Dear Colleagues,

In this week’s media briefing the Conference of Defence Associations (CDA) would like to draw your attention to media analysis on the following topics: Canadian defence policy; the situations in Afghanistan and Pakistan; allied policy; and some items of recommended reading.

Canadian defence policy

The Auditor General has released her latest report, with one chapter focusing on the delivery of equipment and supplies to Canadian troops in Kandahar. She concludes that the delivery system suffers from frequent delays and inadequate tracking of inventory levels, and that this could adversely affect the Canadian mission in Afghanistan. A link to the report is provided below, with Chapter 2 being the one of immediate interest to our readers.
http://www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/internet/English/aud_parl_oag_200805_e_30714.html

Much has been made in the media in the last week about reports that Canadian military personnel were ‘negotiating’ or ‘reaching out’ to the Taliban. Tara Brautigam for the Canadian Press (see link below) reports Defence Minister’s Peter MacKay’s denial that Canadian soldiers were doing so, while Ryan Cormier for Canwest (see link below) writes that Canadian soldiers’ outreach activities to Afghan civilians may have been misconstrued as negotiations with the Taliban.
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2008/05/04/mackay-afghanistan.html

http://www.canada.com/topics/news/story.html?id=a3f98a3b-15e3-4182-8e1f-15616...

Ryan Cormier for the Edmonton Journal and Murray Brewster for the Canadian Press (see links below) report on comments by the incoming Canadian commander in Afghanistan BGen Denis Thompson that the mission will be taking on a more civilian character.
http://www.canada.com/components/print.aspx?id=4e710a8c-e853-4f47-8861-543b65...

http://www.thestar.com/News/Canada/article/422802

Colin Freeze in the Globe and Mail (see link below) reports on the issue of rules surrounding CSIS activities in Afghanistan.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080509.wcsis09/BNStory/A...

James Travers in the Toronto Star (see link below) explores the ability of individuals with “smarts and chutzpah,” such as General Rick Hillier and Auditor General Sheila Fraser, to “lever limited institutional authority into sweeping informal influence.”
http://www.thestar.com/comment/article/422723

Taylor Owen and David Eaves in Embassy (see link below) draw parallels between the impact of aerial bombardment of Cambodia in the late 1960s and early 1970s and today in Afghanistan. The CDA urges its readers to not draw hasty parallels between two very different conflicts.
http://www.embassymag.ca/html/index.php?display=story&full_path=/2008/may/7/a...

Afghanistan and Pakistan

Rosie DiManno in the Toronto Star (see link below) explores the prospects of negotiations between the Afghan government and Taliban insurgents.
http://www.thestar.com/article/422379

Thomas Johnson and Chris Mason in International Security (see link below) explore in depth demographic, historical, geographical, and other features of the Afghan-Pakistan border.
http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/abs/10.1162/isec.2008.32.4.41

Doug Saunders in the Globe and Mail (see link below) reports on endemic corruption among powerful Afghan politicians. He also writes in the Globe and Mail (see link below) on the difficulties in tackling the poppy problem, and notes that once the warlords are out of power the poppy fields will disappear.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080502.afghan03/BNStory/...

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080503.wreckoning0503/BN...

David Ignatius in the Washington Post (see link below) explores the declining threat of Al Qaida in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and the appropriate methods the United States must adopt.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/02/AR20080502034...

Ahmed Rashid in the Washington Post (see link below) writes that a coherent governance plan for the Pakistani tribal areas is required to deal with the insurgency in those areas.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/02/AR20080502033...

Allied policy

Steven Lee Myers and Thom Shanker in The New York Times and an article from Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (see links below) report that the US is looking at augmenting troop levels in Afghanistan and taking over NATO’s command in southern Afghanistan. Yochi Dreazen in the Wall Street Journal (see link below) reports on Pentagon conclusions that the US will not be able to send additional troops to Afghanistan unless some forces are withdrawn from Iraq.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/03/world/asia/03military.html

http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2008/05/daafe784-e96b-47ed-893d-436fcea1...

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121003230081769197.html

George Friedman of Stratfor (see link below) explores the appointment of US General David Petraeus as the next commander of US Central Command, and its implications for Afghanistan.
http://www.cdaforumcad.ca/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1210270201

Judy Dempsey in the International Herald Tribune (see link below) reports on the German government’s initiative to establish a National Security Council and to debate Germany’s security interests. Deutsche Welle reports on an interview with former German foreign minister Joshka Fischer (see link below), in which he is quoted as saying that Germany must take a fighting role in southern Afghanistan.
http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/05/05/europe/germany.php

http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,3309849,00.html?maca=en-aa-pol-863-rdf

Further reading

C.J. Chivers in the International Herald Tribune (see link below) explores the challenges facing new Russian President Dmitri Medvedev. Marshall Goldman in the International Herald Tribune (see link below) explores Medvedev’s background and likely actions. C.J. Chivers again in the International Herald Tribune (see link below) reports on Vladimir Putin’s confirmation as Prime Minister. Anne Applebaum in the Washington Post (see link below) explores the growing crisis over Abhkazia, in Georgia.
http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/05/06/europe/russia.php

http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/05/07/opinion/edgoldman.php

http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/05/08/europe/russia.php

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/05/AR20080505020...

Josef Joffe in the Washington Post (see link below) explores the effects the global terrorist threat has had on increasing the West’s obsession with security and its impact on life in general.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/30/AR20080430030...

William Arkin in the Washington Post (see link below) explores possible US plans to launch military strikes against Iran with forces already stationed in the Middle East.
http://blog.washingtonpost.com/earlywarning/2008/05/a_secret_afghanistan_miss...

Time magazine has carried an excerpt (see link below) from Lt Gen Ricardo Sanchez’s new book, “Wiser in Battle: A Soldier’s Story.” Lt Gen Sanchez was commander of US forces in Iraq in 2003-2004.
http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1736831,00.html

Conclusion

The CDA will continue to provide its readers with balanced, non-partisan and informative materials on defence and security matters important to Canadians.

Alain Pellerin, Colonel (Retired)
Executive Director, Conference of Defence Associations

222 Somerset Street West, Suite 400B
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K2P 2G3
Tel: +1 (613) 236-1252
Fax: +1 (613) 236-8191
E-mail: director@cda-cdai.ca
Web: www.cda-cdai.ca