Veterans Stiffed Up North

In another familiar tale with a geographic twist, Canadian veterans with mental health problems have reached the breaking point, the country's veterans ombudsman told a hearing of Parliament on Monday.

The Toronto Sun reported that Ombudsman Guy Parent said bureaucracy and red tape in Veterans Affairs Canada stifled recent veterans from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq from seeking mental health treatment.

The Sun said the most common illness found in Canadian Forces members is depression, followed by alcohol dependency, social phobia and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Unfortunately, these are conditions well known to American veterans of Afghanistan and Iraq.