Cpl. James Hayward Arnal was more committed to the war in Afghanistan than are most Canadians. He was on his second tour of duty with 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, and had applied to serve a third when he was killed by a roadside improvised explosive device last week, the 88th Canadian to die in combat there.
Manitobans may feel a particular pang over his death. He was a Winnipegger, and as a soldier, the Canadian forces base in Shilo was home to him.
But Canadians should feel that same pang for all the soldiers who have died, all the soldiers who have been wounded and traumatized in Afghanistan. Their sacrifice is made for all of us, and for people around the world who value freedom and democracy over the small-minded tyranny of organizations such as the Taliban and al-Qaida.
As Cpl. Arnal's body was on its way home to Canada, the chief of defence staff, General Walter Natynczyk, took the opportunity to correct a misperception about the war that he had earlier created.
Last week, the general had said the level of fighting in Afghanistan had gone up only an "insignificant notch" over the level at this time last year, although it was obvious to almost everybody except him that it had increased considerably.
On Sunday, Gen. Natynczyk set out a clearer picture of the situation on the ground in Afghanistan. There is, he said, "a worsening security situation across the country," but that is at least partly offset by some improvements in Kandahar, where Canadian troops are fighting. "What they see are localized fragile signs of success. Very, very localized."
Wars are won by series of small but fragile victories and this was a more honest, or, more charitably, a more accurate assessment of the situation in Afghanistan. Looking at the success of President George W. Bush's surge in Iraq, where more than 30,000 American troops were added to the mix, Gen. Natynczyk called for more soldiers in Afghanistan.
There is no doubt that more soldiers are needed. There is also no doubt that they cannot come from Canada, whose small military resources are already stretched to the limit. That leaves only America -- which seems likely to answer the call -- and Canada's other NATO allies -- who have been more reluctant to respond to their responsibilities as alliance members involved, whether they like it or not, in Afghanistan. This is not a popular war in Europe. Neither has it won over a majority of Canadians. But Europeans and Canadians alike could learn a lesson from Cpl. James Hayward Arnal -- there are jobs that just have to be done, no matter what the cost.
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