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Afghans, troops pave way to safer road

KATHERINE O'NEILL

From Thursday's Globe and Mail

Latest comment posted at 1:12 PM EST 20/05/08

Work being done on route by locals could mean difference between life and death for Canadian soldiers ...Read the full article

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  1. Gerry Pankhurst from westport ontario, Canada writes: Any bets on how little positive comment will be received regarding this positive news?
  2. Please Conservative voters we value your opinion, not commie scripted talking points from Canada writes: its hard to put a positive spin of military occupation Gerry.
  3. Gerry Pankhurst from westport ontario, Canada writes: Please etc (another anonymous). We did not occupy we were invited. Where have you been?
  4. John Doucette from Manotick, Canada writes: Wow, if we could pave over the entire country it would be really safe!
  5. Geoffrey May from Canada writes: This articel is very good to read .Using local labor and local technology show a grasp for the "big picture" .This and recent story on repairing a former military barracks do however raise the question , why are we only doing this now , why not years ago? Better late than never .
    Whie I don't support the mission, that doesn't mean I want it to fail.
  6. Ted Andrews from Canada writes:
    TROOPS OUT NOW!
  7. Queen Street from Somewhere Over the Rainbow, Canada writes: Great, we lead, we help and guide. They do the work and enjoy the benefits. Here in Canada we are set free a couple guys and give them few million dollars then they can go back there and train few people on how to kill our finest young military... do not worry we also have who can supply them with arms and GPS technology.
  8. Mike Sumners from Toronto, Canada writes: Nice to see our military doing a project that gives the locals jobs. The road will also benefit the locals by providing them with a means to travel and trade. Having just read a book called "Zoya'a Story" I can appreciate why this is so important.
  9. Joe Canada from Kingston, Canada writes: Great news indeed.

    Canadians should be proud.
  10. Danny Williams makes have economy Stevie Harper makes have not economy from Canada writes: Gerry Pankhurst from westport ontario, Canada writes: Any bets on how little positive comment will be received regarding this positive news?
    Posted 15/05/08 at 7:05 AM EDT |

    Kandhar hospital's doctors pay the cleaning staff [(1)@$3/day] out of their own pockets while CIDA plots with a shoppers drug mart type to build a ultra modern ($1/2 million) drug section in the run down war damage infrastructure deprived peeling paint ramshackle dump of a building . Did I mention broken diesel generator for 1 year ?

    I do commend the soldiers for their risk to bring us this feel good story . How about an excessive profit tax on local warlords to repair Provinces only hospital ? Too bleeding heart liberal ?
  11. Joe Canada from Kingston, Canada writes: Only 11 comments on a positive Afghans news story?

    I guess were not interested in success.
  12. L.B. MURRAY from !! from Canada writes: This latest Afghan Mission was ''sold'' to Canada as part of a ''Provincial Reconstruction Team''.....

    Remember ''PRT''

    About time to start building roads.

    Too little too late... after so many troops killed, injured, maimed and so many civilians killed, injured, maimed.

    Good day.

    -
  13. Danny Williams makes have economy Stevie Harper makes have not economy from Canada writes: Joe Canada from Kingston, Canada writes: Only 11 comments on a positive Afghans news story?

    I guess were not interested in success.
    Posted 15/05/08 at 11:50 AM EDT | Alert

    Most readers caught the reform alliance promise on Canadian Medical wait times . Why would we expect a hospital in Kandhar for a mere 500,000 people to be a priority ?
  14. Richard Roskell from Canada writes: $4.5 million to pave 6 kilometers of road, so that Canada's military equipment and personnel can move more safely and quickly. What a brilliant "aid" project! What's not to like about that? Just about everything, assuming you don't drink Kool-aid for breakfast.

    This is NOT a feel-good story about helping Afghan society. It is, in fact, a cynical attempt to disguise military spending as civilian aid. You do realize that the $4.5 million will be claimed as aid to the people of Afghanistan, don't you?

    As "Danny Williams" above describes, consider the Mirwais Hospital, only 30 kilometers away from this paving project. Mirwais Hospital in Kandahar has 450 rusting beds serving 3 million civilians. There are few medicines, no medical equipment and Canadian military doctors never visit to assist... even though it's just a few kilometers from the Canadian base.

    What's this, you ask? $4.5 million to pave a road, but we won't even help out in the only hospital in the region?

