Team Infidel
Forum Spin Doctor
Financial Times
January 31, 2008 By Demetri Sevastopulo in Washington and Bernard Simon in Toronto
Canada will withdraw its soldiers from Afghanistan next year unless Nato sends additional troops to the southern region of Kandahar, Stephen Harper, the Canadian prime minister, said on Wednesday.
Mr Harper told George W. Bush, the US president, that he had accepted the recommendations of an independent panel that Canada should pull out of Afghanistan in 2009 unless Nato allies send additional troops and equipment to Kandahar, where the Canadians are operating.
Canada has suffered 78 fatalities in the country.
The panel, led by John Manley, a former Liberal deputy prime minister, urged Mr Harper to become more personally involved in negotiations on the future of the Canadian mission. It concluded that Canada should withdraw its 2,500-strong contingent unless its Nato partners deploy at least 1,000 more soldiers in Kandahar.
Mr Harper has indicated that he will press for reinforcements at a Nato summit in Bucharest in April.
A White House spokesman said Mr Bush had pointed out that the US had recently decided to send an additional 3,200 marines to Afghanistan – 2,200 of whom would deploy in the south. The Canadian threat comes as the Atlantic alliance finds itself under increasing strain over its mission in Afghanistan. Nato commanders estimated last year that they needed another 7,000 troops to help contain the violence in the country.
The Pentagon was forced to send the 3,200 extra marines to Afghanistan after its Nato allies failed to provide the forces.
Geoff Morrell, a Pentagon spokesman, said the 2,200-strong expeditionary unit would “provide the Canadians with a fighting force that will greatly improve their ability to go after the enemy, in large part because [they] come with their own transportation”.
But he said the Pentagon would continue working towards persuading other allies to fulfil their commitments to send additional troops and equipment.
January 31, 2008 By Demetri Sevastopulo in Washington and Bernard Simon in Toronto
Canada will withdraw its soldiers from Afghanistan next year unless Nato sends additional troops to the southern region of Kandahar, Stephen Harper, the Canadian prime minister, said on Wednesday.
Mr Harper told George W. Bush, the US president, that he had accepted the recommendations of an independent panel that Canada should pull out of Afghanistan in 2009 unless Nato allies send additional troops and equipment to Kandahar, where the Canadians are operating.
Canada has suffered 78 fatalities in the country.
The panel, led by John Manley, a former Liberal deputy prime minister, urged Mr Harper to become more personally involved in negotiations on the future of the Canadian mission. It concluded that Canada should withdraw its 2,500-strong contingent unless its Nato partners deploy at least 1,000 more soldiers in Kandahar.
Mr Harper has indicated that he will press for reinforcements at a Nato summit in Bucharest in April.
A White House spokesman said Mr Bush had pointed out that the US had recently decided to send an additional 3,200 marines to Afghanistan – 2,200 of whom would deploy in the south. The Canadian threat comes as the Atlantic alliance finds itself under increasing strain over its mission in Afghanistan. Nato commanders estimated last year that they needed another 7,000 troops to help contain the violence in the country.
The Pentagon was forced to send the 3,200 extra marines to Afghanistan after its Nato allies failed to provide the forces.
Geoff Morrell, a Pentagon spokesman, said the 2,200-strong expeditionary unit would “provide the Canadians with a fighting force that will greatly improve their ability to go after the enemy, in large part because [they] come with their own transportation”.
But he said the Pentagon would continue working towards persuading other allies to fulfil their commitments to send additional troops and equipment.