France's promise to send a battalion of troops to eastern Afghanistan represents a "significant and historic re-engagement" in NATO, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said Thursday, adding that conditions had been met to extend Canada's role in the region.
France is sending an additional 700 troops to eastern Afghanistan which frees up an unspecified number of American troops — at least I haven't seen a number — to join Canadian forces in Kandahar. That and what Harper describes as "considerable progress" in acquiring the equipment John Manley itemized in his report is considered to be success and the mission is officially extended. As I said, what comes out of the meeting has been deemed to be close enough as we always knew it would be. We got gamed as we all knew would happen right from the time Harper named his panel. It's been like watching a train wreck in slow motion.
Does this at least mean that John Manley will sit down and shut up for a while?
Does this at least mean that John Manley will sit down and shut up for a while?
Doubtful. He is positioning himself for a leadership run -- of which party I am uncertain at this time.
Just kill me. Kill me now.
Hell, perhaps we're looking at the birth of a new party - The Conservative Liberal Party of Canada with PM John Manley. Excuse me while I wash that image out of my mind with a quantity of alcohol. Maybe they're taking political refugees in Russia or Iraq even.
I ask once again: who was the clever person who, looking over the make-up of Manley's panel (not one member of which had any expertise in foreign affairs but all of whom are pantingly wannabe good on the turf of NA trade), wrote that Canadian soldiers are dying in Kandahar so that trucks can keep rolling across the Ambassador Bridge?
Worse thought: leadership run-off for the Libs among ... Rae, Ignatieff, and Manley.
Ok. Who else here is feeling that s/he has lived too long?
Is there asylum in Iceland? Someone? Anyone? Help us? Canada calling ... please pick up if you can help.