[FORUM] What do you think about the NATO mission in Afghanistan?

[rfmcdonald]

Readers of my blog are probably aware of my frustration with the ongoing NATO mission in Afghanistan. A lot of my frustration has to do with my resentment at the cotninued, apparently pointless sacrifice of Canadian and other soldiers in the Kandahar province in the south. More of it has to do with my dislike of the Karzai government, a corrupt regime that seemingly hasn't done that much to actual effect change, to weaken the warlords, say. The recent legalized-rape legislation caps my frustration. If Afghans want a Taliban-style government, I'm tempted to say, let them have it. At the same time, I recognize that the NATO-led war in Afghanistan does play a major role in preventing pro-terroristy forces from regrouping and threatening foreign targets again.

So. What do you think about the war in Afghanistan? Good, bad, mixed, other? Are there any tacks that NATO should take? Myself, I favour intensified NATO surveillance and control over the Karzai government. What's the point of having a puppet government if you can't make it do what you want, after all?

Thoughts?