Canada Presses NATO for Afghan Help -- U.S. News And World ReportCanada Presses NATO For Afghan Help -- Newsweek
NATO Force Chief Vows More Pressure On Taliban In 2008 -- Yahoo News
NATO Needs More Intel On Afghanistan -- Yahoo News
NATO: More Eyes In The Sky Needed In Afghanistan -- Canoe News
Afghan President Hamid Karzai Fears on Pakistan -- Newsweek
Afghans Hunt For Kidnapped American -- Yahoo News
US Shift Seen To Pakistan, Afghanistan -- Yahoo News
Afghanistan Becomes Less Scary -- Strategy Page
Senior Leader Of Haqqani Network Killed In Pakistan -- Long War Journal
My Comment: The war drags on, and our allies are rethinking of changing their role in Afghanistan. From my vantage point it is clear that among the many nations involved in Afghanistan, only three countries are actually involved in supporting the Afghan government and its people. The U.S., the U.K., and Canada are the principle players. The other members of the coalition are stuck mainly in "training" or aid projects and are not actively involved in bringing the fight to the Taliban.
This lack of will among the allies is troubling at best, a tragedy if they choose to ignore the consequences of not being actively involved in Afghanistan. Everyone knows that the solution to the Afghan "problem" can only be measured in the long term ..... probably 20 years if not more .... before any semblance of stability and development can be brought to that poor and ravished country. This time duration is what is sapping the West's will to stay and fight. The fact that the Taliban is reconstituting itself in their safe Pakistan havens also complicates everything.
Will Canada leave? Will other allies lose the will to continue. I have to say yes. Politicians live for the short term, and a long term stay in Afghanistan is not on anyone's radar.