Canada has significantly reduced the size of its armed forces and closed military bases around the country since the end of the Cold War. Paradoxically, though, Canada's armed forces are today playing a highly visible role as international leaders in efforts to ban land mines and as peacekeeping forces in Africa, Europe and Asia.

Although Canadians have for the most part welcomed these changes, negative publicity has flowed from several abuses of power in the course of peacekeeping operations. For example, at least 40 Canadian volunteers with the peacekeeping forces in Bosnia have been discharged from the armed forces following an inquiry into drunkenness, black marketeering and abuse of patients at a mental hospital.

A similar controversy erupted from Canada's role in the abortive American-led intervention in Somalia. There, members of an elite Canadian airborne regiment tortured and murdered a Somali teenager who had defied their orders.

In a break with tradition, the Canadian government panel that investigated the killing and other incidents in Somalia concluded that the army's senior command should be held responsible for the abuses. The Canadian soldiers were said to have been "victimized" by commanders who sent them into the field unprepared and who ignored problems in the regiment until they exploded into the murder of the teenager.

The soldier responsible for the killing was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to five years in prison. (He served 18 months). A second soldier was convicted of participating in the coverup of the crime, and several senior Canadian military officers were forced to resign.

Canada's relations with the United States on military matters are generally very close. The two countries established the Permanent Joint Board of Defense to coordinate policy on the eve of World War II, and that body continues to play an influential role in each country's armed forces. The two countries also cooperate in NATO, in the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and in other partnerships designed to provide early warning of an atomic attack.

The U.S. contends that Canada should pay more of the costs of allied military operations.

Nevertheless, Canada's contribution to U.S.-led military "burden sharing" programs was relatively low compared with those of other key U.S. allies. The most recent figures released by the U.S. Department of Defense compare Canada's contribution of money, men and arms to joint defense with that of other NATO allies, Japan, and South Korea. While Canada ranked seventh in gross domestic product, its contribution to joint air force spending ranked 14th when compared with other U.S. allies; its contribution to ground combat capability ranked 15th . An exception to this pattern came in peacekeeping operations, where Canada contributed a larger percentage of personnel and money than most other allies, ranking sixth and fifth, respectively, in those measures.

Canada's total military budget is about $9 billion annually, or about 1.6 percent of its gross domestic product. Of that, Canada contributes about $110 million annually to peacekeeping operations.

— Washingtonpost.com fellow Christopher Simpson