Afghanistan by the Numbers

Civilian Casualties

1. Number of people currently displaced in Afghanistan, according to estimates by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR):235,000
2. Number of civilian deaths in Afghanistan in 2008 according to the United Nations (UN): 2,118
3. Increase in civilian deaths from 2007 according to the UN: 40%
4. Projected civilian deaths in Afghanistan (at 40% rate of increase) in 2009: 2,965*

Coalition Casualties

1. Coalition Military fatal casualties January, February, 2008: 21
2. Coalition Military fatal casualties January, February, 2009: 48
3. Change from January, February, 2008 to January, February, 2009: +129%
4. Coalition Military fatal casualties June-September, 2008: 159
5. Projected Coalition Military fatal casualties June-September, 2009 (at 129% rate of increase): 364*

Canadian Casualties

1. Number of Canadian forces fatal casualties in 2008: 32
2. Canadian Forces fatal combat casualties in January 2008: 1
3. Canadian Forces fatal combat casualties in January 2009: 2
4. Canadian Forces fatal combat casualties June-September, 2008: 14
5. Projected Canadian Forces casualties 2009 (at 129% rate of increase): 73*

Canadian Costs

1. Current monthly cost of Canada's involvement in Afghanistan: $200 million
2. Parliamentary Budget Officer Kevin Page's estimate of Afghanistan mission's total cost if it concludes in 2011: $13.9 - $18.1 billion
3. Cost per Canadian household: $1500
4. Proportion of mission's total cost dedicated to aid programs : 9-12%
5. Proportion of mission's total cost dedicated to military operations: 75%

If you are a Canadian and live alone, in a single-person household, you will have paid $1,125 to kill Afghanis by 2011.

*NB: the point of these forecasts is to give an indication of the terrible toll this occupation will exact; it is by no means presented in a callous fashion.