Harper Spouts Bush Talking Points - Again

Following the news from Canada's top soldier on Monday that our armed forces are stretched so thin that they now have to turn to civilian contractors for help and that some JTF2 soldiers have quit Afghanistan to work in Iraq for more pay in private security positions, NDP leader Jack Layton confronted Defence Minister O'Connor and PM Harper during Question Period on Tuesday:

Layton: Mr Speaker, all this shows that we were completely unprepared as a country to be involved in this mission. And in fact that's what our commanders advised the Liberals when they were contemplating this idea in the first place. Our generals told us they they wanted nothing to do with this mission at the time and now there's a scrambling by this government to try to salvage a mission that was wrong-headed in the first place. And, at the same time, we have experts telling us that we're losing the battle for the hearts and minds of the Afghan people as well as our international reputation. When is the prime minister going to realize that we're on the wrong track and rethink it - get us onto a mission...[unintelligable - time ran out for the question]

Harper: Mr Speaker I can assure the honourable member that the leadership of the military and the men and women in uniform are fully committed to their jobs and to this mission. What I wonder is when the NDP will realize it is on the wrong track in opposing a mandate of the United Nations, when it is on the wrong track in being against the democratically elected government of Afghanistan and when it is in [sic] the wrong track in not backing the men and women in uniform.

When will these right-wingers learn that asking questions about the viability of a military mission in the face of evidence from the top military brass that our forces are so overstretched that the government is busy placing bandaids on a profusely bleeding wound does not equate with being anti-troops, anti-democracy or anti-progress?

That is definitely one of the lowest forms of criticism and Harper, like his mentor Bush, seems incapable of understanding the basic truth of the situation: if our troops are not well-supported, not well-trained and are losing elite members to higher paying jobs elsewhere while trying to fight a counter-insurgency that is unrelenting, it is the government's duty to be frank and honest about our capabilities or lack thereof to either complete the mission it has committed us to in the best possible manner or to withdraw.

Canadians who want accountability deserve more than being told they don't support the troops in an arrogant, dismissive way that is all too familiar as the 'my way or the highway' attitude of this Tory government and Harper should have learned from Tony Blair's experience that being a Bush sockpuppet while spouting GOP talking points is a losing strategy.

There's a war going on. Attacking the opposition in such a shallow way is beyond the pale and it's time for Harper to act like the leader he's supposed to be - if he's even capable of doing so, which I highly doubt considering the huge amount of evidence we have to this point to the contrary.

If you support bringing our troops home now, you can sign this NDP petition.