Kandahar Dispatches

Why are we in Afganistan? The UK/USA war machine is in a jam and Iraq is going into civil war. Plus they are itchy as hell to get into Iraq. Israel/Leb war was a test. Powerful people in the US are seriously questioning the whole Iraq war pretext---

In an interview conducted by William Rivers Pitt, Congressman John Conyers reports, "We have found that there is substantial evidence the President, the Vice-President and other high ranking members of the Bush administration misled Congress and the American people regarding the decision to go to war in Iraq; misstated and manipulated intelligence information regarding the justification for such war; countenanced torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment in Iraq; permitted inappropriate retaliation against critics of their administration; and approved domestic surveillance that is both illegal and unconstitutional

To question authority is my right. I am not in uniform. Uniform means one form, one body, one role and to not question authority. The military signs people up for many reasons. If you believe as 'peacekeepers', then why are Canadian snipers blowing the heads off of some body on Afganistan? Did that body just want to grow poppies to make a living. It is his right, it is his country. Does the US want to pay US$ for him not to grow poppies. Probably. The US flew pallet loads of US $ bills to Iraq and likely Afaganistan. Do not forget this is the same USA that flew out heroin by the plane load from Laos in the Viet Nam war. And made some connected military/CIA 'ol boys' rich. Who are we Canadians, at the behest of NATO(read Britian/USA), to say that that a poor Afgan farmer can not grow whatever he damn well pleases. Fine if we want to drill water wells and put up schools. BRAVO. Support the 'troops' by all means. But 'peacekeeping' is not puting holes in people. For ANY reason.

Some say God bless our 'troops'. God bless Canada. Lots say God bless America. Why is ANYONES handle on God having more priveledge than anyone else. Is the God of some sweaty Afgani or gun toteing Taliban less than that of some chubby Canadian sitting in church in Canada. Apparently. The Western white male God connection of Bush and Harper happens to have gone to their heads to ferret out the bad Eastern infidels. And to makes a LOT of $ on it. Do we want wars about your God, my God? Apparently. What are sad reason for Canada to be in Afganistan.
I am proud to be Canadian, but not to be proud when Canada is being goaded and suckered into an illegal war context urged on by white male arms merchants supreme Britian and the USA.

Just to keep things in perspective; in any given 10 year period, 200 or more people die in BC’s Forest Industry. In 2005, 41 people died in the forest industry of BC. Perhaps things could have been done better; I personally have had friends die in this most dangerous of occupations and have carried out some of the lucky ones. Up to now, almost 30 soldiers have died in Operation Enduring Freedom. We, as Canadians, grieve for all these deaths and for the fallen soldiers, I go to remember and honour our soldiers on November eleventh with many other people in our town, and many of these people are or were involved with the forest industry. Just as I would like to see and end to the injuries and deaths in both the military and civilian workplaces, I realize that some will pay the ultimate sacrifice. For these people, and their families, I offer my deepest condolences. Most of us have fears when going into dangerous situations and this is what makes the courage of our soldiers all the more exemplary. It is the lives of these brave sons and daughters, mothers and father who we need to protect to the best of our abilities. We Canadians must bring back the soldiers from Afghanistan before more and more deaths occur due to an unworkable and failing foreign policy. It’s the size of the heart that counts. Let’s keep those hearts beating.

I hope Keith wasn't serious when he stated that "most people join the military to see the world at someone's elses expense". I am not sure where he got this idea, but he is obviously quite ignorant of the conditions our soldiers must endure in the 50 plus degrees temperatures with no ocean or a palm tree in sight. They are quite happy to get a few hours of sleep without an interuption of a siren, sounding as a result of yet another rocket attack. Even the preparation for this mission (half a year of training under just as rough condition somewhere in the middle of nowhere in Canada) was rough enough to discourage people from hoping to enjoy the "trip to Afghanistan". Sightseeing is definitely not part of the itinerary for everyone there, however, I am sure the guys that must travel in a convoy from base to base don't find it too enjoyable. There must be an easier way to see the world! If Keith still believes the soldiers are getting a good bargain here, maybe he should apply atry it himself. Maybe the army could find a spot for him on a luxury flight on the spacious Hercules.

I will travel, at the end of the month, several kilometres to be in Shilo to be able to take my 20 year old daughter in my arms as she arrives from a 6 month tour in Afghanistan, and yes I will be more than happy to see all those yellow ribbons made in USA or not. I have my yellow ribbon at my door and on my car: little things that make you feel better during those long months. It is sad to see someone criticize the military families, the frends and those you care. To show our support to loved ones, troops or soldiers whatever, in any way we can, has nothing to do with George Bush!

First let me thank Joe and L.Stevenson for replying to my questions. L I can see where you are coming from but Joe I cant understand your reasoning. You will save your thanks for Canadian soldiers who hopefully will never actually be defending our country. So what do you say to the Men and Women who fought in WW1 and WW2. They werent defending Canada, the war was not fought on Canadian soil so I guess by reading what you say they dont deserve anything.

What is a peacekeeper? The dictionary says:

One that preserves or promotes peace: the peacekeeper in the family.
A member of a military force engaging in peacekeeping activities, often under international sanction

I dont think either applies to any of what is going on in Afghanistan so why keep labeling the CF with that name. Yes we do have people on UN peacekeeping missions there fore they are considered peacekeepers.

What is a peacemaker? Again the dictionary says:

n 1: someone who tries to bring peace [syn: conciliator, make-peace, pacifier, reconciler] 2: a belt-fed machine gun capable of firing more than 500 rounds per minute; used by United States troops in World War II and the Korean War.

Dont think we are a machine gun.

To Danielle Knight. Since I was the only one on this blog to comment on how 'embarrassing' it is that these women cried, I would like to tell you to re-read my comment. I hate being miss quoted. I said it was embarrassing that they cried to the media. I never said that crying or wanting to go home is embarrassing. I have an 18 year old friend who left for her basic training this month. I (and her PPCLI father)warned her again and again that she was going to cry. That she will want to go home (I cried on mine, which is something only close friends knew). I also told her that she can always call me, that I will be there for her. Everyone in the military has wanted to go home or been extremely miserable at some point in their career, but how many times do you hear that in the media? Only when it has a political purpose. This reporter poked and prodded at an unhappy and emotional moment and held it up to the world, leaving everyone with the impression that our soldiers don't think they should be there. These girls were used and exploided. Period. This is why most of the military is advised to avoid the media. Your emotions and words get twisted. Just like you twisted mine. I support our Troops (which is NOT just an american term). PRO REGE ET PATRIA

To Keith from Edmonton: When I joined the military, I did not join "to see the world". I joined because I chose to be a soldier, and to be part of something that the majority of Canadians will never experience, and from the sounds of it, apprecciate. As long as there are people who are oppressing the innocent because of religious beliefs, political beliefs, etc, I'd like to think Canadian troops should be there to do what they can.

Most people join the military to see the world at someone's elses expense. Very few join to be some country police force, as these Countries have been killing their people for hundreds of years in the name of religon. Until these people realize if you haven't got it in your heart to treate people with respect. (Religon will not save them} I say bring all our troops home now and send Harper over there to smooth things out as he is a great B.S.er.Bring our troops home now or they will keep comming home for many years to come in body bags. Nobody has ever won a relgious war.(ever)

How refreshing to see a side of the war in Afghanistan that isn't often explored. Too many times we are presented with the same story over and over again, numbing the minds of those who are already confused about what's going on overseas.

It saddens me, however, to read other posts which are not only unsupportive of our troops but actually suggest that these women are 'embarassing' or 'unprofessional' and that they should express their emtions on their own time. Which time would that be, exactly? I would like these same people to take a moment to realize that maybe, just maybe, these individuals are in a frame of mind they've never been in before. In a strange place with extrenuating circumstances, away from family and friends and all that is familiar, I think you would cry too. Not only for the fear that you feel or the uncertainty that war brings, but because people like you are insensitive and malicious.

Have some compassion; show some respect. How dare we judge these brave soldiers or dictate what and how they should feel.

Danielle Knight
Ottawa, Ontario

Some of the questions and points I have read in the above comments explains the results of the most recent polls about Canada's presents in Afghanistan. People seem to know very little about this mission and their perception is largely influenced by the politics and mood influencing commentaries which seem to be in the background of most articles written about it. With the exclusion of stating facts, many reporters put some "color" to their writings with the intent to influence the reader.
I am a mom of one of the guys that is serving in Kandahar since February and has a few more months to go before he can come home. You will understand that I read every bit of information available and worry constantly. However, I would like to stress that every time I read a comment like "bring our soldiers home", "why are we there?", "we are just trying to please the Americans", I just feel very, very sad for the families that lost their sons or daughters in that war. Are you trying to say that their sacrifice is not being appreciated? Are you trying to say that we sent them in the harms way just for the posturing of some politicians and that we do not appreciate what they do there? That is certainly how it comes out and it really does hurt my feelings. I just hope the guys in the field don't have the time to read your comments.
My heart and thoughts are with my son and all of his "army family" constatntly and I wish that every one of them can come home soon. However, they went there for a reason and they believe in their mission. We should all support them and try to understand - this is their job and we sent them to do it a few years ago. If their job is not completed, their sacrifice is not worth the lost lives.

One thing I have yet to see in here is someone asking the soldiers why they do it. Why do they keep going back to these war torn countries who in the words of so many "dont want us there".

I go back and will keep going back for one simple thing. The look in a young childs eyes when I build them a new school, or drop off a toy or provide them with a hot meal or give them a chance to live.

Even if I am able to give a young child one extra day on this planet then I know I have done something special.

And by the way I cry as well. I am 39 years old, 6'2" tall and roughly tip the scales at around 265. I have been through some very nasty situations in my 20 years in the military, many of which I had no idea if I was going to make it out or not. I do not consider myself a very emotional person but I am "HUMAN".

Who really cares if the yellow ribbons/stickers were made in the US. Does that mean just because a simple item was not made in Canada you throw your support away for the men and women of the forces. Hope you sit well every day enjoying all the freedoms soldiers die for just so you can be free.

I find so many people are eager to jump on the Bush/Harper train complaining about every single thing they do. I hate to say this but Mr Harper was elected by the people of Canada. He wasnt appoionted by Mr Bush or by anyone else.

I find the lack of support for the members of the CF disgusting. Lets go back a few years shall we and revisit some events. Take the floods for example, who was called on to come help out? The military. Who gets called out when forest fires run rampant and no relief is in sight? The military. We drop everything we have to come to the aide of Canadians when needed but yet instead of thanks we get crap put on us by most Canadians.

It is time to think about an exit strategy. From J.B. “Again what is the basis for your comments and who is the "we" in your statement.” The basis for my comments are my understanding of history, CBC.com the Power and Interest News Reports and other internet sites which deal with contemporary and archived news stories. As to my use of we, it is as most other writers, the first person plural, and in particular, I am referring to we as Canadians. As the increasing devolution of responsibility for continuing the war in Afghanistan falls to NATO because the U.S forces need to concentrate their firepower in Iraq, more and more Canadians will die in a war that is not of our making. This was a war of revenge over the tragic 911 disasters in America. At the outset, this war was designed to capture Osama Bin Laden and neutralize or destroy al-Queda militants who were responsible for the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. War was never declared, yet a sovereign nation was attacked and its government destroyed. Al-Queda is stronger than ever and Osama Bin Laden is still free. Canada is caught up in a battle that will intensify. There are thirty million Afghanis that live between and around the borders of Afghanistan and Pakistan. Many of these people will only see the “Enduring Freedom” coalition as an occupying force. If we, as Canadians, do not come up with some kind of an exit strategy, the exit strategy at the end of the Vietnam war may very well be our exit strategy and that I don’t wish to happen. Because I love and respect my country and its soldiers, I do not wish to see more brave men and women returning home for burial due to a controversial war that will only get more deadly. I grew up on military bases and come from a long line of soldiers. It is because I am patriotic that I wish to see the end to Canada’s fighting in Afghanistan.

