Cost of being in Afghanistan

[Topaz]

The latest report out says Canada's financial cost to being in Afghanistan is around 1 billion and what do we have to show for it? I think Canada has lost more than it gain by this unwinable war. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2012/11/02/pol-cp-cost-afghanistan-withdrawal.html

[Smallc]

So, you'd rather we didn't close out the mission then? I'm not sure what you're trying to say. The costs you're citing are the costs involved in ENDING the combat mission, not in fighting an un-winnable war.

[Topaz]

This war of Harper's has too high of a price in money and in blood and nothing really came out of it.

[Smallc]

But Harper didn't start this war. He didn't even move us to Kandahar.

[eyeball]

Nonetheless Harper's role and complicity in Canada's becoming involved is every bit as real as the demands he made of other PM's to go to war, and then taunted, for not going in as far, fast or hard enough as he would have liked.

[Guest]

Nonetheless Harper's role and complicity in Canada's becoming involved is every bit as real as the demands he made of other PM's to go to war, and then taunted, for not going in as far, fast or hard enough as he would have liked.

Might not have been a bad idea. The problem with wars these days is that only one side wants to actually fight them, and it's never our side.

[eyeball]

It would have been an even stupider idea I think. Obviously what constituted "our side" was a always a subjective notion right from the get go.

The real problem with wars is that governments and their supporters rarely if ever acknowledge what it is they're actually about. It's no wonder the cost goes through the roof when you don't know what it is you're buying into.

Edited November 3, 2012 by eyeball

[Mr.Canada]

$1 Billion is a cheap price for some revenge after 9/11. That's about $100 million per year. Not a lot of money to kill some of the people who allowed it to happen. Money well spent.

[eyeball]

A better bang for the buck compared to the effect a few box-cutters and plane tickets caused? If you say so.

[Mr.Canada]

A better bang for the buck compared to the effect a few box-cutters and plane tickets caused? If you say so.

And what would you have done in response? Nothing?

[Guest]

A better bang for the buck compared to the effect a few box-cutters and plane tickets caused? If you say so.

Like I said, only one side wants to actually fight.

[eyeball]

And what would you have done in response? Nothing?

Nothing sure sounds better now in retrospect doesn't it? I told you types it would look that way too back in the day when you were still blinded by the light...were fisting your ears up to your elbows and were screaming la la la at the top of your lungs.

Edited November 3, 2012 by eyeball

[eyeball]

Like I said, only one side wants to actually fight.

Only one side was/is stupid enough I guess.

[Smallc]

$1 Billion is a cheap price for some revenge after 9/11. That's about $100 million per year.

That was just the cost to bring things home...we're probably going to be in the $30B range when all is said and done.

[bush_cheney2004]

Meh...Canada spent more on the Gun Registry than to bring all that gear home.

[Guest Derek L]

Meh...Canada spent more on the Gun Registry than to bring all that gear home.

I don’t know why we didn’t just “donate” most to the Afghan army……..And replace what we donate with LAV III H’s, MRAPs etc that are already produced in our own rust belt in Southern Ontario…….A form of “stimulus” for the Canadian manufacturing sector

[login]

The latest report out says Canada's financial cost to being in Afghanistan is around 1 billion and what do we have to show for it? I think Canada has lost more than it gain by this unwinable war. http://www.cbc.ca/ne...withdrawal.html

1 Billion sounds like an underestimate.

I don't think this includes veterans costs, disability costs, ptsd costs, combat pay, lost materials, the current operations, associated domestic security needs due to being involved in the war, new procurements required for afganistan etc..

Also what is the cost of a life pegged at, a body bag and the flight home?

Some operations and air evacs easily cost multi millions of dollars.

Edited November 4, 2012 by login

[Signals.Cpl]

1 Billion sounds like an underestimate.

I don't think this includes veterans costs, disability costs, ptsd costs, combat pay, lost materials, the current operations, associated domestic security needs due to being involved in the war, new procurements required for afganistan etc..

