The John Manley report: my initial response to the media coverage, skimmed over the intro. of the report and 1-2 blogs on it....

Here is the response I posted on the website URL:

https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=33178934&postID=8238926825245363249

Or if you'd prefer to track it down yourself, see "Blogger: the Scott Ross".... URL:
http://thescottross.blogspot.com/

(see the ' Tuesday, January 22, 2008
The Manley Panel Plagiarized, And Possibly Lied' )



" Hello Scott Ross, this is a pretty serious accusation you've brought up here.... I think what it shows is that this report CANNOT be taken at face-value: it needs to be analyzed [further]

I honestly think that the findings of "The John Manley Report" on Afghanistan should be submitted to the Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and/or the House of Commons Committee on Foreign Affairs for further analysis.

From what i've read of this report and having glanced at its introduction, i'm unsure where to stand on it. At best, the report will help clarify the history of Afghanistan, corruption in the governance of both the former Taliban government AND the current government of Afghan President Karzi, with some clarification of where Canada should go!

At worst, this report is simply another attempt to use a former Liberal Foreign Affairs minister as a tool to play him against the current position of the Federal Liberals under Stephanie Dion.

Either way, only the combination of public scrutiny, Senate and House of Commons committee studies, a full debate in the House of Commons (and then the Senate) on this matter will even begin to do true justice to what Canada needs to do (or not do) to do what is in the best interests of Afghans, Canadians, and the world community. [And in hindsight, I should've added, and what is in the best interest of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians serving in Afghanistan, who know much more about the mission than we do!]

In closing, the trouble of Afghanistan is part of the trouble of both globalization and the after-math of the Cold War: do we simply stay in Afghanistan until we deem it as stable (as the current Conservative and former Liberals said), respect the sovereignty of the current Afghan government by ending the combat mission in February 2009 and focus on reconstruction, aid, and development (as the current Liberals, and the 2nd choice position of the federal NDP and Bloc), or do we withdraw from Afghanistan altogether now or in 2009? (the 1st choice of both the Federal Bloc and NDP|)