Am I happy that our troops are in Afganistan? No.
Do I feel we should be there?
unfortunately, Yes. They are not there as Peace Keepers, Because there is no peace to keep. They are there to fight evil.
For the peace protestors to say we should not be there fighting is the equivalent of supporting public executions of women for getting an education or being an educator.

Marc Lapine murdered 14 women in Montreal and that event is still remembered and marked with protests about violence towards women and rhetoric about how we must make sure it never happens again. Well it was happening and was state sponsored. Do we stop saying it must never happen again, just because it is in Afganistan?

If we as a society can honestly say that knowing what is happening, we can have no problem with the abuses and murders of women and children, then lets get our military back home. I do not know if we can win the war over there, but I do feel we have to try. A much smarter man than I, Albert Einstein said words to the effect, The world is not a dangerous place because of the evil people in it, but because of the poeple who don't do anything about it.

Our soldiers may not be happy about being there, but they are doing something about the evil people on our behalf, and I thank them and hope that they all come home safely.

There seems to be a misunderstanding that our troops in Afganistan are peacekeeping , they are not.They are part of a NATO mission.Some troops are doing humanitarian work which is important but most are providing combat roles clasified as providing security.Humanitarian work can not be done without a safe atmosphere to administer it.
I served with the UN in Namibia during the elections there in 89. As well as I served as a paratrooper in Somalia so I know both sides of the coin so to speak. The UN missions are usually lightly armed and only effective if all the combatants are cooperative to a resolution.If they are not it is ineffective to use a UN mission. Canada has lost more than 100 ,000 troops in combat the last century so the myth that Canada is only a peacekepping nation is false.Wishing all our troops in Afghanistan and elsewhere a safe return home to Canada.
Steve W.

There seems to be a misunderstanding that our troops in Afganistan are peacekeeping , they are not.They are part of a NATO mission.Some troops are doing humanitarian work which is important but most are providing combat roles clasified as providing security.Humanitarian work can not be done without a safe atmosphere to administer it.
I served with the UN in Namibia during the elections there in 89. As well as I served as a paratrooper in Somalia so I know both sides of the coin so to speak. The UN missions are usually lightly armed and only effective if all the combatants are cooperative to a resolution.If they are not it is ineffective to use a UN mission. Canada has lost more than 100 ,000 troops in combat the last century so the myth that Canada is only a peacekepping nation is false.Wishing all our troops in Afghanistan and elsewhere a safe return home to Canada.
Steve W.

Canda has been a peace keeping nation ever since WW2
If the war mongers want to fight, why not free the people in Africa that are not only dying in a senseless war but are also dying of aids and starving to death.
Canada would really be doing the humane thing by helping those people.

Now entering my 21st year of service in the CF, I am so tired of being called Peacekeepers. We win the Nobel Prize in the 80s for peacekeeping and now that is how we are looked at. But if there is no peace to keep then what do we do?? We are a combat force first and foremost.

I went thru the PPCLI Battle School in the 1980s and it was drilled in our heads to "close with and destroy the enemy". So what do you call people who blow up convoys with vehicles or themselves, or fire RPGs at us?? That is right, the enemy, therfore it is our job to "close with and destroy the enemy".

It is time for the Liberal Handle of Peace Keeper to be removed from the description of the CF and call us what we are SOLDIERS.

God Bless the Troops and God Bless Canada.

We (the west) have been imposing our way of life (capitalism), our corporations' greed has reached the third world a long time ago. Now they are rebelling, with justifyable reasons (not to kill but to rebel). We (the west) have replaced goverments all over the world to put a "democratic" one in it's place. Isn't it a paradox ? Imposing "democracy". Or maybe democracy does not stand for freedom but for a concept of goverment. In fact we are expanding capitalism, the power of money and corporations for the benefit of few.

How can we pre-emptivly attack a country based on a false pretext, (stay in it for 3 other years) use WMDs while destroying it, then tell them they will have to mortage their oil reserves to pay for reconstruction. War is buiness, always evil buiness. There are no good wars, no good causes, just people dying and people killing.

Although many Canadian soldiers are losing theit lives in the Afghanistan we must remember that we are there because of our vow to protect our country and world peace. Both of my Grandfathers are retired UN Peacekeepers who served in Cyprus, East Germany, and the Gaza Strip and I know that although we are not sanctioned by the UN in Afghanistan we are their to help make the world a safer and better place for everyone. That is both my opinion aswell as my families. What my Grandfathers did in the 1960's and 70's they would not change and we must take this conflict in the same stride to defend what Canada and democracy stand for.

Why do we fight ? Freedom ? Democracy ? Strategic geopolitical dominance over oil ?
Why is canada fighting in Afghanistan ? Well there's no really easy answer to that. The USA seems to have abandon the search for ossama bin laden / alqueada, and now canada is mopping up afghanistan and joining the military industrial complex with investments of 14 billion dollars. Why are we fighting for democracy, we don't even have it. Democracy should be replaced with capitalism and globalization. That is the name of the game.

Why do we support israel in it's state sponsored terrorism. Let me explain myself so i don't get mislabeled as an anti-semitist. I (hizzbolah) kidnap one of your soldiers, and you (israel) bomb half of my country killing civilians. Creating what some U.N. peacekeepers declared war crimes before getting bombed themselves. How is that not terrorism.

To stop terror and war, we first need to dismantle the defence industry, the factories that produce the bombs, guns, biological weapons (anthrax) the factories that employ 3.5 million americans.

as a cook in the military we get to meet alot of the men and women in the armed forces during deployments and exercises and each one knows there job, when they go overseas they do it with pride and proffesionalism that has been our motto for other forces to follow to all of my comrades i say well done and keep up the good work, stay safe and keep up the great work that we have proven to do all over the world ( pro patria )

"I ask you all this question. When was the last time you walked up to a soldier and thanked him for serving his country?"

I'll be happy to do that when they are actually defending Canada instead of fulfilling military agreements on the other side of the planet, suposidly fighting a "war on terrorism" perpitrated by American and British elites and in which our gererally "less than elite" soldiers are dying for an undefined cause and against an enemy with no name. A cause I might add, that cannot be won because we have no enemy other than an abstract idea fulfilled by a constructed enemy of the moment.

What will the next target be and should we simply accept that because someone in Foreign Affairs says so? I'll save my thanks for the Canadian soldiers who hopefully will never actually be defending our country.

While we are on the topic, what the heck does "support our troops" actually mean? If it means do I hope they do not get killed or crippled in some foreign desert then surely I support them. If it means do I feel empathy for soldiers away from their family and friends not knowing if they will see them again then absolutely, they have my support (and I have known many soldiers).

If it means unthinking support for the mission, taking the action lightly because we are told to or supporting what is a political and economic as well as a military action then no, I won't be putting that yellow magnetic ribbon on my car. "support our troops" reeks of the same sort of unthinking jingistic garbage that created the also undefinable "war on terror" slogan.

I used to think Canadians were smarter than that.

I am a soldier in the canadian army. I have been to afghanistan, and i cant wait to go back. This is what we joined to do, what we train to do, this is who we are. We know the risks and we accept them. WE are there for a reason and we are making a difference. Most Afghans are happy that we are there to help. All of this talk of pulling out is a disgrace to canada, to those who serve and those who have sacrificed their lives for what they believe in. By saying that we should pull out you are giving the terrorists exactly what they want, they want us out of their county. That is their goal.

There is an incredible myth springing up that the Taliban is just some group of Islamic Fascists that are jealous of the wealth and prosperity of the West and want to destroy it. Nonsense! Let us not forget one important fact: THE UNITED STATES CREATED THE TALIBAN. They did so by funding the Mudjahadeen, arming them, encouraging them to fight the Russians, and then completely abandoning them when the Russians left. The United States used and abused these people like pawns, creating the conditions that led to the formation of the Taliban... and you wonder why they are angry? I'm sorry, but their beef is not with *all* western nations, certainly not with Canada, and they have a right to it.

I'm shocked at the amount of people on this blog have no idea what they are talking about. An earlier post actually made a reference to being in the army like being on a hockey team.
I myself am a "Soldier". Everyone that joins the Canadian Forces knows the risks and accepts that knowing that our job makes Canadians safer and upholds the strong and proud traditions of this great country.
Being in the military is very much like joining a very close knit and loving family. The bonds that are formed between soldiers are nothing like any other bond you will make with others. You know in your heart that the possibility exists that you may pass in the line of duty. You gladly accept this and you can count on all of your commrads around you to do the same. What other job/jobs out there can boast the same level of commitment and sacrifice?
It sickens me to hear all of the negative emotions and comments from people who have never been in the military and do not have the "parts" to do so. I've been on a couple of UN and NATO tours and have had the excellent opportunity to participate in humanitarian aid tasks. There is not greater feeling than knowing that your efforts have made a difference in someone's life.
Our troops need our support and prayers. To all of those people out there that have opinions of a negative nature, you are entitled to your opinion. In fact our veterans made sure that you have that right.
(continued)

As the wife of a serving member of our Canadina Armed Forces I would like to take this chance to thank those serving in all areas overseas. Though no one wishes to see thier loved ones going to a war zone we can be proud of our soldiers.
It is a terrible terrible thing that the cost of serving our country is the loss of so many lives...how many lives does it take to make a war worth fighting on either side? We all sit and rightfully think of the looses for the Canadians, but there are looses on the side of the ppl of Afghanistan also..my pray is that for the sake of everyone involved, yes even the US, peace is soon found...who knows how many lives that would save??
Good luck and come home safe everyone!!!

As your "average, Canadian citizen", I have read all the posts with interest (feeling sick to my stomach at some). I choose to support our Canadian Forces members. How could I not? They're willing to give the "ultimate sacrifice" so that others may experience a snippet of what some of us so cavalierly take for granted. I'm proud of that. All of us (hopefully) choose ways to make this world a better place (in our own way). For me, this meant becoming a nurse five years ago. Some of us choose to do this work at home and some of us choose to do this work abroad. We all have a fundamental right to live without the kinds of fear and terror people around the world experience on a daily basis. Thank you to the CF members who sent a post. Hopefully, more Canadians will "thank (a CF member) for serving his (her) country...for your freedom". I know I will.

Bring the soldiers home, have we accomplished any peace? They hate you Canadians love you.
Come home. I hope there is a somone running in the next election that will bring the soldiers home. Harper has lost my vote.

i come from a military family and understand that when you sign up, you sign up for whatever and whereever they send you as your duty to your country. my brother-in-law just shipped out to afghanistan on monday and as much as we worry about his safety and that of all our soldiers there and maybe even don't agree with the politics of why they are there, we need to support them. we as canadians NEED TO SUPPORT OUR TROOPS
God Bless them all for their service everywhere especially in the warzones

(Continued...)

