Canada's role in the invasion of Afghanistan

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Canada did not have a significant role in the first few months of the invasion of Afghanistan that began on October 7, 2001, and the first contingents of regular Canadian troops arrived in Afghanistan only in January–February 2002. Canada took on a larger role starting in 2006 after the Canadian troops were redeployed to Kandahar province. Roughly 2,500-2,830 Canadian Forces personnel are currently deployed in Afghanistan as part of International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).

Contents 1 Military Operations 1.1 Background 1.2 2001–2002 initial deployment 1.3 2002–2005 1.4 2003–2005 Operation Athena 1.5 2006 renewed commitments: Operation Archer 1.6 2006-Present 2 Provincial reconstruction team 3 "Signature" Projects 4 Other Operations 5 Opposition to war 5.1 Public protests against Canada's continued involvement in the war 6 Canadian public opinion 6.1 2009 6.2 2008 6.3 2007 7 Cost of the war 7.1 Financial cost of the war to Canadian taxpayers 7.2 Repeated cost overruns 7.3 Concerns about the costs of the war in Afghanistan 7.4 Lack of transparency 7.5 Cost of the proposed extension past February 2009 8 Fatalities 8.1 Canadian military deaths in Afghanistan 8.2 Canadian non-military deaths in Afghanistan 9 Bravery awards 10 Controversies 10.1 Afghan detainee abuse scandal 10.2 December 2008 Canadian soldier charged with second-degree murder 11 Bases 12 Diplomatic ties 13 References 14 See also 15 External links

[edit] Military Operations

[edit] Background

In September 2001, after the September 11 terrorist attacks, Minister of National Defence Art Eggleton advised Governor General Adrienne Clarkson to authorize more than 100 Canadian Forces members serving on military exchange programs in the United States and other countries to participate in U.S. operations in Afghanistan.^{[citation needed]} The operations were aimed at identifying and neutralizing al-Qaeda members in that country, as well as toppling the Taliban regime, which was claimed to be supporting international terrorism.

At the time of the invasion, the Canadian government defined Canada's reasons for participating in the mission Afghanistan as follows:^{[citation needed]}

1. Defend Canada's national interests;
2. Ensure Canadian leadership in world affairs; and
3. Help Afghanistan rebuild.

[edit] 2001–2002 initial deployment

Although not participating at all in the opening days of the invasion, Prime Minister Jean Chrétien announced on October 7 that Canada would contribute forces to the international force being formed to conduct a campaign against terrorism. General Ray Henault, the Chief of the Defence Staff, issued preliminary orders to several CF units, as Operation Apollo was established. The Canadian commitment was originally planned to last to October 2003.

Forty Joint Task Force Two (JTF2) operators were sent to Afghanistan in December 2001, two months after then Minister of Defence, Art Eggleton, announced that Canada would be sending troops to Afghanistan to aid the removal of the Taliban.[1]

Once the regular forces were on the ground in January–February 2002 the Canadians were used supporting the war effort until Operation Anaconda began. During the operation, a Canadian sniper team broke, and re-broke, the kill record for a long distance sniper kill set in the Vietnam War by a U.S. Marine, Staff Sergeant Carlos Hathcock.^[1][2] Operation Anaconda was also the first time since the Korean War that Canadian soldiers relieved American soldiers in a combat operation.

[edit] 2002–2005

In March 2002, three Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry snipers fought alongside U.S. Army units during Operation Anaconda. Canadian forces also undertook Operation Harpoon in the Shah-i-Kot Valley. Other forces in the country provided garrison and security troops.

On April 18, 2002, a friendly fire incident caused Canadian casualties when an American F-16 jet dropped a laser-guided bomb on a group of Canadian soldiers. The PPCLI soldiers were conducting night-time training on a designated live-fire range, and the American pilots claim they mistook their gunfire for a Taliban insurgent attack. Four Canadians were killed and eight were wounded in the bombing (see Tarnak Farm incident).

In 2003, the Canadian Forces moved to the northern city of Kabul where it became the commanding nation of the newly formed International Security Assistance Force. In spring 2005 it was announced that the Canadian Forces would move back to the volatile Kandahar Province as the U.S. forces handed command to the Canadians in the region.

[edit] 2003–2005 Operation Athena

In August 2003, Operation Athena began outside Kabul as part of ISAF, with a 1,900-strong Canadian task force providing assistance to civilian infrastructure such as well-digging and repair of local buildings.

In March 2004, Canada committed $250 million in aid to Afghanistan, and $5 million to support the 2004 Afghan election.^[3]

On 13 February 2005, Defence Minister Bill Graham announced Canada was doubling the number of troops in Afghanistan by the coming summer, from 600 troops in Kabul to 1200.^[4]

Operation Athena ended in December 2005 and the fulfillment of the stated aim of "rebuilding the democratic process" in Afghanistan.^[5]

[edit] 2006 renewed commitments: Operation Archer

Operation Archer followed Athena beginning in February 2006. By the spring of 2006, Canada had a major role in southern Afghanistan, with Task Force Afghanistan being a battle group of 2,300 soldiers based at Kandahar. Canada also commanded the Multi-National Brigade for Command South, a main military force in the region. In May 2006, the Canadian government extended Canadian military commitments to Afghanistan by two years, replacing earlier plans to withdraw soldiers in 2006.

Additionally, Foreign Affairs Canada stated that the commitment was more than just military, employing a "whole of government approach", in which a Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT), utilizing personnel from the military, Foreign Affairs, the Canadian International Development Agency and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, would provide a dual role of security as well as reconstruction of the country and political structure.^[5]

On 28 February 2006, command of the forces in southern Afghanistan transferred from U.S. Lieutenant General Karl Eikenberry to Canadian Brigadier-General David Fraser in a ceremony at Kandahar Airfield.

[edit] 2006-Present

When the Canadian Forces returned to Kandahar after being deployed to Kabul in 2003, the Taliban began a major offensive, and the Canadians were caught in the middle. After a spring in which a record number of attacks against Canadian soldiers had been set, which included six deaths to the CF, the Taliban in Kandahar and Helmand provinces were massing.

Operation Mountain Thrust was launched in the beginning of the summer in 2006. Canadians of the 1 PPCLI Battle Group were one of the leading combatants and the first fighting when the Battle of Panjwaii took place. Complex mud-walled compounds made the rural Panjwaii District take on an almost urban style of fighting in some places. Daily firefights, artillery bombardments, and allied airstrikes turned the tides of the battle in favour of the Canadians. After Operation Mountain Thrust came to an end, Taliban fighters flooded back into the Panjwaii District in numbers that had not been seen yet in a single area in the "post Anaconda" war.

The Canadian Forces came under NATO command at the end of July, and the 1 RCR Battle Group replaced the PPCLI. Canadians launched Operation Medusa in September in an attempt to clear the areas of Taliban fighters from Panjwaii once and for all. The fighting of Operation Medusa led the way to the second, and most fierce Battle of Panjwaii in which daily gun-battles, ambushes, and mortar and rocket attacks were targeting the Canadian troops. The Taliban had massed with an estimated 1,500 to 2,000 fighters. The Taliban were reluctant to give up the area, and after being surrounded by the Canadian Forces, they dug in and fought a more conventional style battle. After weeks of fighting, the Taliban had been cleared from the Panjwaii area and Canadian reconstruction efforts in the area began.

