[RHClarke]

Oil? Sucking up to GWB? Is it the fault of the new PM?

If you choose oil - we have more oil in Alberta than in most of the Arabian states...logically this does not make sense. If you think we are doing this for Uncle Sam's oil dependency, shake your head - Uncle Sam does not need our help,

Sucking up to GWB - maybe, but it is a lot better than calling our trusted neighbour "bastards" or "morons" - which essentially closed the borders to beef, and tariffed the hell out of softwood.

Steven Harper's fault - guess again. As Bruce mentioned, Jean Cretin and his inept successor put our boy over there. Now they are snivelling about it!

Liberals of all ilk have shown their true colours (which run, of course) in federal politics and even here on this forum.

A more reasonable answer to the question of why are they there may be: To keep the bastards from doing their evil deeds here. Remember Sept 11? Did you enjoy your sleep last night? Was it interrupted by a fire fight? Has your office been targetted lately? Any relatives killed off because of their religious views? ...Didn't think so. Thank those who are actually doing something about the situation and who believe in their mission.

Gutless liberals and other pablum puking social engineers would have us believe that Mr. Taliban should be left alone, and if we are nice and quiet, he will leave us alone - a fine tribute to those who died in NY on Sept 11, and to those fine Canadians in situ who actually serve to protect our country...Would these folk want to go back to Taliban rule where females are treated as third class ciitizens at best and where children were not permitted to behave like children? Is democracy to be shunned for dictatorship? Education shunned for fundementalism? Isn't this what got ball rolling in the first place?

Historians will point to the Afghan's ability to kick out invaders - it is hoped that the legitimate government of Afghanistan will be able to control its own internal affairs in the future - how long? Your guess is as good as mine, but I do hope the invaders (even though were were invited) can go home in the near future. Progress is being made, but at a horrible price - not only to Canadian personnnel, but Afghans in general.

My heart goes out to the families of the soldiers who were killed in the recent attack. I wish there was a better way, but when you deal with "scumbags and murders", you have to speak their language, roll up the sleeves and get down and dirty with them. You can't do that by bleating from the sidelines.

On the matter of muzzling the CDS - What facts do you have on this?

God bless Canada, and God bless our soldiers on operations.

(I look forward to any educated rebuttals, and of course to the traditional liberal whining...Shot, Over!)