Potpourri

BELOW(30)(30)(30)(30)(30)30)(30)(30)(30)(30)(30)30)(30)(30)(30)(30)(30)30)(30)(30)(30)(30)(30)(30)(30)(30)30)(30)(30)(30)(30)

Potpourris

ITEM I

Aase reads the newspaper ads.  She drew my attention to the following which was on the one from Zeller's .

Warm Greetings
to you from Zellers

CHRISTMAS

A special time for making lasting
memories while celebrating
the birth of Jesus Christ.
Merry Christmas
December 25th, 2008

There will no doubt be those castigating this unheard of break with political correctness.  We won't be among them.  Rather our hope is that it is followed by others.

ITEM II

Christmas is coming and with it demands on my time such that the Digest will be more limited in coverage and perhaps irregular in that there will be a repetition of this subject line "Subject: Daily Digest December 11-12, 2008".  You can almost be certain there will be something.  Those considering me to be somewhat obsessive compulsive about getting the Digest out are in all probability right

ITEM III

One thing that ticks me off is crowing about something and then doing the opposite.  Reckon because of this, not doing so, is one reason among others I've never been in a political decision making capacity.  There's an expression "Always a bridesmaid, never a bride" that can be altered to "Always the opposition, never the governing".  For several days now articles have appeared that have irritated me. They led to the post below being sent out to editors and columnists. Agree or disagree, privately or publicly on the Digest, with the points made for either is your right.  Either way I hope you see why I've been discomfited.

        " Merry Christmas" and a pleasant time in the days leading up to the 24th and 25th.

              Joe

«¤»¥«¤»«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»

To: National Media <joe.hueglin@bellnet.ca>
From: Joe Hueglin <joe.hueglin@bellnet.ca>
Subject: Accountability and transparency? You judge


Are accountability and transparency that were to be a hallmarks of the New Conservative Government still priorities?

The embattled budget officer's funding being frozen has "reports under way on native residential schools and large information technology projects in government and is analysing information for MPs on economic stimulus, bailouts for the auto industry, federal assets that could go up for sale and the savings from ongoing spending reviews in departments.", all matters of importance that may well not be completed as previously approved  budgetary funding is cut.

That what by law is to be a 30 day turn around in access to information requests is now being extended to a year is cited in How safe is our food? Don't ask Feds withhold records on management of the listeria crisis.

There are reports that reveal concerns over drug use among Canadian military and "Too many stressed soldiers slipping through cracks" http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2008/12/17/military-stress.html

One question googled that yields no answer is the number of physical casualties Canadian Forces have taken in Afghanistan. If you are aware of a site where there is transparency and accountability on a continuing basis in this regard, please pass it in.

Seldom is anything done without something of value resulting therefrom.  In searching for "Canadian casualties in Afghanistan" the
following in largest measure non-political assessment of the Afghanistan War was come upon.  Now months old its interesting to compare it to the political spin we are expected to accept and events, particularly attacks on supply routes, that were forecast.

Joe Hueglin
 905-356-3901
_____________________________________________________________________
The attached is a report by General Barry R. McCaffrey (Ret'd), United States Army. I would like to thank Commander Ken Hansen and Lieutenant Colonel Kent Davis (Ret'd) who both forwarded this document for dissemination.

This memorandum makes the following six major points regarding the current situation in Afghanistan - none of which should be surprising.
http://www.airforce.forces.gc.ca/cfawc/Contemporary_Studies/2008/2008-Jul/2008-07-30_McCaffrey_Report_on_Afghanistan_e.asp

"THE BOTTOM LINE: SIX ASSERTIONS.

