Jim Davis of Bridgewater told CBC News he's conflicted over Canada's withdrawal but said he believes entering the Afghan mission was the right decision.
"I believe we did the right thing by going, I know we did," Davis said, "The problem is that we didn't see the mission through."
Davis's son, Cpl. Paul Davis, was the ninth Canadian soldier to die in the Afghanistan mission after the vehicle he was riding in rolled over in March 2006.
"It hurts," Davis said, "My goodness, it's been six years. It's been a long time.
"It's been a long time, but the pain doesn't change."
On Monday, Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced Canada would pledge $110 million annually to help fund the embattled Afghan National Army after the withdrawal of Canadian soldiers in March 2014.
It is estimated that it will cost $4.1 billion a year for Afghanistan to run its security forces once the NATO-led coalition pulls out in 2014.
Canada had been asked to consider leaving some soldiers in Afghanistan post-2014 to continue to help with training, but Harper said the deadline is firm. He said it is not an abandonment of Afghanistan but a transfer of responsibility to the Afghans.
Since 2010, the coalition has been planning to finish the military mission at the end of 2014, even as moves by nations such as France to pull combat troops out early has tested their strength.
Source: CBC
Author: cbc
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