What's the difference between the Balkans and Afstan?

From a previous post:

For those who want Canada seriously to get back into UN-run peacekeeping, it is worth remembering that the UN start of our mission in the former Yugoslavia was a dismal failure, whilst the successor NATO mission was a comparative success. In any event the CF are now out of Bosnia-Hercegovina after some 18 years in the region (more here). Compare that with what will have been some nine years in Afstan with our planned 2011 withdrawal. What's the big difference? Considerably more dead soldiers, though a very small number in historical context. Draw your own conclusions...

From a Canwest News piece today:

The recent withdrawal of the last of Canada's troops from Bosnia after 19 years is raising questions about the impending retreat of soldiers in Afghanistan who have been serving in the far more volatile region for half as long.

While the Canadian mission in Bosnia ended with just five officers and one non-commissioned officer serving at NATO headquarters in Sarajevo, there were once as many as 3,000 troops patrolling the Balkans. Over the years, there were 40,000 Canadian deployments and 23 soldiers killed on the job.

A handful of Canadian soldiers will remain in Pristina until 2012 to support the Kosovo Security Force, yet if the rhetoric holds true, all 2,800 Canadian troops in Afghanistan will be home by July 2011.

It's an inconsistency lost on few military experts who suggest the massive withdrawal from Afghanistan, which remains far from secure, is both a bad idea and completely out of character for Canada...

It's all about a lack of, er, stomach. Especially on the part of our government. Our new character.

Predate: More on stomach:

...Blair concluded, "that our stomach for this fight is limited and I believe they think they can wait us out. Our determination has got to match theirs and our will has got to be stronger than theirs and at the moment I think it is probably not."

Tony Blair was a leader who ran out of followers. As skilled as The Ghost undoubtedly is, you can't help feeling that the ectoplasm here may not be the prime minister but the British nation.