    You can read all about the shocking condition of Mirwais Hospital in detailed reports by the Senlis Council. Just google Senlis and Mirwais Hospital.
  15. Danny Williams makes have economy Stevie Harper makes have not economy from Canada writes: Mike Sumners from Toronto, Canada writes: Nice to see our military doing a project that gives the locals jobs. The road will also benefit the locals by providing them with a means to travel and trade.

    According to aid worker's statements only criminals and drug shippers can use the roads . The average wage in Kandahar (non drug worker) would not feed their family ? Since then food prices have gone through the roof . Don't know subsistence wage ?
  16. Mike Sumners from Toronto, Canada writes: Danny Williams makes have economy Stevie Harper makes have not economy from Canada writes: "According to aid worker's statements only criminals and drug shippers can use the roads . The average wage in Kandahar (non drug worker) would not feed their family ? Since then food prices have gone through the roof . Don't know subsistence wage ?"

    Thank you for your response and your interesting use of question marks.
    Please provide your source for the comment you made regarding aid workers' statements.

    Also quoted from the article:

    "All workers are provided water and lunch, a selection of rice, bread and meat." - No small matter for poor people.

    "Before they leave for the day, workers can visit a military medic. Most line up to get aspirin or face moisturizer. However, some complain about long-term ailments and dental problems." - Same as above.
  17. Mikey from the GWN ___ from Canada writes: Richard Roskell,

    "You can read all about the shocking condition of Mirwais Hospital in detailed reports by the Senlis Council."

    or you can read what the International Red Cross who have taken over responsibility for improving the hospital has to say:

    http://tinyurl.com/6dw8kp

    I know whom I'd believe

    CHeers

    Mikey
  18. Silver Paladin from Calgary, Canada writes: Ignoring all the foolish idiot comments that have been posted so far, regarding removing troops, occupiers and such trash ** This is very good news item to read, and hopefully the news media and related outlets will pick up on this and start showing this side of things. Having members of the Apghan populace employed in creating this paved road is an incredibly intelligent idea. For many of them, they are learning a new trade, the paved road will be a much improved way of transit that many may have never experienced before, it creates personal pride, allows members of the populace at large to see the Canadian Forces in a new light, etc. A very, very good project.
  19. Danny Williams makes have economy Stevie Harper makes have not economy from Canada writes: Mike Sumners from Toronto, Canada writes:

    Do your own reseach . Try and google "Kandhar aid work travel to Kabul ??

    One meal is a biggy esp. for the burka half et al ?? The article is fluff are you ??
  20. Byron Rottweiler from Canada writes: I see that when troll Joe Canada likes the story, he enthusiastically celebrates it, but when it challenges his limited intellect he lashes out at the very same publication!

    So, which is it? The globe published both a positive and a negative story on AFghanistan. Is it still the 'Hanoi G&M' Joe?

    Also, while he denigrates the other report as 'speculation and unfounded accusation' even though it is from an expert whose job it is to investigate exactly that topic, he accepts without question the paving story.

    I suspect that Joe wouldn't bat an eyelash if the negative story were about Iran, for example. Then, it wouldn't be 'speculation and unfounded accusation' but fact and grounds for war.

    The Tin Foil Hat Trolls never cease to amaze or amuse, such is their pathetic comprehension of basic issues. For them, any criticism of Canada's Afghan mission is forbidden and invalid, and must be dismissed as 'trash' or 'unfounded accusation'.

    Troll on, guys.
  21. Mike Sumners from Toronto, Canada writes: Danny Williams makes have economy Stevie Harper makes have not economy from Canada writes: "Mike Sumners from Toronto, Canada writes:

    Do your own reseach . Try and google "Kandhar aid work travel to Kabul ??

    One meal is a biggy esp. for the burka half et al ?? The article is fluff are you ??"

    O?k?a?y?,? w?i?l?l? d?o?.?

    Amazing that you get so angry when someone asks you to back up a statement you've made. Could I ask how old you are? That may explain a few things.
  22. I R from White Rock, BC, Canada writes: "First and foremost, this will give soldiers more freedom of movement,"
    -------------------------------------------

    I think that says it all. Obviously reconstruction is not a priority.
  23. I R from White Rock, BC, Canada writes: Gerry Pankhurst from westport ontario, Canada writes: Any bets on how little positive comment will be received regarding this positive news?
    ----------------------------------------
    Gerry,

    Just because it is a positive spin does not mean that it is something to be proud of. I wonder if these sorts of news items are churned out by the CF Public Affairs people aimed at winning the hearts and minds of Canadians, not Afghans. Propaganda.

