Post by Said1 on Sept 10, 2006 12:28:34 GMT -5
Quelle surprise. 
NDP members vote for Afghan pullout
Convention delegates back Layton on push to withdraw from conflict
Mike De Souza, CanWest News Service
Published: Sunday, September 10, 2006
QUEBEC CITY --Rank-and-file members of the New Democratic Party have given an overwhelming endorsement to leader Jack Layton's push to withdraw Canadian troops from their combat mission in southern Afghanistan.
Nearly 90 per cent of delegates at an NDP policy convention in Quebec City voted in favour of the "safe and immediate withdrawal" of the Canadian troops from the war-torn country. The vote made the NDP the first major political party in Canada to take the stance.
While some, including NDP MP Peter Stoffer, said the resolution was "premature," Layton said the troops should be recalled by February 2007 so that the mission can be re-evaluated.
"We have a really strong show of support from our members here today," Layton said, following the vote. "Now we're calling on Canadians to join with us in calling on the Harper government to change the track he's currently on with [U.S. President] George Bush."
Foreign Affairs critic Alexa McDonough said the mission has taken a turn for the worse.
"We had very serious concerns about the mission, once it became very clear that the mission had been spun in a very different way from what it ended up being," said McDonough. "The killings are creating more chaos, the aggressive combat is creating more violence."
She added that the government is offering no answers or explanations about the mission.
"I spent the whole summer consulting," said McDonough. "Overwhelmingly, people have said, 'Support our troops by bringing them home.' That's the support we need to provide for our troops."
The vote also followed a speech to delegates on Friday by a member of Afghan's national assembly, Malalai Joya, who said the mission is failing since the Taliban regime is being replaced with warlords and drug lords who are just as oppressive toward women and children in Afghanistan.
Joya said her country needs Canadian troops to help promote freedom in the country and rebuild, but she said the current mission is driven by U.S. policy that is hurting the Afghan people.
- Island New Democrats want soldiers brought home, B1
Link
NDP members vote for Afghan pullout
Convention delegates back Layton on push to withdraw from conflict
Mike De Souza, CanWest News Service
Published: Sunday, September 10, 2006
QUEBEC CITY --Rank-and-file members of the New Democratic Party have given an overwhelming endorsement to leader Jack Layton's push to withdraw Canadian troops from their combat mission in southern Afghanistan.
Nearly 90 per cent of delegates at an NDP policy convention in Quebec City voted in favour of the "safe and immediate withdrawal" of the Canadian troops from the war-torn country. The vote made the NDP the first major political party in Canada to take the stance.
While some, including NDP MP Peter Stoffer, said the resolution was "premature," Layton said the troops should be recalled by February 2007 so that the mission can be re-evaluated.
"We have a really strong show of support from our members here today," Layton said, following the vote. "Now we're calling on Canadians to join with us in calling on the Harper government to change the track he's currently on with [U.S. President] George Bush."
Foreign Affairs critic Alexa McDonough said the mission has taken a turn for the worse.
"We had very serious concerns about the mission, once it became very clear that the mission had been spun in a very different way from what it ended up being," said McDonough. "The killings are creating more chaos, the aggressive combat is creating more violence."
She added that the government is offering no answers or explanations about the mission.
"I spent the whole summer consulting," said McDonough. "Overwhelmingly, people have said, 'Support our troops by bringing them home.' That's the support we need to provide for our troops."
The vote also followed a speech to delegates on Friday by a member of Afghan's national assembly, Malalai Joya, who said the mission is failing since the Taliban regime is being replaced with warlords and drug lords who are just as oppressive toward women and children in Afghanistan.
Joya said her country needs Canadian troops to help promote freedom in the country and rebuild, but she said the current mission is driven by U.S. policy that is hurting the Afghan people.
- Island New Democrats want soldiers brought home, B1
Link