A solution, therefore, is to confront them on their turf, so we do not have to do it on ours. That confrontation must be on all fronts, if necessary. It should be based on education and information, on open dialogue, but when that dialogue fails, when the enemy is refusing to abandon their desire to kill every western infidel they can find, the commitment to use force must be resolute. Is it messy? Yes. Do people die that didn't have to? Yes. Are the innocent people in the region caught up in a situation in which they are only now, because of Western intervention, beginning to gain some form of say over? Yes. For the sake of the people of Afghanistan, the mission of building their country's infrastructure to the point where they can manage themselves must be completed as soon as possible. But, to prematurely remove the soldiers, who are trained for WAR and to KILL the enemy (not to be "peace-keepers") is to allow the enemy of Western society, who is not yet vanquished, and may not be for many decades, to return and fill the void, and all of the sacrifices made in the name of freedom for the oppressed people of the world will be lost, while the enemy's resolve was only hardened by our uncompleted efforts.

My country has lost over 140 troops in Afghanistan and 2500+ in Iraq, and while we don't want to lose even one, we still recognize that starting the job only to withdraw before it's completed is to leave the situation in a horrible mess. Pulling out simply because of unforseen adversity and complications is worse. Keep that in mind when you call for troop withdrawal, and never let your personal feelings of pacifism promote any negativity for the mission of the people of your country who have volunteered to keep it safe so you don't have to.

(Continued...)

Yet, it is only a small group that thinks this way about the West, but in countries with no educated infrastructure, where corruption is a way of getting things done and where people have difficulty getting clean running water, fighting ideologies that are not directly interfering in their daily lives is not something that is pursued. But, when this enemy brings the fight to our doorstep, we cannot sit back and politely ask them to "stop throwing rocks out our windows, please," while they ready the catapult. Until we go insure that they have no rocks left to throw, and have lost the will or motivation to throw them, it will continue. Did the events of June in Toronto already leave the short attention span of the masses? This is a war for the Western way of life, and whether the West wants to impose that on foreign people, or provide the infrastructure for them to choose it for themselves, or simply have nothing to do with the rest of the world (a political doctrine that has met with failure every time it's been tried, and which is realistically impossible in today's integrated world markets), the West cannot simply hope that we have a house left standing when our enemy tires of throwing their rocks, if they ever do. And there is no evidence, based on their ideological preachings, that they will.

(To Be Continued...)

“All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” – Edmund Burke

"People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf." - George Orwell

The Canadian fighting men and women are superb soldiers - having served alongside them, I hold them in the highest respects. They did not start this war, my country did not start this war (although our international policy during the cold war and the Clinton administration certainly helped create the conditions for it), the anti-western extremist-islam militants that run rampant in the middle east started it. They started it in the 80s, with the attack on the Embassy and Barracks in Lebanon, in the 90s, with the first attack on the WTC in 1993 (led by a relative of one of the top al-qaida leaders), the attacks of embassies in the following decades, and then with the great blow of the September 11th attacks. The mistake then was not recognizing these attacks for what they were, a growing problem that was not being addressed, like ignoring a few cancerous cells because they don't seem an immediate threat to your health. The mistake now, it seems, is the belief that our enemy is someone who can be negotiated with on the basic points that cause them to be our enemy. They do not care for our society, they see us all as evil and decadent, and they seek our utter destruction. While we negotiate, they plot their next attack. To mistake the situation for anything else is to invite disaster.

(To Be Continued...)

Being a 19 yr old, living with her mother in the air force for 5yrs, and her father in the navy for 20+ yrs, it is sometimes hard to read the paper and watch the news. I never know when the decision will be made that one of them will have to go. My father was already there when the Twin Towers were hit. He was gone on a rutine NATO trip which was only supposed to last for 3 months, which turned into a 6 month trip. It was very upsetting that we heard on the radio that he was going. One thing that bothered me the most was that the men and woman that were on the ship (HMCS Halifax) weren't able to tell their families before we all heard on the news. I am very proud of my parents and what they do for our country, but part of me doesn't understand why we are overseas fighting a battle that has now put us on a hit-list. Canadians are known for our peace-keeping, and now we are right up there fighting with the rest of the countries involved. This war has been going on for far too long, and it wont end until one side backs down. Many of my friends and family are in the military, and they are all doing their part, I just hope that I never have to hear one of their names in the news stating that their body is being flown home to be burried. My heart goes out to all of those who have lost loved ones. For those soldiers that are over there come home safe.
LET'S END ALL THIS HEARTACH AND PAIN. Make Love Not War!

It is a rude disservice to our troops to take out your dislike for the current US administration by proxy through our mission in Afghanistan. Our time there has thus far been short and success cannot be measured yet nor can failure be confirmed. Many make statements like "The Brits failed, the Russians failed etc..." In those cases the entire country rose up against those forces, thus far the majority of the Afghan populus supports our presence and that is a key difference.

Our army is finally gaining relevance.For the first time in many years we are creating a generation of officers and senior NCO's that have true combat experience and will pass on vital knowlege to those who will follow them. The cost is high certainly, but the value in the context of a capable armed forces is also high.
It is up to the citizens of Canada to question our deployments but I hope it is done with objective thinking and educated critcism. Most who object appear to me as being bitter that Harper now leads this country as if it would be any different under another. Myths have been shattered now we must grow up and move on.

While many are applauding Canadian military efforts in Afganistan by displaying American style yellow or red ribbons on their cars, I would like to point out a glaring error by such Canadian/American flag waving, or, in this case, ribbon waving---

Support 'our' troops is a made in the USA campaign. A photo in article July 25/06 by Ian Hitchen in The Brandon Sun newspaper showing a CFB Shilo spokesperson gleefully holding a large four foot yellow 'support our troops' ribbon depicts very clearly(see bottom right of ribbon) a 'Made in the U.S.A.' printing logo. Wow. This proves to me that the US is pushing its war agenda, literally, in our faces through cleaver PR. Clearly the support 'our' troops campaign has major US support and backing. If Canada is so keen to support its soldiers in this American concocted phoney war agenda, then why does it not print its own PR ribbons 'Made in Canada'. Because Canada has never been a war exporting country, until now, as our wishy washy Prime Minister is so keen to bow down to US pressures. It is indeed a 'Made in the U. S. A.' war and the US should clean up its own mess of years of dictatorial US foreign policy, CIA manipulation and illegal killings, rendition flights, corrupt re-building contracts, Blackwater mercenary troops, rigged voting machines and the largest arms sales on the planet(see Israel today-Israel is one of the largest customers for US armaments). If Canada buys into this US(and UK) war for oil/arms sales agenda, then it had better encourage its sons and daughters to form a long enlistment line at CFB Shilo, as the US needs all the pawns it can find, buy, coerce, or otherwise manipulate. Ironic, as Canada has oil. Are our troops ours? Since 'troops' is largely a US street term(ie: state trooper), I will use soldier and say that ---our soldiers get out of Afganistan now.

Richard Yates
Oakburn, MB

Its all about harper trying to impress bush-about time people realised-there is a graveyard near Kabul with headstones that read this soldier died bringing democracy to afghanistan dated around 80 years ago yes a tommy soldier-will people ever learn?

Great report! Being a military spouse I have spoke to many of our fine Mitilary members. My spouse included. And we all agree that we are nolonger peacekeeps, peace markers or what ever they happen to be calling it today. We are a military fighting a war, and it's not our war! To the families of the fallen soliders I greive with you and to the families with members still serving overseas you are in my prayers. And finally to all of our Canadian Military personal, I am proud of you!

Two Fighter Planes Escort Plane w/ clastrophobic woman?

What good are two fighter planes escorting this plane to an emergency landing. For starters say she wanted to try something, is the presence of the fighter planes supposed to calm her down or scare her from doing it. If she wanted to try and down the plane what good are fighter planes? Shoot it down before it crashes so it blows up midflight and debris lands elsewhere? It just seems like overkill and a waste of money escorting it with fighter planes. Say it was a real terrorist, they'd do it either way because they're obviosly already ready to die. We need to think of something better than this, dont' you think?

After reading all of the posts on this blog so far, it appears that the views expressed range from extreme oversimplification to acknowledgement that Afghanistan complex to a degree that is difficult to understand or communicate.

In light of Canadian's long-standing, noble, and necessary tradition of criticizing the chronic ignorance of the American public regarding both the history and consequences of American foreign policies -- I would pose this question to Canadians:

What are the consequences of simplifying our arguments for, or against, our participation in Afghanistan -- if we exclude consideration of:

- The geographic strategic importance of Afghanistan – regardless of who lives there, or what they do, it is one of the most important pieces of real estate on the planet. If you have not heard of the “Silk Road” you are not seeing the “big picture”.

- Afghanistan produces and traffics more drugs than just about anywhere else in the world, and this has an unavoidable relationship with the international arms trade in the entire middle east.

- The political and military relationship of Afghanistan with their neighbors.

- The rights of citizens of Afghanistan to education, healthcare, free speech, fair trials, equality, Life (liberty or security of person), freedom from torture or execution, and freedom from “Arbitrary interference into personal, or private lives by agents of the state” (refer to the “Universal Declaration of Human Rights”)

People living, working, and serving in Afghanistan seem to generally have opinions that acknowledge the danger of ignoring how complex the past, present, and future of Afghanistan is – and that immediately withdrawing from Afghanistan would not be in the best interests of the population or government of Afghanistan, the middle east, or the world.

So let’s do what Canadians do best – challenging simplistic worldviews and encouraging those who would ignore history to think about the future.

I just want to say thanks to all of my friends who are in Afghanistan and to those who are currently preparing to go. Canadians need to stand behind the troops who are overseas protecting the values that we hold so dear. The job they are doing is not easy, combat never will be, but it is a job that needs to be done for Canada and for the sake of the people of Afghanistan who desperately need the security and assistance we are providing.

I hope that people can see past the idea of us just being peacekeepers for a moment and to understand that soldiers train very hard, but they train to be soldiers and that means fighting a war. Peace keeping is one of the missions soldiers can do but they can only do it when both sides agree to stop fighting, and that hasnt happened. We should be sending all our support to those overseas and we should be making sure they have everything they need to do the job we sent them there for and to ensure that as many of them can come home safely after it as possible.

Good luck to all my friends overseas and those who are going.

We are living in an increasingly dangerous world. The population of the western world is not only aging but decreasing in the face of a continous population explosion in the third world.

The resources of this planet are finite, not to mention space. Like it or not, if we want to maintain our way of life, we have to destroy enemies of our society. We have to stop being naive in thinking we can assimilate everyone who comes to live amongst us and we can all live in global peace.

The reality is that the world is going to get more dangerous, there will be ever more people who resent the west for our wealth and way of life.

Unless you are prepared to work from birth to death and live a considerably poorer existence, stop the bleeding heart, humanitarian drivel.

The law of nature and by extension, human society is survial of the fittest. If we continue to appease our enemies and give our wealth away to bottomless pits of humanitarian aid that change nothing our future generations will pay a heavy price.

We are in Afganistan fighting one of our enemies, Islamic fanatics, who allowed to flourish will only grow stronger and stronger until they will be stronger than us...then what?

There are two side effects associated with free and peaceful societies, they are the fear of violence to the point of cowardice and the naivety that everyone in the world cherises peace and freedom.

WAKE UP!!!

