I wonder what M. Dion thinks...

1)...of the French president's Afghanistan policy:

The international community cannot afford to lose the "war against terrorism" in Afghanistan, French President Nicolas Sarkozy said Saturday on a quick visit to the insurgency-hit country.

The various nations with troops here must be united and committed in their efforts to build Afghanistan so it can withstand insurgents linked with the Taliban and Al-Qaeda, Sarkozy told reporters travelling with him...

"Here there is a war against terrorism, against fanaticism, that we cannot and must not lose," Sarkozy said...

Apparently the French are considering sending a combat battalion to southern Afghanistan.

2)...of the policy of Australia's new Labour prime minister:

Australian PM Kevin Rudd has told Afghan President Hamid Karzai during a visit to Kabul he is committed to the "long haul" in Afghanistan...

He added: "Over the next several months, I would also be encouraging other friends and partners and allies in Nato to continue their commitments and where possible extend them."..

Somehow I doubt the Liberal leader will listen to Mr Rudd; this M. Dion's view:

Canada's Afghanistan mission must dramatically scale back troop size and shift to training and other non-aggressive roles if it's to win Liberal support for an extension, says Opposition Leader Stephane Dion...

But Dion stood firm on any extension that involved continued combat, and insisted the Conservative government should have been "transparent and candid" with NATO allies by advising them the current mission will end as scheduled in February 2009...

The policy of NDP leader Jack Layton can be found here, should you be interested. Strange that he has so little in common with his Australian counterpart, whom he professes to admire.

I also wonder if the two visits to Afghanistan will get any serious media coverage in Canada. The Globe and Mail runs this AP story online Dec. 22; let's see what shows up in print Dec. 24.

Update: The answer from Norman's Spectator, "ON MY MIND":

MONDAY AM

--What the Globe reports on Afstan (in a sidebar)

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS IN AFGHANISTAN (Globe)