Friday, June 20, 2008

Uh... why are we in Afghanistan again?

Oh yeah...
Canadian Forces would support the Afghan National Army in providing security for a proposed natural gas pipeline through war-torn Kandahar if the Afghanistan government asks for help, federal officials said yesterday.

But the Canadian government has not been involved in any planning for the project, including the potential need to protect the pipeline from insurgent attacks, officials added.

Afghanistan agreed this spring with three neighbouring countries - gas-rich Turkmenistan and energy-hungry Pakistan and India - to construct a $7.6-billion (U.S.) natural gas pipeline to connect those markets by traversing the most violence-prone regions of the country.

In a report released yesterday, international energy economist John Foster said the pipeline could require Canada's assistance in providing security, particularly as Afghanistan has vowed to clear the route of land mines and insurgents before the proposed construction start date of 2010.

From the Globe, via pogge. So we've got two years to completely wipe out the Taliban, because if there's any left, all they have to do is keep bombing different points along the pipeline- pretty hard to guard the entire thing. I don't know, if the Soviet Union, and the UK a century before, were unable to conquer Afghanistan, it's a pretty bold assumption to suppose that we can, doncha think?

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