On 15 September 2006, the Canadian government committed a squadron of Leopard tanks from Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians), and an additional 200 to 500 troops to Afghanistan. Canada was the first nation to deploy armour to Afghanistan.^[6]

On 1 November 2006, Dutch Major-General Ton van Loon succeeded Brigadier-General David Fraser as head of NATO Regional Command South in Afghanistan, a post which he will retain for a six month period. [2]

On 15 December 2006, the Canadians launched Operation Falcon Summit into Zhari District, to the north of Panjwaii. The operation was the Canadian involvement in the NATO-led Operation Mountain Fury. During Operation Falcon Summit, the Canadians gained control of several key villages and towns that were former Taliban havens, such as Howz-E Madad. During the first week of the operation, massive Canadian artillery and tank barrages were carried out in a successful attempt to clear pockets of Taliban resistance. The operation concluded with plans to build a new road linking Panjwaii with Kandahar's Highway 1 that runs east-west through Zhari.

In February 2007, the 2 RCR Battle Group took over to carry on with combat operations in several districts in Kandahar Province.

From 15 July 2007 to February 2008, units from CFB Valcartier near Quebec City served in Kandahar filling most positions in the OMLT and providing the protective company for the PRT. The 3rd Battalion Royal 22^e Régiment Battle Group, with supporting troops from 5 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group and a composite tank squadron from Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians) conducted operations on the ground. This rotation reflected a change in Canadian tactics, with emphasis on systematically clearing-holding-building in the districts of Panjwaii and Zhari, while also protecting Arghandab District and the Afghan–Pakistan border in the area of Spin Boldak. The focus was on intimately working with the Afghan army, police and civil administration to hold cleared areas rather than subsequently lose them to returning Taliban, as had previously occurred throughout the South and East.

In February 2008, the Van Doos contingent was replaced by force centred on a PPCLI battle group.

On 29 January 2008, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced that Canada would extend its military mission in Afghanistan to 2011 only if another NATO country puts at least 1,000 soldiers in the dangerous southern province of Kandahar, echoing the recommendation made in the week before by the panel that he had appointed.^[7]

On March 13, 2008, the Harper Conservative government's motion to extend the military mission past February 2009 into 2011 was approved in a parliamentary vote with the support of the Liberal opposition. The Conservative government had made their motion a confidence vote that threatened the triggering of an election unless passed. Revised followed consultations with the Liberal party, the extension of almost another three years is to have a focus on reconstruction and training of Afghan troops, and sets a firm pullout date, calling for Canadian troops to leave Afghanistan by December 2011. While the Liberals voted in favour of the Conservatives' confidence motion, the NDP and the Bloc Quebecois voted against it, having consistently rejected any extension of the military mission. NDP leader Jack Layton said "There are millions of Canadians who don't want this strategy to continue. The population prefers a road to peace."^[8]

On March 26, 2009, it was announced that Canada's area of responsibility in Kandahar province would be cut by nearly half in the summer of 2009 as part of the U.S. administration's new Afghan strategy. With about one-third of the planned 17,000 U.S. troop surge in Afghanistan to be based in Kandahar province, the Canadian combat mission will reduce its focus to the major population centres in and around Kandahar City.^[9]

[edit] Provincial reconstruction team

A key element of Canadian operations in Afghanistan is the Kandahar Provincial Reconstruction Team (KPRT), one of 25 provincial reconstruction teams throughout the country. A Provincial Reconstruction Team(PRT) is a unit introduced by the United States government to support reconstruction efforts in unstable states, performing duties ranging from humanitarian work to the training of police and the military. Following NATO's involvement, command of some PRTs was transferred from the US to other nations under ISAF.

The Kandahar PRT is composed of around 330-335 personnel composed largely of Canadian Forces elements (315), but also of a few diplomats, correctional officers, development specialists, and RCMP.^[10][11][12] The Kandahar PRT also includes one U.S. State Department official, one U.S. development official, and several U.S. police mentors.^[11]

The PRT is about one-eighth the size of the overall 2,830 Canadian military forces in Afghanistan. The 2008 Manley Report recommended that the KPRT be given more funding and attention and be placed under civilian leadership instead.^[11]

[edit] "Signature" Projects

Following the recommendations of the Manley report, the Canadian government has sought to highlight several so-called "signature" projects in Kandahar Province.^[11] The government of Canada's communications on Afghanistan website highlights:^[13]

• Dahla Dam and irrigation system; this dam is to assist with irrigation and basic services across the region. It is believed that it will create 10’000 seasonal jobs (construction then operation) and comes from a $50 million investment from the Canadian government.
• Education; Canada will put $12 million into improving the education system across Kandahar.
• Polio eradication; A main priority of Canada’s humanitarian aid, the Project will see the immunization of an estimated seven million children across Afghanistan, including 350,000 in the province of Kandahar.

[edit] Other Operations

• Rather than playing a purely domestic role, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service has been "noticeably altered" to allow it to play a part in the war, as well as in the Iraq War.^[14]
• Canada has assisted in the collection, storage and decommissioning of 10,000 heavy weapons left in Afghanistan including artillery, tanks and rocket launchers, used in decades of conflict in the country.^[5]
• Canada has helped clear about one third of the estimated 10 to 15 million mines in Afghanistan.^[5]
• Canada has loaned money to over 140,000 people in Afghanistan.^[5]
• Canada has helped train the Afghan police and army.^[5][15]
• Since December 2001, Canada has been an active participant in the civilian-led United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan. The Canadian military terms it Operation ACCIUS.
• In 2005 Canada initiated the Strategic Advisory Team – Afghanistan (SAT-A), known as Operation ARGUS, to mentor aspects of the Afghani government on defense issues. It usually contains around fifteen personnel and one CIDA official.^[16][17]
• Canada is a member of Combined Task Force 150 (CTF 150), termed Operation Altair, that is used for maritime patrol and enforcement near Afghanistan.^[18]
• Since early 2006, the Canadian Operational Mentor Liaison Team (OMLT) has helped to train and equip the Afghan National Army to take over security when the coalition pulls out. Currently the OMLT consists of around 200 personnel training 1,000 Afghan soldiers of the 1st Brigade, 205th Corps. The OMLT also has a subgroup that mentors the Afghan National Police.^[19][20]

[edit] Opposition to war

Although the leaders of Canada's two largest political parties agree on the necessity of the mission to Afghanistan, it is politically controversial with the Canadian public, with the three other main political parties, with activist groups, and within the Liberal party. On August 31, 2006, New Democratic Party leader Jack Layton called for the withdrawal of Canadian troops from the south of Afghanistan, to begin immediately and soon afterwards pursue peace negotiations with the Taliban insurgents. He argued that the mission lacked clear objectives and measures of success, and that the counter-insurgency operation was undermining reconstruction in Afghanistan.^[21]

Current Conservative prime minister Stephen Harper's support of the Afghanistan mission has been repeatedly criticized by other political players. In September 2006, CBC columnist Larry Zolf discussed the oft-repeated accusation that Harper is a "puppet" of Bush:

"Linking Harper to Bush has been a staple of the NDP and the left of the Liberal party since the Harper mission in Afghanistan started. Harper's defence of his war in Afghanistan is that he's not a prisoner of Bush but is simply carrying on a mission started by the Liberals. And he's right. Still, the charge that Harper is a Bush puppet is sticking, and it's hurting Harper as both he and Bush are dropping in the polls. Afghanistan is not only stopping Harper's quest for a majority government—it could even cost him the next election."

While the Liberals now support the Conservative-proposed extension of the mission to 2011, the New Democratic Party would make an immediate announcement of the withdrawal of Canadian troops from Afghanistan, with the specific timing and speed of the actual withdrawal as deemed responsible by military commanders, whether within a few weeks or a couple of months. An October 9, 2008 NDP release^[22] stated:

"Jack Layton and the NDP want to bring our troops home from Afghanistan in six months, instead of spending $18.1 billion dollars on this war for three more years. Rather than spending this money on war, the NDP will invest in hiring more doctors and more skilled jobs training here in Canada."

