Pakistan to Canada: Stop being cry-babies about troop deaths in Afghanistan

The Pakistani President has finally mentioned something that many other countries have long suspected - the Canadians are soft about sending their troops to fight wars.

He said Canadians should be happy about their troops being there and not complain when one of their soldiers dies. America, Britain and Pakistan have lost a lot more troops in Afghanist than the Candians have.

He says that if Canadians don't want their soldiers to die then why the hell do they send their troops there? Surely it's what you must expect.
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Tue Sep 26, 2006 10:59 PM EDT

OTTAWA (Reuters) - Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf bluntly told Canadians on Tuesday to stop complaining about the number of soldiers they were losing in Afghanistan, saying Canada's death toll was far less than Pakistan's.

Canada has 2,300 troops based in the southern Afghan city of Kandahar. In the last three months, 20 soldiers have been killed in clashes with Taliban militants (Britain has lost almost 50), prompting calls for the mission to be brought back home.

Musharraf told the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. that if Canada was worried about soldier fatalities, it should not be in the war-torn country.

"When you get involved in places like Iraq or Lebanon or Afghanistan, yes indeed you HAVE to suffer casualties, and the nation must be prepared to suffer casualties. So if you're not prepared to suffer casualties as an army, then don't participate in any operation," he said in an interview.

Since Canada joined the U.S.-led war on terror in late 2001, about 35 of its soldiers have died in Afghanistan. Musharraf, whose country neighbors Pakistan, dismissed this as a mere handful.

"We have suffered 500 casualties. The Canadians have suffered four or five. What are you talking about? Who are you talking to? Who are you talking to? You are talking to the president of a country that has suffered 500 casualties," he said.

"You have suffered two dead and there is crying and shouting all around the place that there are coffins. Well, we've had 500 coffins."

Prime Minister Stephen Harper's chief spokeswoman said she was unaware of the comments.

Musharraf also dismissed a suggestion by Canadian Defense Minister Gordon O'Connor that Canadian troops might be based in Pakistan to help the fight against militants.

"I can assure you our troops are more effective and we have more experience of war. This (suggestion) shows a lack of trust in Pakistan," he said.

reuters.com

This happened over three months ago. Old news... Of course Britain, the US and Pakistan have more troops there. They are all larger countries than Canada.

I think it's unreal to expect a country to not mourn its dead. What gets me is back in Desert Storm at christmas there were soldiers whining about being overseas instead of at home opening presents n whatnot. My comment was, "shoulda picked a different line of work then, dummie".

Yes of course. I believe canada has the highest losses per capita of coalition forces in Afghanistan.

It's ironic that Musharraf should be one to talk, since a great many Talibans are Paks and the Taliban in fact has it's roots in Pakistan.

Musharaff is full of it.

Pakistan is playing games here, have been since the beginning of this dopey war. It is clear the Taliban are aided and abetted by Pakistan, who allows them safe haven and no doubt arms them as well. We can chase the Taliban back to Pakistan but who knows where they will pop up next. This is a silly bugger war that we would be better off out of.

There's nothing over there worth the cost of even one Canadian soldier's life. All we are providing is a different target for the bullets of the various combattants in the region.

If there is nothing worth the cost of their life then we shouldn't have a military. A Military exists to fight. Maybe just as a defensive homeguard, but never the less, to fight. Part of fighting is Dying.

In all honesty, Pakistan is right. Its a view shared by alot of soldiers I know too. They feel they deserve respect because of their line of work, and the reason for that is because they can die. If that wasn't the case they really wouldn't deserve any respect.

We have no moral to receive from the Pakistan president. I think the pakistan evolution is too soft.