Scandal - Canada to Send Tanks to Afghanistan

War-Mongering Prime Minister Stephen Harper will single handedly lose the next election, cause Quebec to seperate from Canada, and allow the Taliban to retake Afghanistan. Experts warn his insensitive decision to send tanks to Afghanistan may also cause people's feelings to get hurt.

Maybe it's just me but I don't have the same desire to panic as Murray Brewster, whose article for the Canadian Press has been widely republished. Here are some of his choice observations:

A Montreal political scientist said if there are casualties from Quebec, Stephen Harper and his Conservatives could end up paying a heavy price in political support in a province already deeply opposed to the war.
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Members of the famed Royal 22nd Regiment - the fighting Van Doo - are scheduled to ship out to Afghanistan next year as part of a planned rotation. Moving up the deployment of other Quebec units could create a political problem for Harper, if there are casualties among them.

That would bring the war more sharply into focus for Quebecers at time when Conservatives are trying to win their support, said Pierre Martin, a political science professor at the University of Montreal. "It will hit home much more strongly."

Umm, Quebec soldiers, like all Canadian soldiers have volunteered to serve and are well trained professionals. Any suggestion that they should not see the same action as soldiers from other provinces is disrespectful and foolish. Hey wait there's more:

But there is a danger that the appearance of heavy armour in the chalky, mud-walled villages and towns will backfire in the battle for Afghan hearts and minds.

"If you see tanks in your streets it's hard not to think about it as an army of occupation," said Gavin Cameron, a specialist in counter-insurgency wars at the University of Calgary's Centre for Military and Strategic Studies.

By buttoning down inside a tank, Canadian soldiers could also end up losing personal contact with locals, which is crucial in building public support.

This is just silly. I don't think the tanks will be used to patrol the marketplaces. The military commanders will naturally use the tanks in targeted operations, i.e. in traditional battle. Why a so called expert would suggest otherwise just doesn't make sense. Here's my favourite line:

Calls to Defence Minister Gordon O'Connor's office were not returned.

Why not just say, hey I waited to the last minute to call the minister's office?

There's no scandal here.