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Pardon my rant, but this ridiculous debate about when we should abandon, retreat, wave goodbye to Afghanistan is getting under my skin. Considering the sacrifices of Canadians killed and maimed to date, and those of their families and loved ones, the "let's go home" crowd just doesn't get it. Western democratic governments of all political stripes have spent the past four decades, post-Vietnam, agonizing over the criteria to be applied when determining if their nation should deploy in support of a war effort. Overworked bureaucratic terminology such as "an identifiable end-state," "adequate resources to ensure victory," "willing partners" and, the...

Remember the Taliban, and stay the courseLewis MacKenzie Globe and Mail October 10, 2006 'Do you support Canadian troops serving in Afghanistan?" asks a typical Canadian poll. The response comes in with 50-plus per cent responding "No!" and those of us who support the soldiers and the mission get even more frustrated. If none of the professional polling firms are prepared to ask the less misleading and more relevant questions, then let me give it a try. "Do you support letting the Taliban return to power in Afghanistan?" If your answer is Yes, please go on to the next questions....

Why I wore my uniform once againBy LEWIS MACKENZIE October 19, 2005 Globe and Mail In 1993, when I took my release from the Canadian Forces, I promised myself that, in retirement, I would never don my uniform when there was a chance I might criticize government policy while wearing it. Loyalty to the principle of civilian control of the military is an essential characteristic of democracy. I had not worn my uniform for 12 years -- until this past week in Afghanistan. Canada has more than 1,500 soldiers serving in Afghanistan and surrounding locations. The work they do is...

It's not easy or satisfying writing critically about an old friend. Unfortunately, the announcement that the United Nations Secretary General has appointed recently retired Chief of Defence Staff General Maurice Baril as an envoy to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) causes me to undertake this somewhat distasteful task. In 1993, while filming a documentary on the UN, I had the good fortune to conduct a long interview in a Washington, D.C., hotel room with Richard Thornberg, ex-attorney general of the United States and ex-governor of the Pennsylvania. A year earlier Mr. Thornberg had been tasked by then-Secretary General Boutros...

Is there to be no end to the humiliation we must endure resulting from Ottawa's mismanagement of the Iraq/Afghanistan file? When will I be able to start my speeches in both the United States and Europe with something other than an apology? A mere few months ago the sides were being chosen for the pending U.S.-led intervention in Iraq. For those who followed the issue all indications pointed toward Canada committing a modest military contribution along lines similar, but slightly larger, than promised by Australia -- ultimately the third-largest allied contingent behind the U.S. and Britain. In February, to the...

I spent the majority of my life beside tens of thousands of fellow Canadian Forces personnel, serving the nation and actively supporting its values at home and abroad. As a direct result, I rejoice in our freedom of speech that encourages demonstrations and debates -- pro and con --throughout the land, including Parliament, regarding the current war in Iraq. Mind you, surely there is a rule somewhere that requires research somewhat proportional to the seriousness of the issue before one marches in protest or support of that issue. I would suggest that the same rule should apply to political leaders...

During September of last year there was much talk about forcing Saddam Hussein to give up his weapons of mass destruction in accordance with UN resolutions as much as 11-years-old. I decided to write an article on the issue. The following is a synopsis. "The most effective way [to disarm Saddam] is to loudly rattle the sabres and actually prepare for an invasion by pre-deploying forces in the region and calling up some reserves. Mr. Hussein's reaction when he realizes the U.S. is serious is easy to predict. At the 11th hour he will 'invite' back the weapons inspectors. "That...

Whether you support the U.S.-led invasion/liberation of Iraq or not, one thing is for sure -- and that is that half of the Canadian population disagrees with you. That statistic is far from unusual in the Western world, including those countries that are actively participating in the war. What is unique, however, is the existence of a country that is actively supporting the war but goes out of its way to make sure it receives absolutely no credit for the efforts of its sons and daughters in uniform. Only in Canada, you say. Canadian exchange officers are just that --...

During military operations, there is a constant need to exchange information regarding friendly and enemy activities and capabilities on an urgent basis. During my day, before automatic encryption of radio messages, we were taught the "30-minute rule." It was pretty simple -- first of all, assume the enemy can hear your message. If you decide that he couldn't react to what you are talking about within 30 minutes, send your transmission in clear and get on with your task; otherwise, take the time to encode your message. Modern day soldiers rarely have to worry about giving away critical information to...