British commander: We can't win in Afghanistan

Brigadier Mark Carleton-Smith Britain's most senior military commander in the country said the aim was to reduce the uprising to a level at which it could be managed by the Afghan army and made clear that this could involve talking to the Taliban.

"We're not going to win this war. It's about reducing it to a manageable level of insurgency that's not a strategic threat and can be managed by the Afghan army".

Talks with the Taliban about a political settlement should not be ruled out, he added.

"If the Taliban were prepared to sit on the other side of the table and talk about a political settlement, then that's precisely the sort of progress that concludes insurgencies like this," he said.

The NDP has already suggested that talks with the Taliban is the way forward instead of the imperialist policies of the Conservatives and Liberals.

Conservatives and Liberals vote for more war!

The Conservatives under Stephen Harper and Liberals under Stephane Dion joined hands and united to vote for extending the war mission in Afghanistan until 2011. Only the NDP stood for peace and for millions of Canadians who know this war is wrong, and that we shouldn't be there in a combat role. There was an opportunity to end the fighting and build a path to peace, instead Harper and Dion are taking Canada down the path of more war.

Tony Blair, who lied about Iraq when he was British Prime Minister is, along with  George Bush, responsible for death and destruction in Iraq. He and Bush are war criminals and Blair should not be welcome in Toronto. Shame on those elites who invited him. It is all to obvious that there is a connection between the capitalists and the war mongers.

Since his retirement as British PM, Blair has continued to push his disastrous policies on Palestine as the Middle East "peace" envoy - once again, supporting Bush's plans for wider US control of the region.

Members from the Riding Association attended the Anti - Blair rally in Toronto, Jan.19/08