Smear The Conservative Bully Boys!

This article by Weston is a typical smear the Conservatives article. Weston has his opinion, here is my response.

Comment Columnists / Greg Weston
Feds stick to see-no-evil script

Conservative bully-boys put the boots to Colvin over his Afghanistan bombshell

If you believe Stephen Harper's bully boys putting the boots to Colvin this past week, the former top political attache in Afghanistan and now deputy intelligence chief in Washington has no credibility. Who's telling the truth? You be the judge.

In April 2006, Colvin began a 17-month posting in Afghanistan as political director and deputy ambassador, one of only two officials there with access to the Canadian government's hyper-secure "C4" communications network.

So, Colvin began a 17 month posting in April of 2006. The Conservatives won the election in January. The Liberals signed the original prisoner agreement, they are the ones responsible for the prisoner transfer rules. Is Colvin telling us the Liberals did nothing about the prisoners? Weston doesn't mention the Liberals and their Taliban prisoners. Funny that. Weston is a sad little supposed reporter, not of the news, but of Liberal issues that need propping up.

More likely, the Harper government was just trying to cover up the whole thing -- sacrificing Canadian lives to bring torture to Afghanistan isn't exactly the stuff to inspire public support. Indeed, Colvin claims various superiors in Ottawa tried to get him to drop the detainee issue, but he persisted.

You sad little Liberal toady.... Sacrificing Canadian lives? It was Chretien who sent our troops into battle in green fatigues. It was the Liberals who set up the transfer arrangement. It was Liberals who refused to fund our military so that they could only die for our country.

A month after he arrived, Colvin issued his first of several dozen reports detailing concerns about Canadian forces turning over Afghan prisoners to "serious, imminent and alarming" abuse at the hands of local authorities.

Colvin reported his sources were "highly credible," adding he also "obtained first-hand reports of torture and personally saw evidence of injuries related to torture suffered by detainees."

Did Colvin, personally ever go to an Afghan jail to verify his claims? Did Colvin ever personally see an Afghan prisoner tortured? Did Colvin ever talk directly to Hillier? Did Colvin ever directly talk to Minister O'Conner? Did Colvin ever talk to the tooth fairy when he was younger?

Of course, it is possible the bureaucrats kept the potentially explosive detainee issue to themselves to give their political masters "plausible deniability" if it blew up.

More likely, the Harper government was just trying to cover up the whole thing -- sacrificing Canadian lives to bring torture to Afghanistan isn't exactly the stuff to inspire public support. Indeed, Colvin claims various superiors in Ottawa tried to get him to drop the detainee issue, but he persisted.

Let's see, the bureaucrats had been hired by the Liberals. Remember that the Conservatives only won government in January of 2006, this is April, only 4 months later. Weston spews about "plausible deniability". How about the bureaucrats wanting to make the Conservative government look bad. We all know that the foreign affairs department resents any restraints on their power. Colvin is a bureaucrat.

Canada's then top general Rick Hillier wrote in his recently released book that "we lost confidence that basic, reasonable measures were in place to ensure the humane treatment of prisoners."

Hillier bluntly rejects claims by Harper's officials that the PM was kept in the dark on the issue. Even to this day, despite Colvin's 17 months of memos, Harper and his ministers continue to plead ignorance.

I wonder if Weston can be called on his article. Given our freedom of speech laws, I suspect he can spew anything he wants to, but the fun thing is that I can spew as much as he does. He might have a bigger audience, but my audience is dedicated to our cause. Yikes that sounds NDP'ish.

Weston loses all credibility when he labels Conservatives "Bully Boys". He is a typical name calling Liberal, just like all my trolls. Too bad he isn't an unbiased journalist, most blogger are better than he is.

You Sir Are Scum!

First of all, my deepest sympathy to the families of Maj. Yannick Pepin and Cpl. Jean-Francois Drouin. Something I noticed that retired Colonel Michel Drapeau did not think to do, express sympathy for his fellow military members. What did he do? He disparaged our troops.

