The G8 met yesterday in Canada with the primary agenda being a push for further sanctions on Iran over its refusal to negotiate in good faith on the nuclear issue.  A double suicide bombing in the Moscow subway system overshadowed discussions on Iran and negotiations between arctic nations on the future of energy exploration in the region, but an interview between Canadian reporter, Tom Clark, and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton became the most contentious moment of the day and took the spotlight, at least for Canadians.

Hillary Clinton was asked if the United States would ask Canada to extend its mission in Afghanistan and the answer was essentially yes, which shouldn't surprise anyone.  The Obama administration made it clear during the campaign for the Presidency that Afghanistan and Pakistan were going to be the primary focus in the fight against extremism.  It's unfortunate that the previous administration took its proverbial eye off the ball and relegated Afghanistan to the status of a forgotten war, mismanaged with no viable, or reliable local partner, but it is what it is. 

The reality of the situation is that years were lost, and Afghanistan is as dangerous as ever, but while time was lost, along with lives, and money, leaving Afghanistan altogether would be irresponsible beyond measure.  I wrote months ago that nation building was the only viable option when it came to a place like Afghanistan, even though the terminology is like Kryptonite in political circles, but that means literally decades of commitment, which is exactly what we have to do in concert with the international community.  The world is a very small place in this day and age, and to walk away from Afghanistan at a moment when there is finally an organized offensive, not only from the few NATO forces that allow combat, but we've seen the Pakistani government finally take the fight to extremists on their side of the boarder. 

Despite rises in casualties, we've seen very positive outcomes in the past year.  There has been a record number of Taliban and al'Queda leaders either killed or captured, Pakistani troops and citizens have decidedly turned against extremists within their boarders for the first time, the troop surge is clearing provinces of Taliban insurgents while, for the first time, President Karzai is reaching out (under pressure from the U.S.) to tribal leaders while building infrastructure.  These are positive events that can be built upon to safeguard against a future Afghanistan that will at this point, if left to its own devices, revert back to a haven for terrorist groups.  And believe me when I say that I realize that President Karzai and his allies are as corrupt as as anyone in that country, but we can work with what we have.

Nothing is ever perfect, and I'm not even suggesting that Canadians should continue in a combat role, but to walk away entirely would be walking away from the best chance we have to help tackle this global problem now and not kick the can down the road for the next generation.  This is a contentious issue among Canadians, the majority of whom do not support continued operations in Afghanistan, but I believe we owe it to those soldiers and civilians in Afghanistan who died to make that sacrifice matter.  We finally have solid leadership with President Obama and a clear mission, although it's still not being called nation building even though that's what we're finally trying to do.