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A Third Option for Canada’s Role in Afghanistan

A Third Option for Canada’s Role in Afghanistan. Joanna Santa Barbara McMaster University Centre for Peace Studies Physicians for Global survival – Canada TRANSCEND – A Peace and Development Organization. Why a Third Option?. 2 options on the table now:

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A Third Option for Canada’s Role in Afghanistan

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  1. A Third Option for Canada’s Role in Afghanistan Joanna Santa Barbara McMaster University Centre for Peace Studies Physicians for Global survival – Canada TRANSCEND – A Peace and Development Organization

  2. Why a Third Option? 2 options on the table now: • 1. ‘Search and destroy’ war-fighting + reconstruction to ‘win hearts and minds’ • 2. Troops out now.

  3. What’s the Third Option? • Stop war-fighting • Keep on with peace support operations • Support peace dialogues • Support reconciliation processes

  4. Why should Canadians stop war-fighting? • It’s unwinnable • It’s making things worse - by unnecessary deaths of Afghan and coalition soldiers, and Afghan civilians - by unnecessary infrastructure damage - by strengthening the relationship of the opposition with Al Qaeda - by attracting recruits to the armed opposition • Canada is fighting on one side of a civil war

  5. Conflict Analysis • Before 9/11, vicious civil war: Northern Alliance vs Taliban and Party of Islam • 9/11 -> US-led coalition invades Afghanistan, allies with NA; routs Taliban and Party of Islam • Bonn Agreements 2001: between US and NA. ??????? • Taliban and Party of Islam take to arms. Al Qaeda joins them, as do many disaffected Afghans with various grievances.

  6. Why not troops out now? • Civil war would resume -> large-scale death and destruction • The fragile accomplishments of democracy and development would likely be lost Dr. Sima Samar (Afghan human rights leader): If you’re thinking of removing Canadian troops, please tell me the date, so I can catch the first plane out.

  7. Where does analysis lead us? • Explore peaceful options of bringing armed opposition into democratic process at political level • Support reconciliation process for reintegration of armed opposition people at community level

  8. Is this feasible?How to find out? • .

  9. The work of the McMaster group in Afghanistan: • Directed to war-affected children – mental health and peace education • Directed to war-affected adults – mental health and peace education • Directed to civil servants, politicians of all stripes, journalists, youth, NGOs: - conflict analysis - conflict transformation - nonviolence - reconciliation - peace journalism

  10. Dr. Seddiq Weera’s probe dialogues: • To Taliban leaders • To Party of Islam leaders • To ethnic faction leaders • To Northern Alliance leader • To 10 cabinet Ministers in the Afghan government • To Canadian expatriate Afghans - Peshtun and nonPeshtun, Afghan women’s group

  11. . • All support the Third Option idea

  12. Next steps: • Canadian campaign to persuade government to - stop-war-fighting - resume peace support operations - support peace dialogues - support reconciliation processes

  13. Stop war-fighting • Every death from now on is an unnecessary death • At transfer from US command to ISAF command, end search and destroy action

  14. Resume peace support operations • Could include Nonviolent Peace Force

  15. Support peace dialogues • Does Canada have skills to do this? (Norway in Sri Lanka and Middle East) • Should act with other Middle Powers in coalition or with UN. • Should be informed by peace professionals

  16. Support reconciliation processes • Independent National Commission on Strengthening Peace in Afghanistan. Needs financial and skill support • UN Reconciliation body

  17. Opposition to these ideas: • ‘Spoilers’ in Afghan armed opposition, those who don’t want peace • Hard-line Northern Alliance people who want power to reside mainly with NA. • Canadians who can see only military solutions to violent conflict, and support the ‘war on terror’ • Canadians who don’t understand the dangers of immediate loss of peace support functions • If any success for a negotiated solution looks possible, US administration will not want a ‘bad example’ to suggest a negotiated solution in Iraq.

  18. Next steps for Canadians: • Join developing campaign • See website for articles on Third Option position: www.humanities.mcmaster.ca/peace-health/can-afghan • Visit MP to put these arguments • Write op-eds and letters to editor • React to every Canadian death as unnecessary, because there is a good alternative to war-fighting.

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