Canadians balk at extending Afghanistan mission

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0719/p99s01-duts.html

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Stephen Harper invoked Canada's "international responsibility" to resolve the conflict, but polls show concern for casualties is taking a toll on support at home.

By Tom A. Peter

As the Canadian prime minister called Wednesday for continued support of the nation's military mission in Afghanistan, new polls indicate that Canadians may be losing faith. Citizens feel their commitment to Afghanistan is "disproportionate." At the same time, a new report commissioned by the British House of Commons has echoed Canadians' complaints and called for North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) countries to commit more troops to the restive nation.

A new poll finds that Canadians would be more likely to support the Afghan mission if their forces were less involved in combat operations and focused more on humanitarian efforts. Sixty-five percent of Canadians see the role of their military operations overseas as peacekeeping, not enforcing peace, reports the Globe and Mail. The poll – conducted by the Strategic Counsel, a market-research team, for the Globe and Mail – indicated that 81 percent of Canadians think one of the most important factors in considering extending their military commitment in Afghanistan is the rights of women and children. Sixty-eight percent listed preventing a terrorist attack as another important factor.

"There's resonance with our own vulnerability – the kind of arguments that were used with the original deployment," said. "But what's interesting is that what doesn't is the reputational stuff – that it will hurt our international legitimacy or reputation."

That means that Mr. Harper's argument of a year ago – that Canadians don't "cut and run" – probably won't sell. The poll finds that 59 per cent of Canadians oppose sending troops to Afghanistan, up four percentage points from May.

[EFerrari]

1. Last night I watched a taped segment of Perkins talking about

our "coalition of the willing". He said flat out, they've all been coerced.

Next thing you know, he'll be telling us there's no Santa.

[rockymountaindem]

2. I thought things might not be so good up there

when I saw some Canadians putting "support our troops" ribbons in red and white on their cars in Toronto. I figured that meant some conflict was brewing. Odd that they should appear up there in Toronto (where I went to school) as they are fading from view down here.

[Canuckistanian]

3. I HATED it when Harper said "cut and run"

I IMMEDIATELY wrote an email to my MP telling him that using idiotic phrases borrowed from the American RW is outrageous.

We have a mission in Afghanistan. It ends in 2009.

Any attempts to lengthen that, and there WILL be consequences - at the polls.