From the NDP website, a so-called "reality check":
Within minutes of finishing his speech to the United Nations defending the unbalanced military mission in Afghanistan, Prime Minister Harper was contradicted by none other than President Karzai of Afghanistan.
Harper says:
" ... approximately 20,000 troops from 37 countries — roughly 2,500 Canadians included — are contributing to military efforts to help stabilise Afghanistan and eliminate the remnants of the Taliban regime once and for all."
—Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Speech to the United Nations General Assembly, 21 September 2006.
How Mr. Harper's take on things differs from that of Afghan President Hamid Karzai.
Karzai says:
"Bombings in Afghanistan are no solution to the Taliban. You do not destroy terrorism by bombing villages. You do not destroy terrorism by launching military operations in areas where only the symptoms have emerged."
—Afghan President Hamid Karzai, speaking at the U.S. Council on Foreign Relations, CBC Newsworld, 21 September 2006
Harper told the UN, that "the democratically elected government of Afghanistan — led by President Karzai — requested the assistance of the United Nations and its member states in the struggle against terror, intimidation, violence and oppression." Given Karzai's stern condemnation of the military operation today, it's clear that the highest levels of the Afghan government are less supportive of this unbalanced military mission than the Conservatives are letting on.
I can't find the full text of Karzai's interview, so it is hard to understand the context of his comments. [Update: Thanks to a reader, we have the full interview. It highlights the full scope of the NDP lie.]
But to link those words, without the supporting context, to the actions of Canadian troops, is vile.
First of all, Canadian "military efforts" don't include the bombing of villages. That is a scandalous slur if I ever heard one. Four Canadian soldiers were killed by a Taliban suicide bomber while they were in one of those villages handing out candy to children. The bombs aimed at villages are being delivered by Jack Layton's friends in the Taliban, not by Canadian troops.
But what's really disgusting is that the "reality check" is still on the website despite the words of Hamid Karzai today in parliament, right in the face of Jack Layton:
Canadian efforts in Afghanistan are properly balanced between reconstruction and military support, Afghan President Hamid Karzai said Friday, a direct rebuff to people such as NDP Leader Jack Layton who say the mission is out of whack.
Karzai, who is seeking to bolster support for the Afghanistan mission in a country where polls show a deeply divided electorate, said he is deeply grateful for Canadian aid, adding that the operation must include military help as well as development.
"I can tell you with confidence that what Canada has given to Afghanistan is very generous and we are grateful for it and it is focused properly on the reconstruction of the country and also helping fight terrorism in the country," he told a news conference.
Should these troops be withdrawn?
[Karzai] also said he was against an early withdrawal of Canada's troops, as Layton has urged, saying they are defending Canadian security as well as Afghanistan.
"Your service in Afghanistan is no doubt a service to the Afghan people for our security, for our livelihood," he said. "But it is also equally a service to Canadian security, to Canadian safety."
Asked if Canada should stay in Afghanistan beyond its present commitment to 2009, Karzai said an extension would be welcome, but stopped short of urging it.
Karzai knows enough to understand the boundaries of wise political discourse, especially when a guest in a foreign country. He also know when to get personal:
[Karzai] thanked Canada for its efforts in his troubled country and extended his condolences to the families of Canadian soldiers killed in Afghanistan, saying he recognizes that this is a "time of sadness for many families across Canada who have lost loved ones in my country."
Jack Layton ought to take personal responsibility for the misleading quotes on the party website. To take someone else's words, quote them without context [see the full context here], and then link them in such a way as to cast aspersions on Canadian troops is both underhanded and cowardly. If Jack Layton thinks Canadian troops are bombing villages, he should stand up and say it himself, instead of trying to use Hamid Karzai as his proxy.
And just because I know how these things can mysteriously disappear, here are some screenshots.
The original page on the website (in two parts):
And an image of the printable version (in one shot):