Islamic fundamentalists want the destruction of all societies that do not conform to their interpretation of Islam. Western foreign policy is just a pretext for recruiting the ignorant masses into the fold. They never mention how the US/NATO aided Bosnian Muslims and Albanian Muslims against a Christian enemy.

If you think appeasing them will end terror, you are wrong. We have to fight them in their backyard or we will fight them here, to not fight is not an option. The Jews have learned this lesson the hard way.

Canada is there to fulfill obligations to our allies. Afganistan is a NATO mission and we are part of NATO. Remember the fear and anger you felt during 9-11 and know that the Taliban aided and abetted Al Qaeda!!! That is why we are there.

Support our troops.

What would we do if the Middle Eastern Nations were the economically and militarily powerful countries of the world. One day, they formed a coalition and decided that Canada's government was not a good government as it allowed too many freedoms and was not religiously strict enough. First, they decide to bomb our villages and infrastructure for the good of our people. Then they occupy us, install a leader of their choosing and begin a systematic hunt and kill campaign for any supporters of the previous Canadian government. If we fight back against the occupiers then we are labeled terrorists or insurgents. What would we do?
I'm proud of our Canadian soldiers. They do the job they are paid to do and they do it well. I would be no less proud however if they were to admit that they do not belong in Afghanistan and that the Afghanistan people must decide their own fate. Revolutions and civil wars are terrible things but they have worked for other countries. Bring our troops home.

as always sorry to hear of the tragic Deaths in this very worth while campaign.I have a son who is current reservist preparing and training fo his soon departure,he is very excited about being able to serve and make a difference,as a father and retired O.P.P officer I am very aware of the risks to all.I cannot expres my concern more about the constant negative press by the all media in Canada on this vey important issue,never anything positive and hopeful abut al the god work the troops are doing,I have in my possession an e-mail from a serving soldier who just completed engagement in combat and he desribed what a positve experience it was and how depressing to know the media never covers this aspect.as far as the two females distraught(poor choice for them).to all KEEP THE GOOD WORK.!!and remember to support "THE TROOPS" HUGH DUFF

I'm but a mere teenager but I can see that Afghanistan needs us. We cannot simply pull our troops out without losing face in the international community. Canada is there to stay in Afghanistan until the mission is truly accomplished. We are losing men and women for a cause that no one is really sure about. The fact of the matter is, that regardless of what everyone else is doing. Canada is there to help the Afghani people in humanitarian aid. Yes there had been skirmishes. Yes there has been casualties on our side as well. Yet has the casualties inflicting upon the Taliban Insurgents been published in huge big letters at the start of every newsletters.

Another thing is. My father is in the military, we are stationed in Germany where he meets with several of the wounded and their families at the American base called Landstuhl or Ramstien as it is known here. Every so often where there is a serious injury and a soldier has to be sent out of theater he is sent to Landstuhl. I cannot speak for every Canadian soldier and it is not my right to do so, but I belive that many Canadians still find pride in knowing that Canada has participated in every humanitarian effort possible. Canadian soldiers are fighting hard and are on constant vigilance but I just want to say that I am proud of them. Thousands of miles away from family in uncomfortable conditions. My heart goes out to you and thank you.

I love to argue so let it begin.

L. Stevenson wrote "We have not been invited into Afghanistan by the people of Afghanistan, It is time for us to leave a nation that doesn’t want us to be there." Do you actually know this for sure? WHat research have you done to support this? and "We have been invited into Lebanon to keep the peace. Bring our soldiers back from Afghanistan and allow them to fight for the cause of peace that we believe in, not for a war where there can not be a victory." Again what is the basis for your comments and who is the "we" in your statement.

I often wonder what would happen if all the negativ comments are just people who are upset that their favorite politician didnt get elected so to save face they drag down the Govt any chance they get.

Other than the folks who have served in the CF, to you all I salute you, I really wonder if most of you who have posted here actually have the fortitude to spend a day in the shoes of the men and women serving in Afghanistan. I honestly dont think you could do it.

I've read some of the comments made here. For the most part it makes me feel proud to be a serving member for over 20yrs. It also upsets me to hear about our Nations flag and a regimental flag being treated like garbage. Both flags have a long heritage and pride behind them. To the person(s) behind this cowardly act shame on you.

I missed the interview with the 2 soldiers crying Female or male doesn't matter the point is that these are real feelings. Carolyn well done on letting other Canadians know how our soldiers feel. I would like to see more about our soldiers in Afghanistan. I feel that the CBC should report on a daily basis on how the day went over in Afghanistan.
For those who still haven't figured out what we are doing over there should get out of your house more often and look around you (open your eyes and look beyond your nose), see the freedoms you have, able to walk around with minimal worries, speak about what ever you want, buy food that is good & fresh, get a good education etc etc... this is why we are over there. Canada can pull out at any time and fell proud of what we have done with out disrespect for our fallen soldiers. We stay because as Canadians we pride ourselves on doing the job right the first time not half-ass.
Stability will take a long time and will continue to be at a high cost to the lives of our soldiers but when the time comes to pull our soldiers out it will be done with a sense of knowing we as Canadians have made a difference in the world.
To fellow soldiers keep doing the job you’ve been doing as it is a job well done so far. You are all making the majority of us feel like real Canadians and proud to be Canadian.

To all the famillies that have loved ones over seas fighting in this war on terror... THANK YOU FOR YOUR SACRIFICE. As a military members child and now a serving member, I know the hurt and sorrow first hand on both sides of the sword. Your sacrifices will never be understood by the average person. You have my heart felt thank you.
For all you bleeding hearts out there asking why are we over in Afganistan fighting next to our allies... think this over. Believe it or not we are and have always been on the Terrorist hit list. just because we have been spared any deaths at home does not mean it is not possible.
Thanks to the great job being done by our men and women ine uniform we can continue living our free comfortable life that so many of us take for granted.
I would like to thank carolynn for the story. even though the part of the soldiers crying was not really pertinent to the story.
Thanks to all serving members and ex service personel, you haev mande it posible for the world to see what Canadians are made of and what we stand for.

First I have to say that I am a proud member of the Forces and have been for the last 20 years. I have buried more "family" members than I care to remember in my career and truely miss each and every one of them.

Now lets get a few things straight for all who read this. I am not a "peacekeeper" as all you folks like to keep calling the members of the CF. I am a SOLDIER. I train and prepare myself for, ready for this one, WAR. Yes I used the W word, shocking isnt it.

Yes I have been on quite a few "peacekeeping" missions in my career but I have never trained to be a peacekeeper. Something that most Canadians dont know is that when my unit was in Kuwait right after the first Gulf War, we were not alloud to have our only source of protection, our rifles, put together and at the ready in case of need.

To me in reading some of the posts above mine it sounds like many people think that as soldiers we dont have the option on whether to go or not but unless things have changed you always have the option of saying "No sir, I dont want to go". There is no shortage of CF members who jump at the chance to deploy. Many of the "whiners and complainers" only see a tour to Afghanistan as a way to make some extra money so they can put a downpayment on a house but when things heat up they cant handle it and say they dont want to be there anymore.

I ask you all this question. When was the last time you walked up to a soldier and thanked him for serving his country? When was the last time you dropped by a Legion and sat with a vet and thanked him for your freedom?
When was the last time you prayed for a soldier? I do these things every single day, maybe its time for the rest of you to try it.

One last final point and im done. I address this to Mr. Fred Allnutt. I hope that when you find out who did this, you give them a good kick in the nuts for me.

To all those who believe that our mission in Afghanistan is full of goals for "freedom", "justice" and "equality" (along with wholesome food, hospitals and schools it seems), please do not let your pride in Canadian military operations blind you to the fact that they are just that. Human development, progress and achieving basic rights for the population of the planet are noble goals but best left to people and organizations that specialize in that field.

The military may build a few schools as part of an overall pacification/PR plan and there's nothing intrinsically wrong with that but they are not experts in development, do not have it as a main goal and to claim they are in Afghanistan primarily to achieve these things is ridiculous. How many experts in female development issues does the military have in country? How about regional agricultural experts, local governance capacity building staff, child welfare representatives or even professionals with some type of training in what decisions to make in the context of the forces of international development at all?The military is there to do a job that they are trained for period so let's take off the rosey glasses for a minute.

"Freedom", "justice" and "equality" are complex terms not absolutes and more often than not today, they have been reduced to buzzwords with little or no deeper explanation offered. It may be comforting to believe that these words scattered among stories of Canadian troops helping to restore electricity, etc are truly why our government has made the decision to send troops but that just doesn't hold water in the slightest.

That was brilliantly said.

I am a Canadian currently living in N. Afghanistan doing humanitarian aid work in the area of education. It can be difficult to get Canadian news out here, so I can't pretend that I know all of the sides of the debate that seems to be raging back home.

I do know, however, what I hear from Afghans every time the topic of international forces comes up. Over and over again, I have spoken with men and women who are convinced that the second international forces leave this country the Taliban will return in full force. They are genuinely terrfied at that possibility, and are so grateful that there are men and women from all over the world who are willing to come and risk their lives in order to prevent the Taliban from regaining control.

The security situation is getting worse. Even here in the North where things are generally more peaceful there have been more and more attacks. But to think that the majority of Afghans support the Taliban would be seriously wrong.

My heart goes out to the families who have lost someone out here, and to the soldiers who continue to endure the stress and heartache of living in this country. But I for one am proud of what our soldiers are doing here, because their efforts make it possible for those of us in the humanitarian sector to provide the Afghan people with much needed food, clean water, clothing, and education. I am proud because they make it possible for the Afghan people to hope for a future with no bombs, no gunfire, and no war.

L. Stevenson B.C.
Most Canadians are proud of the soldiers that are striving to keep world peace in places as diverse as Haiti, Lebanon, Cypress and Afghanistan. This, however, is not a peace keeping mission. Like many others, I wonder just what is the mission? We are not fighting under the flag of the United Nations. We are fighting a NATO war. But, has war even been declared? Who are we fighting in Afghanistan? If we are fighting the Taliban, why are we fighting the Taliban? The terrorists who flew the planes into the World Trade Center were not from Afghanistan, but were from Saudi Arabia. Is that why we are in Afghanistan? If Paul Martin were Prime Minister when the Americans invaded Iraq, would we be in Iraq as well? The Taliban were the fighters who received arms, money and training from the Americans who wished to have the Russians defeated in Afghanistan. We are currently in a war that was never declared fighting an enemy that never had a quarrel with Canada. We have not been invited into Afghanistan by the people of Afghanistan, It is time for us to leave a nation that doesn’t want us to be there. Let Afghanistan decide its own future. We have been invited into Lebanon to keep the peace. Bring our soldiers back from Afghanistan and allow them to fight for the cause of peace that we believe in, not for a war where there can not be a victory. Our soldiers will abide by the Geneva Convention. This has not been the case with other soldiers involved in this battle of ideologies. Our soldiers need not only moral support but also the very best of equipment; their lives are on the line. People in Canada expect the government to provide our soldiers with whatever they need to defend themselves and the people they are protecting. Wherever our soldiers go, may they always return home safely.

Hi there,
I just wanted to say as a Canadian Soldiers Wife (my Husband is getting back tomorrow from Afghanistan),it is very important for the Soldiers to know that their People stand behind them in support.Canadian Soldiers leave their Families behind to serve their Country,so I think Canadian citizen should show them respect,and support them in this.
They are doing an amazing job in Afghanistan,and let me just say I couldn't be prouder of my Husband,and all of his fellow Comrades.Thank you,and God bless!

