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By 2001, Afghanistan was a country who was ruled by the Taliban. While Afghanistan was being ruled by this radical Islamic regime, there was a lot of terrorism present in the country.Following the attacks on September 11th 2001, a organization was created: NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization). In the same year as the Twin Tower incident, the US/NATO forces decided to go in Afghanistan, and lead a battle against the Taliban. We are six students with the same philosophy about Canada's involvement in Afghanistan. In fact, we are against it. Throughout this blog, we will discuss a few reasons supporting our main idea that is to withdraw the Canadian troops from Afghanistan. The deaths caused by this fight will be elaborated, the financials cost of this conflict will be developed, the legal aspect will be explained, and we will describe the political aspect of this quarrel. Also, the situation of this combat will be known. We will talk as well about the military objectives. We are a group of teens with the same convictions. We want our audience to understand the situation of our country in Afghanistan.   

- PACEMS (Patrick, Anaf, Cassandra, Elie, Madeleine, Sara)

The military objectives are not being accomplished

Many people are for the Canadian involvement in Afghanistan. But the majority of those who are for this mission, do not know what are the military objectives and if the objectives are being accomplished. One of their objectives is to train the Afghani army to be able to defend their country without a foreign country participating in this war to fight terror. It isn’t our duty to go fight a war that isn’t ours and that we have no right to participate without their governments permission. The effects of this war are negative for many groups: the Canadian army, the Afghani civilians and the retired soldiers. The retired soldiers are affected by this war because of physical injuries caused in the hard battle. It is also very hard for soldiers in Afghanistan because it is very difficult for them to adapt to their new lifestyle. They were used to fight and use weapons every day, used to having orders and lists and once they leave the army, it’s difficult for them to adjust to having to do everything without orders or a list. Many of them live on the streets after a couple of years. The Canadian government should realize this problem and react. The war in Afghanistan isn’t ours to fight and the government should withdraw all troops.

 - Patrick

The cost is so high!

Canada’s army’s involvement in Afghanistan costs money. A lot of money. Billions of dollars have already been spent to send more and more troops in Afghanistan for a war that doesn’t seem to end. Those billions of dollars, if they had not been spent for the involvement of Canada’s army in Afghanistan, could have been used to other peacekeeping missions in Lebanon of in Darfur, for example. If wisely spent, it could have been used to improve the way of living of the Canadians. It could have been given to some organism to help the poor, to rebuild Haiti after the two earthquakes and the uprisings, to help in Chile after the earthquakes or even to finance research to find a cure for cancer or HIV. It could have been spent to make school more accessible in other countries or even in Canada! Those are some of the tons of opportunities that have been missed because of all the money spent for the mission in Afghanistan.

- Sara

Violation of the law

While a few Canadians think the war occurring in Afghanistan will bring peace to the country, Canadians should come back home because this combat is illegal. Actually, according to an article written by Gail Davidson, a lawyer, it violates the Charter of the United Nations, the Geneva Conventions, the agreements against terrorism, and the Rome Statute. First of all, according to the UN Chart, the use of any kind of force to bring down a foreign government is illegal. In fact, the Canadians are trying to bring down the Taliban’s government. The UN also prohibits the killing of non-combatants. For example, our country is not respecting this law, even though we are a member of the United Nations, because the Canadian troops are killing innocent Afghanis. These Afghanis are not combatants. To continue, the Geneva Conventions completely outlaw this quarrel. In fact, the Conventions forbid the murder of civilians and the bombing on a country without making a difference between civilians and military. In other words, Canadian troops are not respecting this law because they are bombing a specific group of people, such as the Taliban’s, by taking the lives of civilians. Third of all, Canada is not respecting the Multi-Lateral Agreements against terrorism because they are posing a terrorist attack on Afghanistan by shooting on the country since 2001. Finally, the Rome Statute strictly bans the starvation and the deprivation of essential objects such as food for resident of a country. Canada is against this law because they are causing the starvation of many Afghanis in this war. To learn more about this aspect, click here. You could also view Linda McQuaig’s, a journalist known for her best selling books, interview discussing about the Afghanistan war and its unlawful aspect.   

- Elie

Families are destroyed

The Canadians are presently in Afghanistan, leading a battle against the Taliban. People are killed every day because of this fight. The US/NATO forces do not stop killing innocent civilians. The troops claim to help Afghanistan’s general situation, but sources say that the Taliban are responsible for sixty-eight percent of the deaths while the Canadian and Us contingents have been blamed for twenty three percent. In May 2006, over 150 civilians died because of air strikers. In the same year, two hundred civilians were found dead because of one of our bombs. The US/NATO forces argues that in this mission, they were going to protect and help the Afghan people. If they really wanted to help and make Afghanistan a better country, they wouldn’t be taking away harmless peoples’ lives. Another incident occurred on October 18th 2006. Helicopters belonging to NATO were flying around the village of Ashogo in Kandahar, firing on houses. The firing killed thirteen civilians and it seems that in the attack, only one of the thirteen killed was a Taliban insurgent and that originally, in the village, there were no Taliban residing there. You call of this help, peace, security, equality? Homes and Afghan families are destroyed, but they are not the only ones. Canadian soldiers also die every day. Canadian families are devastated and torn apart. The soldiers risk their lives every single day, for a hopeless battle that is bringing no positive results and that our country should not be fighting. This is why I am against the Canadian involvement in Afghanistan.

 - Cassandra

Where is the peace?

Originally, Canadian troops were sent to Afghanistan in order to maintain and bring peace. Canada and it’s army has been recognized as taking peaceful engagements all around the world to help countries in need of their help, in the most part. But this missions has taken a rougher turn. Unfortunately, many civilians trying to struggle to get their country back on the right track have died or been imprisoned for it. Canadian troops try to help but this conflict is getting major. Too many lives have been taken innocently and Canadians at home argue about whether or not our troops should stay. The violence of the combats is starting to aggravate. Bombs are shot out from both parties constantly. This is going too far. While time goes by, the bigger the problem gets and the further Canadian troops drift away from the initial goal of their mission in Afghanistan, it being to bring back order in the country. Many Afghans have been killed, thinking it would help attain peace, but in the end it has only brought worse problems. Families have been destroyed and soldiers have died. Canadian parents are anxiously waiting for their children

- Madeleine

It’s all about politics

The political views affect tremendously the Canadian involvement in Afghanistan. Some individuals share the same opinion as me like the politicians that are against this project.  The Minister of the Foreign Lawrence Carnon claims that even if the Canadian troops are just training the police and the army in Kabul where the environment is safer than the one of Kandahar they are still in great danger. The Taliban can launch an offensive at anytime on our brave hearted soldiers so even with our ultra modern equipment and technology, they are not invincible. Experts debate about the fact that this mission could cost the Canadian government up to 20 billion dollars and with that money we could save the lives of millions of people in Africa where people are perishing because of diseases by giving them this money they would live to see the future. If we would look at this war from a different point of view, most of the population of the world would be able to see that this battle in the middle-east doesn’t only affect that area but that area but that it also influences the whole wide world. I think that this mission requires the bloodshed of innocent soldiers so next time Canada should take on a mission that they can really accomplish. 

 - Anaf