131

Pte. Jonathan Couturier, age 23, RIP

This past weekend Senator Colin Kenny, chair of the Senate committee on national security and defence, advised Canadian Prime Minister Harper to develop an exit strategy, or, as the Globe & Mail put it, "organize Canada's retreat."

"What we hoped to accomplish in Afghanistan has proved to be impossible," Kenny wrote. "We are hurtling toward a Vietnam ending."

Predictably, Senator Kenny is now being attacked by Brigadier-General Jonathan Vance, the commander of Task Force Kandahar, and no less than Governor-General Michaëlle Jean. Easy for them to stay on Mr. Harpoon's message. They don't have to leave the base and risk being blown to bits by an IED.

Yes, it's a classic case of shoot the messenger. 131 Canadians have died in Afghanistan, but even a senator is not allowed to ask why, let alone suggest that perhaps we've made a colossal mistake. Shame.

Footnote: Canadian Press reports that Pte. Couturier's brother has told Le Soleil that the young soldier thought the mission was futile. His sister-in-law added that Pte. Couturier no longer wanted anything to do with Afghanistan.