[R-G] Layton Supports Afghan Surge

[Anthony Fenton]

http://www.nationalpost.com/opinion/story.html?id=1396155

Canada's next steps in Afghanistan

Jack Layton,  National Post

We've come a long way since the first voices in our country called for  
a new role for Canada in Afghanistan. Internationally and in Canada,  
we are seeing a new will emerging to turn the page and begin a more  
balanced policy toward Afghanistan.

Gone are the name-calling and overheated rhetoric. Gone is the  
questioning of support for our troops. In their place is recognition  
of the limits of force in dealing with a situation that has its roots  
in politics and the economy. World leaders are now looking for ways to  
stabilize Afghanistan and the region.

President Obama has made significant shifts in America's Afghanistan  
policy. A surge in troop levels will be accompanied by greater  
emphasis on security and political outcomes. Envoy Richard Holbrooke  
will be a formidable advocate for diplomatic resolution. A high-level  
UN conference, called for by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, will  
begin mapping out a strategy for regional stability at The Hague on  
March 31. In a significant move by the U. S. administration, Iran will  
be invited.

In Canada, the Department of National Defence has admitted that the  
"insurgency is a political problem. The mere attrition of insurgents  
is highly unlikely to result in [their] defeat." Prime Minister  
Harper, an ardent supporter of staying the course, confessed recently  
that Canada will not win this war just by staying.

I'm glad Prime Minister Harper now sees that stability and peace  
require negotiation. New Democrats have been trying to convince him of  
that for some time. But what matters now is determining our next steps.

Our skills and reputation as a peacemaker give Canada the basis for an  
active role after our troops withdraw in 2011. We must begin laying  
the foundations for that diplomatic role now. I believe that a special  
envoy, who may be more concerned with our national interest, will not  
have a significant impact.

For any peace initiative to work, informal discussions have to prepare  
the ground, identify regional partners and discover and test new  
political ideas and solutions. Canada can take the lead on this by  
appointing an eminent persons group to take on this task, as recently  
and similarly proposed in these pages by Professor Fen Osler Hampson.

Two eminent persons who would make an excellent basis for such a group  
are former UN envoy Lakhdar Brahimi and former permanent observer of  
the Organization of Islamic Conference to the United Nations Mokhtar  
Lamani, who is Canadian. Our foreign affairs critic Paul Dewar is  
currently advocating this approach -- and these candidates -- at an  
international conference in the U. K.

These individuals possess credibility and respect in the region. They  
understand the challenges. They have the contacts and the previous  
experience necessary to open new avenues of dialogue with key  
constituents and affected parties. They can establish the basis for  
more formal talks.

This group would have many advantages. It would broaden the scope of  
diplomacy to actively include more external actors. It would ensure  
that the scope of engagement includes the people of Afghanistan -- in  
particular, women -- and their civil society representatives, not just  
the warring factions and regional power players.

It would maximize engagement with moderate elements of the insurgency,  
including those who are fighting with the Taliban not for ideological  
reasons,

but for food and money to support their families. Targeted engagement  
is critical to isolating the small percentage of extreme ideologues  
among the insurgents.

United Nations leadership is essential, and therefore this group would  
function independently of Canada and as a part of broader UN effort  
for peace-building in the region. However, establishing such a group  
could be a major Canadian contribution. It would be our "political  
surge" as called for by the Special Representative of the Secretary- 
General, Kai Eide. It would also align well with our efforts to obtain  
a seat on the Security Council in 2010, by demonstrating our maturity  
and skill in resolving conflicts.

We missed the opportunity for more rigorous diplomacy over the past  
seven years in Afghanistan. We must now act with determination to  
achieve lasting stability and peace in the region.

Without a focused framework and diplomatic muscle, the great efforts  
and sacrifices made to date will go less rewarded.

-Jack Layton is leader of the New Democratic Party of Canada.