Canada Afghanistan renewed role 2011

A consensus among political observers, military analysts and others has definitely emerged strongly over the past few weeks: the government has not thought out its current stated plan to withdraw from Afghanistan post-2011. From the Vancouver Sun:

A handful of Canadian soldiers will remain in Pristina until 2012 to support the Kosovo Security Force, yet if the rhetoric holds true, all 2,800 Canadian troops in Afghanistan will be home by July 2011.

It's an inconsistency lost on few military experts who suggest the massive withdrawal from Afghanistan, which remains far from secure, is both a bad idea and completely out of character for Canada.

Queen's University defence policy expert Douglas Bland calls it "bizarre" given Canada is still in places such as Cyprus and the Golan Heights 46 and 56 years after the fact, respectively.

"Decisions to leave usually have a rationale around it," Bland says.

"The decision to leave (Afghanistan) in 2011 is just an idea that's floating in space. It has no connection to anything. To relations with the U.S., relations with NATO, relations with the Afghan people . . . It has nothing to do with the context of the operation."