International troops could complete security-and-reconstruction mission by then, ambassador says - Mike Blanchfield, CanWest News Service; Ottawa Citizen - Published: Saturday, March 11, 2006

OTTAWA -- International troops -- including the Canadian Forces -- could finish their security-and-reconstruction work in Afghanistan in another three to four years, says the country's ambassador to Canada.

That is far less than the 10 years Gen. Rick Hillier, the chief of the defence staff, and other generals have recently speculated might be the length of Canada's military commitment to the war-torn country.

"I think it could be lower, and the sooner the better for us to have full control of our own affairs and for us to thank the international community for having helped us, for them (international troops) to go back home. That's the end goal for all of us," Omar Samad, Afghanistan's ambassador to Canada, said in an interview this week. "It will take us probably, at least, another three or four years, that's my estimate, to reach the goal that was set almost three, four years ago."

Samad said the goal of the international community is for Afghanistan to have 70,000 fully trained soldiers, and 50,000 fully trained police. Reaching those benchmarks would allow international troops to radically scale down, if not withdraw entirely from Afghanistan.

Right now, the Afghan army has 32,000 trained troops, while the police are just shy of 40,000. However, much more needs to be done to strengthen Afghan police than those numbers would indicate, Samad cautioned.

"The police are coming along E but there's a need for new equipment and stronger training for the police. The police are still weak," said Samad.

As for the judicial system that would back up the police, it is virtually non-existent, he added. "When it comes to the judicial reforms that are required in Afghanistan, we have just started. We are unfortunately behind in implementing that kind of reform."

Samad's frank assessment comes amid renewed debate over Canada's contribution of 2,200 combat troops to the international security force in southern Afghanistan.

Recent deaths and casualties appear to have divided public opinion over the nature of Canada's commitment, and sparked calls by the New Democratic Party and Bloc Quebecois for a full parliamentary debate and vote on the deployment, which began last year and is to last for approximately one more.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his senior cabinet minister have rejected calls for a parliamentary debate or vote on the deployment, because they say any second guessing would undermine the country's troops who are now in harm's way.

But Harper also made it clear this week it is the elected government that will decide how long Canada commits to the Afghan mission -- not the country's generals.

Samad said he is not surprised by the level of renewed debate in Canada on the issue. "It is up to the Canadian people, their government, their leaders, through their representatives to decide if they want to have a political debate and on this issue or not," he said.

"All I can say is we have very good reason, strong justification for presenting a case to the Canadian people that Afghanistan is worth this much investment, and this much trouble. Because one lesson we have learned from the past -- the recent history of Afghanistan -- is that we do not let a failed state remain in a failed state. You need to take care of that situation in order for it not to create problems beyond its borders."

Samad said the vast majority of Afghans do not view troops on their soil as unwanted invaders. The only occupying troops that Afghanistan has seen in the last quarter century were Soviet Red Army during its 10-year occupation that ended in 1989 and the al-Qaida terrorist organization of Osama bin Laden that ran training camps there until the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, he said.

"The overwhelming majority of Afghans have not only welcomed the foreign security forces, who are there to help us with stability in Afghanistan, but also requested additional troops to be deployed because of the very simple fact we are still somewhat halfway through our own process of rebuilding our own security institutions," said Samad.

Samad said his government is grateful for contributions from some 35 countries, and it also mourns the loss of life and injuries to all international soldiers, including the Canadians.

"Every time that we hear a Canadian has been hurt or has lost his or her life, we are saddened and we share in the grief and we mourn with you. We hope and we pray that those who have been injured, including Capt. (Trevor) Greene and the others, will recover as soon as possible," said Samad, referring to the 41-year-old officer who was struck in the head by an axe-wielding Afghan assailant last week.

"This is important to us, because we pay a lot of value to each and every life and each and every person who serves in Afghanistan for a very noble cause."