Troops should stay until 2011? You don't say

This is not really news, just a confirmation of what anyone with a head on his shoulder would have predicted. There is no way that Manley would have ever seriously considered recommending pulling out altogether, which would have been disastrous for a multitude of reasons, not least of which would be diminished national self-respect for quitting before the job is done, whilst our Allies are still in theatre and have to take up the slack. I don't buy into this ridiculous notion that we can hold up our heads with pride just because we've done our bit, and sacrificed more in Afghanistan that any other country on a proportionate basis. We would be pissing it all away the moment we walked off the field.

Obviously, what matters is the mission. It'll be interesting to hear what Manley has to say about how we might better accomplish it.