    Some of us believe that this is the case and point out the inherent contradictions in news items.
  24. Byron Rottweiler from Canada writes: There's no reason not to be proud of the actions of CF - by all accounts Canadian troops have made every effort to succeed in A'stan.

    However, American leadership has vowed to Americanize the Afghanistan theatre, a la Iraq. This means (according to their highest commanders) they intend to undermine a lot of the progress we've made there. They want to go after the opium crop, which is guaranteed to drive more farmers into supporting the insurgency; they want Canada to increase the length of troop deployment, which has actually damaged America's armed forces....

    Meanwhile, insurgent tactics learned in Iraq - the horrendous US mistake - have made their way to Afghanistan. For example, the notorious IED's were perfected in Iraq, thanks to the American invasion.

    Now CF are being killed and maimed with these devices.

    Think for a moment: if the US is failing in Iraq with 150,000 troops, how well are we going to do in the larger and more difficlut A'stan with far less troops? Keep in mind that, unlike Iraq, A'stan borders Pakistan, which is directly supplying the insurgency. We obviously can't invade Pakistan, so we're screwed, really.

    The prognosis for our efforts is not good, to be honest about it. I just hope we're not squandering the precious resources of our CF.
  25. Richard Roskell from Canada writes: Mikey, I believe the ICRC, too. Here's what they say about Mirwais Hospital in the report you cite:

    "Of course, eleven years of ICRC support for Mirwais hospital have only gone some way to alleviate the consequences of decades of conflict, A TOTAL LACK OF INVESTMENT as well as administrative and managerial know-how and chronic social problems such as the poor level of education." [ALL CAPS MINE]

    Oh, and they also mention having to do 2500 emergency interventions on civilians wounded in the war, during the first six months of 2007 alone.

    I'm still looking for the part where the ICRC talks about Canada's generous contribution to Mirwais Hospital. Maybe you can help us out, Mikey. Where is that mentioned?
  26. William Ross from Victoria BC, Canada writes: More excellent news from Afghanistan there seems to be quite a lot of it of late. So much for the myth of the might Taliban warriors and their spring offensives as they are spending more time running away this spring than anything else. The marines are doing a heck of a job right now in Helmand Province - be afraid Taliban be very afraid. The Afghan military is getting bigger and better. We are becoming more and I quote ' assertive ' which the best news yet. Violence in the provinces is way down this year to 10% of the Provinces the rest appear to be rolling right along do quite well the economic indicators are very good for their growth. I would say we are in for a very interesting summer.
  27. Richard Roskell from Canada writes: William Ross, please cite the reference for your claim that violence in Afghanistan this year is down. Also cite a reference for your claim that Afghanistan's economic indicators are very good.

    The Taliban insurgents are presently harvesting poppies, along with the rest of Afghan population, including lots of the Afghan Army. That's why we have a brief lull in the fighting at present. During the first 4 months of this year, violence in Afghanistan rose dramatically over the same level last year, which was already high.

    If you believe that this summer will see reduced fighting (other than through a cease-fire) then you are dreaming in technicolour.
  28. Richard Roskell from Canada writes: Of course, trustworthy agencies such as the Canadian Medical Association have likewise noted the appalling conditions at Mirwais Hospital, just a few kilometers from the Canadian base at Kandahar. Here's their report on it from October, last year:

    http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1995154

    "While the Canadian International Development Agency claims to have spent $5 million to upgrade the hospital and a further $350 000 for a maternity ward on its grounds, an Aug. 6 tour of the facility by Senlis found "no evidence" whatsoever that the monies have actually been spent and led to any significant change in the appalling conditions at the facility (CMAJ 2007;177[2]:134)."

    Oh, and the good Canadian doctors also solicited comment from the International Red Cross. The ICRC had this to say about Mirwais Hospital:

    "The Red Cross says Canada did not make a special allocation for the facility. 'We received $1.7 million Swiss francs for medical activities in Afghanistan and $1.7 million Swiss francs for general ICRC activities but no money specifically allocated for Mirwais Hospital. ICRC accounts are regularly audited by external companies and are publicly reported,' said spokesman Simon Schorno."

