Time Immortal

Using NATO forces, if necessary. This from the man who wants Canada to withdraw from its commitment in neighbouring Afghanistan.

Don’t get it? Neither do I.

Any attempt to counter terrorists war-torn Afghanistan will not succeed without an intervention in neighbouring Pakistan, Liberal Leader Stephane Dion said Wednesday.

Mr. Dion hinted NATO could take action in Pakistan, which has a porous border with Afghanistan, if the Pakistani government doesn’t move to track terrorists.

“We are going to have to discuss that very actively if they (the Pakistanis) are not able to deal with it on their own. We could consider that option with the NATO forces in order to help Pakistan help us pacify Afghanistan,” said Mr. Dion in Quebec City, commenting after his two-day trip to Afghanistan last weekend. “As long as we don’t solve the problem in Pakistan, I don’t see how we can solve it in Afghanistan.”

The Liberal leader explained that Afghan officials told him they know where the extremist strongholds are in Pakistan. But he said the Afghans don’t take action.

“One day, we are going to have to act because our soldiers are cleaning out some areas, but in fact very often they are only clean in principle. The insurgents go take refuge in Pakistan and they are going to come back (to Afghanistan) at the earliest opportunity. This could last very long if we don’t tackle the problems that often originate from Pakistan,” Mr. Dion said.

Now, to be fair, I don’t disagree with him. I too think that the only proper response to the spread of Islamic terror cells is to take the battle to them, and hunt them down wherever they are to be found; they aren’t going to go away by any other means than the application of overwhelming force.

But what I don’t get is why Dion is being so bloody inconsistent. This is a man who has repeatedly questioned Canada’s military presence in Afghanistan, and who has repeatedly called for Canadian troops to be brought home in the near future, despite the fact that the Afghan people likely need our help for a bit longer than the time between now and February 2009.

And now he wants “NATO forces” to intervene in Pakistan?

It doesn’t add up.

Defence Minister Peter MacKay told Canwest News Service Dion’s comments were off base.

“Mr. Dion can’t be serious to suggest NATO “intervene,” in another country while simultaneously saying Canada should abandon its United Nations-mandated NATO mission in Afghanistan,” he said in an e-mail.

“He has to explain to Canadians why he wants an “intervention” but wants to turn his back on Afghanistan, which has asked and continues to ask for Canada’s help. It’s inane.”

Steve Janke feels that this is another ‘gaffe’ by Dion, one which can only hurt the , and indeed for Canada’s left wing parties in general:

When Stephane Dion messes up on a comment on taxes, people notice, and are concerned.

When Stephane Dion messes up on a comment on Afghanistan, especially musing about some dramatic increase in the scope of mission, people notice, and go far beyond concerned. People like me just laugh out loud, but people like those who express sentiments like the ones quoted above are alarmed. And furious. And strangely satisfied.

They are satisfied that Stephane Dion is just playing them. That despite his Green talk — whatever worries these true believers had that the Liberals could draw votes from the NDP are allayed. In a debate, all they have to do is remind people on the fence that Stephane Dion thinks military action in Pakistan is a good thing.

As long as Stephane Dion is allowed to speak without a carefully scripted set of comments to guide him, Canada’s centre left will never be united.

As it is, he is just the leader of the opposition, so his comments have little impact beyond Canadian borders, and no impact at all on Canadian policy. But his comments do have an impact on the perceptions of those Canadians who might be tempted to “lend their votes” to Stephane Dion.

I doubt anyone seriously believes Stephane Dion would have the guts to back a move into Pakistan, even if there was a single person in the Western alliance who thought it was a good idea. He would blanche and mewl about competing priorities.

What does Stephane Dion believe? Seriously? Unscripted he says Canada ought to support an intervention in Pakistan. The next day Liberals started saying the opposite. Unscripted he says he’d consider raising the GST. The next day Liberals started saying the opposite.

But cleaning up the Pakistan mess means going back and reinvesting time and effort to fool NDP supporters that the Liberals are a suitable stand-in for the NDP. Stephane Dion has just made that a lot harder to do, the second time around.

Personally, I think Dion’s just a crappy leader who is trying, and failing, to please everyone — he’s simultaneously trying to be hawkish and a peacenik, a big-government type who’s a fan of increased taxes and a friend of the little guy who wants to cut Joe Taxpayer a bit of a break here and there. I do agree with Angry, though, that his flip-flopping on issues can only hurt him, and can only serve to divide the Canadian left.

Which is why I don’t actually mind that Stephane Dion is the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada at present.