Editor:
In 2002, Doctors With-out Borders (DWB) warned that the Canada-U.S.-NATO invasion of Afghanistan would cause massive civilian casualties and create over a million refugees. Ignoring DWB and in defiance of the United Nations, NATO attacked. Casualties continue to mount with the Canadian government refusing to so much as count the civilian victims.
Twenty-four-year-old Joshua Baker recently became the 140th Cana-dian soldier to die there. He joins countless Afghani men, women and children who are victims of politicians' hubris.
In response to a letter from the Sunshine Coast Peace Group, Defence Minister Peter MacKay wrote: "Civilian casualties inflicted by Canadian Forces personnel in Afghanistan are not tracked." MacKay later said families of victims were "compensated." When asked how many families had been compensated, MacKay did not reply. The Sunshine Coast Peace Group met with our MP last July. We asked for an accounting of civilian casualties and war costs. He promised to inform himself. We are still waiting.
With at least $18 billion being spent on the invasion and occupation (last watchdog estimates before the information censorship), we're told we can't afford the $4 billion National Child Care Plan promised by the previous government.
We must stop racist war and torture hemorrhaging our national treasury and ruining our reputation abroad. Ottawa must forsake the Bush/Obama doctrine. As Martin Luther King said so well: "A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defence than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death. Somehow this madness must cease. We must stop now."
On Saturdays, from 12:30 to 2 p.m., the Peace Group holds a vigil in Davis Bay. We display peace doves along the waterfront promenade bearing the photos of civilian and military casualties, to raise awareness of the ongoing tragedy and to bring our troops home. Please join us.
Roger Lagassé
Halfmoon Bay
