Troops To Stay in Afghanistan For Years: Harper

PM Harper permitted debate this evening in parliament on Canadian troops in Afghanistan and he said that our troops will remain in Afghanistan for the next few years as quoted by Yahoo News. He also refused an NDP suggestion that a vote be held to extend the Canadian troops participation beyond early 2007. Harper further said he would provide a say to parliament on future deployments but this would apply only to new hot spots and not to Afghanistan. CBC reported that Defence Minister Gordon O'Connor said in the same debate that Canada's security depends on battling terrorists harboured in Afghanistan. The Globe and Mail reported that O'Connor said “Our security begins very far from our borders.” NDP Leader Jack Layton asked,
—What is Canada's role?
—How long will it take?
—How is victory to be defined?
The NDP also criticized the fact that the mission is supposed to be operating under a NATO command, not under the umbrella of the United States.