Canada Will Withdraw All Troops at the end of 2014

Canada has decided that handing over responsibility for Afghanistan to Afghan Security Forces means just that.  Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced, as the NATO Summit wound up, that Canada would withdraw all of its troops by the end of 2014. 

The Prime Minister said that withdrawing the troops was not abandoning the war torn country, but a transfer of responsibility to the Afghan people.  While no Canadian troops will remain in Afghanistan, Harper said that Canada would continue to support the Afghan Army by pledging $110 Million for the next three years.

Canada had been asked earlier by the United States and NATO to extend its present training contingent.  There has also been discussion as to maintaining Joint Task Forces 2 special operations troops in Afghanistan.  While the Prime Minister did not address JTF 2, it is clear that the 950 strong contingent of trainers will be coming home at the end of 2014.

NATO issued a declaration overnight stating that it would responsibly draw down its combat troops by December 31st, 2014.

"We are gradually and responsibly drawing down our forces to complete the ISAF mission by 31 December 2014. By the end of 2014, when the Afghan Authorities will have full security responsibility, the NATO-led combat mission will end."

 The United Kingdom had 414 of its soldiers killed in action, Canada 158, France 82, Germany 53, Italy 46, Denmark 42, Poland 35, Spain 34 and Australia 32, just to name a few.  Overall 3006 NATO soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan.  Add to that those wounded and psychologically damaged, one must ask the question if the cost was worth it.  Read More here 

President Obama announced that US troops would end their combat mission by mid 2013 and during a press conference with Afghan President Hamid Karzai announced that the war in Afghanistan, as we know it, has ended.

During the NATO summit it became clear that all 28 NATO leaders were looking for a way out of the war torn country and that the leaders have recognized that the war is at a stalemate.  You won't, of course, not hear any of the leaders say this.  According to them there has been enough progress that assures that Afghan Security forces can take over and keep the Taliban at bay.

According to the NATO leaders, the Afghan Forces will be in a position to take on much of that role next year, permitting the exit of NATO combat forces.  NATO, however is committed to support and training of Afghan forces.  The bill is estimated to be $4.2 Billion a year.

Canada has been in Afghanistan since 2002 and ended its combat mission in July of 2011, but maintained a contingent of 950 trainers, with a commitment to 2014.  Prime Minister Stephen Harper believes that Canada has carried enough of the load in Afghanistan.  158 Canadian soldier lost their life.  If the trainers leave in 2014, Canada will have done that mission for three years. 

One can only hope that no more Canadians die on that mission.  

 

DOD US Military Casualties in Afghanistan as of 18 May 2012

With the NATO and G8 Summits underway in Camp David and the windy city underway this weekend, another six U.S. soldiers have paid the ultimate price in Afghanistan.  High on the priority this weekend will be the future of Afghanistan and the recently signed Strategic Partnership Agreement on Afghanistan.

France's new socialist President Francois Hollande has given notice that French troops will depart Afghanistan by the end of 2012.  There may be some flexibility to leave a contingent of French troops to help train Afghan Security Forces.  Training an maintaining Afghanistan's forces is expected to cost $4.2 Billion, of which the United States is expected to cover $2Billion.

Also high on the G8 agenda will be the global economy, especially with the emphasis on Greece and its inability to form a government that can agree on much of anything.  France rejected Nicolas Sarkozy, who was of common mind with Germany's Angela Merkel, electing a socialist, who wants less authority and more emphasis on growth with stimulus.  It is no surprise that Hollande's first visit was to Berlin to visit the German chancellor.

Hollande also had a meeting with President Obama ahead of the Summit, where Afghanistan and the Eurozone debt crisis were discussed.  President Obama and President Hollande, who both advocate stimulus, will likely pressure their more conservative counterparts, David Cameron of the UK, Angela Merkel of Germany and Stephen Harper of Canada to support more stimulus.  Although the leaders will end up with a non-committal joint communique, there will be some friction involving the two opposing views. 

The United States has its own problems with the debt ceiling approaching $16 Trillion and is facing another fight in Congress to raise the debt ceiling.  The summit, which should have been a positive in an election year, with the news of an orderly withdrawal and and end of he war in Afghanistan, has the potential to be a detractor for President Obama's bid for re-election.  The summit results will be managed with kid gloves.

On the good news front and perhaps a plus for U.S./Chinese relations, Chen Guangchen has left a Chinese hospital and is apparently on his way back to the United States later on today.  He is in the process of getting a valid passport, which his wife and children have already been issued with. 

The Afghanistan war is often skipped over by the main stream media, after all there is so much election 2012 fodder, ranging from Mitt Romney's alleged bullying 50 years ago, President Obama's association with Reverend Wright, all issues that don't deal with the real problems in the United States or the globe. 

The sooner the media deals with the U.S. and global economic problems, concentrates on the way forward in Afghanistan and issues like Syria, Iran, North Korea and the Middle East, the sooner there might be solutions to solve the world's problems.  Petty trash around on the sidelines does not deserve time and it shows disrespect to the soldiers that have so valiantly given their lives in a far away country.

Let's not forget that those soldiers are still confronting the enemy daily and take some time to think of their sacrifice.  Lest We Forget.

