Representing peace-loving and humanist people across Canada, we are students, workers, youth and elders who have come to picket the Canadian Forces Recruitment Center for the 45th time to demand: CANADA/NATO OUT OF AFGHANISTAN NOW!

The brutal reality of the occupation of Afghanistan was exposed again in the last week with skyrocketing Afghan civilian death tolls in multiple NATO airstrikes. The worst reported attack took the lives of at least 90 Afghan civilians, mostly women and children, exactly one week ago, Thursday August 21, in Herat province. Dozens more were killed in the days before and after that. Just two days ago, another 30 so-called ‘Taliban’ were killed in fighting with the occupation forces.

The last week also resulted in the deaths of the 3 Canadian soldiers in the occupation of Afghanistan with over a dozen other NATO troop deaths. Together with the two Canadian soldiers killed 2 weeks ago in the Panjwai district of Afghanistan, this has been the deadliest month of 2008 for Canadian Forces, bringing Canada’s total troop deaths in Afghanistan to 93.

Canada's Foreign Affairs Minister David Emerson announced in July that 200 more Canadian troops will be dispatched to Afghanistan, increasing the force from 2500 to 2700. At the same time, NATO countries pledged to send more troops. During a two-day visit to Kandahar earlier this week, Defence Minister Peter MacKay also stated: "The more the better," "We're going to continue our efforts to pursue other NATO allies to make troop contributions."

This expansion of the war drive is certain to increase the air strikes, bombings, killings and destruction of all aspects of life for people in Afghanistan. How will all this help the so-called 're-construction' of Afghanistan?

After a recent visit to Afghanistan, David Emerson said, "Canada’s men and women are doing tremendous work in a challenging situation in Afghanistan. The dedication, ingenuity and resilience of our civilian and military team on the ground are having a positive effect, both in Kandahar and across the country. Working with the Afghan government and the international community, we are moving forward and improving the lives of ordinary citizens."

How are Canada and NATO “improving the lives of ordinary citizens” in Afghanistan by murdering young children? How are Canada and NATO “improving the lives of ordinary citizens” in Afghanistan by murdering unknown hundreds of thousands of innocent people? How can Canada and NATO improve women’s rights in Afghanistan while violence against women in the home has increased 40% since March 2007 alone? How can Canada and NATO bring “human rights” to Afghans while they are killing the very people they claim to be bringing human rights to? The thousands of tonnes of bombs dropped on Afghan homes, the thousands of bullets fired by occupation forces in Afghanistan cannot cure poverty and hunger there; they can only kill poor and hungry people. Canada and NATO are not healers in Afghanistan; they are killers.

But amidst all this suffering that Afghan people endure, they still haven’t let Canada and NATO troops take complete control of their country. Today, Mobilization Against War and Occupation (MAWO) is standing side-by-side with Afghan people to demand an immediate end to this brutal and unjust war drive.

We are here representing the over 14,000 people who have already signed MAWO’s Canada Out of Afghanistan petition. We are here to demand an Independent Public Inquiry into Canada’s war drive in Afghanistan to answer the questions of why the Government of Canada began the war drive in Afghanistan, and has since extended it and poured $7 Billion taxpayer dollars into this war drive without public consultation or debate. We will join justice seeking, peace-loving people around the world to demand:

Canada/NATO Out of Afghanistan Now! Independent Public Inquiry Now!