The Green Party and the Bloc Québécois also oppose any extension beyond the previous 2009 withdrawal date.

[edit] Public protests against Canada's continued involvement in the war

• On March 18, 2006, thousands of Canadians took part in anti-war demonstrations protesting the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. In Toronto, some 1,000 to 1,500 protesters converged opposite the U.S. consulate before marching through the city's downtown core. In Montreal, about 1,200 people braved the cold to march against the wars. In Ottawa, dozens of demonstrators gathered two blocks from Parliament Hill and later at the National Gallery to protest the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Several hundred protesters marched through downtown Halifax. A protest in Vancouver also attracted hundreds.^[23][24] At that time, the number of Canadian soldiers killed in Afghanistan stood at 10.
• On Saturday October 28, 2006, thousands of protesters opposed to Canada's participation in the war in Afghanistan rallied in 40 cities and towns. Under the slogan "Support our troops, bring 'em home", as many as 500 demonstrators marched through downtown Ottawa to Parliament Hill to protest the military mission and demand the return of Canadian troops. Several hundreds of protesters in Toronto, almost 500 in Montreal, 200 in Halifax, 100 in Edmonton, more than a 100 in Calgary, and as many as 600 in Vancouver, along with protesters in over 30 other cities and towns, also took to the streets. Themes of the demonstrations included demands that the troops be brought home from Afghanistan and demands that the mission of the Canadian Forces in that country shift from a combat role to a peace keeping and humanitarian presence. Placards expressed such sentiments as "Build Homes Not Bombs," "Drop Tuition Not Bombs" and "Is This Really Peacekeeping".^[25][26] At that time, a total of 42 Canadian soldiers and one diplomat had so far been killed in Afghanistan.^[25][26]
• On February 23, 2007, hundreds of Canadians braved wind, rain, and snow to take part in rallies in cities across Canada to protest their country's military operation in Afghanistan, urging their government to bring Canadian troops home. In Vancouver, about 600 people rallied and marched through the downtown core. In Toronto, hundreds of protesters held a rally outside the U.S. consulate. Nearly 500 people marched through downtown Montreal. About 200 people gathered in front of city hall in Halifax. Demonstrations also took place in Edmonton, Quebec City, and St. John's, Newfoundland.^[27] At that time, the number of Canadian soldiers killed in Afghanistan stood at 44.^[27]
• On Saturday, March 17, 2007, demonstrators held rallies across Canada in protest of the war in Afghanistan and the war in Iraq. In Toronto, about 200 people held a demonstration outside the U.S. consulate. In Halifax, about 100 people marched through city streets, ending with a peace rally at a park. Protests also took place in Montreal, Ottawa, Hamilton, and Winnipeg.^[28] At that time, the number of Canadian soldiers killed in Afghanistan stood at 45.^[28]
• On Saturday October 27, 2007, rallies took place in 22 different Canadian cities to protest against the Canadian military mission in Afghanistan. In Montreal, around 300 protesters marched despite heavy rain, many of them carrying colourful banners and chanting anti-war slogans. In Toronto, more than 300 people took part in a march beginning at the U.S. consulate. In Halifax, around 200 demonstrators marched through the city, ending with a rally at Victoria Park, while a protest in Ottawa also numbered around 200. The protesters deplored the deaths of Canadian soldiers and the deaths of thousands of Afghan civilians in the war.^{[29][30][31][32]} At that time, the number of Canadian soldiers killed in Afghanistan stood at 71.^[32]
• 

  

  Canadians taking to the streets to call for the troops to be brought home from Afghanistan in a rally on March 15, 2008. At that time, the number of Canadian soldiers killed in Afghanistan stood at 80.^[33]
• On Saturday March 15, 2008, thousands of protesters filled streets across Canada to speak out against Canada's military mission in Afghanistan. Rallies took place in 20 cities countrywide in a call for the government to recall the troops from Afghanistan and instead adopt a peacekeeping role, which protesters said is Canada's true calling.^[34] In Toronto, 3,000 Canadians rallied outside the provincial legislature at Queen's Park before marching through busy downtown streets in a three-hour demonstration. In Montreal, hundreds of protesters waved flags and sang as they marched through the city's downtown core. The mass of people stretched for several city blocks.^[33] In Ottawa, several hundred people marched on Sussex Drive for a protest on Parliament Hill.^[35] The Conservative government, backed by the Liberals, had just two days before passed a motion to again extend the military operations in Afghanistan.^[33]

  "I'm here because I'd like our government to divert all that spending and all those brains to find peaceful solutions. Young men and women are getting killed. Innocent people in Afghanistan are getting killed," said protester Maureen Adelman, 74.^[33]

  At that time, the number of Canadian soldiers killed in Afghanistan stood at 80.^[33]
• On Saturday October 18, 2008, hundreds of Canadians marched in rallies held in 16 different cities across Canada to protest the country's military involvement in Afghanistan. In Toronto, more than 300 people gathered at Queen's Park to send Prime Minister Stephen Harper a clear message: Bring our troops home, now.^[36] In Montreal, hundreds of people turned out to demand Canadian troops be brought home and to shine a light on the dollars-and-cents costs of a growing defence establishment.^[37] In Ottawa, around 150 people marched at a rally on Parliament Hill demanding that Prime Minister Stephen Harper bring the troops home.^[38][39][40] At that time, a total of 97 Canadian soldiers and one diplomat had so far been killed in the war in Afghanistan.^[39]
• On Saturday December 20, 2008, Canadians in Montreal and Toronto threw shoes at posters of George Bush in front of their respective U.S. consulates during protests against the U.S. military occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan, and against Canada's involvement in the U.S.-led war in Afghanistan. In Toronto, the spirited crowd took to chants like "Give Harper the shoe!", and passing cars honked horns in solidarity.^[41] At the time of the protest, the death toll of Canadian soldiers stood at 103.

[edit] Canadian public opinion

See also: International public opinion on the war in Afghanistan

[edit] 2009

• May 2009: Angus Reid poll: Half of Canadians are adamant about ending the Afghan mission before 2011, and the vast majority of Canadians, 84%, want the country's military presence in Afghanistan to wane by 2011. 51% of Canadians want the bulk of the troops to be withdrawn before 2011. 33% think the bulk of the troops should be withdrawn in 2011. Only 7% would keep Canadian troops in Afghanistan past 2011. The majority of Canadians, 57%, continue to disagree with the government's latest extension from February 2009 to 2011. At the time of the poll, the number of Canadian soldiers killed in the war stood at 118.^[42]
• May 2009: Harris-Decima poll: The majority 54% of Canadians continue to oppose the government's commitment to having troops in Afghanistan, while 39% support it. Almost 90% of Canadians want their troops out of Afghanistan before or by the scheduled end date in 2011. 40% of Canadians want the troops brought back early while 46% say they should be withdrawn in July 2011. Only 8% think the mission should continue past July 2011. 54% of Canadians do not think the additional increases in U.S. troops will succeed, while 41% do.^[43][44]
• April 2009: Harris-Decima poll: A majority of Canadians are opposed to the government's commitment to have troops in Afghanistan. Overall, 55% of Canadians oppose the military mission in Afghanistan, while only 40% support it. The depth of the opposition is particularly notable: Three times more Canadians are strongly opposed to the mission (27%) than strongly support it (9%). 37% of those that support the mission would withdraw that support if the controversial Afghan law affecting women's rights is enacted.^[45][46]
• February 2009: Angus Reid poll: A majority 52% of Canadians continue to disagree with the government's latest extension of the military mission in Afghanistan until 2011, and half of Canadians would end the mission. 48% of Canadians want the bulk of Canadian troops to be withdrawn from Afghanistan before the year 2011, that is, before the government's announced withdrawal at the end of its latest extension into the end of 2011. 35% thought that the bulk of the troops should be brought home in 2011. Only 7% thought the bulk of the troops should remain in Afghanistan past 2011. At the time of the publication of the poll, 112 Canadian soldiers had died in the war.^[47][48]
• February 2009: Angus Reid poll: 65% of Canadians say no to keeping troops in Afghanistan should President Obama request it, while only 20% said yes.^[49]
• January 2009 - Ekos poll: 55% of Canadians oppose an extension of the mission in Afghanistan if requested by President Obama, while only 30% support it.^[50][51]

