Federal Liberals formally outlined their position on Afghanistan Tuesday, arguing the combat mission should end as scheduled in February, 2009, but suggesting troops could remain in the country to perform other tasks.
The eight-page written document, a formal submission to a government-appointed panel on Canada's future role in Afghanistan headed by former Liberal politician John Manley, could serve as the official Opposition blueprint on a key campaign issue in a potential federal election this year.
While it was a Liberal government that first sent the troops to Kandahar in August, 2005, the submission said it was "never intended to be a life-long effort or even a 10-year commitment." Since he was chosen Liberal leader 14 months ago, Stéphane Dion has unsuccessfully pressed Prime Minister Stephen Harper to give formal notice to the NATO alliance that the Canadian mission will not be extended past February, 2009 -- already a two-year extension that was approved by Parliament in 2006.
The Liberals say Canada's "enormous sacrifice" in Afghanistan must be brought to a close by ending the combat mission in Kandahar, reducing troop deployments and shifting them to training, civilian protection and reconstruction in safer zones.
Expressing suspicion about the minority Conservative government's plans, the Liberals said it would be "a travesty" to simply rename the combat mission a training mission and carry on with the perilous counter-insurgency work in which 76 Canadian military personnel and one diplomat have died since 2002.
His party's submission emphasized the importance of serving formal notice to NATO, which controls the multinational security assistance force in Afghanistan, that Canada's combat role will end as scheduled.
"As long as other NATO countries believe that our commitment to continue the counter-insurgency combat role in Kandahar is open-ended, they will never prepare for our departure," it said.
No matter what mission is agreed on, the Liberals called for an immediate effort to strengthen co-ordination among Canadian government departments and agencies on the Afghanistan file, alleging "an almost complete breakdown" in the ability of Defence, Foreign Affairs and CIDA -- the international development agency -- to work together towards a coherent vision.
"We are open to other possible military roles in Afghanistan to continue training the Afghan National Army and police, protect Afghan civilians or for reconstruction efforts," Mr. Dion said in a prepared statement.
"But we will not accept the simple re-branding of the current combat mission as a training mission. Any new military role must be crafted in such a way as to ensure that other significant Canadian Forces deployments in other parts of the world are possible."
The Manley panel is expected to submit its report to the government later this
