Canada extends mission in Afghanistan to 2011

Aristartle · Mar 13, 2008

So, it looks like we are staying in Afghanistan until 2011. The vote was today and it was 198 in favour, and 77 against.

Link

Canada's future in Afghanistan on the line

4 hours ago

OTTAWA (AFP) — Canada's parliament Thursday will vote on whether to extend its 2,500-strong troop deployment in volatile southern Afghanistan, while still not knowing if NATO allies will back them up.

Under the motion, Canadian battalions would remain in volatile Kandahar province until 2011, provided NATO sends 1,000 reinforcements, drones and helicopters to bolster Canada's force now on the ground, as requested.

Otherwise, Canada will withdraw next year at the end of its current mandate.

"We need one partner ... that will be able to work with us in the south ... without any caveats," Foreign Affairs Minister Maxime Bernier said Wednesday.

"Who is going to give us troops, who is going to be our partner, I don't know that, but I'm optimistic because it's important for the credibility of the (NATO) organization," he told reporters.

NATO will next meet in Bucharest in April, and Canada's deliberations are being closely watched by its allies, with the alliance itself said to be in jeopardy if the Afghanistan mission fails.

"I hope that in the coming days or weeks we'll find this partner because at the end (of the day), it's not Canada's need. It's NATO's need," said Bernier.

"If we don't succeed in the south we won't be able to succeed in Afghanistan."

Canada is battling Taliban and Al-Qaeda fighters in Afghanistan's volatile south as part of the 50,000-strong NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).

Like a dozen countries represented in the Kandahar and neighboring Helmand provinces, where opium cultivation is flourishing, Canada is taking heavy casualties that are feeding public dissatisfaction at home.

Since 2002, 80 Canadian soldiers and a senior diplomat have died in roadside bombings and in melees with the insurgents.

The main contributors to post-Taliban Afghanistan -- notably Britain and the United States -- have called for more "burden-sharing" in the grueling fight against the rebels.

The United States has already pledged an additional 2,200 soldiers and aircraft to this effort and 1,000 military trainers to help build up the Afghan army to eventually take over security duties, for deployment next month.

Meanwhile, NATO chief Jaap de Hoop Scheffer has said that ISAF has swollen by 8,700 soldiers over the past year and he was confident of more support in the coming year.

But, so far, only France and Poland have hinted to Ottawa they may send more help.

Former Liberal deputy prime minister John Manley, who headed a panel of experts who recommended in January that Canada prolong its Afghanistan mission, said Tuesday the 1,000 additional troops called for in the panel's report are only the "minimum" needed.

"Obviously if there were more, that would make it that much more likely that the mission could succeed," he said.

If MPs reject the motion Thursday, Prime Minister Stephen Harper's minority Conservative government would collapse and Canada would be plunged into an election as early as April, with uncertain consequences for the mission.

The opposition New Democrats and Bloc Quebecois vowed to vote against the plan, but hold too few seats in the House to significantly sway the result.

The main opposition Liberals meanwhile agreed with the Conservatives on the need to maintain troops in Afghanistan. They differed only on whether Canadian soldiers should continue hunting insurgents, or stick to a non-combat role.

To woo Liberal support, the government tweaked its original motion with Liberal wording to put greater emphasis on development and diplomacy, and less on defense, thus greatly upping the chance it would pass.
Click to expand...

greenryder · Mar 13, 2008

Not all that surprised. The Liberals want an election now as much as the majority of Canadians do.
Although this was the only issue that the Liberals could/would have brought the government down on.

Aristartle · Mar 13, 2008

Yeah, I know. Nobody wants to bring down the government again in a vote of non-confidence. At least, nobody wants to be the party that brought it down. The Liberals don't have enough support to win a majority anyway.

There are other confidence votes ahead.

I'd love to see Harper fall from grace and seated back into the right side of the House.

MaximusXXX · Mar 13, 2008

Well looks like a good friend of mine will be going to Afghanistan.

He's finishing 3rd year at RMC which if you don't know is where Canada gets its generals and he's told me from the beginning he'll be looking to go after his first year in training, which is the year after he graduates which takes him 4 years, so he's got 2008-09 and then 09-10 and depending on when the mission ends in terms of time of year he'll be there for at least a time.

acga5 · Mar 13, 2008

only 6mo tours, americans get 15mo

Aristartle · Mar 13, 2008

Yeah, and it's all volunteer to go to Afghanistan. You don't get picked out of a hat.

acga5 · Mar 13, 2008

well they can call you up but you can refuse, and you get cash for being in reserves, alota buddies of mine are in the reserves... get cash for training lol

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