Prime Minister questioned over comments

[CHIMO]

Ottawa -- Opposition members are demanding that Prime Minister Stephen Harper explain what he meant when he said during a television interview that the lives lost in Afghanistan may have strengthened the Canadian military.

"This is the first time in some time that Canada's moved to the front lines of a peace-and-security operation, and I think it's really sinking into us all how difficult that is and what that really means," Mr. Harper said during an interview with CBC televised Monday night.

"At the same time, I can tell you it's certainly engaged our military. It's, I think, making them a better military, notwithstanding, or maybe in some way because of, the casualties."

Liberal defence critic Ujjal Dosanjh and NDP defence critic Dawn Black rose in Question Period yesterday to ask the Prime Minister to clarify his statements.

Mr. Harper chose not to explain himself in the House. But Carolyn Stewart-Olsen, a spokeswoman for the Prime Minister, said she thought the remarks were clear. The military gets stronger when casualties occur, she said, because it means more money is put into equipment and recruiting.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20060920.AFGHANHARP20/TPStory/

[IntravenousDemilo]

1. What Harper really means is "death builds character". The pig... n/m

[daleo]

2. Or "survival of the fittest"

The remaining soldiers are the ones that figured out how to avoid dying - therefore, the army must be "improved". Actually, it is much more a matter of luck than anything else.