I grew up in an army town, so anyone who disparages our troops in anyway gets nothing but scorn from me. So, retired Colonel Michel Drapeau, you sir are scum!

Retired colonel Michel Drapeau, now a military analyst, says news of the latest Canadian casualties will cause soldiers, their families and the general public to question the goal of the mission.

"These losses, in particular of a senior officer, will have a devastating impact upon the morale not only of the soldiers serving in Afghanistan but the military families all across Canada," Drapeau said Tuesday on CTV's Canada AM. "It brings the point home that at the moment we are certainly not winning and at the moment we need to do something to regain the initiative."

I want a match up between Drapeau and Hillier. They are both retired so it should be a fair match. If I was a bookie, the odds would be overwhelmingly in favour of Hillier. Why doesn't CTV interview one of the most popular military people ever, Hillier? Nope, they drag out a guy who retired in the 90's! It's probably because they know that Hillier would never, ever, state that the loss of our soldiers would have a "devastating impact upon the morale" of anyone.

Drapeau says that while heavy-handed tactics may send civilians into the arms of the Taliban, the alternative puts soldiers, including Canadians, at risk.

Heavy-handed tactics? How about your slimy non-support of our troops, Drapeau? How about your intent to demoralize our troops and their families. I'm not the only one who thinks that, from the comments:

SK Veterans' Father
The deaths of these fine soldiers proves nothing of the sort...we are already winning because a fledgling democracy has been established that now needs nurturing...statements like Drapeau's only provide succour to the Taliban and put my son's safety further at risk...please shut up sir and support your military!

Rich
YAY another knee jerk reactionary story about how we are losing the war. It will give me a warm and fuzzy knowing this when I myself go over there next week.(too bad you are not coming with me you could tell me what I am doing wrong and let me know that my actions are all done in futility)

Thanks for that Mr Drapeau. How can I take you seriously if you make statements such as "These losses, in particular of a senior officer, will have a devastating impact upon the morale not only of the soldiers serving in Afghanistan but the military families all across Canada,"

Rank has no meaning when you have to come home in a casket. All deaths are equally as hard no matter what the rank, gender or stature of the person is.
I can tell that you are very much an officer and that attitude shows.

In this fast food culture of instant gratification please realise that there are no instant results. Support our troops and their efforts. Even when the press informs you its bad.

buddy
Col Drapeau is a retired officer, who has had no battlefield experience in his career and spent most of his time at a desk worrying about supply issues in order to save money...What little he seems to know about operations comes from discussing it with other retired senior officers, most of whom have been in the same technocratic structure of the past. His comments should be taken as the windy howls of a wanna be soldier and do not reflect the leadership and dedication of all members of the CF. Old style officers of his ilk should gently fade away and grow vegetables in their garden and leave soldiering to the current leadership.

Read more at the link provided, funny how the comments have been closed and they did not allow any thumbs up/down on the article.

I have so much respect for our soldiers that when I see a supposed soldier, actively try to demoralize our troops, all I can think of is the scum that sits on top of the bathtub water after a long weekend of camping. You need to pull the plug, but then you have to scrub that scum off of the sides of the tub.

You sir are that scum.

They Just Can't Help Themselves!

First off, good luck General Hillier, you did a great job! You put the men and women first and that is how it should be.

CTV just can't help themselves, they need to take a negative view of the Prime Minister, while showing the GG as a great gal!





Notice how Michaelle talks about his important position, and PM Harper reflects on the "oft shaky" relationship? It's those little digs that the MSM just have to put into every single article they write. Even my lefty parents are sick of it!

Read the comments, most are very supportive.

They just can't say anything nice about our Prime Minister can they? Fife was yapping about being "outside" the fence, and Drapeau made it very clear that the gate was open. Watch the videos on the right, they speak for themselves.