Harper Bait & Switch - Again!

It seems we are now staying in Afghanistan beyond 2011 &, yes, in a combat role.

From CBC News:

"Speaking in Welland, Ont., Friday afternoon, Prime Minister Stephen Harper told reporters the government would not seek to extend the mission authorized by parliament in 2008.

"Well, let me be very clear …" Harper said, "Canada's military mission in Afghanistan will end in 2011"

=snip=

"But now it appears the government has two views of what constitutes a "mission," in Afghanistan.

The current mission in Kandahar, which begun at the end of 2006, includes 2,800 troops focused around an infantry battle group.

This, in the government's view, is the military mission.

The new mission will still contain troops, but its focus will be reconstruction. In the government's view, this new mission should be called a development mission — not a military mission — whether or not it contains troops."

You can be sure we will still be in a combat role. After all surely the boys in power will want to try out the new toys that will be available after the 2011 withdrawal date? Like new aircraft, tanks, eg.

And Canadians continue to trust Harper & his lying cohorts? Hope the media attends to this one, at the very least.

More info here.

Cons lying on leaving Afghanistan?

An interesting article in today's Gazette on "Canada getting Obama's attention". When factoring in Gates asking for us to extend the mission in Afghanistan past 2011 it comes as no surprise. Makes me wonder if the Cons are, as usual, lying.

"But if Ottawa has any hope of getting the ear of the world's most popular politician, it will have to think big and act even bigger. And that means dumping plans for the large-scale withdrawal of Canadian Forces from Afghanistan in 2011.

That was the underlying message this past week when dozens of senior bureaucrats, diplomats and analysts from Canada and the U.S. met in Ottawa to discuss a "blueprint" for getting the Canadian government on the radar of the incoming Obama administration."