Roll of Casualties

Below are this week’s updated DoD casualty figures:

Op Enduring Freedom                  Total Deaths       KIA   Non Hostile              WIA

Afghanistan Only                                   1851               1534        317                     15950
Other Locations                                        111                   12          99
DoD Civ Casualties                                      3                     1            2
Worldwide Total                                     1965               1547        418                    15950

Accumulated 2012 Casualties:

KIA            Non Combat Deaths             WIA

  82                            49                               722

U.S./Afganistan Finalize Afghan Strategic Partnership Treaty

The long awaited Afghanistan Strategic Partnership Treaty has been finalized by U.S. and Afghan officials on Sunday, clearing the way for NATO troops to exit Afghanistan.

The Treaty, which deals with the residual U.S. force after withdrawal, the training and maintenance of Afghan Security Forces was in danger of collapsing based on the funding guarantee given by the U.S.  Earlier this week, Afghan President Hamid Karzai had demanded that the U.S commit in writing to at least $2Billion out of the estimated $4.2 Billion needed to fund Afghanistan.

While Afghan forces are expected to level at 228,500 by 2017, they are expected to grow to 352,000 soldiers and police officers this year, but the future size is under discussion.  A force of this size has to be funded, trained, equipped and paid.  The price tag for the force is approximately $4.1 Billion, of which the United States is expected to pay $2.3 Billion.  The remainder is to be split among NATO allies and the Afghan government.

President Obama will be hosting a NATO Summit in May and U.S. and Afghan officials expect the treaty to signed before then.  According to officials the most contentious issues have been removed from the treaty and will be addressed in separate Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs). 

"The document finalized today provides a strong foundation for the security of Afghanistan, the region and the world and is a document for the development of the region,"

According to Afghan National Security Adviser Rangin Dadfar Spanta, the agreement had taken more than a year and a half of work.  

DoD US Military Casualties In Afghanistan as of 20 Apr 2012

This past week another six US soldiers gave their lives in Afghanistan, five were killed in action (KIA), while one died of other causes.  78 US soldiers were wounded in action.  This brings the total for this year to 93 KIA and 494 WIA.  


Captain Michael C Braden - Division Headquarters and Headquarter Battalion, 1st Inf Div
Corporal Aaron M Faust - 2nd Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Div, II MEF
Staff Sergeant David P Nowacyk - 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team 4th Infantry Division
Seargeant Tanner S Higgins - 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment
 Four others have not yet been identified   Source: iCasualties.org


The LA Times, with its revelation of photos of US soldiers posing with dead Taliban suicide bombers, has contributed to bring the Afghanistan war to the forefront again.  While the publication of the photos was ill advised and the request by the Pentagon not to publish them ignored, it highlighted that there is still an ugly war going on.  


Meanwhile the US and Afghanistan are negotiating a Strategic Partnership Treaty, which would tie down the way ahead in Afghanistan after NATO troops withdraw in 2014.  President Hamid Karzai demanded that the U.S. at the minimum commit to $2 Billion in writing, as part of the treaty.  The total cost of supporting 352,000 Afghan Security Forces is pegged at $4.1 Billion. The U.S. contribution is expected to be just over $2 Billion.  


NATO Ministers met in Brussels midweek to discuss, among other issues, Afghanistan, the European missile shield and the entry of Georgia into NATO.  Russia is not impressed at yet another act by NATO to bring Georgia into the forefront.  So much for the reset button.  The meeting this week is  a precursor of the Obama chaired summit to be held in Chicago next month.  


Syria was front and centre in the United Nations yesterday, where two separate draft resolutions were circulated to its members, which would clear the way for 300 cease fire monitors.  The UN is expected to vote on a Syria resolution today.  Meanwhile the State Department has published a fact sheet on humanitarian aid reaching Syria and neighbouring countries.  Within Syria the State Department estimates that there are approximately 30,000 displaced people, while approximately 62, 000 refugees are being harboured in neighbouring countries.  


The United States is pursuing every avenue to get humanitarian relief to those affected by the violence in Syria and is engaged in focused diplomatic efforts to secure full and unfettered access for humanitarian organizations to reach those in need. The United States is providing an additional $8 million in humanitarian assistance to support the people of Syria, bringing the total amount of U.S. emergency aid to nearly $33 million to date for this crisis. Our assistance is through international and non-governmental humanitarian partners, including:

• $10.5 million to the World Food Program (WFP);
• $8.5 million to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR);
• $7.8 million to non-governmental organizations (NGOs);
• $3 million to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA); and
•  $3 million to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).  Read More Here 

Norrth Korea had a failed long range missile launch this week, which creates more headaches for the civilized world.   India had a successful missile test, which will not make China and Pakistan very happy.   The global community is still struggling on how to deal with an increasingly rogue Iran.

As the U.S. presidential race has moved into full campaign mode, there are still several very real problems around the world, including the ongoing war in Afghanistan.  One can only hope that the UN is capable of resolving the crisis in Syria. 

While there appears to be a race to the exit in Afghanistan, there is a need to keep Afghanistan safe and secure.  Meanwhile NATO, Afghan soldiers and civilians are still dying daily. Lest We Forget

Below are this week’s updated DoD casualty figures:

Op Enduring Freedom                  Total Deaths       KIA   Non Hostile              WIA

Afghanistan Only                                   1816               1510        306                     15672
Other Locations                                        111                   12          99
DoD Civ Casualties                                      3                     1            2
Worldwide Total                                     1930                1523        407                    15672

Accumulated 2012 Casualties:

KIA            Non Combat Deaths             WIA

  56                            37                               494