and promoting economic development, foreign countries like Canada will have to commit themselves to a long-term humanitarian aid program, in conjunction with their military presence in order to subdue the Taliban insurgents. The initial Canadian military mission to Afghanistan, code-named Operation Apollo, began shortly after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and the U.S.-led invasion that toppled the Taliban regime shortly thereafter. From August 2003 to December 2005, Canada s military commitment fell under the name Operation Athena. It focused on the Afghan capital, Kabul, with the goal of strengthening the CBC News in Review May 2006 Page 14

10 democratic process in advance of the country s first nationwide free elections, held in December Operation Archer, begun in February 2006, is the most recent Canadian military operation in Afghanistan, and is closely linked to the U.S.-led Operation Enduring Freedom. It is concentrated in Kandahar, and represents this country s most significant contribution to the multinational efforts to crush the remnants of the Taliban regime that are still at large in remote areas. Other Canadian operations in Afghanistan include the following: the collection and decommissioning of heavy weapons left over from decades of conflict in the country, including tanks, artillery, rockets, and rocket launchers the clearing of about one-third of the estimated 10 to 15 million land mines planted throughout Afghanistan, many dating from the time of the Soviet invasion micro-loans to more than people in Afghanistan, approximately 90 per cent of whom are women, to assist them in starting small businesses so they can earn a livelihood, something they were prevented from doing under the Taliban regime the training of a new Afghan army and police force. Canadian Forces personnel remain in Kabul to train members of the new Afghan army, while RCMP officers are training a new Afghan police force in Kandahar. The top-secret branch of the Canadian Forces known as Joint Task Force Two has been operating alongside U.S. and other special forces units inside Afghanistan on secret military missions of an undisclosed nature. The following military units of the Canadian Forces have seen active duty in Afghanistan as of April 2006: Royal 22nd Regiment ( Vandoos ) Second Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group Third Battalion Royal Canadian Regiment Third Battalion, Princess Patricia s Light Infantry Royal Canadian Dragoons Source: CBC News Indepth: Afghanistan, Canadian Units Inquiry 1. What are the main components of Canada s mission to Afghanistan? What are its main goals? 2. Why is it so important for Canadian forces in Afghanistan to win the hearts and minds of the local population in their struggle against the Taliban? 3. Do you think that the Canadian public will continue to support the goals of this country s mission to Afghanistan if its human and financial cost continues to increase in the future? Why/why not? CBC News in Review May 2006 Page 15

11 AFGHAN FIGHTING: CANADIANS UNDER ATTACK Who Are the Taliban? Quote Sometimes we will fight face-to-face. Sometimes it will be suicide attacks or roadside bombing assaults. It all depends on the situation. Taliban spokesperson, Qari Mohammad Yousuf (Toronto Star, March 20, 2006) Canadian forces currently on active duty in the volatile Kandahar region of southwestern Afghanistan have an important and difficult task to seek out and destroy insurgents of the Taliban regime that was driven from power in the fall of 2001 following the initial Anglo-American invasion. This military action was itself prompted by the fact that the Taliban had been providing a base of operations for Osama bin Laden s Al Qaeda group. It was from a training camp in a remote part of the country that bin Laden and his followers had orchestrated the stunning terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, on the World Trade Center in New York City, and the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. The invasion of Afghanistan and the subsequent toppling of the Taliban regime was the first stage of the war on terrorism that President George W. Bush declared shortly after the events of September 11. It is a war that the United States continues to wage today, in Iraq as well as Afghanistan. Despite the fact that both bin Laden and former Taliban leader Mullah Omar frustrated U.S. efforts to track them down and continue to remain at large, Bush has declared that the liberation of Afghanistan from Taliban rule is a major victory in his anti-terrorist struggle. But who are the Taliban, and why are they still fighting against the troops from foreign countries that are now occupying their country? The word Taliban in Arabic means student or seeker after truth. The movement, which bases its political beliefs on an extremely rigid and dogmatic interpretation of Islamic religious teachings, was born in Afghan refugee camps in the region of Peshawar, Pakistan, during the struggle against the Soviet occupation that began in The mujahadeen (holy warriors) who conducted a ruthless guerilla war against the invading Red Army received significant military aid from the United States, which viewed them as its frontline allies in the Cold War conflict against the spread of international communism. Osama bin Laden, the son of a fabulously wealth Saudi Arabian businessman with close ties to Washington, left his native country at this time to organize and lead a contingent of devout Muslims from the Wahabbi sect to provide international Islamic solidarity to the mujahadeen. In 1988, following almost a decade of fruitless conflict, Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev finally withdrew Russian forces from Afghanistan, a humiliating defeat that was widely viewed as Russia s Vietnam. Bowing to reality, Gorbachev abandoned the left-wing government of the People s Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA), which had seized power a year before the Soviet invasion. The PDPA had to fend for itself against a growing guerrilla insurgency. The PDPA had tried to introduce major reforms in Afghanistan, including the handing over of land to the peasants, building local health clinics for women, and permitting girls to attend schools. But such policies were anathema to devout Islamic fundamentalists, who viewed the pro-russian PDPA as infidels deserving nothing but total destruction. Among the most dedicated and uncompromising of the various anti-commu- CBC News in Review May 2006 Page 16

