May 2006

The issue isn’t about hardihood either. But a soldier is much more likely than a warrior to stand in a trench flooded by freezing rain.

The issue is not necessarily about discipline. Apache and Zulu warriors were quite disciplined, in some ways to a higher standard than the blue-coated Buffalo Soldiers or the British redcoats. All four understood the discipline of arms and the discipline that a fighting man imposes on himself. But a soldier also faces the external discipline of the state. Warriors almost invariably fight as individuals, and in various guises: as guerrillas, terrorists, or members of a tribal militia. A soldier fights as a member of a team on behalf of a state. The warrior often fights for personal gain, while the soldier seldom does.

Why the lecture Our soldiers in Afghanistan are after the warriors of the Taliban and al Qaeda. Our state sent them there to do this for a number of reasons. Unchecked warriors raid and rob, attack the helpless, disrupt trade, destroy communities, and generate misery. Is this not what the Taliban and al Qaeda do to the people of Afghanistan Is this not what they would do to us
In ancient Egypt, the Pharaohs sent their chariots above the Nile forts to protect their people from the Nubians. Chinese crossbowmen soldiered on the Great Wall to keep the steppe warriors from pillaging their kingdom. Roman legionnaires kept the Germanic warriors in check for centuries. Red-coated Tommy Atkins did the same thing in a number of places that seem startlingly familiar today. These nations used a strong presence to dissuade truculent warriors from acting up, and used force when this failed. This was peacekeeping. Peacekeeping has gone back to its roots, and our soldiers are doing what soldiers have always done.

John Thompson
Mackenzie Institute
Toronto, Ontario

Canada’s role has evolved since our troops first entered Afghanistan, and our new mandate needs to be debated in Parliament and brought to the public’s attention. According to Maloney and Fennell, our troops are “killing insurgents in Afghanistan.” How does murdering Afghan citizens promote Canadian values and advance foreign policy In the article, when an Afghan village elder was asked what assistance the troops could provide, he answered “better irrigation control.” Canada could accomplish much more by using the $1 billion earmarked for the military adventure in Afghanistan to build roads and schools and hospitals in places where we’re actually wanted, rather than hunting down Afghan citizens in support of the American “War on Terror.”

Canadian troops could be allowed to continue their work in Afghanistan by providing humanitarian aid, subject to Parliament’s approval. Their mandate must include abiding by the rule of law, promoting Canadian values, and protecting human rights. Since the Americans are ignoring all of these, we must be careful not to violate our Canad­ian principles by becoming puppets of the US.

Paul Sheehy
Kanata, Ontario