Would help protect pipeline, Canada says
Canadian Forces would support the Afghan National Army in providing security for a proposed natural gas pipeline through war-torn Kandahar if the Afghanistan government asks for help, federal officials said yesterday.But the Canadian government has not been involved in any planning for the project, including the potential need to protect the pipeline from insurgent attacks, officials added.
The pipeline has suddenly become an issue because of this:
In a report released yesterday, international energy economist John Foster said the pipeline could require Canada's assistance in providing security, particularly as Afghanistan has vowed to clear the route of land mines and insurgents before the proposed construction start date of 2010.Our government assures us that Canada has had no role in actually promoting the project. But since the U.S. is strongly backing it why would it need Canada's help? There's also this from a CCPA press release yesterday on the same report:
The report notes that Canadian Members of Parliament and officials have participated in regional energy meetings; but in government speeches and media reports, it’s as if no meetings have ever taken place.Well that's peculiar, isn't it? And I can't help but be reminded of the way that some felt our involvement in Afghanistan shouldn't be the subject of an election campaign because it was much too important an issue to be decided by mere voters. I wonder what John Manley knew and when he knew it.
And that's what you get when you treat something like a big secret and keep the debate away from us ordinary folk. We get suspicious. I've already seen one internet wag refer to this project as Operation Enduring Pipeline. I wonder if that will catch on.
If I remember correctly (and I don't have time at the moment to check), this is the same pipeline the US government was busy negotiating with the evil Taliban government in Afghanistan prior to the September 11 attack. But, of course, the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq had absolutely nothing to do with oil - they were all about spreading democracy around the globe. And, if you believe that, I have a slightly used bridge or two you might be interested in.
"Operation Enduring Pipeline" has a nice ring to it and means that Canadian troops will be committed to Afghanistan until the first flock of pigs flies by on their way to watch hell freeze over. No wonder the Harpies want 1/2 a trillion dollars for the military. Now we know which rat hole its going down.
How about we just give each Canadian $15,000 and send the Conservative Party to Afghanistan instead?
You remember correctly. Some of us were suspicious of the U.S. "failure" to negotiate successfully with the Taliban after 9/11, and began discussing this topic then, even before the (obviously inevitable) invasion began -- and we were ridiculed then even more intensely than we were for our suspicions over Iraq. BushCo knew that they could exploit the blind desire for vengeance and the general ignorance of Afghanistan, so they leapt at the opportunity. That pipeline has always been in the cards.
Arghh. Having missed your post, I blundered ahead on my own.
Operation Enduring Pipeline was I think what we used to call the invasion way back when we were all discussing Unocal vs Bridas as the motive for it.
I note that Foster is listed in the 82 endnotes and citations below his report as having made a submission to Manley's Independent Panel on Canada’s Future Role in Afghanistan. He says :
"It ignored Central Asia, regional geopolitics and energy issues, albeit at least one submission
(made by this author) brought these matters to the panel’s attention."
So the cat's out of the bag. Will there be a real discussion now? Probably not. Are we led to believe that the Liberals knew nothing of the 'operation enduring pipeline' either? Manley has been a 'deep integration' booster all along. Canada doing it's little part for the empire. Business as usual.