Victoria Day long w/e our Minister of Defence Peter MacKay and Veterans Affairs Minister Greg Thompson spent their w/e visiting both our troops, and the Afghan Government in Kabul;
Inspecting Guard of Honour in Kabul.
Canada will still have lots to do in Afghanistan even if its combat role ends as planned in 2011, Defence Minister Peter MacKay said Monday at the end of a visit to Canadian forces. The Canadian mission is increasingly focusing on the population centres of Kandahar province - ensuring the safety and the well being of individuals and the population itself, MacKay said.
The idea is to try to secure the populated centres to allow enhanced humanitarian aid, build schools, provide immunizations and enable micro-finance credit.
Its microcosms of the whole of government approach in concentrated areas of population rather than simply focusing on holding swaths of land, MacKay said.
Canada, he said, no longer cares to concentrate its efforts on taking and holding swaths of land.
The defence minister spent more than two days at the sprawling military base visiting with Canadian forces, accompanied by Veterans Affairs Minister Greg Thompson.
On Sunday evening at a meet-and-greet barbecue with some Canadian soldiers, MacKay said he had no plans to follow the lead of U.S. President Barack Obama and replace Canada's top soldier in Afghanistan.
On the contrary, he said as he stood next to a memorial to fallen Canadian soldiers, the government had great confidence in the command. The comments came after he announced 11 new facilities to support soldiers who return to Canada with illnesses or injuries. We are very seized and very conscious of the fact that we have to do a better job of taking care of our men and women in uniform when they return from service, particularly in a mission like Afghanistan which is very demanding, MacKay told the soldiers.
The Taliban, he noted, does not play by any rules of engagement. The defence minister was expected to head to Pakistan later Monday for talks with his counterpart Ahmad Mukhtar in Islamabad.
The meeting was being described as a general discussion on regional issues, but came just days after MacKay said instability was making Pakistan perhaps the most dangerous country in the world.
I feel that this visit means a lot to our serving troops, which is of the utmost importance. Morale goes up when a Minister takes the time to visit the combat areas. The announcement of 11 new facilities across Canada to care for our wounded and sick Veterans in paramount.
I have noted a story in the CBC.ca news that Victoria Day is named Patriots Day in the province of Quebec. Only in Canada can a province change the name of a historical holiday, to suit the few. Also on CBC news I saw again with disbelief the Tamil supporters protesting with a terrorist flags flying. A noted scholar in a news interview said that this is the same as flying a swastika in a protest march. It is illegal and as such the demonstrators flying such flag should have been arrested. Only in good old Canada.
Please remember to show your appreciation to our troops.
A personal apology from me to Captain Terry Hunter for missing his Sudan presentation at Stone Park School on Friday.
Nil Sine Labore
Robby
