Casualties of the war

The casualties caused by the Canadian involvement in Afghanistan are outrageous. Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) fatalities now represent 58% of the deaths in Afghanistan each year, such as 309 fatalities. The real question is: even if they are not planted by the Canadian forces, is it the Canadian involvement which is, in some way, responsible for the planting of these explosives? In my opinion it is; the Canadian military presence is in some way causing stress and fear in the Afghan population which make people wonder about without any precaution.  IED may be one of the major causes of casualties in Afghanistan, but it surely is not the worst kind of death that happens in Afghanistan. Women get raped, their nose sliced, their ears, even legs and limbs for running away from their violent husbands. Yes, these kinds of casualties can be linked indirectly to the Canadian involvement. For example, if a husband just lost his parents or someone in his family or lives with bombs and air strikes exploding near him, even if he is not a naturally violent husband, he may translate his anger on his wife or family.  Air strikes executed by Canadians are killing entire families, sometimes leaving a child or a wife on his own. Such situations may also induce suicidal tendencies. If a child or a wife is left on his or her own, suicide in this country is an option, when you have no family and no rights and bombs are exploding everywhere. These links, that I made after informing myself about this difficult subject, are playing  an important role in the decision that I chose, that of being against the Canadian involvement in Afghanistan. To conclude this section about fatalities, what I think is essential to remember is that even if some of the casualties in Afghanistan are not directly related, we can  find a link to relate such deaths to the Canadian involvement in Afghanistan; if we do not put an end to this war, deaths will keep on reoccurring in growing numbers.

-Julien