In Afghanistan, the Taleban is a bonafide Afghani in his country, and the Canadians are part of a larger foreign occupying forces. From this simple analysis, it is becoming increasingly clear that we do not belong in this adventure which has all the hall-marks of failure

For those who are asking for clarification on what the mission in Afghanistan is, the answer is simple: to curry favour with the Bush administration; to make it seem like we are not shirking our duty in the "War against terror". The humanitarian aid angle is a fallacy designed to help civilians accept the inevitable casulties, not unlike the "Weapons of Mass Destruction" fantasy as used in Iraq. In the end, Canadians will always be looked upon as an occupying force, and their efforts do not have the support of the majority of the populace.

I am proud of you guys . Keep up the positive attitude. I have been following the Cbc coverage and it seems as if they are trying to break your spirit by only broadcasting the negative. Carolyn Dunn is a master of exagerating the negative. I felt sick when I saw she was over there. Keep your chins up. You and Canada deserve better from the CBC.

I read through these posts and can't believe the amount of negativity on here and you people that don't support the troops being over seas. Guess what? We signed up in the Military for a reason and this is one of them. If we did not want to be over there then we would'nt. You cannot compare this to any other war we have been in because this is a new age and time new place and different tactics and weapons.

I have been to Afghanistan 2 times already and I can't wait to go back next spring and yes, I have lost 3 friends of mine over there and ya it's hard knowing your buddy is gone but guess what he sure as hell would'nt want me to just quit and go home. We have a job to do and sometimes it means going into harms way but this job was our choice.
I bet you 99% of the people in Canada or on here making comments about how the troops are feeling and what is best for them and that want the troops to come home have never served in the Military and let me tell you we are a big family and yes we will give our lives for our buddies next to us, man or woman or even the civilians working over there. This is our job and we chose it.

We are some of the best trained soldiers in the world but when it is your time then it's your time either being over there and being blown up or we could walk outside and get hit by a car or better yet a drunk driver. No difference.
So to all you negative people with the negative comments who don't support this mission have a little faith in our men and women in uniform, cause obviously YOU don't have the guts to get in it yourself. The troops need your support back here in Canada and don't need to hear about all this negativity.

SUPPORT OUR TROOPS AND LETS GIT R DONE

I just want to wish to our leaders and all the people that agreed to the ideea of having Canada involved in this stupid "peacekeeper" role ...all the suffering that a mother goes through when having to see her child in a box,or a child`s suffering that dady is gone.

(continued)

And don't even think to hide behind the empty lie of "well, we can be peacekeepers." Even where two groups both want you in there, you will be in there armed and ready to stop any killing, even if you have to kill to do it. Just standing there to shake your finger and say "stop, or I'll say stop again" lets the killing go on as, for example, the slaughter in Rwanda proved, and is only to make yourself feel good that you are doing something, when you are doing nothing at all...and your whole country will carry the blame, shame, and stain of having done nothing at all, having stood by and let it happen.

If you are happy with all of these things happening in the world, with a country or faction doing to others as they please while you sit safely in Canada, then yes, pull our troops out. But don't even think of saying a word in complaint about what others do around the world. You chose to stay behind your borders, so stay there and hold your peace. Don't even dare think that you are a world citizen or have a say. You made your choice, now live with it. Or put your lives and beliefs at risk, and have a say. Your choice, Canada. But choose wisely.

(continued)

If your answer to such questions is yes, then realize, to just say it, and not offer any tangible aid to solve the problem, is to be told by that nation, that government, that faction, to 'shut up and go away. If you aren't willing to spend resources or shed blood to help us solve our problem, then go away, you bore us.'

The problem isn't as simple as that, but realize, to want a spot at the table for a say, you have to put something on the table to be a player. In Afghanistan, whatever else may go on, Canada's mission is pretty clear...help stabilize Afghanistan long enough for the current sovereign government to train enough legitimate army and police forces to take care of national stability themselves. And in the process, we have a say if we disagree with an Afghanistan policy or approach, because we are there helping. And Afghanistan acknowledges this.

Yes, there are things being done wrong, and yes, we'd prefer to not be there. But before you toss blame and complaint about our being there, think really hard...if you are concerned and want to stop the slaying of teachers for daring to teach young girls how to read, the slaying of NGO staff as foreign infidels or other such labels by extremists for bringing medicine and libraries to villages, then you have to be there to stop it. To stand safely back in Canada with no troops or such over there, and safely shake your finger saying they shouldn't do that and why don't they listen to Canada and stop, is an empty gesture of hypocrisy. (to be continued)

Its amazing how many people still cling to the peacekeeping myth. Peacekeeping is when two parties that agree that they want to stop killing each other also agree that they can't be trusted to keep their tempers. So they ask a third party to stand between them as a 'police force.' And even then, there is occasional fighting when a small faction or change in leadership causes 'adventurism'. Look at Lebanon and the raiding of Isreal when things were relatively quiet there. Read the histories on peacekeeping in Cyprus and discover how many times Canadians went into combat and shot to kill local insurgents in the early days of that mission.

What do you get when there is no agreement between the two, or the second party is a terrorist or insurgent organization with no interest in stopping? How many dead in Rwanda while peacekeeping rules required us to stand by and watch? How many dead in Bosnia under the same circumstances? And some political leaders want us to go into places like Sudan with no mandate, no support, and no agreements between the parties? Peacekeeping exists and is necessary, but only when both parties agree.

In the meantime, why are we in Afghanistan? Whatever the original reason, one thing and one thing only is clear. Do we value the freedoms and safety we have in Canada? Do we value others having it? Do we want to have a say in this? Are you a member of an interest group that is upset at how another nation is treating people in their part of the world? Are you upset at NGOs being murdered? Do you have a complaint about how a government overseas treats its people? Ask any question like this, and then ask yourself...do I want to have a say about it? Do I think I should have a say about it? Does my country have a say about it? (to be continued)

Any idea of the sustainable casuality - rate (dead and seriously wounded), that the Canadian Army can sustain? Probably a calculation already of some interest to the Taliban.

Yes, the emotions that you have reported here are real, honest and valid. But they are also the emotions that deter public support. Soldiers are human, but must wear a strong steady face in the eye of the public. They need to have a release at times, but it must be understood that a true soldier is still dedicated to the mission.

Embedded journalists are sometimes privy to these very personal and raw episodes. In fact, they may have similiar experiences. And if these images are going to be brought into the public eye, they need to be qualified and explained.

The faces you see in the media are real. Every soldier, sailman and airman and air woman stands for something, which ultimately leads to the mission. If they didn't, they wouldn't be where they are. You can't do they job just for the paycheque.

Believe me, I know. I am one. I believe in our mission, regardless of the personal sacrifices.

Support our forces and their mission. That means educating yourself and not looking for a simple explanation as to what our mission is. Spend the time and look into history, both recent and past to see why we are in Afghanistan.

I don't agree that we need to be there nor do I necessarily think we need to feel obligated to supporting the US. Perhaps it is time to assess our role in the region and see if we might be better used elsewhere. I am also curious to know how well trained the new soldiers we send into the field are and if they are overworked.

Wake up Canada. I am an Infanteer who has served in Afghanistan. Stop listening to everything the media says. They over exagerate everything and write there own story. Start supporting our troops who are doing a job that you are incapable of doing or understanding instead of wanting them to turn tail and run. What did all the soldiers die for then? Oh, and Wake up call...we have never been "peacekeepers" thats a term that has been spoon fed to you by the media and you have eaten it up. We have gone on peacekeeping missions as combat troops. COMBAT. I am disgusted with some of the innocent comments I've read on here. Get some real insight and information before you post junk on the internet. Oh wait...its not your fault...its George Bushs.

This is what you ate in the Military for, wo others may carry on with their daily busness. In a communty, not everyone can be doing the same thing. Some are Dr's, some are teachers, some are machanics. Working together we make a community. We see wrong some where, we want correct the wrong. We see agressiom we want to stand up for the bulley.

Our Government saw a miss carrise of justace and wants to help. Our Army in their for that purpose, to rectify the wrong.

I was In France during the Cold War, defending the Canadian Values when we were trying to stablise the peace in Europe. It was a hart brake at times, but someone had to do it, and Canada did.

Afghanistan is no different than France in the '50's. Let the Canadian's stand proud.

My 19 yr old son has just been transferred into the Princess Patricia Light Infantry, based out of Edmonton. He is now home for a weeks leave. I make a point when he's home to talk about his inevitable deployment to Afghanstan. He will see things that will shock him, anger him and sadden him. That will be his journey. I can only encourage, support and accept that this the choice he has made. When I look at this 6'3, 220lb handsome kid I cannot wrap it around my brain, that he may never come home again. I love my son beyond words. I am so proud of him. Now I know how mothers in Russia felt when their sons were deployed to Chechenia.

Kudos to our military men and women. I dont envy the task youve been given. i think that if we truly want peace, than we should leave all these countries alone and let them fight each other. dont let any immigrants into any other western, pro democracy country. This way you guarantee that they cannot harm you from inside your own borders and they will either get their act together or they will annihalate one another. Either way i wont care just so long as i can fill my gas tank without selling my first born. Heres some advice, its cheaper to carpet bomb someone you dont like than to invade the country.For every death caused to western society by a terrorist,we cause 1000. Fight terror with terror. its a war the west simply wouldnt lose and one that the middle east would lose the stomach for.

I continue to be very saddened by the loss of our troops in Afghanistan. A close friend of our family lost her cousin outside Kandahar late last week and coincidentally her husband continues to suffer PTS from his time spent in the Soviet Armed Forces in Afghanistan in the 1980's. What a cruel irony.

While I strongly believe in the ideals of this mission and support our Government and troops toward this end; the history of Afghanistan is a cruel one.

Our forces are not truly equipted nor have sufficient numbers to fight this unconventional conflict.

As Canadians we must realize that much of the world doesn't necessarily want "Democracy" in the western context.

It is time for Canadians to give sober second thought to the role of our military on the world stage. For far too long we seem to be tasked with cleaning up the mess left my our US allies.

Just a quick thought.

as an exmilitary i hope canada stays the course and bring a better life to be for the afganies. especially the afgan women who were treated like dirt by the taliban cowards who ruled the country until usa kicked them out. harper is a smart man , not corrupt like the former crew who were in power in ottawa. may they never form a government again.. NDP would not be two bad if they had a smart leader.

People need to understand that ever since man/woman have made war there are weapons of the mind and weapons of a physical nature. Fear is a weakness of the mind. It is one of the best weapons that the enemy has and make use of. By expressing it to our solider and countrymen we aid the enemy in his quest to take our minds off the task at hand. I think by giving in to this fear is a major distraction and my hurt more people over there than help.

"Everyone is scared, but try not to show it."
-WW2 Vet, NorthShore Reg

my 2 cents....

