A new report shows that Canada’s rising National Defence spending is $21.185 billion in 2009-2010, making Canada’s rank 13th highest in the world, and 6th highest among NATO’s 28 members, dollar for dollar. Defence analyst and author Bill Robinson says the rise in defence spending is an indication of the government’s priorities. “Government spending on […]
Tag Archives: Canada
Is the West capable of fixing Afghanistan?
The highly-controversial election in Afghanistan has added to concerns that the international mission in that country is doomed to failure. It is indicative of the fact that, despite the perceived power of the United States, it has been unable to ensure that Afghanistan’s reconstruction is moving in the right direction. Key to any effective democratic […]
US Appeals Court Rejects Arar's Detention and Torture Claim
An American federal court of appeal ruled this week that Maher Arar, a Syrian-born Canadian, cannot sue the United States government and its officials because Congress has not authorized these types of law suits. Mr. Arar was attempting to sue those within the United States government who were involved with his arrest and deportation to Syria, […]
An upswing in violence in Afghanistan… What does this mean for Canada?
By any measure the last few months have been marked by an upswing in violence in Afghanistan–a “dreary and bloody stalemate” according to the CBC’s Brian Stewart. NATO–and the US in particular–have come to recognize this as there has been much ado about how to re-cast the mission. First of all this has meant the implementation of a new command structure […]
Canadian government will no longer release cost of war
As reported in the Ottawa Citizen, citing reasons of national security the Canadian government will no longer report the cost of its ongoing conflict in Afghanistan. In previous years the government has complied with access to information requests but, for the next three fiscal years, this will no longer be the case. According to last […]