Ottawa

What are we doing in Afghanistan? (III)

A week after the Canadian government authorized military action in Afghanistan, the House spent a night debating the decision and the way ahead. The record of that discussion, which lasted until two in the morning, can be found here—including comment from Jean Chretien, Stockwell Day, Gilles Duceppe, Alexa McDonough, Joe Clark, John Manley and Irwin Cotler.

Chretien’s conclusion is perhaps noteworthy in our present circumstance.

In the struggle ahead there may be no unconditional surrender or victory parades. However, there will be countless victories, the quiet victories of everyday life, victories that in the end will be won by our reliance on the single most effective weapon that free and civilized nations have always had in our arsenal: the spirit of our citizens.

Our enemies have made a fatal miscalculation. They have mistaken our freedom for weakness. They have mistaken our openness and generosity for lack of spine. They have mistaken our values for a lack of resolve. They will be proven wrong on every count.

The road ahead will be long but our victory will be complete.

So our enemies may never capitulate and we may never be able to celebrate in triumph. But our victory will be complete. Even if the war is neverending.

Heck of a riddle.

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