The world needs to be shaken up, make everyone stop and feel a little peace for awhile. If my son were to be serving in Afghanistan, I would be behind him because so much in this world needs to be fixed. I don't care if their country ever has a mcDonald's or a Future Shop, it isn't about 'having nothing". It is about having peace. People will talk for many years to come of the Canadians in Afghanistan. Even if it is a story of a happy and goofy medic who fixed so and so's foot, or someone who made a child laugh or a woman see a Canadian woman in uniform and think "I could be like that." There is peace in little portions all around the world - that is what we cannot give up on , the sharing or spreading of peace. Hopefully , that is our mission as a country and as Canadians - to achieve peace worldwide, by example starting with ourselves and how we treat others. I also say a little prayer for when I get overwhelmed - "I pray for peace on this planet and in the hearts and minds of all mankind". Right now, that, and spreading my own little peace, is all I can do to help.

Whether Canada acheives its mission in Afghanistan or not matters little. This debate illustrates only one thing; Canadians are subjected to the same instincts that are found in each and every Afghani; it's just human nature. While the debate rages on, as naturally excusable as it is, remember this.

Canadians ought to be proud for what they are doing - I would. For every new school that is built, a new degree of hope is given to these people. If I was a soldier, being the reason for an Afghani woman's smile alone at the end of a shift would give me the grace that I need to die a happy man.

Isn't this all that matters? When the balance of a political stage is washed out every few years, when global famines and pandemics change the face of the world every few centuries, why do we try and make everything black and white on this August 15th 2006? Whether it is Bush, Harper, or Martin who sends your sons overseas to bring upon a small degree of hope to those who need it the most, why does it matter? That your sons would continue to find gratification and meaning for themselves in this complex world, for the next 5, 10 or 25 years…what is the difference?

Canadians troops are in Afghanistan because individual Canadian spirits feel the need to be there.

Our world is ever changing - and we’ve seen nothing yet. If a Canadian soldier can benefit from his experiences out there (after being made fully aware of the implications prior to his departure), not only is he a better soul for it – he’s also passed along a lesson of his dedication to the most remote parts of the globe…and as human nature dictates, the lesson will be emulated. Whether you are Afghani or American, you cannot mistake it for anything else.

I just want to say to all of you people who identify Canadian troops as peacekeepers, thay they are not. We began our peacekeeping roles under Lester B Pearson, and as much pride as we all should take in that, we must realize that our troops, are soldiers first. Peacekeeping is something a soldier is trained to do, but in situations where that isnt an option, i.e. Afghanistan, there is no place for it. We have some of the best trained military troops in the world. Let's give them our support.

One thing that has been overlooked is the valuble resource that our military is gaining from combat operations in Afghanistan and that would be actual combat experience. Many of the younger soldiers who continue on with their career in the military will eventually be in a position that will require them to instruct raw recruits. I believe this will help the military become stronger and more effective in the future.

this is more of a question than a comment. is canada in afghanistan as part of the united nations or are we there as part of a us led coalition?

I have just read Miss Dunns article and the comments of my fellow Canadians/soldiers and I appreciate the varied comments even though I do not agree with all of them. But I am thankful that these individuals cared enough to respond. I believe that the sad fact is many Canadians don't care about the fates of thier soldiers at all. Out of sight out of mind seems to be the trend. A soldier dies a civillian laments, but who's leaving " Hells Kitchen " soon overshadows his sacrifice. So to those Canadians who chose to comment and all those who care for thier soldiers thank you. To those who carry the rifle God bless you stay safe. The rest of you can go to hell, your simply not worth it.

What I think has become lost on modern society is that there will probably never be another great war where we have to fight an easily identified evil. Canada made a contribution out of all proportion to its size in the great conflagaration. But we had Hitler to fight, we had a pure and undeniable evil. Now, evil can not - thankfully - risk being quite so bold [please be respectful and keep anti-US comments to yourself].

Evil is certainly still common in our world, but now it is our obligation to find it. 50 years ago, small nations could get away with the torture and rape of its citizens, but today, in our global village, this is unacceptable. The cold war left many nations with the capacity to subjugate their populations, and we created that situation. It is our responsibility, no matter how difficult, to clean up our mess.

I talked to a poor young lady who, after many difficulties, made her way to Canada from Afghanistan - prior to 9/11. She was the last piece of evidence that her family ever existed. Most of her family died at the hands of warlords. Her last siblings died of starvation and/or health problems. Her mother was executed publicly by the Taleban... because she had been a Professor before the Taleban had taken power and had secretly continued teaching.

One story may not get noticed when compared against the attrocities of the WWII, but is it any less important? We have so much. We have incredible weath, excellent health care, superb education, and above all, our freedom. How terrible must suffering be before we are willing to make a sacrifice - even the ultimate sacrifice - to help the people of this world that cannot help themselves? Who is willing to quantify the number of lives that must be lost, or the number of freedoms that must be taken, before we are willing to help? I feel sorry for those who have died and have been injured. I only hope we have the strength to see that it was not in vain.

I am a soldier. I have served in the Gulf, Bosnia and Afghanistan. I am proud to be a soldier. I am proud of my fellow soldiers. And, I am proud of our accomplishments on deployed operations.

The situation in Afghanistan is complex, to say the least, and cannot be summarized in one or two paragraphs in a newspaper article or in a 30 second TV report or in a Blog.
In the six months I served in Afghanistan I observed that as a direct result of our
efforts, as part of the coallition foreces, Afghanistan was able to have democratic elections; girls were able to go to school and receive an education; independent shops were able to open and people were able to buy wholesome food to feed their families; hospitals were rebuilt and the infant and child mortality rates reduced; corruption in the Afghan police and military was reduced; the power of the Warlords and Crime Lords was decreased; electricity and clean water were made available to hundreds of thousands of people. The list goes on.

It’s the people of Afghanistan who see and experience these improvements. They do not want to have these improvements taken away. Without the help of Fist World Nations, such as Canada, the people of Afghanistan would not be able to experience these improvements as they are now. It is not in the benefit of the Taliban, Warlords or Crime Lords for these improvements to happen. They will oppose the improvements. The people of Afghanistan require our assistance to fight against those who would keep them oppressed. Until the people of Afghanistan are able to stand on their own and effectively fight their oppressors they will continue to require the assistance of countries like Canada in that fight.

When is our mission in Afghanistan done? When the people of Afghanistan can stand on their own and defeat those who would rob them of their moral right to freedom, equality and justice.

The efforts and unfortunately sacrifices of your military are what make this possible.

We need to bring our troops home...NOW! Why? Every time we eliminate a terrorist and/or Taliban, George Bush has recruited 10 more with his policies. It's a vicious circle and a fight that we cannot and will not win as long as Bush and the American government continue with the policies at status quo.

Bring our soldiers home.
Our soldiers are brave, couragous and united. We stand proud of our Country, and remember the family and friends lost to war.

When there was an enemy to fight.

Todays wars are been fought by instilling fear into the whole country and even the world.

Technology and the sabataging of computer data etc.
We can not win against millions and millions of Afghanies verses not enough one-hundered thousand allied forces. Not that our 2300 Canadian troops are close to 100,000 soldiers.

Afghanistan has fought in there country for more than 5000 years.

WE are peacekeepers. Soldiers of peace. stop sacrificing our troops

My Grandson is a Capt. in the PPCLI and is just beginning his tour in Aghanistan. His parents who now live in Airdrie a bedroom suburb of Calgary proudly flew the Canadian flag and the PPCLI flag (given to his dad when he left for Afghanistan) from their home. This past weekend the flags were torn down and the flag poles destroyed. My disgust at this behaviour is beyond words and his parents cannot understand the minds of people who would do such a dipicable thing.

Good story - it shows a differing point of view compared to what is normally told.

Anyway, Look. The U.S.A. began this "war on terror" and had the Taliban regime overthrown (for good reason). This was an action that caused more good than harm. However, upon entering Afghanistan, coalition forces became aware of the utter dispair these HUMANS are being forced to endure.
Dispair including:
-Farmers with No market to grow enough wheat to support themselves, thus being forced to grow poppies under the watching eye of their "PiMPs"...Warlords who support them and protect them, but who must also call upon them in times of defense from their enemy (us).
-Millions and millions of mines, scattered across the country. CHILDREN'S LIMBS being ripped off on a DAILY basis.
-Lack of proper infrastructure for clean water, and good roads... and most importantly, a lack of resources to adequately fund SCHOOLS.

These people have been given their freedom from an oppressive regime.

Canada is a country which values human rights and the tolerance in diversity of ALL RACES.

We are not trying to assimilate these individuals into our culture, but merely provide them with the RESOURCES to CARE FOR THEMSELVES.

But first, our objective is this. REMOVE THE WARLORDS WHO ARE BEING FUNDED BY EITHER THE TALIBAN, NARCOTICS PRODUCERS, AND "AL-QUAEDA".

Although it is a never ending cycle it seems, once we can provide these people with the resources to create a MARKET OF SUSTAINABILITY, then we should leave.

Canada DID NOT START THIS WAR, therefore we shouldn't feel bad about being there. IT'S STARTED AND THERE IS NOTHING WE CAN DO ABOUT IT... We are doing more GOOD to the human race than if we were not there.

The little progress we make there for these poor souls is worth fighting for. WE ARE CANADIANS ARE WE ARE NOT COWARDS.

To hell with Afganistan. Our Troops are an invading army. The people there don't want change so it isn't our problem. The mission was to destroy Terror camps. Then we should have left. Period. Now all we are doing is promoting more reasons for terror resistance. If we leave today or 10 years from now the outcome is going to be the same.They the locals, will hate us and fight on.Don't worry the Drug War Lords will take care of the bad old Taliban when we leave. True success in fighting terrorism is solid intelligence and lightening fast cutting action. Bring our noble and brave Soldiers home now!

Canadian men and women serving overseas are representatives of a proud Canadian heritage and for that I thank them and their families. I think it is crucial that Canadians remind themselves of our peacekeeping heritage and our pride in upholding human rights. We have a moral and human obligation to the people we are trying to protect. These are people who look to Canada as a bastion of all that is good and right. Do we want them to question why we deserted them when they needed us most? That is a lesson I thought we had learned.

We also have an obligation to our military. Are we going to pull out and let the sacrifice of these men and women be in vain? How can we disrespect people who have given so much in the service of their nation?

Yes... sacrifices are being made. But is it not true that things worth doing are usually the most difficult? Look at our first peacekeeping success in Cyprus... thanks to years of devotion by professional soldiers these people are now able to live in peace. Why is Afghanistan not worth that same commitment?

Peacekeeping sometimes takes force... warlords, terrorists, and extremists do not sit and negotiate Western Enlightenment ideals. That is seen as a sign of weakness.

Any time we allow crimes again humanity to pass with impunity we give more power to those who would destroy democracy and human rights. When are we going to fully believe in "Never Again" and stand up for those who need us? When are we going to draw the line... and what if it is too late?

I have really mixed feelings about the Afghanistan mission. Afghanistan was a legimitate target after 9/11 since there was a direct link between the Taliban regime, the terrorist training camps for Muslim radicals and the actual conspiracy to blow up the WTC.

Now, it's almost five years later. Afghanistan is barely governable, its political structure has changed but its society is still by-and large tribal, very religious and traditional - and the warlords, the Taliban remnants and the opium traffickers are still in positions of influence. This tells me that the mere presence of some 11,000 Western soldiers (a quarter of them Canadian) will not be a big factor in reshaping Afghanistan.

Yes, we can act as a policing force. Yes we can help inflict casualties on the Taliban guerillas. And we can protect some of the gains of the Afghan reconstruction. But this place will still be very troubled, 10 years from now.

So, let's think of a good exit strategy and let's make sure Canada does not end up with a big disconnect between what our army wants and what our mainstream society is prepared to accept.

