Canadian Famine Relief: F-18s and Arms

As I said here: 
 
<a href="http://www.vivelecanada.ca/article.php/20061011184323106">http://www.vivelecanada.ca/article.php/20061011184323106</a> 
 
You cannot distribute aid (unless the Taliban allows it) without securing the area first.--- "I think it's important to always carry enough technology to restart civilization, should it be necessary." Mark Tilden

And you can't secure an area by killing most of the inhabitants.

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If there was ever a time for Canadians to become pushy - now is the time - for time is running out on this nation called Canada.

Actually, by definition, if most of them are dead the area is most definitely secure.

But before proffering such inflamatory statements, perhaps you can show one instance where we killed the majority of the inhabitants?

No? Thought so.

From the link:

"We're not dropping bullets to guys running out of bullets,"

"In Afghanistan, where Canada has no helicopters, its Hercs and the crews willing to fly them into tough spots to air-drop supplies in remote and dangerous locations have won it a reputation."

So, we resupply our allies, they provide close air support for our troops. What's your point?

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"I think it's important to always carry enough technology to restart civilization, should it be necessary." Mark Tilden

Oh, yea, forgot one quote:

"On board are 10 tonnes of food, water and humanitarian aid supplies."

Aid supplies. Hmmmmmm.

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"I think it's important to always carry enough technology to restart civilization, should it be necessary." Mark Tilden

On board are 10 tonnes of food, water and humanitarian aid supplies."

Where's it been dropped off at?

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Expect little from life and get more from it.

A distribution point, I assume. That may be an American or Brit foreward base. Close to the people that need it.

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"I think it's important to always carry enough technology to restart civilization, should it be necessary." Mark Tilden

A distribution point, I assume.,,

I think the question still is "Where is the Famine Relief?" I recall news reports when this all started, that the US had bombed warehouses where the supplies were kept. Apparantly not intentionally but in error. So where is it now and why is it not being distributed?

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Expect little from life and get more from it.

Who said it wasn't distributed? I would assume it has been, just there was more needed. Much more.

But until roads are build, and Semi's can deliver it without hitting IED's, the UN won't distribute it in large quantities.

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"I think it's important to always carry enough technology to restart civilization, should it be necessary." Mark Tilden

BRACEWELL:
Afghanistan is in drought, causing severe food shortages – with no meaningful response/aid from either the ISAF or Canada. Instead of exporting food-for-democracy, Canada is increasing it’s export of lethality.

"I would assume it has been just there was more needed. Much more."

I believe this was the subject of debate. A country being devastated by war rather then the same money and effort being put forward as aid. It don't matter if the plane carries 5 tonnes of food if it drops the equivalent in bombs first. I too, don't believe further destruction is to enable construction. I've been in countries where people live in the debris to start "a new life". They too were told the destruction had to be, inorder for them to have a better life. They didn't believe it either.

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Expect little from life and get more from it.

And that was the crux of my argument too: "with no meaningful response/aid from either the ISAF or Canada."

ISAF and the UN will not distribute aid until the area is safe from Taliban retailiation. People are reluctant to put our soldiers in harm's way, how much are they going to like civillian aid workers getting killed by IED's?

And my point was to address Bracewell's non-sequitr: "Instead of exporting food-for-democracy, Canada is increasing it’s export of lethality."

Canada's export of food and aid money hasn't changed because we sent F-18's to the area. The F-18's will not be lethal to those starving and will be used to support those trying to deliver aid.

The link he provided supports exactally the opposite of what he proports it to say; that aid is being delivered as fast as we can do it.

"I believe this was the subject of debate."

It is, however the more important question should be 'Why are our *soldiers* delivering aid that the UN and Afghan forces should be.' Our soldiers should be providing security for those aid workers, not distributing the aid themselves.

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"I think it's important to always carry enough technology to restart civilization, should it be necessary." Mark Tilden

Our soldiers should be providing security for those aid workers, not distributing the aid themselves.<<

They are providing the security, by attempting to eliminate the enemy of the Western Powers. Only until Afghanistan has excepted western values, will they receive western aid. That includes all Afghani. This country will never rid itself of the Western invaders and must accomodate them if they are to survive. Even if it is to turn on their own countrymen that are struggling to stop the west. The only aid they will ever get will be like a bone given to a beaten dog. Canada may never have to give any substancial aid. I can't see the western culture acceptance in Afghanistan regardless of how many Afghani are killed.

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Expect little from life and get more from it.

In my recent issue of The Peace and War News (<a href="http://users.sgci.com/~peacenews">http://users.sgci.com/~peacenews</a> ) I quoted the recommendations by the Senlis council and by Prof. John Warnock, on how Canada should respond to famine in Afghanistan: 
 
The Senlis Council: 
 
"Due to lack of funding from the international community, the Afghan Government and the United Nations World Food Programme are unable to address Afghanistan’s hunger crisis. Despite appeals for aid funds, the US-led international community has continued to direct the majority of aid funds towards military and security operations. 
"The United Nations World Food Programme has been forced to cancel plans to provide more than 2.5 million Afghans with urgent food aid," said Reinert. "Unless these needs are met, this will have dire consequences for millions of Afghans." 
 
As a result, support for the Taliban is increasing. "The US has lost control in Afghanistan and has in many ways undercut the new democracy in Afghanistan. I think we can call that a failure. … The US policies in Afghanistan have re-created the safe haven for terrorism that the 2001 invasion aimed to destroy." <a href="http://www.senliscouncil.net/modules/publications/013_publication/documents/modules/media_centre/news_releases/68_news">http://www.senliscouncil.net/modules/publications/013_publication/documents/modules/media_centre/news_releases/68_news</a> 
The Senlis Council makes three Recommendations: 
 
1. Send food and water to Afghanistan now – Afghanistan’s hunger crisis must be immediately resolved. 
 
2. Refocus the reconstruction agenda on the poor. 
 
3. "Nonsensical" poppy crop eradication operations must stop immediately. 
 
 
John Warnock writes: 
 
The Provincial Reconstruction Teams have all been closely integrated with the military commands, both OEF and ISAF. The UN Assistance Mission to Afghanistan has also been closely linked to the two military commands. 
 
InterAction, a coalition of around 160 independent aid organizations, has protested that the links between their organizations and the military organizations have undermined their efforts and made them vulnerable to violent attacks. 
 
There is an alternate course of action for the Canadian government. 
 
It would mean a return to our traditional role of peacekeeping and humanitarian aid: 
 
 
- Withdraw all military forces from Afghanistan and withdraw from all projects being sponsored by the US government and NATO. 
 
- Work within the UN General Assembly to develop a new project for Afghanistan which would emphasize emergency food aid, a significant program to help Afghan farmers to produce food for their own people, and health care. This would be completely separate from any US or NATO project. 
The application of this revised UN program would exclude the participation of all countries involved in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. 
- Any security forces needed to protect this UN operation would be drawn, if possible, from Muslim countries and would be financially supported by peacekeeping countries like Canada. 
– John Warnock, Canada, the United States, and Afghanistan <a href="http://actupinsask.org">http://actupinsask.org</a> 
 
In other words we have to dissociate ourselves from the US-led military activity in Afg if we want to be seen as trustworthy by the people. And seek an international framework that separates aid from all military taint.