Liberals Softening on Pullout Date

[Guest chilipeppers]

Looks like Dion is backing off is this a flip flop or what

June 6, 2007 at 5:01 AM EDT

OTTAWA — Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion yesterday opened the door to keeping Canadian troops in Afghanistan after February, 2009, but insisted they would have to be withdrawn from their current combat mission in the volatile southern region.

Speaking to reporters, Mr. Dion said he wants the combat mission of Canada's 2,500 soldiers based in Kandahar to end, but said Canada could still retain troops to assist the NATO mission.

"We could have a role different from the combat mission in Kandahar that the Prime Minister would like to make interminable," Mr. Dion said in French.

Asked whether the Liberals would be willing to switch places with troops in another, presumably safer, part of Afghanistan, Mr. Dion hinted that he might back that sort of deployment.cont. here

http://tinyurl.com/2qhlb5

[guyser]

Ummm....er....maybe want to change that title?

I do too , but normally wear a condom.

[Who's Doing What?]

Ummm....er....maybe want to change that title?

I do too , but normally wear a condom.

Between this and the "Harper in Paris" thread there is a lot of innuendo flying around here.

[Topaz]

My question you all of you is this.... If Afghanistan goes into a civil war like in Iraq, should we stay or pull out?? I've read that the possibility is there because people within the country that don't like what they see from their President and the corruption that he is allowing.

[guyser]

My question you all of you is this.... If Afghanistan goes into a civil war like in Iraq, should we stay or pull out?? I've read that the possibility is there because people within the country that don't like what they see from their President and the corruption that he is allowing.

I understand that France and Germany have their troops all stationed ina safe zones and are not under any duress measureable to the CDN/Brits/USA troops are.

And I also understand they are fed up. Perhaps this has much to do discussing pull out dates.

[Canuck E Stan]

My question you all of you is this.... If Afghanistan goes into a civil war like in Iraq, should we stay or pull out??

You'll have to explain to me who in Afghanistan is fighting a "civil war"?

[jdobbin]

Looks like Dion is backing off is this a flip flop or what

June 6, 2007 at 5:01 AM EDT

OTTAWA — Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion yesterday opened the door to keeping Canadian troops in Afghanistan after February, 2009, but insisted they would have to be withdrawn from their current combat mission in the volatile southern region.

Speaking to reporters, Mr. Dion said he wants the combat mission of Canada's 2,500 soldiers based in Kandahar to end, but said Canada could still retain troops to assist the NATO mission.

"We could have a role different from the combat mission in Kandahar that the Prime Minister would like to make interminable," Mr. Dion said in French.

I believe Dion has said prior to this that once the mission was complete in 2009. the Liberals were open to a new mission...just not a renewal of the one they are doing in southern Afghanistan now.

I don't see this as any different from those statements earlier.