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ST. JOHN'S — A warning from Britain's most senior military commander that the Afghanistan war cannot be won and may only be resolved through peace talks involving the Taliban validates the NDP's position on the conflict, party Leader Jack Layton said Sunday.
Mr. Layton, campaigning Sunday in St. John's, said Brig.-Gen. Mark Carleton-Smith's assessment echoes the view of his party and many voters who want Canada's troops out of the war-ravaged country.
“I'm heartened by the words of this senior military commander who is adding his voice to those many, many Canadians and others around the world who believe that the prosecution of the continued war effort has got to be changed,” Mr. Layton said.
“The New Democrats came out very early with this view and we've continued to argue respectfully with those who disagree that there's got to be a new path ... Let's hope that more and more people are reaching this conclusion.”
NDP leader Jack Layton speaks at the Pippy Park Golf Course during a campaign stop on Sunday in St. John's, Nfld. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette)
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Defence Minister Peter MacKay repeated the Conservative government's position that any negotiations with the Taliban must be led by the Afghan government.
He said Mr. Layton was wrong to interpret Carleton-Smith's opinion as support for the NDP's stance.
“Jack's off base as he is on so many issues,” said Mr. MacKay, who was also in St. John's to shore up support for the Conservatives.
“Mr. Layton's position has been that we should completely capitulate and somehow sit down and talk with the Taliban, which is impossible for the Canadian government to do.”
Mr. MacKay did not say whether he agreed that the war in Afghanistan was not winnable.
But Mr. MacKay said he read Carleton-Smith's remarks in the Sunday Times of London “with great interest” because the British commander supported the Conservative position that the Afghan government must lead any discussions with the Taliban.
However, the newspaper did not quote Brig.-Gen. Carleton-Smith saying that.
John Manley, who led a non-partisan panel on Canada's current and future military role in Afghanistan, said he wasn't surprised by Brig.-Gen.Carleton-Smith's comments because the panel came to a similar conclusion in January.
The Taliban movement is not a monolithic entity and there are people behind the insurgency who can be persuaded there is a non-violent way to end the war, Mr. Manley said.
“When you use decapitation as a method of persuasion, it's hard to find common ground with those people, but we shouldn't allow ourselves to go down the road of thinking that's the only group that's out there,” Mr. Manley told CTV on Sunday.
“There are a lot that are different from that and we need to build bridges with them and we need to make their lives better. We need to make sure that we are empowering those groups in society, particularly women, who can offset that.”
Mr. Manley said members of NATO and the United Nations must be engaged, emphasizing that Pakistan's involvement in a settlement would be critical for peace to be lasting.
Two years ago, Mr. Layton was derided for suggesting there should be a dialogue with the Taliban.
That prompted the Conservatives to label Mr. Layton “Taliban Jack.”
