Afstan: Citoyen Dion in his flip-flops

Thomas Walkom in the Toronto Star points out the change in tune.

"When we say we leave (Afghanistan), it is not exactly that," Dion said two weeks ago in an interview with the National Post. "It is that we decide to change the mission in a way that will be much less dangerous for us."

"The burden on our soldiers is becoming unrealistic," he told the Toronto Star editorial board in September. "Other (NATO) countries have the feeling that the Canadians will take care of it, so they are less engaged than they should be."

For the new Liberal leader, this is quite a switch.

Just nine months ago, as his party's foreign affairs critic, Dion was a staunch backer of the decision to send Canadian troops head-to-head against Taliban fighters in Kandahar.

"It's a very important mission and we want to be there," he told a Canadian Press reporter in early March.

"We will succeed in Afghanistan if we show a lot of determination," he said on CTV a few days later. "We need to be resolute and to succeed."

When New Democratic MP Alexa McDonough questioned the wisdom of having Canada shift its focus in Afghanistan from development to full-scale fighting, Dion was dismissive.

"We need to be there. Canada is a good citizen of the world. We are very courageous. We have been in Yugoslavia. We are ready to be in tough situations."

True, he voted against the Harper government's decision in May to extend the Afghan mission to 2009. But he made it clear at the time, that he was voting against the way Harper made that decision, not the decision itself.

In September, when NDP Leader Jack Layton called on the government to withdraw Canadian troops by early 2007, Dion was caustic. "No one wants us to get out now, like Mr. Layton, in dishonour," he said on Sept 17.

Now, it seems, the new leader of the Liberal party has changed his tune...

I wonder if any others in the media will note the u-turn. This guy really is rather léger, despite the fawning of our punditry. What a stinking political weathervane.

Mark C.

Posted by markc at December 6, 2006 05:48 PM