Harper's New Afghanistan Aid Package Is A Smokescreen
Military Aid Will Not Bring Peace to Kandahar.

February 27, 2007

Stephen Harper's announcement of $200 million in aid to Afghanistan is designed to create the illusion of a shift in policy from war-making to reconstruction but will result in little improvement in the lives of the Afghan people. In fact, much of the aid will go to support the security apparatus of the occupation and will not provide any real development. This decision is about damage control. It comes after the high-profile Senate committee report outlining the failures of the NATO mission in Afghanistan, and recent reports by the Senlis Council of terrible conditions at the Kandahar hospital.

Harper's aid package includes, among other things, increased funding for the Afghan police forces and for opium eradication programs. The opium eradication programs are building opposition to the occupation by destroying the only crop that makes enough money to feed the farmers. The Afghan police who will receive this funding are still under the command of notoriously corrupt warlords and government officials, many of whom are, ironically, heavily involved in the drug trade. Funding opium warlords and opium eradication programs simultaneously is not a good use of Canadian taxpayers' money.

There is some money for micro-credit programs and for funding to pay school teachers. These programs will only be welcomed by the people of Afghanistan if they are not being administered by the occupation forces. Unfortunately, there are countless examples of aid being used by the military to win the support of local commanders, ensuring that it will be viewed as part of the military operation. Aid must be distributed by agencies outside the Western intervention.

This aid package is designed to deflect growing opposition to Canada's war in Afghanistan. Its failure will be seen in the coming months as the resistance to the NATO occupation intensifies. Recklessly throwing money at programs that run counter to providing security will, once again, condemn the Afghan people to more violence. On March 17 people in cities and towns all over Canada will once again march to end this deepening quagmire.

Click here for more info on the March 17 events

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