Topic: Canada Doing 'Whole Job' In Afghanistan

The Province (Canada)
March 26, 2008 U.S. Ambassador: Says Kandahar More Secure Because Of Action
By Canwest News Service
KABUL — The Canadian Forces are single-handedly responsible for making Kandahar a more secure place, and the U.S. will make sure they receive the extra 1,000 troops needed to remain there, says the U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan.
In an interview last night at his apartment in the U.S. Embassy compound in the Afghan capital, William Wood lauded Canada’s battlefield efforts and acknowledged the forces have suffered a disproportionate number of deaths.
Wood said that while the U.S. would contribute extra forces in response to Canada’s requirement for 1,000 soldiers, medium-lift helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles, he hoped other international partners would be required to pony up as well.
Wood said there is “no question” Kandahar is a more secure place than it was one year ago, and he particularly cited Canada’s earlier battles in the Panjwaii district as being particularly significant.
“There’s no question that Canadians are doing the whole job,” Wood said. “There’s no question that the Canadians have suffered an extraordinary proportion of losses, bravely and with dedication.”
Eighty-one Canadian soldiers and one diplomat have been killed in Afghanistan since 2002. Canada has more than 2,000 troops in Afghanistan.