    That, by the way, is $1.7 million for the entire medical needs of a desperately poor country of 30,000,000.
  29. William Ross from Victoria BC, Canada writes: Richard : you will lawys be frustrated as you always look at only one side of a position what you need to do is open your mind and get information from several different perspectives. Here is a pretty good source for some straight information and not being provided by sources that have a political axe to grind http://www.afghanconflictmonitor.org/
  30. Mikey from the GWN ___ from Canada writes: Richard Roskell,

    "I'm still looking for the part where the ICRC talks about Canada's generous contribution to Mirwais Hospital. Maybe you can help us out, Mikey. Where is that mentioned?"

    You need to look around a bit better Richard. The ICRC is not the only agency involved in medical care.

    Here's another $10M through UNICEF

    http://www.acdi-cida.gc.ca/CIDAWEB/acdicida.nsf/En/NAT-824141424-PE3

    or another $17.5 through the WHO

    http://www.acdi-cida.gc.ca/CIDAWEB/acdicida.nsf/En/NAT-82413407-NQM

    CHeers

    Mikey
  31. Richard Roskell from Canada writes: I'd say you need to read the question again, Mikey. You haven't answered it. The money you cite is general aid; not earmarked for Mirwais Hospital. And even accepting CIDA's claims at face value, we're at $29.2 million in medical aid (over an unstated number of years) for the entire 30,000,000 people of Afghanistan: one dollar per person. And not a penny has made it to Mirwais Hospital, which is but a few kilometers from the Canadian base at Kandahar.

    And lest we forget, CIDA also said that they'd spent $350,000 for a "maternity ward" at Mirwais Hospital. A maternity ward which does not exist, according to eyewitness reports. CIDA is does not provide reliable information of what they do in Afghanistan.

    But most damning in my eyes is that the Afghan doctors interviewed at Mirwais Hospital also state that they're never visited by Canadian military doctors, even though those doctors are just minutes away.

    Still waiting for indications that Canada has assisted Mirwais Hospital, Mikey.
  32. Richard Roskell from Canada writes: William Ross, I've plumbed the depths of numerous sources of information on Afghanistan, including the one you mention. But the thing I note about all of those sources is that none of them suggest that violence is down in Afghanistan this year, nor that economic indicators are very good.

    Instead of trying to redirect the question, just answer it: what are the sources for your claims.
  33. Danny Williams makes have economy Stevie Harper makes have not economy from Canada writes: William Ross from Victoria BC, Canada writes: Richard : you will lawys be frustrated as you always look at only one side of a position what you need to do is open your mind and get information from several different perspectives. Here is a pretty good source for some straight information and not being provided by sources that have a political axe to grind http://www.afghanconflictmonitor.org/ Posted 15/05/08 at 4:51 PM EDT | http://www.pej.org/html/index.php/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=7270&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0 PEJ news - Joan Russow- Global Compliance Research Project - In the Canadian Fraser Institute’s paper entitled “Saving the North American Security and Prosperity Partnership” (SPP), the Institute is calling for a re-branding of the SPP as the “North American Standards and Regulatory Area” (NASRA). The Fraser institute is misleading the public by suggesting that the SPP stands for Standards and Regulations when it clearly stands for undermining and relaxing standards and regulations. The Fraser Institute misleads not only the public but also the government by claiming that one of its activities is the “environment”. A complaint against the charitable Status of the Fraser Institute was filed today.
  34. matt mcnaughton from Canada writes: This is a small piece of good news. Without roads, legitimate trade is impossible. Without roads, the Afghan farmers have to grow opium, because it's the only crop that's high-value enough to export economically in small quantities. Without roads, NATO troops can't protect Afghan villages from jihadist attacks. Whether we care about these things is another question, but in the long run, roads are necessary to kill the opium trade and the jihad.
  35. Mikey from the GWN ___ from Canada writes: Richard Roskell,

    It took me all of 5 minutes to find $27.5M more in targeted medical funding. That is 15 X what you were trying to claim was the total. I'm sure there is more out there, but why bother looking because you won't believe anything that doesn't fit your agenda.

    Why you choose to believe the druggies of the Senlis cartel is your issue!

    CHeers

    Mikey
  36. Richard Roskell from Canada writes: A small bit of good news. Please Matt, consider what this is in reality. This paving project has NO RELEVANCE to commerce in the area. It's an isolated 6 kilometer stretch of paved road. The only reason it's being paved is because the area it goes through is the Panjwaii- the area with the strongest resistance to NATO. And a very problematic area for IED's.

    We're talking about a six kilometer stretch of hand-paved road with rutted dirt track at either end. It will see military convoys traveling down it at high speed. Do you seriously think that there will be any improvement to the area's economy on a lasting basis?

