During a visit to Ankara, on the heels of a NATO defense ministers' meeting in Bratislava last week, MacKay vowed to keep fighting the growing insurgency of Taliban and al-Qaeda factions and said, “We can't fail in Afghanistan as it will be a measuring stick for NATO.”
Noting that the run-off elections need to be clear, transparent and fair, MacKay said the Nov. 7 date clearly concerns many in the international community, not only in terms of security in the war-torn country, but also because of the legitimacy of the next Afghan government. The first election in August was marred by widespread fraud and discrepancies. “Having a partner in the Afghan government is our primary concern. We need a clear decision in this election. That would allow us engage at every level, the development or good-governance level. We put a great deal of emphasis on the fairness, transparency and decisiveness of this election. It is very crucial,” he said.
MacKay also praised the contribution of Turkey, which has 1,700 non-combat troops in Afghanistan mainly stationed in and around Kabul to train Afghan police and military. He said he had a lengthy conversation with his Turkish counterpart, Vecdi Gönül, about the area in which Turkey can play a significant role because of its history and similar neighborhood.
Canadian Defense Minister Peter MacKay said NATO does not plan to send any more troops to Afghanistan before the results of the Nov. 7 run-off elections are declared, noting that the run-off elections need to be clear, transparent and fair. He also praised Turkey's role in Afghanistan and said he considered it an important bridge between the Muslim world and the West |
“Quite frankly, we can learn a lot from Turkey. Turkey represented an important bridge between the Muslim world and the West. A country like Turkey can play such an important role and speak in a way in which Western countries may not have the same degree of credibility,” he underlined.
Canada has approximately 3,000 troops in Kandahar province where its contingent is working closely with eight countries in the Regional Command South. “This is by far the Canada's most challenging mission since the Korean War,” Mackay said. “We take our NATO responsibility very seriously.”
Asked if the invasion of Afghanistan was a mistake, the Canadian defense minister said his country had no choice but to wage war against the Taliban, saying: “We simply did not have a choice. Afghanistan became the biggest incubator of terrorism in the world. Canada was attacked indirectly when 25 Canadians died on 9/11.” Canadian forces have suffered 130 causalities in Afghanistan since 2001.
Mackay noted that Sept. 11 was a wake-up call for Canadians and was a real and emotional shock for many. “We discovered terrorist cells in our cities. This was a stark and stern reminder that we can not avoid our responsibility. NATO is a living responsibility for Canada,” he said.
Canadian defense minister downplays Gen. Rick Hillier’s comments Responding to questions posed by Today’s Zaman, Canadian Defense Minister Peter MacKay downplayed allegations leveled by General Rick Hillier, former head of Canada's armed forces, who wrote a provocative book called "A Soldier First: Bullets, Bureaucrats and the Politics of War". He said “the splits inside NATO over the Afghan war have turned the alliance into a rotting corpse that will be virtually impossible to revive.” “I read his book with great deal of appreciation for his contribution and understanding that as a general, his primary responsibility and his primary affection for the people he represented as a general” Mackay responded. He noted however that Gen. Hillier “also understands his role.” “His role was from operational point of view. Government has to make decisions with different pressures, sometimes with very different considerations. I work very well and very closely with Gen Hillier as I do with current defense chief” Mackay noted. Hillier, who commanded the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan from February to August 2004, said he was alarmed to discover the extent to which the 28-member alliance was "dominated by jealousies and small, vicious political battles" and bemoaned its "lack of cohesion, clarity and professionalism" at the start of the Afghan mission. In a bid to alleviate tension caused by Hiller’s book and comments he made afterwards to pitch the book sale, Canadian Defense Minister chose rather to emphasize the point of agreements with him, downplaying differences. “I have a great deal of respect for him. Hid did a great deal to renew and revive Canadian forces both in practical level but also in raising public awareness and appreciation for what our military does for us both in home and abroad. In his book, you will find much do deference to our government for the investment they had made and for the commitment to supporting man and women uniform” he said. |
The Canadian defense minister said he agrees with the report issued by Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, the top US and NATO commander in Afghanistan, who suggested a “clear, hold and build” approach to gain ground against the Taliban. “We need to establish the ground, to clear the village, hold the village and build it,” MacKay said, arguing that by doing so, it will require great deal of cooperation from village elders and leaders.
MacKay warned, however, that Afghan security forces should be in the lead when NATO is implementing this strategy. “We are there to help professionalize and train Afghan police and the army. To give them the capability to do what we are doing for them,” he underlined. “We are marrying up the efforts of international aid and diplomacy with a military presence,” he added.
MacKay's biggest concern focuses on the porous border with Pakistan. “To say the least, the Taliban has been a very determined, resilient insurgency [force] in large part because of the difficult terrain in Kandahar and elsewhere; but proximity to Pakistan's border, in my view, remains one of, if not the largest, challenge,” he said. MacKay believes that the Pakistan question remains very complex and challenging one. “That border is a safe haven for the Taliban, which has the support of al-Qaeda,” he said.
The Canadian defense minister also signaled that NATO is ready to support moderate factions within the Taliban in a bid to drive a wedge between the different factions, though he specifically said the point of contact should be between the Afghan government and the tribal leaders. “Any direct interaction with the Taliban is the role of the Afghan government. We have said from the beginning that those decisions are really for the Afghan government,” MacKay said, underlining, however, that “some kind of reconciliation is something we obviously encourage and support.” The problem, he said, is to find a voice that can speak for the Taliban as a whole. “That remains a problem,” he said.
Improvement with Armenia helps build Turkey's image
Commenting on the normalization of relations between Turkey and Armenia, MacKay, who was the Canadian foreign minister from 2006 to 2007, said: “I absolutely believe the normalization of relations will have a positive impact on Turkey's relations with Canada. I have personally advocated for efforts in this direction for a long time.”
Turkey's relations with Canada were strained in the past because of the controversy over genocide claims. Back in April, Turkey recalled its ambassador to Canada after a number of Canadian government ministers attended a ceremony organized by Armenians living in the country to commemorate the killings of Armenians at the hands of the Ottomans, events which Armenians claim constituted genocide. The Canadian House of Commons recognized the killing of Armenians during World War I as genocide in a 2004 decision.
Turkey rejects the genocide label and says 300,000 to 500,000 Armenians and at least as many Turks died in civil strife when Armenians took up arms in eastern Anatolia and sided with invading Russian troops. “The examination of archives and the effort to pursue a path of reconciliation is very positive development,” MacKay said, adding his country remains very supportive.
The Canadian defense minister expressed his hope that rapprochement with Armenia will make the issue less likely to hamper relations between Turkey with Canada. “You will see a lessening of focus in other countries and a diminished effort to draw attention to this issue in other countries,” he underlined.
“We can enter into new era of partnership with Turkey on a number of different levels,” MacKay said, adding his visit was intended to give strong signals of cooperation in many sectors.
He specifically singled out Canadian plane maker Bombardier, which could work or develop partnerships with Turkish companies on a number of projects. Bombardier recently launched a new aircraft range to compete with the Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 jets. The CSeries aircraft will carry 110 to 145 passengers and will cost $46.7 million at list price.
MacKay also reiterated his government's appreciation of what Turkey did to assist Canadian citizens who were forced to evacuate Lebanon in 2006 in the aftermath of Hezbullah-Israel war. “I am also here to thank you for the unprecedented level of cooperation we received from the Turkish government and the Turkish people during the evacuation of Canadians from Lebanon. We have not expressed that often or loudly enough. That was a pivotal moment between Turkey and Canada in my view,” he said. Approximately 16,000 Canadians were evacuated from Lebanon during the war.
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