U.S. President serves notice that allies, including Canada, will be asked to keep contributing to eventual victory
PAUL KORING AND CAMPBELL CLARK
March 28, 2009
WASHINGTON and OTTAWA -- President Barack Obama recast the U.S. war with Islamic extremism yesterday as a must-win struggle in the "the most dangerous place in the world" on both sides of the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.
Vowing to "disrupt, dismantle and defeat" the Taliban and al-Qaeda, the new U.S. President made the conflict in Central Asia his war and served notice that allies, including Canada, will be expected to keep contributing to eventual victory.
"The situation is increasingly perilous. It's been more than seven years since the Taliban was removed from power, yet war rages on and insurgents control parts of Afghanistan and Pakistan."
Mr. Obama, who has already ordered a surge of more than 17,000 additional U.S. soldiers and Marines to Afghanistan, promised another 4,000 troops yesterday, taking the total to more than 55,000. Another 30,000 soldiers from various allied and NATO nations, including 2,500 from Canada, are also deployed in Afghanistan.
"Understand that we have a clear and focused goal: to disrupt, dismantle and defeat al-Qaeda in Pakistan and Afghanistan, and to prevent their return to either country in the future," the President said. "That's the goal that must be achieved. That is a cause that could not be more just."
In meetings next week in Europe, the President will seek to rally allies to the new central front against Islamic extremism, although it is now clear that, unlike the Bush administration, Washington will no longer demand allies shift their troops to southern Afghanistan where the fighting is. The Obama administration also seems resigned to the announced pullout dates set by Canada and the Netherlands, two of the countries engaged in combat.
Still, U.S. national security adviser James Jones, a retired four-star general and former supreme allied commander at NATO, said: "As America does more, we will ask others to do their part."
The Harper government, already committed to pulling out of Afghanistan in 2011 - long before anyone expects the insurgency to end - has vaguely hinted at a post-combat role.
A senior State Department official said the American surge assumed that Canadian forces would continue their mission in Afghanistan.
"There remains a critical role for Canada as we go through this period," said James Steinberg, deputy state secretary. "I would not necessarily say that the fact that we're coming in somehow displaces the Canadian forces."
As for the Canadian government's plan to end its military mission in 2011, Mr. Steinberg said "our focus right now is on the next two years."
In Ottawa, the Harper government claimed the Obama administration's new strategy echoed the approach favoured by Canadians for some time, but opposition politicians said it showed that the world is moving toward regional diplomacy to deal with Afghanistan, and Canada is being left out.
Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon said the U.S. focus on a broader approach, including regional efforts that focus more attention on Pakistan, reflects Canada's own priorities, although he said Canada does not intend to increase its spending to respond to Mr. Obama's call for more aid to Pakistan.
"We don't foresee increasing budgets," Mr. Cannon said.
Mr. Obama also called for the creation of a "contact" group of NATO allies, neighbouring countries and regional players such as Iran, Russia, India and China - although it is not clear whether Canada will have a role.
Canadian officials said they expect diplomats to be involved in talks "affiliated" with that group, but said Canada's role is likely to become more clear at a "big tent" conference of interested nations on Afghanistan in The Hague this weekend and at next week's NATO summit.
"We have a right to be there, we're an important player, but the Harper government has sat there and said, 'Let's let Barack Obama fix this for us,' " Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff said.
The Liberals and NDP said that Canada is letting the United States forge ahead without getting a seat at the table, noting that Prime Minister Stephen Harper has rejected calls for Canada to appoint a super-envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan, as the United States and several European countries have done.
With a report from John Ibbitson in Washington
PAUL KORING AND CAMPBELL CLARK
March 28, 2009
WASHINGTON and OTTAWA -- President Barack Obama recast the U.S. war with Islamic extremism yesterday as a must-win struggle in the "the most dangerous place in the world" on both sides of the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.
Vowing to "disrupt, dismantle and defeat" the Taliban and al-Qaeda, the new U.S. President made the conflict in Central Asia his war and served notice that allies, including Canada, will be expected to keep contributing to eventual victory.
"The situation is increasingly perilous. It's been more than seven years since the Taliban was removed from power, yet war rages on and insurgents control parts of Afghanistan and Pakistan."
Mr. Obama, who has already ordered a surge of more than 17,000 additional U.S. soldiers and Marines to Afghanistan, promised another 4,000 troops yesterday, taking the total to more than 55,000. Another 30,000 soldiers from various allied and NATO nations, including 2,500 from Canada, are also deployed in Afghanistan.
"Understand that we have a clear and focused goal: to disrupt, dismantle and defeat al-Qaeda in Pakistan and Afghanistan, and to prevent their return to either country in the future," the President said. "That's the goal that must be achieved. That is a cause that could not be more just."
In meetings next week in Europe, the President will seek to rally allies to the new central front against Islamic extremism, although it is now clear that, unlike the Bush administration, Washington will no longer demand allies shift their troops to southern Afghanistan where the fighting is. The Obama administration also seems resigned to the announced pullout dates set by Canada and the Netherlands, two of the countries engaged in combat.
Still, U.S. national security adviser James Jones, a retired four-star general and former supreme allied commander at NATO, said: "As America does more, we will ask others to do their part."
The Harper government, already committed to pulling out of Afghanistan in 2011 - long before anyone expects the insurgency to end - has vaguely hinted at a post-combat role.
A senior State Department official said the American surge assumed that Canadian forces would continue their mission in Afghanistan.
"There remains a critical role for Canada as we go through this period," said James Steinberg, deputy state secretary. "I would not necessarily say that the fact that we're coming in somehow displaces the Canadian forces."
As for the Canadian government's plan to end its military mission in 2011, Mr. Steinberg said "our focus right now is on the next two years."
In Ottawa, the Harper government claimed the Obama administration's new strategy echoed the approach favoured by Canadians for some time, but opposition politicians said it showed that the world is moving toward regional diplomacy to deal with Afghanistan, and Canada is being left out.
Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon said the U.S. focus on a broader approach, including regional efforts that focus more attention on Pakistan, reflects Canada's own priorities, although he said Canada does not intend to increase its spending to respond to Mr. Obama's call for more aid to Pakistan.
"We don't foresee increasing budgets," Mr. Cannon said.
Mr. Obama also called for the creation of a "contact" group of NATO allies, neighbouring countries and regional players such as Iran, Russia, India and China - although it is not clear whether Canada will have a role.
Canadian officials said they expect diplomats to be involved in talks "affiliated" with that group, but said Canada's role is likely to become more clear at a "big tent" conference of interested nations on Afghanistan in The Hague this weekend and at next week's NATO summit.
"We have a right to be there, we're an important player, but the Harper government has sat there and said, 'Let's let Barack Obama fix this for us,' " Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff said.
The Liberals and NDP said that Canada is letting the United States forge ahead without getting a seat at the table, noting that Prime Minister Stephen Harper has rejected calls for Canada to appoint a super-envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan, as the United States and several European countries have done.
With a report from John Ibbitson in Washington
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