A former CIA analyst whose book was mentioned by Osama bin Laden in a video released last week says Canada and NATO countries will hand terrorists a victory if they give up combat operations in Afghanistan.
Michael Scheuer, a retired 22-year CIA veteran and author of "Through Our Enemies' Eyes" says that Canada, the U.S., and their allies have not devoted enough resources to winning the fight against terrorism in Afghanistan. He argues that too few soldiers and too many agendas have already led to a near-defeat in that country.
"I think it's a dastardly way to treat our people in uniform," Scheuer told CTV's Question Period on Sunday.
"They (the soldiers) have to keep Karzai's government in power, they have to defeat the Taliban insurgency, they have to reconstruct the economy, they're supposed to build a democracy, they're assigned to eradicate the heroin industry, and in their spare time they can go after bin Laden."
Scheuer says that Canadian and NATO leaders have "betrayed" their soldiers in Afghanistan by not providing a clear focus and enough support. He added that Osama bin Laden and other terrorists were inspired by their victory over the Soviets in Afghanistan in the 1980s. Scheuer fears that a loss in Afghanistan will hand bin Laden another inspirational victory.
"When we're defeated there, and when we're defeated in Iraq, bin Laden suddenly becomes a figure of world importance because he predicted long ago that the Americans and their allies are soft ... and will eventually be easier to defeat than the Soviets."
Bin Laden mentioned Scheuer's books specifically in his latest video when he tried to explain why the West was losing in Iraq and Afghanistan. Scheuer told Question Period co-host Craig Oliver that Canada and its allies have not acknowledged the true reasons Islamic fundamentalists are engaged in terrorism. He says bin Laden and his followers are not fighting the West because of its freedom, democracy, or commitment to gender equality.
"We're fighting an enemy that doesn't exist ... if you don't fight the enemy in the way that he's motivated, you're going to lose" said Scheuer.
He said American and the West's unqualified support for Israel, support for tyrannical regimes in the Middle East, and dependence on oil in the region are all contributing to the real reasons for terrorist acts.
Scheuer says that the U.S. should never have entered Iraq and is on the verge of losing the war in that country. He also noted that neither the U.S. nor Canada have taken effective control of their borders, something which may lead to future terrorism.
"We're basically led by people who are unwilling to control their own borders," he says. "They say they don't worry about it, or it's gotten better, but the reality is North America is basically a wide open place for terrorism, whether in Canada or Mexico or the United States."
Scheuer says that victory against Islamic fundamentalists can only come if Canadian, U.S., and other Western governments change strategies and understand what motivates terrorists.
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