Financial Cost
The estimated cost of continuing Canadian operations in Afghanistan is the subject of considerable debate. Initial government estimates for the period 2001 to 2009 were as low as CAD$9 billion according to Foreign Affairs Minister Peter Mackay in June 2006, but later government estimates of the incremental cost of the conflict (as distinct from the fixed cost of DND operations unrelated to Afghanistan) increased to CAD$5 billion in March 2008 due to equipment purchases.
Independent estimates of the total cost of the conflict range as high as CAD$18.5 billion by 2011, according to the Parliamentary Budget Officer. The discrepancy between this and government estimates lies in the difficulty in distinguishing between routine military costs and those dedicated specifically to the Afghan conflict, as well as the inclusion of long term costs relating to injured soldiers and estimated lost productivity caused by personnel afflicted with Operational Stress Injuries, such as post-traumatic stress disorder.
Read more about this topic: Canada's Role In The Afghanistan War
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