In case the Globe doesn’t publish it…

Letter to the Editor

From celebrity headlines to daily pro-war editorials, there is much that this country’s two national newspapers share. On Thursday, they took their editorial kinship to the absurd when both papers published the same dubious letter by Helen Sterzer [Jack in the box - letter, 7 September] What’s more, neither paper identified the letter writer as a regular Reform/Conservative candidate and party activist.

Couldn’t the Globe just call on one of the regular letter writers instead of cutting and pasting partisan nonsense from the National Post?

Jon Elmer
Vancouver, BC

***

Globe and Mail
7 September 2006, p. A16

Jack-in-the-box

HELEN STERZER

Winnipeg — Every time NDP Leader Jack Layton muses that Canadian troops should prematurely withdraw from Afghanistan (’This Is The Wrong Mission For Canada,’ Layton Says — front page, Sept. 4), the Taliban listen. After all, they are a sophisticated enemy: They have Internet connections, satellite phones and television. They think that, with enough Canadian blood spilled, Parliament will recall our soldiers home and leave Afghanistan to its fate. Each time Mr. Layton speaks, the Taliban get what they believe to be a progress report on their insurgency.

This perception of progress tells them there is no reason to participate in the demobilization and disarmament programs of the Afghan government, and it encourages them to spill more Canadian blood in an effort to build Canadian public support for Mr. Layton’s call to retreat. Thus, each time Mr. Layton opens his mouth, a Canadian soldier is put in danger (not to mention Afghan civilians).

Thanks a lot, Jack.

National Post
Published: Thursday, September 07, 2006

Every time Jack Layton muses that Canadian troops should prematurely withdraw from Afghanistan, the Taliban listens. They think that, with enough Canadian blood spilled, our Parliament will recall our soldiers and leave Afghanistan to its fate. Each time Mr. Layton calls for withdrawal, the Taliban gets what they believe to be a progress report on their insurgency. This perception of progress tells them that there is no reason to participate in the demobilization and disarmament programs of the Afghan government, and it encourages them to spill more Canadian blood, to build Canadian public support for Mr. Layton’s call to retreat.

Thus, each time he opens his mouth, a Canadian soldier is put in danger. While Canadian soldiers, including my son, don’t mind burying their friends in exchange for Mr Layton’s right to sound off for political gain (it’s their job to die for our right to free speech), Afghan civilians also pay the price, as each press conference motivates a suicide bombing.

Thanks a lot, Jack.

Helen Sterzer, Winnipeg.