[edit] 2008

• December 2008: Angus Reid poll: A majority 58% of Canadians continue to disagree with the government's latest extension of the military mission in Afghanistan until 2011, up from 56% the previous month, and Canadians want a quicker end to the Afghan mission. A majority 53% of Canadians want the bulk of the troops to be withdrawn from Afghanistan before the year 2011, that is, before the government's announced withdrawal at the end of its latest extension into the end of 2011. Only a minority 30%, down from 33% the previous month, thought that the bulk of the troops should stay in Afghanistan until 2011 at which point they should be withdrawn. Only 8% thought the bulk of the troops should remain in Afghanistan past 2011. At the time of the publication of the poll, 106 Canadian soldiers had died in the war.^[52][53]
• November 2008: Angus Reid poll: A majority 56% of Canadians continue to disagree with their government's proposed extension of the military mission in Afghanistan until 2011, and a majority 53% of Canadians call for the bulk of Canadian troops to be withdrawn from Afghanistan even before 2011. 33% think the bulk of the troops should be withdrawn from Afghanistan in 2011. Only 7% would agree to any further extension past 2011.^[54][55]
• September 2008: Strategic Counsel poll: The majority 61% of Canadians oppose sending troops to Afghanistan, while only a minority 35% support it. Forming the largest group of respondents, 33% of Canadians "strongly oppose" sending troops to Afghanistan. These numbers show the highest level of opposition and the lowest level of support in the 12 times that Strategic Counsel has asked Canadians this question since May 2006.^[56]
• September 2008: Angus Reid poll: The majority of Canadians continue to oppose an extension past February 2009 of Canada's military mission in Afghanistan. 59% of Canadians disagree with their government's proposed extension of the mission past February 2009, while only a minority 34% agree with it.^[57] The vast majority of Canadians, 75%, continue to believe that Canada is shouldering too much of the burden on NATO's mission in Afghanistan, while only a small minority 14% disagree with that view.^[58]
• September 2008: Environics poll: The number of Canadians who disapprove of their country's military action in Afghanistan is at its highest point since Canada became involved in the war in 2002. The majority 56% of Canadians disapprove of their country's military action in Afghanistan, while only a minority 41% approve of it. Almost two-thirds of Canadians, 65%, say the mission is not likely to be successful, while only 28% think it is likely to be successful. The majority 54% of Canadians disagree with an extension of the mission past February 2009, while a minority 41% agree with it.^[59][60]
• August 2008: Harris Decima poll: The majority of Canadians believe their country is paying too high a price in blood and treasure for its military involvement in Afghanistan and do not want to stay longer in Afghanistan. 61% of Canadians believe the cost of the military mission in lives and money is unacceptable, while only 32% think it is acceptable. The majority 57% of Canadians do not want to stay longer in Afghanistan, while only a minority 33% agree with an extension.^[61]
• July 2008: Angus Reid poll: The majority of Canadians believe their government was wrong to lengthen their country’s military mission in Afghanistan. 58% of Canadians disagree with their government's proposed extension of the mission past February 2009, while only a minority 36% agree with it.^[62]
• July 2008: Ipsos Reid poll: Only a minority 29% of Canadians are "fairly content" about Canada's participation in the war in Afghanistan. The remaining 71% of Canadians are either "really upset", "really angry", or "resigned" about Canada's participation in the war. The plurality, 37% of Canadians, are "really upset but not able to do anything about it, so I keep it bottled up until I can"; 29% are "fairly content because it/they really don’t affect or matter that much to me"; 24% are "resigned pretty much not to do anything since there’s no sense making any noise because nothing ever happens as a result"; and 10% are "really angry and I’m for sure going to/already doing something about it".^[63]
• May 2008: Angus Reid poll: The majority of Canadians believe their government was wrong to lengthen their country’s military mission in Afghanistan. 54% of Canadians disagree with their government's proposed extension of the military mission past February 2009, while only a minority 41% agree with it.^[64]
• March 2008: Environics poll: The majority 54% of Canadians disapprove of their country's military action in Afghanistan, while only a minority 44% approve of it.^[59]
• March 2008: Angus Reid poll: The majority of Canadians believe their government was wrong to lengthen their country’s military mission in Afghanistan. 58% of Canadians disagree with their government's proposed extension of the military mission past February 2009, while only a minority 37% agree with it.^[65]
• February 2008: Strategic Counsel poll: The majority 61% of Canadians oppose an extension past February 2009, while only a minority 35% support one.^[66]
• February 2008: Angus Reid poll: The majority 58% of Canadians disagree with an extension of the military mission past February 2009, while only a minority 36% agree with it.^[67]
• January 2008: Ipsos Reid poll: Only a minority 35% of Canadians approve of the so-called Manley Panel's recommendations for Canada's troops in Afghanistan. Ipsos Reid characterizes this result as "Canadians Receive Manley Plan Cautiously".^[68]
• January 2008: Strategic Counsel poll: The majority 56% of Canadians oppose sending troops to Afghanistan, while only a minority 39% support. The overwhelming majority 78% of Canadians think the combat role should end, while only a small minority 17% think the combat role should continue. The plurality 47% of Canadians want the troops to return as soon as possible.^[69]

