Canada’s Role in Afghanistan

Since 2001, Canada has been fighting with NATO in Afghanistan to bring peace to the country. Canada’s presence in Afghanistan is both a positive and productive use of the government’s time and effort. Reasons to help are plentiful. It will assist the elimination of the Taliban’s terrorism, to make the world a safer place for all of the Taliban’s enemies. Canada’s role has made numerous improvements in the lives of many ordinary Afghans across the country.

The Taliban ruled Afghanistan, a war torn country, until 2001. It was a rule of terror. This group had suppressed human rights to a horrible extent, forbidding girls to attend school (“More Canadians Oppose Mission”), banning women from holding jobs, and not allowing them to leave their homes without a male escort (“We Do What We Can”). Ordinary Afghans cannot receive basic services from their elected government. Health, education, and the rule of law are put aside under the rule of the Taliban (“Canada Encourages UN”).

The Taliban welcomed the presence of al-Qaeda and other like-minded groups that have terrorist training camps in Afghanistan, and have all been connected to terrorist attacks in North America: “The country will become the global centre for terrorism training if the war against the Taliban fails (“Afghanistan Mission”).” Canada must continue its military role in Afghanistan, for if we do not win this war against terrorism, we risk more terrorist threats at home (“Canada Must Stay”). In fact, with 2500 Canadian soldiers there now, and 15 tanks on the way, it is not only unpatriotic, but also dangerous to question the mission. The Taliban can equate uncertainty with weakness, encouraging more terrorist threats here in Canada if we are not sure of the purpose of this mission (“More Canadians Oppose Mission”).

The fight in Afghanistan is critical for humanitarian development; Canada’s military is there to make it possible. “This is a desperately poor country that cannot cease being poor unless it has a stable government (“Afghanistan Mission”).” If the Taliban can be defeated, this war-ravaged country’s residents’ lives can be improved, and deaths from simple things like diarrhea will cease.

Canada’s troops are in Afghanistan to bring peace to the country. This is important to the international community as well: “there’s an international consensus that it’s important that we do what we can to make sure that Afghanistan recovers and becomes a full and active member of the international community (“We Do What We Can”).” This mission supports Canada’s own national interests by reducing the threat of terrorism, and assures that Canada has a strong voice in international affairs.