THE CANADIAN PRESS
VAUGHAN, Ont. 鈥� As Stephen Harper continues to make the case for war against Islamic extremists in Iraq and Syria, the last militant group that was the target of sa国际传媒鈥檚 military firepower is showing a resurgence of its own.
The Taliban have recaptured their first urban stronghold since the NATO-led invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, seizing the city of Kunduz in a surprise onslaught that caught Afghan and military officials off guard.
While sa国际传媒鈥檚 bloody war in that country was fought mainly in the southern province of Kandahar, Taliban fighters reportedly seized a number of armoured vehicles made with Canadian parts after the siege 鈥� the legacy of this country鈥檚 many contributions to the effort during a 10-year mission.
That mission rarely gets a mention these days in political circles 鈥� and didn鈥檛 surface at all in Monday鈥檚 foreign policy leaders鈥� debate.
Only time will tell whether global efforts in Afghanistan truly resulted in the ability of Afghanistan to become a stable country, Harper said Tuesday, drawing parallels with what鈥檚 happening now in the fight against militants in Iraq and Syria.
鈥淥bviously what has to happen over the long term in all of these situations is we have to have effective governance established on the ground by people on the ground,鈥� Harper said.
鈥淎nd obviously the fact that that isn鈥檛 there is a significant problem.鈥�
A scathing report Tuesday from the Centre for Strategic and International Studies said the Taliban鈥檚 offensive is a reflection of a badly planned and poorly managed end to the international war there, laying the blame not just on the U.S., but also the Afghan government and the United Nations.
But Harper still sees a silver lining.
Afghanistan no longer provides a base for would-be terrorists to plot attacks against the world as it did when the U.S. invaded in 2001, he said.
鈥淲e do not see that threat emanating from Afghanistan, although we are obviously concerned about the challenges that remain in that country,鈥� he said after a campaign announcement in the Toronto-area city of Vaughan.
鈥淟ikewise, in the case of ISIS, we鈥檙e fully aware that ISIS is at best contained but that is also a significant change.鈥�
The United States estimates that the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, known as ISIL or ISIS, has lost about a quarter of the territory it controlled at the height of the group鈥檚 dominance in 2014.
Harper characterized that group as a potentially more dangerous threat to Canadians than the Taliban ever were, saying their goal wasn鈥檛 to run Iraq or Syria but to wage a global fight against the world.
A rare mis-speak on Harper鈥檚 part, however, shows how some people might see the two fights as different sides of the same coin.
鈥淭hat is one of the reasons ... why the Canadian military and others are there making sure we put the pressure on the Taliban 鈥� excuse me, on ISIS 鈥� keep them pinned down, keep the attack on them.鈥�
The Conservatives repeatedly characterize the government鈥檚 efforts in the war in Iraq as part of a multi-pronged strategy that includes humanitarian support and assistance to refugees.
While the refugee question was barely an issue during the war in Afghanistan, the notion of backing up military might with development was a key part of the strategy.
Millions in Canadian aid dollars were spent on governance initiatives in Afghanistan as well as on programs to shore up the ability of local security forces to keep the peace in the country.
But a recent evaluation of that spending concluded there was little in the way of long-term, sustainable results. In the case of Afghanistan鈥檚 army and police, they鈥檝e suffered heavy casualties and have seen their resources spread thin across the country as the Taliban have taken their fight to topple the Kabul government to every corner of the country.
As part of sa国际传媒鈥檚 combat mission in Iraq, there are 69 special forces engaged in training Peshmerga fighters, a model similar to what sa国际传媒 had done with Afghan police and soldiers.
Most of the focus of sa国际传媒鈥檚 financial support to Iraq is for humanitarian needs and government officials have said in the past that longer-term projects can鈥檛 be carried out until there is better stability in the region.
The future of sa国际传媒鈥檚 mission against ISIL is a major point of differentiation among the three main campaigns. The NDP wants to completely withdraw from any military commitment and focus on humanitarian aid, while the Liberals say soldiers should be there 鈥� but for training efforts, not the air war.
Neither party has explained their positions adequately, said Harper.
鈥淭hey provide no explanation whatsoever as to how that would be good for our country, how that would do anything other than free ISIS to do exactly what it wants to do, unharassed, plan terrorist attacks against us,鈥� he said.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 why we鈥檙e there and I think Canadians understand why we鈥檙e there.鈥�
鈥� with files from The Associated Press
