Liberals back Tories on Afghan mission, reject calls for vote (Canada) [View All]

Liberals back Tories on Afghan mission, reject calls for vote

MICHAEL DEN TANDT
From Monday's Globe and Mail

Ottawa — The Liberals appear to be lining up solidly behind the Conservative government over the mission in Afghanistan, rejecting NDP calls for a parliamentary vote on the matter.

"We are against a vote because it's a responsibility of the executive and because we should not second-guess when we have an important mission to succeed," Liberal foreign affairs critic Stéphane Dion said yesterday on CTV's Question Period.

...

Canada has 2,300 troops in Afghanistan, all but 100 of them based in the volatile southern province of Kandahar. Many of the troops are now engaged in combat operations, in support of the Afghan army and national police.

Canadian troops took control of a multinational brigade in the region at the beginning of this month and immediately suffered a number of casualties, including two deaths. Insurgents in the country have promised a wave of suicide bombings against coalition troops in the months to come.

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