    NATO does not protect villages in these areas from jihadist attacks. NATO goes to the villages in these areas to try and root out the Taliban who live there. It's in THOSE attacks, by NATO, that so many Afghan civilians are killed and injured.
  37. W M from Canada writes: This is a positive story, though I must admit that I'm surprised that the story makes this sound like an innovative new idea, as I had assumed this was the approach being used from day 1. Are there any soldiers on line who know whether this is a new approach or just a "new" story about the standard approach?
  38. W M from Canada writes: Richard Roskell - Are you an expert on this or are you just assuming that only 6 kms of road will be build with nothing on either end? Are you saying the military convoys do nothing but run back and forth over a single 6km stretch? Because, unless you have some expert knowledge to the contrary, I think you might want to consider the possibility that this is the start, not the end of the program. In any case, creating jobs and skills, injecting money into the local economy, treating workers with respect and making people less likely to want to support or join the Taliban (because they already have a better job) are certainly all likely to make the situation better than would otherwise be the case. Check with an economist or a security expert, if you think otherwise. There are no silver bullets, Richard, so you might want to focus on incremental (hopefully, continuous) improvement.
  39. matt mcnaughton from Canada writes: W M, when Afghan villagers cooperate with NATO forces in order to better their lives, they are subject to reprisals from jihadists once the forces leave. NATO cannot patrol wide areas and keep the common people safe without good roads. This is one such road. Obviously, six kilometers of road is not going to carry crops far enough to wean any farmer off of opium. I was pointing out that roads have multiple benefits. We know that civilians are killed when hostile forces hide themselves in villages. It would be nice if the jihadists could be driven out once and for all, village by village. Roads help.
  40. Byron Rottweiler from Canada writes: Mikey from the GWN - Thanks for the links, but you haven't been able to respond to the issue of the condition of that hospital, nor whether monies have been properly disbursed in the past.

    The CIDA website you linked to highlights a program from 2007-2010, so presumably most of the money has yet to reach its destinations. Nor does it show how much will go to the Mirwais hospital and how much will go to all the other institutions and programs listed. A headline with no details, so to speak.

    There is no material specifically auditing the hospital itself from you. So you have no basis, except for some glib and superficial shots at the Senlis counsel, for believing that Senlis is not accurate.
  41. Richard Roskell from Canada writes: W M, you've misunderstood. There's something on either end of the six kilometers of pavement: namely, dirt road. Those six kilometers of asphalt are an island in a sea of dirt roads. That short section is being paved so that the combative inhabitants of the Panjwaii have a more difficult time setting IED's.

    If I understand you correctly, you believe that this six kilometer strip of pavement is just the beginning of significant aid that Canada intends to deliver to Kandahar. Perhaps you're unaware that Canadian Forces arrived in Kandahar in late 2001. That's six kilometers of pavement, seven years in. And meanwhile, Mirwais Hospital just a few kilometers from the Canadian base today is a festering sore.

    On what, exactly, do you base your belief that this six kilometers of pavement is just the start of significant Canadian aid program?
  42. LJ Brody from Canada writes: Wow - new roads, schools and status for Women? things haven't been this good in Afghanistan since......the Soviets.....

    Where are all those former Pravda writers anyway? Did they immigrate here? I am sure I already read this story in Russian back in 1987...O'Neill doesn't sound like a Russian name...must be a pseudonym.
  43. James C from Shenzhen, China writes: "Joe Canada from Kingston, Canada writes: Only 11 comments on a positive Afghans news story? I guess were not interested in success."
    _________

    a lot of posters on this forum arent interested in success. they want the mission to fail so they can say "i told you so."

