Canada is pulling out combat troops from Afghanistan by July of this year, but announced in November that it would provide 750 trainers and 200 support staff who would stay in Afghanistan to assist the NATO mission.
Canada will remain in Afghanistan in a training capacity; Canadian soldiers are committed to train the Afghan army and police, in the hopes they can take over security after 2014.
Speaking on CTV鈥檚 Question Period recently, Defence Minister Peter MacKay said Canadian troops, as of July, 2011, will be operating in a "Kabul-centric, static environment ... This engagement is going to build on the significant experience and investments that we鈥檝e made as a country to date in Afghanistan."
Since the combat mission began, 154 Canadian soldiers have lost their lives to the conflict. The war is now in its 10th year.
Let鈥檚 discuss. Should Canada pull out completely and leave training to other forces? Or should Canada remain, perhaps in a more pivotal role than planned, since its planned withdrawal could undermine progress being made in the volatile region?