By Chris Morris
OROMOCTO, N.B. (CP) - Defence Minister Gordon O'Connor and Canada's military leaders gave the latest wave of troops headed for Afghanistan an emotional send-off Friday.
About 1,000 soldiers and their families gathered at Canadian Forces Base Gagetown for a patriotic pep rally that celebrated the military and its efforts in Afghanistan, where Canada has pledged to stay and fight until 2009.
O'Connor said the government has yet to decide whether Canada's contribution to the NATO mission will be extended beyond 2009.
"It depends on how much success we determine we've had there, whether there are other missions to do and the state of the Armed Forces," O'Connor said.
"We have to look at a whole lot of factors."
Of the roughly 2,500 troops heading to Afghanistan later this month for the latest rotation, close to 1,200 are coming from Atlantic Canadian units. Most of those soldiers will be from CFB Gagetown.
Gen. Rick Hillier, Chief of Defence Staff, said the soldiers
face clear danger as it is widely anticipated the Taliban leaders are planning a spring offensive.
"They (the Taliban) will still come after us with suicide bombers and IEDs (improvised explosive devices) but we don't believe they will use the conventional tactics they used last summer," Hillier said, adding those tactics caused heavy casualties for the Taliban.
"They will probably try to use more ambush and hit-and-run tactics."
Hillier and O'Connor said that while the threat to Canada's soldiers remains constant, they are clearly making prograss in terms of improving life in the war-torn country.
"We will support this mission until progress in Afghanistan becomes irreversible," the defence minister told the troops.
O'Connor said that by 2009, fighting the Afghan war will have cost Canada close to $4 billion.
But he rejected suggestions that the cost of the engagement is depleting the military's coffers to the extent that it cannot afford other important commitments.
Earlier this week, the navy's Atlantic branch cancelled a scheduled fisheries patrol and suspended overtime, certain types of travel and professional development because it had run out of money at the close of the fiscal year.
Although money was later found for the patrol, it raised questions about the military's financial footing.
O'Connor denied any such problems, adding the defence budget in Canada this year is $16 billion and will grow by another $1 billion next year.
"It's internal money management," he said.
"Every service, every element of the Armed Forces, got an increase . . . It's managing money. Everyone has a responsibility to manage money and if at some stage you make a decision that may not be appropriate, there are ways to solve the problem. You go to your boss and ask for more money."
The Gagetown rally was the latest in a series of special farewells for the troops, all of them accompanied by strong expressions of patriotism and support for the Afghan mission.
Earlier in the day, more than 2,000 people gathered on a field at the New Brunswick base, held up red placards and with a background of freshly fallen white snow, formed a huge Canadian flag.
Base officials say it was the largest Canadian flag in history.
Copyright © 2007 Canadian Press
OROMOCTO, N.B. (CP) - Defence Minister Gordon O'Connor and Canada's military leaders gave the latest wave of troops headed for Afghanistan an emotional send-off Friday.
About 1,000 soldiers and their families gathered at Canadian Forces Base Gagetown for a patriotic pep rally that celebrated the military and its efforts in Afghanistan, where Canada has pledged to stay and fight until 2009.
O'Connor said the government has yet to decide whether Canada's contribution to the NATO mission will be extended beyond 2009.
"It depends on how much success we determine we've had there, whether there are other missions to do and the state of the Armed Forces," O'Connor said.
"We have to look at a whole lot of factors."
Of the roughly 2,500 troops heading to Afghanistan later this month for the latest rotation, close to 1,200 are coming from Atlantic Canadian units. Most of those soldiers will be from CFB Gagetown.
Gen. Rick Hillier, Chief of Defence Staff, said the soldiers
face clear danger as it is widely anticipated the Taliban leaders are planning a spring offensive.
"They (the Taliban) will still come after us with suicide bombers and IEDs (improvised explosive devices) but we don't believe they will use the conventional tactics they used last summer," Hillier said, adding those tactics caused heavy casualties for the Taliban.
"They will probably try to use more ambush and hit-and-run tactics."
Hillier and O'Connor said that while the threat to Canada's soldiers remains constant, they are clearly making prograss in terms of improving life in the war-torn country.
"We will support this mission until progress in Afghanistan becomes irreversible," the defence minister told the troops.
O'Connor said that by 2009, fighting the Afghan war will have cost Canada close to $4 billion.
But he rejected suggestions that the cost of the engagement is depleting the military's coffers to the extent that it cannot afford other important commitments.
Earlier this week, the navy's Atlantic branch cancelled a scheduled fisheries patrol and suspended overtime, certain types of travel and professional development because it had run out of money at the close of the fiscal year.
Although money was later found for the patrol, it raised questions about the military's financial footing.
O'Connor denied any such problems, adding the defence budget in Canada this year is $16 billion and will grow by another $1 billion next year.
"It's internal money management," he said.
"Every service, every element of the Armed Forces, got an increase . . . It's managing money. Everyone has a responsibility to manage money and if at some stage you make a decision that may not be appropriate, there are ways to solve the problem. You go to your boss and ask for more money."
The Gagetown rally was the latest in a series of special farewells for the troops, all of them accompanied by strong expressions of patriotism and support for the Afghan mission.
Earlier in the day, more than 2,000 people gathered on a field at the New Brunswick base, held up red placards and with a background of freshly fallen white snow, formed a huge Canadian flag.
Base officials say it was the largest Canadian flag in history.
Copyright © 2007 Canadian Press
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