Event Summary:
Summary by
Geoff Burt
With
Brigadier General Jonathan Vance
Commander Joint Task Force Afghanistan
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Canadian International Council and Aird & Berlis LLP
The Canadian International Council and Aird & Berlis LLP hosted a talk by Brigadier General Jonathan Vance on Tuesday, January 26, followed by a cocktail reception. BGen Vance had just completed his command of Joint Task Force Afghanistan serving from February to November 2009.
In a frank and open discussion, BGen Vance communicated Canada’s counter-insurgency (COIN) strategy in Afghanistan, COIN’s potential, Canada’s role, and Canadian perceptions of the war.
BGen Vance outlined the change in mission strategy from counter-terrorism to counter-insurgency (COIN). The new COIN mission emphasizes the protection of Afghan civilians – human security – over attacking small groups of Taliban. This approach was impossible in Kandahar until 2009, when the Canadian command received reinforcements in the form of four additional battalions (from 2006-2009, there had only been one).
COIN is the only way to bring stability to Kandahar. BGen Vance distinguished between security and stability. Security just means a lack of violence. Stability means a return to everyday life. Stability brings with it humanitarian aid agencies like Oxfam, Care, and the World Health Organization. Stability means progress.
Canada plays a central role in Afghanistan through its command in Kandahar (which Vance called the epicentre of the insurgency), its leadership in COIN strategy, the human security agenda, and the whole of government approach to stabilization. This leading role will continue until the withdrawal of the Canadian Forces in 2011.
BGen Vance concluded with his thoughts on Canadian perceptions of the war. He pointed out that what was true of Afghanistan as a whole – a trend towards increased violence – was not true of Kandahar, where the number of casualties was actually declining.
Part of the problem, according to Vance, is that a COIN strategy is not a linear process. There are no enemy armies, no decisive battles, just the gradual marginalization of the Taliban and a return to normalcy. The only “newsworthy” events are insurgent attacks, which by nature are seen as strategic failures. This can make COIN a difficult cause to rally behind, but for BGen Vance, it is the only hope for stability in Afghanistan.
View the event flyer: Flyer.
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Event Photos:
Coming soon.
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