Also what is the cost of a life pegged at, a body bag and the flight home?

Some operations and air evacs easily cost multi millions of dollars.

One Billion is to close down operations...NOT THE COST OF THE WAR!!!

[kairos]

Harper pissed away 1 billion dollars, on security for the the G20 summit in Toronto. He had 3 times as many riot police there as there were actual protestors. One cannot defend, such a level of financial carelessness with Canadian money. Anyone who voted for that weasel should be ashamed.

[Signals.Cpl]

Harper pissed away 1 billion dollars, on security for the the G20 summit in Toronto. He had 3 times as many riot police there as there were actual protestors. One cannot defend, such a level of financial carelessness with Canadian money. Anyone who voted for that weasel should be ashamed.

Care to back up the 3 times as many riot police as protestors comment with a proper source?

[kairos]

http://news.national...of-900-arrests/ (mentions the billion spent on the summit), and has the number of police at about 20,000.

http://toronto.ctvne...rrests-1.527218 mentions more police were sent in making the number 20,000.

I can't find information googling on the number of protestors. I remember a news report on the cbc national back at the time, which said that there were about 3 times as many police as there were protestors. The only info I can find regarding the number of protestors present is on wikipedia, which says that at its peak there were about 10,000 protestors. So at the peak, the ratio was 2-1. I'm guessing that off peak, with a number around 7000 that would be about 3-1.

http://en.wikipedia....summit_protests

Either way even if there were twice as many police to protestors when the protestors were at their peak that is ridiculous!

Edited November 4, 2012 by kairos

[Signals.Cpl]

http://news.national...of-900-arrests/ (mentions the billion spent on the summit), and has the number of police at about 20,000.

http://toronto.ctvne...rrests-1.527218 mentions more police were sent in making the number 20,000.

I can't find information googling on the number of protestors. I remember a news report on the cbc national back at the time, which said that there were about 3 times as many police as there were protestors. The only info I can find regarding the number of protestors present is on wikipedia, which says that at its peak there were about 10,000 protestors. So at the peak, the ratio was 2-1. I'm guessing that off peak, with a number around 7000 that would be about 3-1.

http://en.wikipedia....summit_protests

Either way even if there were twice as many police to protestors when the protestors were at their peak that is ridiculous!

Police had to protect the meeting, provide escort for all dignitaries who are coming in, secure the roads and highways etc. Police officers had to have a presence everywhere rather than just in one place. Also you would have to specify wether they accounted only those officers directly seconded to the G8/G20 meeting or did they counter TPS, York Region, Peel Region police as well as any RCMP and OPP officers that were in the Area but not tasked to the meeting itself. Also do we account police officers only in Toronto or are we counting the officers in Huntsville as well? The numbers are not as clearcut as you may want them to be and the bias of the paper will skew the numbers by adding police officers that had nothing to do with the meeting itself. And if we look at the events of the G20, I would argue that there were not enough officers since the animals rained free for some time before the police were able to rein them in.

But back on topic, this covers the closing of the operation, removing supplies and equipment back to bases in Canada, we have been in Afghanistan for roughly a decade with rotations of as much as 2,800 servicemen in theatre and as a result a lot of equipment and supplies have been moved to the bases in the region most of which was needed up until the last combat patrol.

[Mr.Canada]

That was just the cost to bring things home...we're probably going to be in the $30B range when all is said and done.

Whatever it is it was worth it as we got to kill some people in the name of world justice. It's w hat countries need to do in order to remain relevant on the world scene. If yo uwant to be taken seriously kill a few people and they'll listen to you more.

[The_Squid]

Whatever it is it was worth it as we got to kill some people in the name of world justice. It's w hat countries need to do in order to remain relevant on the world scene. If yo uwant to be taken seriously kill a few people and they'll listen to you more.

Who is listening to us now who wasn't before we killed a few people?

[WWWTT]

If yo uwant to be taken seriously kill a few people and they'll listen to you more.

Wow!

I can see why you got suspended!

WWWTT