[edit] 2007

• December 2007: Angus Reid poll: The majority 61% of Canadians disagree with an extension of the military mission past February 2009, while only a minority 28% agree with it. The majority 53% of Canadians want an early withdrawal of their troops from Afghanistan even before February 2009, while only 39% disagree.^[67]
• October 2007: Environics poll: Fewer than half, 45%, of Canadians support the current mission, a plurality 43% of Canadians want Canadian troops to be brought home even before the mission is scheduled to end in February 2009, and only one in three think that the mission is likely to be successful in the end.^[70]
• October 2007: Ipsos Reid poll: Only a small minority 14% believe Canada should continue in its current role, while 40% believe Canada should switch to a training capacity, and the plurality 44% of respondents believe troops should be brought home in 2009. The remaining 2% of respondents said they did not know. Ipsos Reid, the only polling firm with results markedly different from those of all the other polls around the same time, took these results and combined the first two figures to suggest that a majority 54% of Canadians want Canada to stay in Afghanistan, while 44% do not. They chose not to, however, combine the last two figures in exactly the same way to show that an overwhelming 84% majority of Canadians believe Canada should not continue in its current role, while only a small minority 14% do.^[71] A report from a senior defence analyst with the Conference of Defence Associations reveals that the firm Ipsos Reid was under contract from the Canadian Department of National Defence over the period from September 19-21, 2006 to March 20-22, 2007.^[72] The Conference of Defence Associations itself had a five-year funding agreement with the Department of National Defence, effective from April 1, 2007 to March 31, 2012.^[73][74][75]
• September 2007: Angus Reid poll: Over two-thirds of Canadians do not want Canada to extend the Afghan mission past its scheduled end date in February 2009. The majority 68% of Canadians disagree with an extension of the military mission past February 2009, while only a minority 20% agree with one. The majority 56% of Canadians also think that Canada should leave Afghanistan early, even before the mandate ends in February 2009, while only 35% disagreed. Two-thirds, 67%, of Canadians also believe Canada is shouldering too much of the burden of NATO's mission in Afghanistan.^[76]
• August 2007: Angus Reid poll: Nearly 1 in 2 Canadians, 49%, think the NATO mission in Afghanistan has been mostly a failure. Only 22% of Canadians think it has been mostly a success.^[77]
• August 2007: Ipsos Reid poll: In a statistical tie within the poll's 3.1% margin of error, 51% of Canadians support the mission while 45% oppose it.^[71]
• July 2007: Strategic Counsel poll: The majority 59% of Canadians oppose sending troops to Afghanistan, while only a minority 36% support.^[78][79]
• July 2007: Decima Research poll: The majority 67% of Canadians believe the number of casualties have been unacceptable, while only 25% said the number of killed and wounded was acceptable. At the time of the poll, Canada had lost 66 soldiers and one diplomat in Afghanistan.^[80]
• July 2007: Angus Reid poll: The majority 63% of Canadians disagree with an extension of the military mission past February 2009, while only a small minority 16% agree with it. A plurality 49% of Canadians think their country should withdraw its troops from Afghanistan even before their mandate ends in February 2009. The majority 58% think Canada is shouldering too much of the burden.^[67][81]
• July 2007: Ipsos Reid poll: In a statistical tie within the poll's 3.1% margin of error, 50% of Canadians support the mission while 45% oppose it.^[82]
• June 2007: Decima Research poll: The majority two-thirds 67% of Canadians want the military mission in Afghanistan to end in Feb. 2009, while only a small minority 26% think it should be extended past Feb. 2009.^[83][84]
• May 2007: Strategic Counsel poll: The majority 55% of Canadians oppose the military mission in Afghanistan, while a minority 40% support it. Only 6% say they strongly support it, while 4 times as many, 24% say they strongly oppose it. There was almost two-to-one support for negotiation with Afghanistan's Taliban insurgents. A majority 63% of Canadians think that it is a net good idea to negotiate with Afghanistan's Taliban insurgents, while only a minority of 32% think it is a net bad idea.^[85]
• May 2007: Angus Reid poll: 50% of Canadians think Canada should withdraw its troops from Afghanistan before their mandate ends in February 2009. The majority 55% think Canada is shouldering too much of the burden.^[86]
• May 2007: SES Research poll: The majority two-thirds of Canadians think their country's presence in Afghanistan makes Canada more vulnerable to a terrorist attack. The majority 55% said Canada should pull out of Afghanistan if casualties continue, while 39% said casualties are an unfortunate but necessary part of the military. At the time of the poll, Canada had lost 54 soldiers and one diplomat to violence in Afghanistan.^[87]
• April 2007: Strategic Counsel poll: The majority 57% of Canadians oppose the military mission in Afghanistan, while a minority 36% support it.^[85]
• April 2007: Ipsos Reid poll: Almost two-thirds of Canadians say the country's troops should be brought home from Afghanistan on schedule in February 2009. The majority 63% of Canadians want the troops brought home on schedule by February 2009.^[88]
• April 2007: Angus Reid poll: The majority 52% of Canadians think Canada should withdraw its troops from Afghanistan before their mandate ends in February 2009. The majority 64% think Canada is shouldering too much of the burden.^[89][90]

[edit] Cost of the war

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[edit] Financial cost of the war to Canadian taxpayers

In October 2008, Canada's independent Parliamentary Budget Officer, Kevin Page, released a detailed assessment of the price tag for Canada's involvement in Afghanistan in a report entitled the "Fiscal Impact of the Costs Incurred by the Government of Canada in support of the Mission in Afghanistan".

The report determined that the Afghan mission has to date cost Canada an estimated $7.7-billion to $10.5-billion, with $5.9-billion to $7.42-billion spent on military operations, $800-million to $2.08-billion in veterans' benefits, and slightly under $1-billion in aid. The study did not include the cost of diplomatic efforts, the cost of danger pay for soldiers, or the cost of billions of dollars of military equipment bought under accelerated procurement.^[91][92]

The Parliamentary Budget Officer's report estimated that the total cost to Canadian taxpayers of Canada's involvement in Afghanistan will be $13.9-billion to $18.1-billion by 2011, again excluding the cost of diplomatic efforts, the cost of danger pay for soldiers, and the cost of billions of dollars of military equipment bought under accelerated procurement.^[91][92]

This estimates the financial cost to Canadian taxpayers of an extension past February 2009 at $5.6-billion to $6.8-billion, again excluding the cost of diplomatic efforts, the cost of danger pay for soldiers, and the cost of billions of dollars of military equipment bought under accelerated procurement.

Kevin Page, the parliamentary budget officer, emphasized, both in the published report and during the news conference that accompanied its release, that his report's estimates may "likely understate the costs of the military operations".

Two other recent studies have come up with even higher estimates for the financial cost of the war to Canadians.

A yet-to-be-released study by security analyst David Perry, former deputy director of Dalhousie University Centre for Foreign Policy Studies, estimates that the Afghan war will cost Canadians to $22 billion in Defence Department expenditures alone, both in money actually spent on the mission and future payments to rebuild equipment and provide long-term care for veterans. This $22-billion estimate excludes the cost of aid to Afghanistan and the cost of the mission for all other federal departments such as the RCMP and Foreign Affairs.^[93][94]

The study will be included in an upcoming edition of the International Journal published by the Canadian International Council. In September, some of the study's findings were presented and discussed at a conference on maritime affairs attended by military leaders and analysts from Canada, the U.S. and several Asia-Pacific nations. According to retired Commodore Eric Lerhe, who included some of the study's figures in his presentation at the conference:

"This is an important work and bang on with the numbers."

The breakdown of the $22-billion cost estimate for the military operations in Afghanistan is as follows:

• $7-billion for the cost of waging the war. This is the incremental cost from late 2001 to 2012. It includes everything from ammunition and fuel to the salaries of reservists and contractors. It does not include the salaries of regular force military personnel.
• $11-billion for the estimated future bill for Veterans Affairs and DND for long-term health care of veterans and related benefits, including having to deal with post traumatic stress disorder among troops. Veterans Affairs Canada predicts an increase of 13,000 Canadian Forces members to its client base by 2010. Using U.S. estimates, between 10 to 25 per cent of returning veterans may experience mental health problems as a result of their overseas deployment. U.S. studies estimate that country's long-term health care and disability costs for its Iraq and Afghan veterans to be between $350-billion to $650-billion.
• $2-billion for the purchase of mission-specific equipment. That includes everything from Leopard tanks, howitzers, six Chinook helicopters, counter-mine vehicles to aerial drones. Defence officials argue that such equipment will be used on future missions beyond Afghanistan. The figure did not include the latest $95 million lease for additional aerial drones.
• $2-billion for the replacement of the military's LAV III fleet. "This fleet is going to be worn out pretty soon from the wear and tear of Afghanistan and will have to be replaced," said Mr. Perry.
• $405 million for repair and overhaul costs.

