November 7, 2006

Dear activists,

As we approach Remembrance Day, the Council of Canadians commemorates all soldiers who have lost their lives through war and recommits itself to contributing to a world where conflicts can be settled peacefully.

Today, Tuesday November 7, marks the 275th day of the government of Prime Minister Stephen Harper, which took office on Monday February 6, 2006.

During Mr. Harper's prime ministership, 34 Canadian soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan. That means, on average, 1 Canadian solider has been killed every 8 days since the Harper government was sworn in and joined U.S. President George W. Bush's so-called war on terror.

The Canadian Forces have also confirmed that they have suffered 190 casualties in Afghanistan this year. As reported by the CanWest News Service, "Of the 190 wounded, 65 had to be medically evacuated back to Canada."

A Strategic Counsel poll conducted this October shows that nearly 60 per cent of Canadians believe that the price Canada is paying in terms of casualties in Afghanistan is too high.

And as the death toll for American soldiers in Iraq climbs to 2,835 with 21,077 additional casualties, we would do well to remember that Mr. Harper, had he been prime minister at the time of the U.S. invasion of Iraq, would very likely have committed our troops to that conflict.

Two weeks after that invasion, on April 1, 2003 in the House of Commons, Mr. Harper said, "Mr. Speaker, the issue of war requires moral leadership. We believe the government should stand by our troops, our friends and our allies and do everything necessary to support them right through to victory."

The Council of Canadians believes that as the number of Canadian soldiers and civilians killed or wounded in Afghanistan grows, the need for the Canadian government to revise its foreign and military policies becomes more urgent each day.

We believe that Canada must move away from its increasingly uncritical support for and integration with U.S. foreign and military policies and reclaim the more enlightened, valued role of an independent, middle power committed to UN-sanctioned peacekeeping.

As such, we continue to call for the immediate, safe and orderly withdrawal of Canadian troops from Afghanistan and a return to Canada fulfilling its traditional international role of peacekeeper. Only as a promoter of peace and an upholder of peacekeeping can we hope to perform the constructive, independent role required of us in the world.

ACTION
As we approach Remembrance Day, please send an e-mail to the Prime Minister at pm@pm.gc.ca with a message similar to this one:

"As a member of the Council of Canadians, I believe that the 34 Canadian soldiers that have been killed this year in Afghanistan (for a total of 42 since 2002) and the 190 soldiers that have been wounded there this year, requires your government to revise its foreign and military policies. Canada must move away from its increasingly uncritical support for and integration with U.S. foreign and military policies and reclaim our more enlightened, valued role of an independent, middle power committed to UN-sanctioned peacekeeping. Canadians are very concerned about the military mission in Afghanistan. According to the most recent Ipsos Reid poll, support for the military mission is plummeting with only 44 per cent of Canadians backing it. A Strategic Counsel poll from this October shows that nearly 60 per cent of Canadians believe the price we are paying in terms of casualties in this conflict is too high. I demand that your government begin the immediate, safe and orderly withdrawal of Canadian troops from Afghanistan and return Canada to its traditional international role of peacekeeper."