It’s too early to gauge the success of Canada’s mission in Afghanistan
Your Dec. 20 editorial posed the questions: Is it time to review Canada’s mission in Afghanistan? Was it worth it?
The premise of this question suggests that now is an appropriate time to assess Canada’s operations in Afghanistan from 2001 to 2014. This is untrue.
If there are major successes of the Canadian mission in Afghanistan, they will only come to fruition in the decades to come. Developmental projects are at present underway in order to reconstruct a wartorn country. Military actions against the Taliban were only the first step.
From 2016 to the present, Canada has committed $270 million for development assistance to Afghanistan. Canada uses its funding to create economic opportunities, improve health services, protect human rights and facilitate access to education.
The training that Canadian personnel provided to Afghan security forces are essential for the country’s order and stability. Canada continues to offer appreciable financial support to the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces under the Trudeau government. Amid a power vacuum, analysts and military officials warn that the country may become a haven for a recuperating Islamic State.
Canada also has played a crucial role in clearing millions of mines across the country. Disarmament continues to be a priority in an attempt to contain further conflict escalation.
Canada also claims to have invested $50 million toward the Dahla Dam and other irrigation systems. The third phase of this Dahla Dam project is on pace for completion in 2024; it will provide safe drinking water to thousands of families in Kandahar City. Project supervisors anticipate the generation of 22 megawatts of power. While the Dahla Dam had its setbacks — which made many Canadian news headlines — work is still largely in progress. To conclusively call it a failure misconstrues the magnitude of such a project.
Numerous other examples exist of Canada contributing positively to peace-building efforts.
While the military operations were over as of 2014, Canada’s contributions continue into the new decade. No one denies there were strategic miscalculations and blunders in Afghanistan, and many of these developmental projects are subject to their own trials and tribulations. Corruption, for example, was a significant roadblock. Economic questions remain about the allocation of Canadian taxpayer dollars to these programs. But again, developmental programs take time, and it may be the next generation of Afghans that really see the benefits of Canada’s peacebuilding efforts.
The fact of the matter is, a longer interval is needed for Canada to adequately assess the successes — or failures — of the mission.
It is also necessary to rethink an underlying assumption: What does it mean to “win” the war in Afghanistan? What did we hope to achieve? If the U.S and allies thought that “winning” was creating a perfectly stable Afghanistan right away, then of course anything short is perceived as a failure.
The biggest problem with asking, “Was Afghanistan worth it?” is the finality that the question implies. If Canada concludes that Afghanistan was not worth it, what motivation will Canada have for future infrastructure and social projects in the country? Women’s rights and counterinsurgency initiatives are especially pressing issues that are vital to the future of Afghanistan — Canada still has work to do.
Canada ought to continue its developmental projects for the sake of the Afghan population and the soldiers who fought valiantly from 2001 to 2014. These projects are imperative for Afghanistan’s future.
The present period is a critical time for the future of Afghanistan. It is not yet appropriate to definitively answer questions about the successes and failures of Canada’s involvement in the country. It’s important to remember: Kabul wasn’t built in a day.