    1. Afghanistan is in misery. 68% of the population has never known peace. Life expectancy is 44 years. It has the second highest maternal mortality rate in the world: One of six pregnant Afghan women dies for each live birth. Terrorist incidents and main force insurgent violence is rising (34% increase this year in kinetic events.) Battle action and casualties are now much higher in Afghanistan for US forces than they are in Iraq. The Afghan government at provincial and district level is largely dysfunctional and corrupt. The security situation (2.8 million refugees); the economy (unemployment 40% and rising, extreme poverty 41%, acute food shortages, inflation 12% and rising, agriculture broken); the giant heroin/opium criminal enterprise ($4 billion and 800 metric tons of heroin); and Afghan governance are all likely to get worse in the coming 24 months.

    2. The magnificent, resilient Afghan people absolutely reject the ideology and violence of the Taliban (90% or greater) but have little faith in the ability of the government to provide security, justice, clean water, electricity, or jobs. Much of Afghanistan has great faith in US military forces, but enormous suspicion of the commitment and staying power of our NATO allies.

    3. The courageous and determined NATO Forces (the employable forces are principally US, Canadian, British, Polish, and Dutch) and the Afghan National Army (the ANA is a splendid success story) cannot be defeated in battle. They will continue to slaughter the Pashtun insurgents, criminals, and international terrorist syndicates who directly confront them. (7000+ killed during 2007 alone.) The Taliban will increasingly turn to terrorism directed against the people and the Afghan National Police. However, the atmosphere of terror cannot be countered by relying mainly on military means. We cannot win through a war of attrition. The economic and political support provided by the international community is currently inadequate to deal with the situation.

    4. 2009 will be the year of decision. The Taliban and a greatly enhanced foreign fighter presence will: strike decisive blows against selected NATO units; will try to erase the FATA and Baluchi borders with Afghanistan; will try to sever the road networks and stop the construction of new roads (Route # 1 -- the Ring Road from Kabul to Kandahar is frequently now interdicted); and will try to strangle and isolate the capital. Without more effective and non-corrupt Afghan political leadership at province and district level, Afghanistan may become a failed state hosting foreign terrorist communities with global ambitions. Afghan political elites are focused more on the struggle for power than governance.

    5. US unilateral reinforcements driven by US Defense Secretary Bob Gates have provided additional Army and Marine combat forces and significant enhanced training and equipment support for Afghan security forces. This has combined with greatly increased US nation-building support (PRT's, road building, support for the Pakistani Armed Forces, etc.) to temporarily halt the slide into total warfare. The total US outlay in Afghanistan this year will be in excess of $34 billion: a burn rate of more than $2.8 billion per month. However, there has been no corresponding significant effort by the international community. The skillful employment of US Air Force, Army, and Naval air power (to include greatly expanded use of armed and reconnaissance UAV's : Predator, Reaper, Global hawk, and Shadow) has narrowly prevented the Taliban from massing and achieving local tactical victories over isolated and outnumbered US and coalition forces in the East and South.

    6. There is no unity of command in Afghanistan. A sensible coordination of all political and military elements of the Afghan theater of operations does not exist. There is no single military headquarters tactically commanding all US forces. All NATO military forces do not fully respond to the NATO ISAF Commander because of extensive national operational restrictions and caveats. In theory, NATO ISAF Forces respond to the (US) SACEUR…but US Forces in ISAF (half the total ISAF forces are US) respond to the US CENTCOM commander. However, US Special Operations Forces respond to US SOCOM…..not (US) SACEUR or US CENTCOM. There is no accepted Combined NATO-Afghan military headquarters. There is no clear political governance relationship organizing the government of Afghanistan, the United Nations and its many Agencies, NATO and its political and military presence, the 26 Afghan deployed allied nations, the hundreds of NGO's, and private entities and contractors. There is little formal dialog between the government and military of Pakistan and Afghanistan, except that cobbled together by the US Forces in Regional Command East along the Pakistan frontier."

Full Article: McCaffrey Report on Afghanistan (External Website)

The Letter to the Editor was shorter and has already been posted at http://ensign.ftlcomm.com/editorials/LTE/hueglin/hueglinList/100/hueglin137/accountability.html