Supporting the troops means not spending them as if they were Canadian Tire dollars.

I would be more than happy to thank Canadian soldiers serving overseas if I had any idea what I should actually be thanking them for. The purpose of the Afghanistan mission has been obscured from the public for too long and it is high time for a real debate on the issue.

There is a lot of talk about "supporting the mission" and "getting the job done" before the troops can come home. Could somebody please explain to me what the mission is, and how and when it will be "finished"? I

This mission wholly military in nature, nor is it wholly humanitarian, but seems to be a very confused mixture of both, and has ended up being neither. I am beginning to think that the people of Afganistan are not any better off for our presence there.

I have a lot of friends over there, a few got injured this week and one of them killed. Like it or not, we're in a fight. Do they still want to be there? Probably not. But they're fighting all the same, for their lives, and believe it or not ours too. Take whatever leftwing or rightwing stance you want on this, personally I believe the west created this problem, but the fact remains that these people (Taleban/Al Qaeda) are out to kill us. Period. There is no peace to keep there, and you are naive to think otherwise. I sleep a little better at night knowing the boys are over there keeping them as contained as possible. Who do you think paves the secure road for Humanitarian NGO's to do their job? In the words of Nichola Goddard, they're doing their job, so others can do theirs. And if it means 1 Canadian Soldier dies for 40 of those "murderers and scumbags" (Thank you Gen. Hillier), then so be it.

Why do people still believe that Canada's Army are nothing but peacekeepers!? They have been on peacekeeping MISSIONS, but have always been an Army that trains for WAR. If those two women written about are in a combat arms trade I will be very surprised. Alot of our non-combat arms soldiers are virtually imprisoned in Kandahar for six monthes. They have no way of releasing tension, or getting away. That these two cried in front of the media is embarrasing, but not surprising. As a Canadian Soldier, (and a women to boot)I have seen grown men cry, complain, and even give up, but it has always been done in private. I hate the fact that these women chose the media to cry to instead of their friends, but I would like to point out one thing. They just wanted to go home. They did not oppose the war or cry that they joined to be peacekeepers not soldiers. Regardless of all the politics, to the soldier on the ground this war is an opportunity to prove their skills. To show the world that Canada still has a first class Army, and to give our soldiers the confidence that only real (and unfortunately bloody) combat can give them. They will go where the Government sends them without complaint (ignoring a few sniffles), and will be truly ready when our Country Needs them.

War on terrorism? I think it is more like war for oil. It is time for Mr. Bushlet (Harper) to wake up and stand up for what will actually benefit this country. Our troops are in Afgahnistan fighting a tired mission. It seems our sole purpose over there is to reassure Mr. Bush that we are "on his side". We are suppossed peace keepers, yet every day we turn into more of an enemy than anything.

Maybe we should ask ourselves, "Who is the real terrorist here?"

I’m a strong believer that the wars in the middle-east will just strengthen the radicals. That is not just to be anti-american but anti-american imperialism! An alternative of mass murder and genocides by the American corporatocracy would be actually talking with them instead of labeling anybody that is trying to be independent from the west as terrorists!! Stick with the blue helmets!!!

Sadly Canada’s mission, like all other missions previous in Afghanistan, will fail. Until this country wants to change, wants to move into the modern age, then change for the best will come. Radical Islam does not want the country to progress. Education and societal advancement is the enemy of Islam in countries like Afghanistan. So the carnage will continue, inevitable. What’s left at best for our mission is fighting, like it or not, the US war on drugs which is another failed strategy. We should get out, before we are chased out...another inevitability. Let’s not lose any more of soldiers!

Mr. Booyer cries, "bring our troops home." He would also abandon the Afghani
people in their darkest hour of need, to the savage despotism of the Taliban.
Canadian troops (of which I am one) know that this is a global conflict against
fascism fueled by religious extremism.
If we do not dig our heels in Afghanistan, make our stand and resolve to fight
the gathering storm that confronts us now, then our moderate, secular and
tolerant society will be destroyed.

The belief quitting Afghanistan now to
avoid further casualties and further "bad feelings" about Canada is pure
folly. As surely, this will be seen as weakness by an enemy that stones women
who would work outside the home and burn down schools that dare instruct girls.

The cry of "bring our troops home" smacks of appeasement on par with Neville
Chamberlain's "peace in our time." As Sir Winston Churchill said "an appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last."

Winston Churchill said of danger, "if you meet it promptly and without
flinching - you will reduce the danger by half. Never run away from anything.
Never!?"
That is what we are doing in Afghanistan, meeting the danger of
fascism inspired by religious extremism.
Some speak of returning to our "traditional role" of peacekeeping. The role
of "peacekeeping" in the world is dead. Peacekeeping was a brief experiment
in our national history, now shown to be completely ineffective after the
debacles of Rwanda and Srebrenica.
This is a global conflict of religious fascism versus secular, tolerant and
democratic societies. We must stand to defend our society. We are now at war,
what else can it be called when our young men and women fight and are and are
killed by these extremists.
We now will be drawn more and more into this conflict, terror by terror, fallen
soldier by fallen soldier and our resolve to stand against those who seek to
destroy us.
We will return to our role of ally to Britain and the United States, out of
necessity, especially when a successful attack eventually befalls us. It is
time to awaken from the dream that we are peacekeepers and that we are not at
war.
Let us remember the other words of Winston Churchill, "victory at all costs,
victory in spite of all terror, victory however long and hard the road may be;
for without victory, there is no survival."

I remember the years when the Taliban were in power in Afghanistan. The media and many liberal-left observers and NGOs constantly would berate western governments for doing nothing while such a repressive regime was oppressing its people especially women.

Now that we (the west) are there and the Taliban are no longer in power, I hear the same people complain about our presence there. What is the alternative?

Did all the self righteous humanitarians think that the Taliban would accept defeat and welcome them with open arms? If you want to change the world for the better then you have to fight the dark forces that benefit from injustice and oppression.

To simply take the opposing view to anything American is counter-productive and hypocritical as well as simplistic and naive.

I support the troops and the mission. I recall many refugees showing up in boats out of the dark on our shores. If we don't help people where they live, they will come here anyway. The best solution is to give people hope in their homeland. I would prefer we send teachers, doctors and those whose purpose is to build hope. Unfortuntely we need to send soldiers to clear the way. I pray we can bring the men and women home soon and start building hope for the Afghans...if they can't find hope at home, they will probably go looking for it elsewhere, I wouldn't blame them for it, I'd do the same myself.

With the recent events occuring overseas times have become very trying. People are starting to loose faith which is unthinkable. Our soldiers are the ones overseas and they are trying to keep going, and they must keep up the moral there which means everyone at home needs to do the same and show respect for what they are doing. My boyfirend is over in Afghanistan and I could not be more proud of him. He is over there with the rest of the soldiers living day by day trying to make a vast improvement in others lives. Whether they are home or abroad the men and women that serve our country are doing something that they believe in and that deserves the highest grade of respect. Of course I am scared of the possiblilty of him not coming come and it breaks my heart for the families of every soldier that falls. But what we have to remember is all we have is faith and if we loose that then we have nothing. So with that said I would like to thank all of the men and women serving our country and stay focused and safe. Come Home Safely

No war has ever ended without at least one side being willing to stop. I don't believe that the forces that oppose the western allies will ever stop. Right or wrong these people who are willing to commit suicide to succeed are led by fanatics who will never stop. Let us remember that the USA achieved peaceful relations with Vietnam once the USA was willing to stop fighting. Also the world did not come to an end nor did it fall to communist domination. The conflict in Yugoslavia came to an end with western intervention only because the people there were willing to stop fighting.

To Maurice Caissy-Cyr.. A team is not a family, they are coworker, period... You have no idea what being in the military is about. They are your family, these are the people who will die for you and vice versa. Most jobs, yes I'd agree, they are co-workers, but the bonds formed by soldiers involved in training and in combat are much more.

When they read the letter from the last young soldier to die about his Mom sending a doll and he was able to pass it onto a little Afghanistan girl, well that is what we are doing over there. These kids have nothing and will continue to have nothing unless NATO troops stay there and finish this. And that means the Canadians too. My son is there and although I am afraid for him I am also very, very proud of him and all the soldiers there. Be safe and stay focused.

As a former member of the Canadian Forces, I am absolutely opposed to the military's presence in Afghanistan. Our forces are now a legitimate and wanted target for Taliban insurgents. Are we not tired of our troops coming home in body bags?

To Paul Savage: There is absolutely no comparison between Afganistan and Vietnam. The landscape, the religion, the background, the players, the politics as well as the # of Canadian dead vs. US dead in Vietnam. Our role in Afganistan is part of a coalition fighting against a relatively low-tech enemy. If we leave, the Karsai government will not fall. There is no USSR backing the Taliban (Iran does not even come close)...and you can't compare 30 deaths to 60,000.

The only similarity is the determination of the enemy.

We should not be in Afghanistan, period. This is an adventure cooked up in Washington, with Mr Blair as cheerleader. It's being served up to the people of Canada, Australia, the UK and the USA with exactly the same tired message - 'We must not cut and run'. The main idea seems to be to offload American deaths onto other countries like Canada, while pursuing American objectives. But what are the objectives, really? Just killing 'suspected Taliban' by the dozens each and every day? This is a dead end, literally. When will they learn? In the case of Mr. Bush, the answer seems to be 'never'. But 'Prime Minister Steve' has a lot of angry Canadians to answer to.

Seeing soldier crying would like seeing a dead guy in a Santa Claus costume. Both surreal and real, and an indication of how symbols and disguises can't hide human frailty. This humanity is both reassuring and worriesome in our men and women in uniform.

Thanks for an excellent story. It's good to know that our soldiers generally remain committed to the mission. By the way, what is the mission?
Morale is a difficult subject to report accurately. This is obviously a well researched and crafted story. Objective and honest. Well done.

as an old soldier, I might agree with some of Carolines comments, but, I would commend to readers,GeorgeMacDonald Frasers "Quartered Safe Out Here" his Recollections of his War in Burma circa WW2 starting at page 131, to see how how some people react as a result of poking and prying at the innermost thoughts of young people under extreme stress. Enough Said.

When we changed from being peace keepers to peace makers in this region of the world we entered the slipery slope of the one thousand year (religious) war as described by Richard Maybury who named this region "chaostan". We do not understand this ancient battle zone of continually shifting alliances. The US war in Iraq is now a civil war cleverly supported by Iran. Iran will come out the winner in Iraq thru its infiltration of the police and military, as well as in Lebanon thru hezbolloh. The spill-over of this into Afghanistan will be deadly for our soldiers as I expect it will increasingly be a theatre of the militants focus. I hope I am wrong.

We thought we escaped the mess of Iraq but with Iran bordering Afganistan on one side, Pakistan and 4 other "stans" completing this encirclement there is no easy way out I fear. What a mess.

Are we really suprised why some in the muslim world think the west is waging war against them? First we invade Afganistan, which I think most would believe initially was justifiable. Then the US and UK bribe Khadafi into changing sides. Then GWB takes his eye off the target and sets his sites on Iraq. Then the administration heats things up by hinting that maybe Iran and Syria are next. Supports Musharif in Pakistan who promised during a ABC interview in 2002 that democratic elections were going to be held within 12-18 months. Talks and talks and talks about democracy in the mideast, then with the palestinians elect a Hamas led government, they pull the plug on aid, begin to push Iran into the same corner as Saddam and last but not least, sit back and watch one of the worlds most powerful army pulverise an entire nation.