In October 2008, a study by the Rideau Institute, an independent think tank, estimated that the Afghan mission has already cost Canadians $17.2-billion to date, counting ammunition, equipment, military salaries, health care, disability and death benefits and economic aid projects. The study estimated that the mission will cost Canadians an additional $11.1-billion over the next three years if the mission is extended until the December 2011.^[95][96]

The Rideau Institute study estimates that the war in Afghanistan will directly cost Canadian taxpayers $20.7-billion by the end of 2011, while the loss to the Canadian economy from wounded or killed soldiers will cost Canada $7.6 billion, placing the total cost of the war to Canadians at more than $28-billion.^[97][98]

[edit] Repeated cost overruns

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In June 2006, the Conservative government's Foreign Affairs Minister Peter Mackay told the Commons Defence Committee that the total expenditures by Canadian taxpayers to date in the war-torn country amounted to $2.3-billion - $1.8-billion in military costs and $500-million in development costs - and that Canada would spend a total of $3.85-billion for the mission: $3.05-billion in military costs by 2009 and $810-million in development costs up to 2011.^[99][100]

In September 2006, the Conservative government re-iterated the estimate of military expenses in Afghanistan between 2001 and 2009 at $3.05 billion.^[101]

However, later in the fall, Defence Minister Gordon O'Connor informed ministry officials the military costs in Afghanistan between 2001 and 2009 would have to be revised up to $3.9-billion, nearly a billion dollars more than the $3.05-billion estimate given by Foreign Affairs Minister Peter Mackay just a few months earlier.^[101]

In November 2006, the military costs for the mission in Afghanistan were reported to have reached $2.2 billion, up from $1.8 billion in June, or nearly $1.6 million per day of the mission, while the development costs up to May 2006 were reported to have reached $466 million. The military costs were projected to reach about $4 billion by the planned end of the mission in February 2009 - revised up from $3.05 billion in June - while the development costs were expected to reach $1 billion by 2011 - revised up from $810-million in June. The total cost of the Canada's involvement in Afghanistan was revised up from $3.85-billion in June to around $5-billion.^[102]

It was also reported in November 2006 that the Canadian Forces had spent over $1 million on funeral services for soldiers killed in Afghanistan. At that point in time, the number of soldiers killed in Afghanistan was 42.^[102]

In January 2007, it was reported that the Defence Department estimated that it would spend almost $1 billion on operations in Afghanistan in the next fiscal year, more than doubling the spending for military operations in Afghanistan from prior years.^[103][104]

By the end of January 2007, the government again revised its estimate for the military component of the costs from 2001 to 2009 in Afghanistan - this time increasing another $400-million to $4.3-billion. Estimates of the total cost for the military operations from 2001 to 2009 were revised up by $1.3 billion between June 2006 and January 2007 alone.^[101]

In March 2007, it was reported that the total cost of mission from 2001 to 2009 was now projected at $5.5-billion, revised up another $600-million from November 2006. Development costs to 2011 were reported at $1.2-billion, revised up from the $1-billion in November 2006, itself a revision up from the government's figure of $810-million in June 2006. Over $802-million was spent in the 2006-2007 fiscal year ending March 31, 2007, making it the most expensive year since the deployment began.^[101]

In comparison, Foreign Affairs Minister Peter Mackay had reported in June 2006 that a total of $1.8-billion had been expended over the course of the previous four and a half years - an average of $400-million a year. The $802-million spent on military operations in the 2006-2007 fiscal year ending March 31, 2007 effectively doubled the previous spending average.

In May 2007, Defence Minister Gordon O'Connor told the House of Commons that the incremental cost of the military component of the mission had reached $2.6-billion.^[105][106]

In November 2007, Defence Minister Peter MacKay disclosed to the House of Commons defence committee that the incremental cost to National Defence of the Afghan military mission had again risen steeply and had reached a total of $3.1-billion, up from $2.6 billion in May. A spokesperson for Mr. MacKay said that the extra costs were due mainly to additional tanks and force protection expenses.^{[105][106][107]}

In February 2008, it was reported that the total cost of Canada's involvement in Afghanistan was estimated to reach $6.3-billion by the end of February 2009.^[108][109]

In another estimate in February 2008, former foreign minister Lloyd Axworthy, president of the University of Winnipeg provided the estimate that $7.8-billion had been spent in the 6 years Canada had been in Afghanistan.^[110]

In March 2008, the La Presse newspaper obtained government documents under the Access to Information Act that indicated that the Afghanistan mission would run $1-billion over budget in the 2007-2008 fiscal year ending March 31, 2008. The government did not deny the report, but said that it was one of a number of assessments being made. These documents indicated that the mission had cost Canadian taxpayers over $7.5-billion since 2001 - double what had been budgeted.^[111]

The Defence Department said the projected cost for military component of the Afghanistan mission through 2009 had been $4.5 billion, but was adjusted to $5 billion because of the additional equipment purchases.^[111] It said the upward revision did not count as a cost overrun. The $4.5 billion figure itself, however, was a $200-million increase over the January 2007 estimate of $4.3 billion^[101], itself a $400-million increase from the November 2006 estimate of $3.9 billion^[101][102], itself an $850-million increase from the June 2006 estimate of $3.05 billion.^[99][100]

For the March 31, 2008 end of the 2007-2008 fiscal year, the Conservative government eventually reported the incremental cost of the military component of the Afghan mission to be at around $3.8-billion, up $700 million in four months from $3.1-billion in November 2007.^[112] This figure means that since Defence Minister Gordon O'Connor's figure of $2.6-billion in May 2007, over $1.2 billion was spent in incremental cost on military operations in Afghanistan in the 2007-2008 fiscal year, making it again the most expensive year since the deployment began.

Despite these numbers from his own ministers, in April 2008, Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper suggested that the cost of the Afghan mission was only about $500 million a year above the military's usual costs, saying at a North Atlantic Treaty Organization summit in Bucharest "I think the cost ... probably amounts to about a billion a year, but probably half of that would be consumed anyway."^[107]

In September and October 2008, when it became known that a report detailing the cost of Canada's involvement in Afghanistan was about to be released, numerous news sources reported that the Conservative government had apparently, at some unspecified point in time, previously estimated the total cost of the six-year mission to date at under $8-billion.^{[113][114][115]} The drastically higher revised estimate of $8-billion does not seem to have been widely reported to the public before this however, and one report confirms that the government only revised their public estimate to just under $8 billion when they knew that the Parliamentary Budget Officer was about to report.^[107]

In October 2008, the Parliamentary Budget Officer released the "Fiscal Impact of the Costs Incurred by the Government of Canada in support of the Mission in Afghanistan" and reported that the Afghan mission has so far cost Canada an estimated $7.7-billion to $10.5-billion, consisting of $5.9-billion to $7.42-billion spent on military operations, $800-million to $2.08-billion in veterans' benefits, and under $1-billion in aid. The study did not include the cost of diplomatic efforts, the cost of danger pay for soldiers, and the cost of billions of dollars of military equipment bought under accelerated procurement.

