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The Politics of War
Canada's Afghanistan Mission, 2001–14
Jean-Christophe Boucher (Author), Kim Richard Nossal (Author)
9780774836272
Hardback, published 1 October 2017
300 pages, 9 graphs, 2 maps, 6 tables
22.9 x 15.2 x 2.6 cm, 0.58 kg
Although written by political scientists, this book is very accessible to students of the campaign in Afghanistan—whether they be academics, military personnel, or the general reader. It is highly recommended for the view of the "home game" it provides and as a reflection of the military "away game" being played out overseas.
When the Canadian government committed forces to join the military mission in Afghanistan following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, little did it foresee that this decision would involve Canada in a war-riven country for over a decade. The Politics of War explores how, as the mission became increasingly unpopular, Canadian politicians across the political spectrum began to use it to score points against their opponents. This was "politics" with a vengeance. Through historical analysis of the public record and interviews with officials, Jean-Christophe Boucher and Kim Richard Nossal show how the Canadian government sought to frame the engagement in Afghanistan as a "mission" rather than what it was – a war. They examine the efforts of successive governments to convince Canadians of the rightness of Canada's engagement, the parliamentary politics that resulted from the increasing politicization of the mission, and the impact of public opinion on Canada's involvement. This contribution to the field of Canadian foreign policy demonstrates how much of Canada's war in Afghanistan was shaped by the vagaries of domestic politics and political gamesmanship.
Preface Introduction: The Domestic Politics of Canada's Afghanistan Mission 1 The Away Game: Canadians in Afghanistan 2 The War That Wasn't: Framing the Mission 3 Home Pitch: Selling Afghanistan to Canadians 4 Parliament's Role: Laundering the Mission 5 Don't Mention the War: Electoral Politics and Bipartisanship 6 Detainee Games: The Politics of Distraction 7 Did Minority Government Matter? A Counterfactual Analysis 8 An Unpopular Mission: Public Opinion and Afghanistan 9 The Politics of Casualties: Evaluating the "Trenton Effect" 10 Failure to Launch: Public Mobilization and the War in Afghanistan Conclusion: Though Poppies Grow Notes; Index