I am not saying that Saddam or Osama or Nasrallah or the folks running Syria or Iran are necessaryily outstanding world citizens, but are our leaders?

Thank you Carolyn for your excellent reporting and congratulations to the CBC for broadcasting it.
I heard the broadcast which icluded your conversation with the women soldiers and admired their honest comments and appreciated your reporting. And for your reporting of the non enthusiastic, very real feelings of male soldiers.
To listen to a lot of the comments of the military brass you'd think it was the military brass who will decide what military actions Canada will be involved in and that all the soldiers are glad to be there.
I encourage you to continue your professional reporting and the CBC for broadcasting your reports.

It was a bad week, but as Jack Granitstien has said; we were losing a 100 soldiers a week in our push through NW Europe in WWII.
While I applaud your attempts to be unbiased, I question your constant referal to the Canadian "Body Count" while you totally ignore the hammering that NATO troops have been dishing out to the Taliban each and every time there is contact. Case in point, the CBC mentioned the "Ambush" that resulted in the deaths of 4 of our soldiers, you made it seem to the public that our folks were totally unprepared for the fight. Meanwhile a soldier (who was there), gave a different account of a hard fought engagement where Canadians were conducting offensive operations. It is a wonder that the Patritia's would even want to talk to you.

Frustration with the army, is the same, when we watch a hockey game. People over here, mainly in quebec, dont beleive, the right choice was made with the team. Recruit, not back by the fans, mainly family attending to the game and chearing in ever good or bad move the players are doing.

Again a team well know as big, bad mean Flyer or bruin of the 1970. It got nothing to do with women. It is all with training, equiment, big money owners. You know, like in olympic tournement, even if over here we think that it is our best team, those over there already draw again Russia and US.

A team is not a family, they are coworker, period. At job, you dont show weakness, you open your mouth according to convenance and acceptable. Like on a hockey team, you push: go, go, we are the best, only victory ect,ect.

Reality is if you dont have 'The Team', and I dont think we have, so I am not surprise that after some big lost, we may be thinking than we may go the drain or injure for life, because of very bad owner decision. Also the fan are not to nice with the team, wich dont help. But the fan pay the tichet and they start to wonder at the other team.

Should have the team home a few week ago, now we are under US rule. Either are not funny.

There is no doubt that the conditions are tough here, particularily in Kandahar and there is no doubt that the cost in lives is felt strongly by all Canadian soldiers. Afghanistan has over 30,000,000 people who want the same things in life as any Canadian desires. That is the ability to live and love in their way, raising their family in a safe and healthy enviroment. Less than one percent of the people here are trying to destabilize the efforts of the Goverment and the Coalition that has been invited in to assist. My simple analogy is that the OPP are constantly fighting crime in my southern Ontario town. This includes crime I'm not even aware of and I know that if they stopped dealing with the bad guys, the crime would get out of hand. It is reality that the crime will always be there and that it will be kept in check through the dedicated efforts of the police. In the same way the members of the coalition who are both military and civilian are acting as the police of the world fighting the good fight against the current strain of terrorism. It is unlikely that we'll ever beat it completely but through our efforts the terror will be kept in check. Eventually through assistence in security, economic development and a host of other non government initiatives, the 99% of Afghan people that want to live in peace will be capable of maintaining the situation within their own borders. One more reality is that we're assisting a country that has been beaten so badly that we need to understand there is no quick fix. Canadians can not give up now. Know that the deaths of our soldiers will be honoured through continued dedication to this cause.

It is sad to say but the deaths of Canadian soldiers should not come as a shock to anyone in this country. The CDS and DND have been telling the Canadian public this was going to be a difficult/dangerous mission, this was not a "peacekeeping" mission, and we would see casualties. Either the CDS was not clear about the message or the public was not listening. Im willing to bet the public was not listening.

Having said that, for some soldiers overseas the tempo of operations and the deaths of friends is driving the reality of war home. Any soldier or civilian who had any disillusions about this mission has only themselves to blame. Not once did the CDS or the leadership in the Army lead anyone to believe this was going to be a cake walk.

Im sorry to say that these will not be the last casualties we will see overseas, but we will not leave without finishing our work. There is a price to pay if we (Canadians) want a say in how the world conducts business and we are paying it now as we have in the past. The soldiers will be brought home when the job is done, but they need to know and understand that Canadians support them in the mission.

The increase in recruiting is a good start as is the increased debate (good and bad) among Canadians about the military. In return for the support of Canadians the Army will promise to be successful in Afghanistan. How can i say that, because we are the only country with a perfect winning record, and that is success you can build on.

There seems to be a lot of disagreement in Canada today about the military's role in Afghanistan. Are we there to preserve the status quo? Are there to defeat the so called 'enemy?' If you look at the facts you will see that Canada is simply following in the footsteps of what other nations attempted to do previously in that war-torn Country. I don't want to say this but it's becoming Canada's version of Vietnam.

My son is returning from Afghanistan on the 16th of August. He has seen more and experienced more than a 22 year old should. After the battle at Pashmul we had talked to him. He was a "heat casulty" and had to be rehydrated at KAF. He said he was there for four hours and was now ready to go back out. When my wife asked if he was o.k. to go he said he had to get back to be with his boys. He did not want to leave his extended family.

I'd like to know, if we win, what exactly will a "Victory" look like ? What exactly is the goal of this mission ? I think for our Prime Minister, it's to be able to point out to our American allies that Canadians have died fighting in Afghanistan, so let us be part of they're "Team" again. As far as providing security for Afghanistan, it doesn't look like there is any progress, nor any likelihood of any progress.

This has to be the dumbest conflict we have ever become involved in. We are getting stuck there, just like the Americans, and going no where except to get Canadian Soldiers killed, while our Prime Minister tries his best to hide those casualties.

I think our Country owes it to our soldiers, to give them an achievable, clear objective. And when it's done, send them home, don't let this turn into another Vietnam quagmire.

We (North America) will never be able to change the basic beliefs of a culture. Attitudes towards death, democracy, duty, or politics are so diametrically opposed that the army can stay there for the next twenty five years, and nothing will change. It is heartbreaking to see our soldiers, male or female give of themselves in response to the manipulation of politicians.

First and foremost it was the Liberals that sent the troops over in the first place and now that they are out its all doom and gloom.
The reporting is made bigger then what it truly is...Not one Canadian has stepped up and complained..when comments such as some have complained PUT a face to that comment and stop fear mongering. I spent many years in the service and overseas at that..the REAL truth is no one ever speaks like some reporters say they do. Its all anti Harper with CBC....They cant have there old liberal ways of Corruption....Its clean now!

Carolyn: Thanks for your frank reporting. As a serving Canadian soldier with several overseas tours (including Afghanistan) I would be very surprised if you didn't discover a significant number of soldiers who are tired, angry and frustrated with the situation facing them there. This natural human reaction is one of the reasons that we generally limit tours to six months, as opposed to US forces who may do a year (or more). On every tour I have ever been on, the last few weeks are the worst: despite the successes, all everybody wants to do is go home.But, as you pointed out, the professionalism that marks the Canadian soldiers demands that my comrades now in Afghanistan continue giving of their best, until the last minute. It's what we do.

I think it's time Canadians go back to being seen as peace keepers. Americans are strong enough to stand on their own. I'm a member of the Forces and i am really proud to be but loosing people who are so close to me is not worth it. We should protect our own and let agressive contries take care of their own projects. Please bring are men and women back home, their families need them!

In the past hundred years or so, I can think of only three instances where a foreign occupying army has been able to defeat a native nationalist insurgency; the Boer war, the Philippine revolt and the Malaysian insurection. Against these three successes there are nearly a hundred failures, including three previous attempts in Afghanistan.

There is not the slightest reason to believe that the three wars currently marketed under the slogan "the war against terrorism" will not join the long list of failed colonial military efforts.

Our commitment to the Afghan peopl must countiune. We need to ask ourselves whether we believe in the universal rights of mankind, equal rights for women, freedom from political or religious persecution? If the answer is, 'yes', that indeed we do back up our fine words with action then we will continue the mission to bring some sort of normal governance to Afghanistan.

If the answer is, 'no', we only talk about these principles but if challenged will abandon them, then we can safely 'pull pole', pack up our construction teams and troops and withdraw. Then we can safely wait back at home, secure in the knowledge that freedom, liberty and human rights are only for those are never challenged by tyranny. At least not yet.

Bring the troops home. It is not true that our combat troops there will bring democracy to the people of Afghanistan.

Are Canadian military personnel simply innocents abroad, or are they at worst capable of psychopathic attitudes and behaviour like their US counterparts (according to Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 911) in Iraq ?
Anyone who thinks there's a huge difference between their military abroad and ours is being naive.
But I would have thought our generals, unlike American ones, would read a bit of history now and then. Apparently not.
Afghanistan has been named "the place where greast nations go to die".... ask Britain (twice), ask Russia, nations far more militaristic than Canada.
Approximately thirty million Pashtun and associated tribesmen are tucked into cracks and caves throughout Afghanistan, having honed their ass-kicking skills on invading armies that would eat us for breakfast.
But..there we are. Canada. All 2300 of us. Making a difference, we are told. Looking forward to Mission Accomplished.
Once upon a time we had this proud tradition of humanitarianism and peacekeeping which Brian "Desert Storm" Mulroney blew off to impress Bush Sr. on a US fishing-trip, without parliamentary debate. At least KandaHarper didn't do that. He had a debate of sorts and got the support he needed...from our once-proud liberal party.

Shame on all of them. Death comes stalking.

40 years ago, I was a young officer-in-training in the naval reserve (RCNR). The cold war was on and we had some dicey near-collisions with Soviet high speed "fish" boats" and submarines. We were too young and excited to admit our fears. But... we knew what our duties were and they did not seem insurmountable.

I fully support our military in Afghanistan in that I fully support getting it out of there - and I'm not being unpatriotic or traitorous.

The mission has been changed and from what I have discerned, the training, although excellent, did not fully match up with the circumstances. I've had American military personnel attest to the high quality of our training and personnel.

Soldiers are not meant to do humanitarian work - that's what NGO's are for. When one reads between the lines about how some of our troops "truly believe in what they are doing there", the comments seem to touch on the humanitarian aid, more than the military aid. The humanitarian portion is probably the only time they feel human. Soldiers are meant to capture, kill, and destroy and they could be letting their guards down by thinking humanitarian thoughts while in the field.

If we believe that the Afghanis must solve their own problems - why are we there? If we believe that we are helping them towards democracy, why do so many still support the Taliban and what are we doing in the middle of their quagmire? The extremists are anti-democracy, not just because of a desire for power but also, that they believe democracy to be ungodly - only god can lead men... not other men.

It is time for an open honest debate.

Do i like the fact that my husband left sunday to go to afghanistan absolutley not..Am i scared as hell oh yeah but am i proud you know it..My husband is a very well trained soldier and alls you have to have is a little faith..I am sorry about all the soldiers that have past on but really they died representing canada and doing what they choose to do..I wish all the canadian soldiers well and god speed..Come home safe...

Great report..Glad to see this feature for Afghanistan. As an ex member of the Canadian Forces, I just want to thank all of our men and women who are serving overseas.