    sad, but past threads on this subject make it appear to be true.
  44. J Lee from North Vancouver, Canada writes: I'd like to think that paving 6km of road is a "positive success story." But somehow I keep wondering how this little bit fits into the overall strategy. And I further wonder where and when that strategy was ever elucidated. It certainly hasn't been presented to the Canadian people, and it certainly hasn't been discussed in the House of Commons. Maybe some white paper or internal memo that never made it past the PM's communication department? Or was it just a figment of Hillier's razor sharp mind. Cause we know it certainly wasn't from Stevie's brain. But bravo if this bit of road is a success. At this rate how many more years till we claim mission accomplished?
  45. Catherine Medernach from Winnipeg, Canada writes: One can choose to see a glass as half full or half empty and many people here only seem able to see the glass as half empty. Nothing is ever good enough to merit their approval. One of the problems with having farmers change to other crops instead of poppies is having a way to get their produce to market. This project provides much-needed employment for hundreds of Afghans and in time it will make it easier for Afghan farmers to get their products to market as well as making it tougher for insurgents to plant bombs. BTW there is also a trust fund, started with an anonymous $10,000 donation, that the military can access for local needs to help people. This has been added to by some families who have established trust funds in the name of a soldier killed in Afghanistan and linked them to the central fund. This can go to simple things like food and water - or to meet other needs as determined by the boots on the ground. In this impoverished country every little bit helps.
  46. Richard Roskell from Canada writes: One can also choose to delude oneself by looking at a broken glass and wishing that it were whole. Canada's war-making in Afghanistan is not a half-full/half-empty situation. Canada is participating in an unconscionable occupation of a foreign country, which was illegally invaded by the United States of America and the discredited administration of George W. Bush.

    No amount of wishful thinking will change the fact that the invasion of Afghanistan was illegitimate. And no amount of wishful thinking will change the fact that Canada's efforts in Afghanistan aid and abet the illegitimate U.S. invasion and occupation of Iraq.

    If you insist on looking at Afghanistan as a glass half-full or half-empty situation, go ahead and drink your fill. The water is poisoned either way.
  47. Catherine Medernach from Winnipeg, Canada writes: Richard Roskell - Canadian troops are participating in a UN sanctioned NATO operation and are in Afghanistan at the request of the Afghan government. This is NOT an occupation nor illegal. Your anti-American bias just will not allow you to accept these facts. Given the state of the country, it will take time to help the people of Afghanistan rebuild. There are Canadian troops who are voluntarily doing second and third tours in Afghanistan because they believe in what they are doing and that they are helping even though progress is probably slower than they would like.
  48. Richard Roskell from Canada writes: W M, James C, Catherine Medernach, et al... I'm still waiting for an answer to the question posed above.

    On what grounds is this isolated patch of pavement in the Panjwaii any indication of improving conditions for Afghans? It's six freakin' kilometers of hand-placed asphalt, laid down to facilitate the movement of military convoys in an isolated area. Other than a brief period when the labourers make some money, the project is of zero lasting benefit for Afghans.

    Were this paving merely a minor project amidst a grand effort on Canada's part to help Afghans, who could criticize? But it's not. The important rebuilding projects are not taking place. It's so bad that seven years in, Canadians such as yourselves have to point to six kilometers of hand-laid asphalt in the middle of nowhere as our contribution to a better life for Afghans. There's no other word for it: ludicrous.
  49. Richard Roskell from Canada writes: Catherine Medernach, the invasion of Afghanistan was an illegitimate act. There was no U.N. authorization for it, nor was there any imminent threat to justify an invasion. No U.N. authorization and no imminent threat means the invasion was illegal under international statute.

    The government of Afghanistan has not requested that NATO make war on Afghan soil, nor does the ISAF mandate say anything about making war. In fact, the government of Afghanistan, including President Hamid Karzai, have repeatedly demanded that NATO stop making war against the Taliban. The people of Afghanistan do not want NATO and the U.S. to use their country as a battleground for Western interests.

    The U.N. Resolutions covering ISAF-NATO's activities are contained in S/RES 1386 (2001) and S/RES 1510 (2003) They are available online and I invite all to view them. Nowhere in those resolutions is there any authorization to wage war against the Taliban; all that ISAF is authorized to do is to protect the government of Afghanistan... the same government that's repeatedly asked NATO to STOP MAKING WAR!
  50. Brendan Caron from vancouver, Canada writes: What a great story. No wonder Roskell's going nuts. Great story. Now they are helping people to feed their families by building a road. Good move. A taste of honest money. A taste of honest work. Potential to become a roadbuilding crew that can train and develop others. Woo-Hoo! Go troops. Go!
  51. Richard Roskell from Canada writes: While it's reasonable to think that this 700 meters of hand-laid asphalt is not the answer to Afghanistan's problems, it certainly lifted Brendan's spirits! (See above.)
  52. Richard Roskell from Canada writes: In order to move Canadian military convoys more quickly and safely: $4.5 million to hand-pave 6 kilometers of isolated road in Kandahar.

    In order to help the festering sore that is Mirwais Hospital- the only in hospital for Kandahar's three million people- $0.

    Does that sound right to you?

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