The $7.7-billion to $10.5-billion figure, that the parliamentary budget officer suggested could well be understated, places the most detailed estimate to date at 2 to 3 times the government's June 2006 total cost projection of $3.85-billion. The military component of this estimated cost to date, $5.9-billion to $7.42-billion to October 2008, is also 2 to 3 times the government's June 2006 estimate of $3.05-billion by 2009.^[91][92]

The Parliamentary Budget Officer's report estimated the total cost to Canadian taxpayers of Canada's involvement in Afghanistan would reach between $13.9-billion and $18.1-billion by 2011, again excluding the cost of diplomatic efforts, the cost of danger pay for soldiers, and the cost of billions of dollars of military equipment bought under accelerated procurement. This places the financial cost to Canadian taxpayers for an extension past February 2009 at $5.58-billion to $6.8-billion.^[91][92]

The report also detailed how the Defence Department's actual spending for Afghanistan exceeded planned spending in each and every year of the mission, with budget overshoots each year ranging from never less than 29.35% to as high as 310.26%.^[92]

[edit] Concerns about the costs of the war in Afghanistan

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There is growing concern inside the ranks of the military about the real cost of Canada's involvement in the Afghan conflict.^[94]

In January 2007, it was reported that Canada's navy was out of money for basic operations as the military diverted resources to the war in Afghanistan. ^{[103][104] [116] [117]}

Peter Haydon, a retired naval officer now with the Centre for Foreign Policy Studies in Halifax, stated:

"Afghanistan is eating money like you wouldn't believe. The demand for money is being transferred through the whole military system. Afghanistan is a huge financial drain."

Dan Middlemiss, a political science professor who teaches defence policy at Dalhousie University in Halifax, stated:

"I think the big picture here, if I have to make one, is that Afghanistan has become so all-absorbing of time, energy and resources for everyone that there's nothing left over."

At a security and defence forum meeting in 2007, security analyst David Perry, former deputy director of Dalhousie University Centre for Foreign Policy Studies, argued that if the real costs of the Afghan war are not "transparent there is no way of knowing their real impact on the Canadian military's future force structure."^[94]

In January 2008, the head of the army warned that the service was stretched almost to the breaking point and replacement stocks of equipment for Afghanistan had long been used up, destroyed by the enemy, or undergoing repairs. In the army's business plan, commander Lt.-Gen. Andrew Leslie warned that much of the force's combat vehicle fleet was in need of repair as a result of operation in the harsh Afghan terrain or from excessive use in training in Canada for the war in Afghanistan.^[94]

The general's business plan was written not long after the release of the Defence Department's 2008-2009 Report on Plans and Priorities which also raised concerns regarding the impact of the Afghan war. In that report, the army pointed out that^[94]:

"Afghanistan has consumed the resources of both our first and second lines of operation."

In March 2008, after the Conservative government, backed by the Liberals, voted to again extend Canada's military operations in Afghanistan, the head of the Senate security and defence committee, Senator Colin Kenny, said that they had failed to ask substantive questions such as what the ramifications might be on both the federal treasury and on a military that increasingly relies on reservists and equipment under stress from continuous combat.^[118]

In October 2008, when Canada's parliamentary budget office released its report on the costs of the war in Afghanistan, retired Col. Michel Drapeau, a military analyst, said that he was flabbergasted by the sheer size of the costs of the mission. He described the report as "very sobering," and was concerned about the vague nature of reporting the true costs of the mission. Retired Col. Michel Drapeau stated: ^[119]

"You have to wonder what decision and what figures our government and parliament were using to deploy troops."

[edit] Lack of transparency

In May 2006, the Polaris Institute, an Ottawa-based independent think tank, estimated the cost of the military operations in Afghanistan at more than $4.1 billion for the 4.5 year period from the fall of 2001 to April 2006.^[120] By comparison, in June 2006, the Conservative government's Foreign Affairs Minister Peter Mackay told the Commons Defence Committee that the total expenditures by Canadian taxpayers to date in the war-torn country amounted to $2.3-billion, a significantly lower figure than the estimate put forth by the Polaris Institute.^[99][100]

In April 2008, despite the previous month's La Presse report of a $1-billion budget overrun and despite his own government's numbers showing an incremental cost of over $1.2 billion for the fiscal year just ended, Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper suggested that the cost of the Afghan mission was only about $500 million a year above the military's usual costs, saying that "I think the cost ... probably amounts to about a billion a year, but probably half of that would be consumed anyway."^[107]However, when it became known in September 2008 that a report detailing the cost of Canada's involvement in Afghanistan was about to be released, the government drastically revised the estimate of the cost of the war to date to $8 billion.^[107]

In March 2008, the Conservative government, backed by the Liberals, voted to extend Canada's military operations in Afghanistan by another 3 years until 2011, even though the financial and human costs remained shrouded in the fog of war. Only in the waning hours of debate did the members of Parliament even begin to consider the question of financial cost, with published reports that the war was $1-billion over budget.^[118]

Senator Colin Kenny, head of the Senate security and defence committee, said that they failed to ask substantive questions such as what the ramifications might be on the federal treasury.^[118] He stated:

"This war is going to take a lot more money than this government is prepared to admit."

The Parliamentary Budget Officer reported in October 2008 that the Afghan mission had so far cost Canadian taxpayers an estimated $7.7-billion to $10.5-billion, excluding the cost of diplomatic efforts, the cost of danger pay for the thousands of soldiers in Afghanistan, and the cost of billions of dollars of military equipment bought under accelerated procurement.^[91][92]

In presenting his report, "Fiscal Impact of the Costs Incurred by the Government of Canada in support of the Mission in Afghanistan", Kevin Page, Parliament's independent budget officer stated:

"There's a lack of transparency and also some inconsistency in the numbers. I think it makes it very difficult to do effective oversight when you don't have the kind of transparency and the right accounting practices."

His report suggests Canadians have been kept in the dark about the true costs of the Afghanistan mission, and he made clear that he was deliberately frustrated in his search for accurate and complete information from federal departments, prompting him to condemn the lack of openness around the mission and to emphasize that the real financial cost could actually be much higher. .^[121]

In condemning the lack of transparency, he stated^[121]:

"Budgetary transparency for Parliamentarians and Canadians needs to be improved."

"Although Canada is in the seventh year of the mission, Parliament has not been provided with estimates by successive governments on the fiscal costs incurred by all relevant departments."

"Budget and Estimates reporting to Parliament on Canada's mission in Afghanistan have not met any appropriate standard or best practice."

"When compared with international experience, Canada appears to lag behind the best practices of other jurisdictions in terms of the quality and frequency of war cost reporting to their respective legislatures."

The researcher of another study that put the military cost of the war in Afghanistan at $22-billion also condemned the lack of transparency. According to security analyst David Perry, a former deputy director of Dalhousie University's Centre for Foreign Policy Studies:

"The Liberals were much more transparent in the funding they were providing."

[edit] Cost of the proposed extension past February 2009

The latest extension, contingent on a number of conditions being met by February 2009, would extend Canada's 7-year military involvement in Afghanistan by another 2 years and 10 months past the current mandate end date of February 2009 to the end of December 2011.

The October 2008 report by Canada's independent Parliamentary Budget Officer determined that the Afghanistan mission has to date cost Canada an estimated $7.7-billion to $10.5-billion, and projected that the total cost to Canadian taxpayers of Canada's involvement in Afghanistan will be $13.9-billion to $18.1-billion by 2011.^[91][92] According to these numbers, an extension past February 2009 would cost Canadian taxpayers $5.6-billion to $6.8-billion, excluding the cost of diplomatic efforts, the cost of danger pay for soldiers, and the cost of billions of dollars of military equipment bought under accelerated procurement.

The October 2008 study by the Rideau Institute estimated that an extension past February 2009 to December 2011 would cost Canadian taxpayers $7.5-billion. The study estimated the full economic cost to Canadians of an extension to December 2011 at $11.1 billion.^[122]

[edit] Fatalities

[edit] Canadian military deaths in Afghanistan

Since February 2002, 124 Canadian soldiers have died in the war in Afghanistan or in support of the war in Afghanistan. Of these, 102 were due to hostile circumstances, including 69 due to improvised explosive devices (IED) or landmines, 22 due to rocket-propelled grenade, small arms or mortar fire, and 11 due to suicide bomb attacks. An additional 22 soldiers have died in accidents or other non-combat circumstances; 6 due to "friendly fire", 6 in vehicle accidents, two in an accidental helicopter crash, 2 from accidental falls, 2 from accidental gunshots, 1 suicide death and 3 unspecified non-combat-related deaths including 1 at a support base in the Persian Gulf. Canada has suffered the third-highest absolute number of deaths of any nation among the foreign military participants.

