Posted on 09/18/2006 4:35:23 AM PDT by exg
Canadians in Afghanistan face greater death threat than Americans in Iraq David Pugliese, CanWest News Service; Ottawa Citizen Published: Monday, September 18, 2006 Article tools Printer friendly E-mail Font: * * * * A Canadian soldier in Kandahar is nearly six times more likely to die in hostilities than a U.S. soldier serving in Iraq, according to a new report to be released today.
The study of fatalities in Afghanistan details the sacrifice made by Canadian soldiers, confirming what military leaders have already hinted at: that the Canadian Forces is shouldering a substantial amount of the combat burden in the southern Asia country.
The report by the left-leaning Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives found that after the U.S., Canada has sustained the highest number of military deaths as a result of hostile action in Afghanistan since the war began in late 2001.
And since February, Canadians have accounted for 43 per cent of all military deaths among U.S. allies in the coalition fighting in Afghanistan.
But when adjusted for the relative size of troop commitments, a Canadian soldier in Kandahar is nearly three times more likely to be killed in hostile action than a British soldier, and 4 1/2 times more likely than an American soldier in Afghanistan, the report said.
The study written by researchers Bill Robinson and Steven Staples found a Canadian soldier in Afghanistan is six times more likely to die than a U.S. soldier fighting in Iraq.
Robinson said he was surprised by the figures since Iraq is generally viewed as the more serious conflict. ''It's pretty clear the Taliban's capabilities have expanded significantly over the last year,'' he said. ''So very clearly (Afghanistan) is a serious war.''
The report echoes a British study released earlier this month by Sheila Bird, vice-president of the Royal Statistical Society. Her report found that the level of fighting in Afghanistan is much greater than during the period of major combat in Iraq in 2003.
Bird noted that the fatality rate among Canadian and British troops in Afghanistan from May 1, 2006 to Aug. 12, 2006 was higher than Britain's fatality rate in Iraq during the 2003 invasion and its immediate aftermath. That combined British-Canada casualty rate is six times the British fatality rate in Iraq for that 2003 period, according to the professor's study.
In an interview with New Scientist magazine, Bird noted the combat fatalities in Afghanistan are ''only slightly lower than the fatality rate that the Russians encountered in Afghanistan 20 years ago.''
''The commentary we are getting from politicians about this conflict does not do justice to the threat our forces now face in Afghanistan,'' she added.
Thirty-two Canadian soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan since the beginning of the war, but that figure also includes those who have died in accidents. According to the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives study, 27 of the 32 were due to hostile action. That compares to 173 U.S. deaths due to hostile action in Afghanistan. Hostile action also includes friendly-fire incidents on the battlefield.
The centre's report poses the question of why Canadian troops are suffering a disproportionately higher number of military deaths than our NATO allies but does not attempt to answer it. ''We have respect for the sacrifices made by these people and we need to examine the cost of our operations and that certainly includes the human costs,'' Robinson said.
The Harper government is in the process of ramping up its commitment to Afghanistan. On Friday the military announced it was sending a squadron of Leopard tanks and at least 200 soldiers to add further firepower and strength to the Canadian commitment in Kandahar. The last time Canadian tanks went into combat was during the Korean War in the early 1950s.
In an interview broadcast on the weekend on CBC Radio, Prime Minister Stephen Harper acknowledged Canada is fighting a war in Afghanistan. Previously, military leaders and Defence Minister Gordon O'Connor have denied that the Canadian Forces is involved in a war.
The study also determined that if the current rate of military deaths since February 2006 were to remain unchanged until the end of the mission in January 2009, the Canadian Forces would sustain another 108 deaths bringing the total to 140.
However, Robinson said that prediction could be affected by various factors, including a change of tactics by either Canadian troops or the Taliban.
''I have to strongly emphasize that (the figure) is if things didn't change,'' he explained. ''Clearly things could get better in a number of ways. But things could get worse.''
Ottawa Citizen
© CanWest News Service 2006
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Perhaps they neglected to take a closer look at the training they are getting, that could be a large part of it.
Yep. They have let their military go to hell with training and equipment and they now compare their deaths to 2700 American's in Iraq not to mention over 300 in afghanistan. Give me a break.Tripe.
Thank you Canada.
"Perhaps they neglected to take a closer look at the training they are getting, that could be a large part of it."
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Exactly! My first thought when I saw the disproportionate ratio of Canadian to other deaths was,
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Having said that, I honor our Canadian allies for their sacrifice -- and pray that their training and tactics will improve to the point that their casualties cease to happen...
"Perhaps they neglected to take a closer look at the training they are getting, that could be a large part of it"
My comment in post #2 was more of a tribute to anyone who has died defending freedom around the world regardless of what country's military they were part of. Any country that is part of the Coalition in the Middle East should be appreciated by the citizens of the United States for helping us retaliate against those who attacked us on 9/11 or anyone that would attack us in the future.
Comments like yours only make those helping us, wonder why they would be willing to anyone in harm's way for our cause.
"Deficient in training and tactics!"
I'm going to have to call you on this one. Anyone who has worked with the Canadian Forces will tell you that, while they are small, they are one of the most well trained and professional armies in the world. Ask any US commander who has had our troops working with or for him and I guarantee you he will disagree with you.
No, that is entirely wrong. My comment was that if they are taking more causalities per ratio than other troops then there has to be a reason for it. Training and preparedness plays a huge role in those numbers.
I appreciate what Canada is doing by honoring their NATO agreements, but if budget cuts and substandard training is what is getting their guys killed then sticking your head in the sand wrapping yourself in the flag like this article does isn't going to help matters at all.
"Well-trained and professional" does not equate to "savvy and well-prepared for unconventional conflict".
OK... to what do you attribute this disproportionate casualty rate? Equipment? A foolhardy attitude? Selective attacks by the muzzies? Relative cowardice on the part of U.S. troops? The will of Allah? (See tagline...)
I completely agree that it is unacceptable to lose such fine troops and friends. I'm looking for root causes and a way to end this tragic loss...
Over...
Excellent points - especially the ones about the friendly fire incidents and the moving into an area where the government has not gone!
Because they're not allowed to carry guns?
Though Canada has admirably taken on a difficult new mission (unlike Germany most notably), it is not combat but operations that account for the disproportionate losses.
Out of 27 deaths in Kandahar "Thirteen soldiers have been killed on travel or
re-supply missions, while 10 have died in combat." according to the study.
http://www.policyalternatives.ca/Reports/2006/09/CanadasFallen/index.cfm?pa=BB736455
The tanks will help, maybe helicopters too.
It's sort of like they're fighting indians without a cavalry.
Exactly! My first thought when I saw the disproportionate ratio of Canadian to other deaths was,
"Deficient in training and tactics!"
That's a pile of fuking bullshit...
A greater portion of our boys have been on the offensive against Taliban forces than any other allied force and the likelihood of combat related death or injury is therefore higher.
There's no need to disrespect our troops, their training or how they are being led.
They're doing a fine job and we're proud of them
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