True cost of the mission in Afghanistan revealed

The true economic cost of Canada’s involvement in Afghanistan has been released. For most Canadians, this number is a lot higher than what we have expected and have been lead to believe.

 

“Canada’s efforts in Afghanistan will carry a total price tag of about $14-billion to $18-billion by the time troops are withdrawn in 2011.”

 

With this information in mind, the question must be asked: has the mission, which has taken the lives of nearly 100 brave Canadians, and has cost the average household $1,500, been worth it?

 

These costs are coupled with the argument that Afghanistan represents an unwinnable war. Most recently, Brig.-Gen. Mark Carleton-Smith, Britain’s senior commander in Afghanistan, has claimed just this.

 

“The senior British commander in Afghanistan says that a decisive military victory there is impossible and the Taliban may well be part of a long-term solution for the country.”

 

I think it should be noted however, that progress has been made:

 

4000 new hospitals have been built.

3000 new schools have been built.

300,000 landmines have been decommissioned.

1000,000 girls have been enrolled in school.

 

These are simply a few of the many accomplishments that have been made in the past 6 years. With this said however, it is undeniable that these achievements have been paid for by the blood of courageous soldiers from Canada and abroad. When assessing the merits of this mission I think that one more thing should be taken into consideration. That is that 24 of our countrymen died on September 11th 2001 due to the hate that was able to flourish in Afghanistan. Therefore, an essential question that is tied to the worth of the mission is this: Are we safer due to our efforts in Afghanistan?