[edit] Canadian non-military deaths in Afghanistan

One senior Foreign Affairs official and three Canadian civilians have also been killed in Afghanistan due to hostile circumstances.

Name	Hometown	Employment	Date	Circumstance	References
Glyn Berry	United Kingdom	Senior Foreign Affairs officer	15 January 2006	Died in a suicide attack while travelling in an armoured G-wagon.	[3]
Mike Frastacky	Vancouver, British Columbia	Civilian carpenter	23 July 2006	Murdered in Nahrin.	[4][5][6]
Jacqueline Kirk	Montreal, Quebec	Civilian Aid Worker	14 August 2008	Killed along with an American aid worker and their Afghan driver when the vehicle they were riding in was ambushed by gunmen while travelling between Gardez and Kabul.	[7]
Shirley Case	Williams Lake, British Columbia	Civilian Aid Worker

[edit] Bravery awards

In December 2003, PPCLI snipers Master Corporal Graham Ragsdale, Master Corporal Tim McMeekin, Corporal Dennis Eason, Corporal Rob Furlong and Master Corporal Arron Perry were awarded the Bronze Star by the U.S. Army for their actions in combat during Operation Anaconda, March 2–11, 2002.^[123]

On October 27, 2006, Sergeant Patrick Tower of the PPCLI became the first ever recipient of the Canadian Star of Military Valour. It came as a result of actions on August 3, 2006, where he assumed command of his platoon under fire, and escorted them to safety.^[124]

Sergeant Michael Thomas Victor Denine, PPCLI, was awarded the Medal of Military Valour for his actions as part of Operation Archer. On May 17, 2006, though under intense rocket-propelled grenade, machine gun and small arms fire, Sergeant Denine exited a light armoured vehicle and manned the pintle-mounted machine gun. In spite of being completely exposed to enemy fire, Sergeant Denine laid down such a volume of suppressive fire that he forced the enemy to withdraw.^[124]

On May 24, 2006, while under intense enemy fire, Master Corporal Collin Ryan Fitzgerald, PPCLI, entered and re-entered a burning platoon vehicle, driving it off the roadway and allowing the other vehicles trapped in the enemy's kill zone to break free, for which he was awarded the Medal of Military Valour.^[124]

On July 13, during Operation Archer Private Jason Lamont, PPCLI, ran across open ground through concentrated enemy fire in order to deliver first aid to a wounded comrade, for which he was also awarded the Medal of Military Valour.^[124]

Major William Hilton Fletcher, PPCLI, received the Star of Military Valour ^[125]. He was recognized for demonstrating extraordinary bravery during his service in Afghanistan from January to August 2006. He repeatedly exposed himself to intense fire while leading C Company, 1 PPCLI Battle Group, on foot, to assault heavily defended enemy positions.

Captain Derek Prohar, PPCLI, received the Medal of Military Valour. Assigned as liaison officer with the U.S. Special Forces in Afghanistan during the battle at Sperwan Ghar, from September 5 to 12, 2006, Captain Prohar operated as the rear machine gunner on the battalion commander's vehicle. He was wounded by an improvised explosive device during an intense enemy ambush. Despite his injuries, he continued returning fire and assisted the commander with the control of the attack, which resulted in the successful seizing of key terrain.^{[citation needed]}

Royal Air Force Flight Lieutenant Chris Hasler, a Canadian, was invested with the Distinguished Flying Cross personally by Queen Elizabeth II on 23 May 2007 for flying resupply missions under fire in Chinook helicopters in Afghanistan in 2006. He is the first Canadian to be decorated for bravery in the air since the Korean War.^[126]

At the end of 2006, every Canadian soldier was selected by the Canadian Press as the Canadian Newsmaker of the Year due to the war in Afghanistan.^[127]

[edit] Controversies

[edit] Afghan detainee abuse scandal

In 2007 allegations arose that the Canadian military was handing detainees over to the Afghan military without first making sure that they would not be abused. This evolved into a political scandal in Canada that eventually saw defense minister Gordon O'Connor become demoted.

[edit] December 2008 Canadian soldier charged with second-degree murder

In late December 2008, reports began to surface of possible "inappropriate conduct" in relation to the death of a "presumed insurgent"^[128]. The Canadian Forces National Investigation Service investigated the incident, resulting in second-degree murder charges against Captain Robert Semrau on December 31, 2008 ^[129]. According to court documents released on January 6, 2009, Capt. Semrau, who was serving with NATO's Operational Mentoring and Liaison Team supervising and mentoring Afghan soldiers in Helmand Provence, is alleged to have killed a wounded insurgent found by Afghan National Army troops after they came under a Taliban ambush on October 19, 2008. According to the "detention review synopsis" filed by Crown prosecutor Maj. Marylene Trudel, Afghan soldiers found a man whose wounds "appeared too severe for any type of treatment in situ" and disarmed him. The statement goes on to allege that Semrau was seen near the wounded man when two shots were heard.^[130][131] The document states that "After evaluating all available evidence, the prosecution believes that it was Capt. Semrau who fired both shots, that these shots resulted in the death of the severely wounded insurgent and that Capt. Semrau had no lawful justification for shooting the severely wounded insurgent."^[131] The prosecution also claims that it will produce a witness who will testify that he saw Semrau shoot the wounded man. The body of the man was left behind at the scene of the ambush and was never found.^[130] The case is currently in the preliminary stage and Capt. Semrau has yet to face court martial. The prosecution also has yet to determine if there are reasonable prospect for a conviction. Maj. Trudel added that the charges against Capt. Semrau could change and that the prosecution was "still a step behind that process."^[130]

[edit] Bases

• Camp Julien in Kabul
• Camp Nathan Smith in Kandahar
• Camp Mirage airbase, a logistics base outside of Afghanistan

[edit] Diplomatic ties

On January 25, 2002, Canada officially re-established diplomatic relations with Afghanistan. This was followed by the opening of Canada's embassy in Kabul in September 2003. Canada's current serving representative is Ambassador Ron Hoffmann ^[132].

[edit] References

[edit] See also

Military history of Canada: Wars since Confederation

Boer War

First World War

Russian Civil War

Spanish Civil War

Second World War

Korean War

Cold War

Vietnam War

Invasion of Afghanistan

Iraq War

• War in Afghanistan (2001–present)
• Canadian Afghan detainee abuse scandal
• Canadian Forces casualties in Afghanistan
• Civilian casualties of the War in Afghanistan (2001–present)
• International public opinion on the war in Afghanistan
• Protests against the invasion of Afghanistan
• Afghanistan War order of battle
• Britain's role in the 2001-present Afghan war
• Criticism of the War on Terrorism
• International Security Assistance Force
• Operation Altair
• Operation Apollo
• Operation Archer
• Operation Athena
• Operation Medusa
• Provincial Reconstruction Team
• Afghanada

[edit] External links

• Canada in Afghanistan: Military & Development Roles | Mapleleafweb.com
• Canada's Engagement in Afghanistan
• Canadian American Strategic Review
• Peace Operations Monitor- Afghanistan
• Casualties in Afghanistan & Iraq
• The Reality Page

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