12 nist groups that had formed an uneasy alliance against the Soviets were the Taliban. The PDPA regime collapsed in the early 1990s and, in the power vacuum that followed, a number of rival groups struggled for control of Afghanistan, creating a situation of near-chaos in much of the country. Drug lords fought among themselves over the country s lucrative opium poppy trade, and everyday life for most Afghans became a living hell. Cities like Kabul and Kandahar were practically war zones, and the entire country appeared to be collapsing. Out of this disorder the Taliban emerged as the most disciplined and organized of the competing factions, and with substantial military aid from neighbouring Pakistan, they seized Kabul in 1996 and imposed their radical Islamic fundamentalist regime on the country. Once in control of Afghanistan, the Taliban acted quickly on a number of fronts. It practically closed the country off to outside influences, banning television and radio, and severely restricting the entry of foreigners. It outlawed the popular Afghan sport of kite flying and drastically reduced women s rights. Girls were not permitted to attend school, and the only form of education available to boys was an intensive study of the Koran. Women were compelled to wear the blue burkha, a garment that completely covered their faces and bodies, when they went out in public, which was rare. Any form of immoral sexual conduct was severely punished, and public executions were frequently staged to strike fear into the population. But despite these harsh measures, for many Afghans life under the Taliban was preferable to the rampant violence, corruption, and disorder that had marked the previous regime. Under their rule the crime rate dramatically decreased, and the drug trade was ruthlessly suppressed. Mullah Omar, the official leader of the Taliban, was a poorly educated rural religious figure who rarely appeared in public and almost never addressed his people. Neighbouring countries such as Pakistan strongly supported the Taliban regime, believing that it was a force of stability in an otherwise volatile region. And despite its harsh, oppressive, and totally undemocratic rule, the United States also maintained friendly relations with it until after September 11, After he was expelled from Sudan in 1998, Osama bin Laden and his Al Qaeda terrorist group left for Afghanistan, where the Taliban welcomed them as fellow Islamic warriors. The Afghan government wanted to show its gratitude to bin Laden for his assistance during the anti-soviet struggle, and the country s forbidding terrain provided an excellent base for his activities. Following September 11, George Bush demanded that the Taliban turn bin Laden over to the United States. When they refused, U.S. and British planes staged air strikes against Kabul and other Afghan cities. A local anti-taliban military faction known as the Northern Alliance, whose leader, Shah Ahmed Massoud, had been killed by Taliban agents one day before the terrorist attacks on the United States, seized power with U.S. backing, promising to rebuild Afghanistan and establish democratic rule. Afghanistan s new government faces huge challenges. The education system is in tatters, over 75 per cent of the population is illiterate, and few girls are attending school, although they are now permitted to do so. The economy is growing, but the gap between rich and CBC News in Review May 2006 Page 17

13 Further Research To stay informed about the government of Afghanistan, consider exploring the official Web site of the Afghanistan Embassy in the United States at afghanistan.org. poor is wider than ever, and for many Afghans living in the countryside, the opium trade provides their only source of income. Some former Taliban units have entered into negotiations with the new government. In October 2004, the country held its first democratic elections, won by Hamid Karzai. His regime has extended rights to women and worked to curb the power of tribal warlords. But Karzai s nickname is the mayor of Kabul, since his authority does not extend far beyond the capital, where it is backed up by foreign troops. The United States has committed itself to remaining in Afghanistan until its mission of destroying terrorism and bolstering democracy there is complete. Along with other members of the multinational force in the country, it is helping to train and equip a new Afghan army that it hopes will be able to assume responsibility for the country s security by To Consider 1. What factors in Afghanistan s recent history led to the rise of the Taliban as a powerful political force in the country? 2. Why did the Taliban regime receive some support from ordinary Afghans, despite its harsh and oppressive policies? 3. What are the main problems that the new government of Afghanistan faces as it attempts to establish peace and prosperity in the country? 4. Why is foreign assistance so essential for it to achieve these goals? 5. In your view, should Canadians be involved in Afghanistan? Explain. CBC News in Review May 2006 Page 18

14 AFGHAN FIGHTING: CANADIANS UNDER ATTACK Activity: Debate After four Canadian soldiers were killed in a single day in Afghanistan in April 2006, the Conservative government of Prime Minister Stephen Harper made two decisions that proved to be very controversial throughout the country. The first was to change the previous practice of lowering the flag on top of the Parliament Buildings in Ottawa to half-staff every time a Canadian was killed in combat. The second was to restrict media access to the ceremonies that took place at Canadian Forces bases in this country upon the return of the bodies of soldiers killed in combat. The government justified the first measures on the grounds that the flag should only be lowered to honour the deaths of prominent figures such as former prime ministers of Canada. The second decision was based on the view that the return of the bodies of dead Canadian soldiers was a private occasion that should only involve the families of those killed in action. But many Canadians opposed these actions by the new government, believing that they dishonoured the memory of the young Canadians who had sacrificed their lives in Afghanistan. There was also concern that the government s decisions reflected a desire to downplay the growing extent of military casualties in Afghanistan in a manner similar to U.S. President George W. Bush s decision to prohibit media coverage of the return of dead U.S. soldiers from Iraq. Even the families of some of those killed in Afghanistan entered the controversy, expressing concern and disappointment over the Conservative government s policies. As a class, debate the following resolution: The decisions of the Conservative government of Prime Minister Stephen Harper not to lower the Canadian flag to half-staff to honour Canadian soldiers killed in Afghanistan and to restrict media coverage of the return of the bodies of these soldiers are a disservice to their memory. These decisions should be immediately reversed, and an official apology should be extended to the families of those who have been killed in action. Use this organizer to help prepare your ideas before the debate. You might also add ideas presented in the debate before making your final decision on these tough issues. Issue Arguments in Favour Arguments Opposed Lowering the Parliament Building's flag to half-staff Restricting media access at return-ofbodies ceremonies CBC News in Review May 2006 Page 19