On lessons learned

Jack Layton's take on Afghanistan has proven prescient in the past. Now, it might be worth taking note of his latest observations before we make matters worse:

The changing nature of Canada’s military mission from combat to training will only mean that Canada will train and equip many who will later join the insurgency, or at best, create a military machine for a corrupt and distrusted Afghan President, Mr. Layton said in a speech at the University of Ottawa.

“Every year, one in five soldiers walks out of the Afghan National Army for good. How many of these become Taliban fighters, taking their training and weapons with them?” he said. “You think you’re training government officers, but then you’re really training insurgents as well.”

Even if the military is loyal, it will serve a President, Hamid Karzai, “that’s very closely tied to rigged elections and rampant” corruption, and discredited with his own people, Mr. Layton said. Prime Minister Stephen Harper, he added, is reluctant to send another dime of aid money directly to Mr. Karzai’s government, “but he’ll give him an army.”