The Only Canadian Columnist Who Knows Afghanistan [View All]

[Bragi]

There is but one Canadian columnist who actually knows about Afghanistan. I am referring to Eric Margolis, who wrote a book on the subject eyars ago, and whose columns appear -- oddly -- in the Toronto Sun.

Here is the opening of his latest column:

At this week's NATO conference in Vilnius, Lithuania, an angry U.S. Secretary of Defence Robert Gates accused some Europeans of not being prepared to "fight and die" in Afghanistan in the battle against the Taliban.

The undiplomatic Gates is quite right. Most Europeans regard the Afghan conflict as a. wrong and immoral; b. America's war; c. all about oil; or d. probably lost.

To many Europeans, the NATO alliance was created to deter the real threat of Soviet aggression, not to supply foot soldiers for George Bush's wars in the Muslim world.

http://www.torontosun.com/News/Columnists/Margolis_Eric/2008/02/10/4838323-sun.php


Every time I read Margolis, I realize how most Canadian media commentary on the war is ideological and/or uninformed.

- B