Maybe the CF could stay in Afstan post-2011 after all

Looks like some opposition politicos may be getting reasonable; a ball with considerable pressure may end up in grumpy Stephen's court--can he do a 180? From Matthew Fisher of Canwest News:

Canada could fill training roll in Afghanistan post-2011, MPs say

KABUL — Liberal foreign affairs critic Bob Rae has provided the strongest indication yet that a deal may be possible between his party and the minority Harper government to keep some Canadian troops in Afghanistan after the combat mission in Kandahar ends next summer.

"The door is open to serious discussion in Canada and between Canada and NATO about what the future looks like," Rae said during a five-day fact-finding mission to Kandahar and Kabul by 10 members of Parliament from all the parties, who sit on the Commons’ special committee on the mission in Afghanistan.

One possibility being closely examined is whether to dispatch Canadian military trainers to help "increase the capacity of both the Afghan police and Afghan military," the former premier of Ontario said.

"There is no deal done, but there are elements that could be brought together to make a deal," Bryon Wilfert, the Liberal vice-chair of the committee, said after the delegation met Thursday in Kabul with U.S. Gen. Stanley McChrystal, who commands more than 100,000 NATO troops, and another American, Lt.-Gen. William Caldwell, whose remit it is to train Afghan forces [as head of a newish NATO mission] to a level that would permit alliance forces to leave the country.

At a meeting with the MPs on Thursday, Afghan Foreign Minister Zalmai Rasoul also requested that if Canada’s combat troops were leaving, that some of them be replaced by military trainers.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper may represent the biggest stumbling block to such a deal [emphasis added]. He has repeatedly stated that all Canadian soldiers would leave Afghanistan next year [more here].

However, there have been private discussions for some time in Ottawa, with both Liberal and Conservative MPs and senators putting out discrete feelers about what Canada might do militarily when its combat mission ends [lots more here].

While not as specific as Rae or Wilfert, Kevin Sorenson, the Tory who heads the Afghan committee, said, "We all realize the Afghan police, as well as the military, are going to have to increase capacity if they are going to secure their own country. Canada may have a role in that."

Laurie Hawn, a Conservative and parliamentary secretary to the minister of national defence, said that "we heard loud and clear from NATO and the Afghans here their desire for Canada to stay in a substantial military training and police training role."..

The outlines of a new arrangement might involve Canada sending as many as 600 military trainers to an academy in Afghanistan, if Parliament approves. Caldwell indicated in an interview with Canwest News Service last month that any trainers sent by Canada would work within a heavily fortified base where they would not even have to wear body army [see here].

Senior Canadian officers believe that providing 600 trainers at a time would likely be too much for the army, because so many of the instructors would have to be highly experienced sergeants and warrant officers. Asked if the Armed Forces could generate a force of 400 or 450 trainers, they said, that was possible [emphasis added], particularly if some of the trainers were logisticians, signalers, medics and mechanics. That would lessen the strain on the infantry, armour and combat engineering regiments which have already served many dangerous tours in Afghanistan...

"We have an obligation to see this thing through,” Rae said. “We came in with NATO and I think that we want to work through with NATO what our future will be, based upon the resolution of Parliament . . .

"I just want to say on behalf of the Liberal party that we are very committed to a role post-2011. We believe that that is very important."

NDP Defence critic Jack Harris, who sits on the Afghan committee, was less sure about Canada doing anything more in Afghanistan militarily.

"Obviously, there are considerable humanitarian and institution-building concerns about Afghanistan," Harris said Monday in Kandahar. "Whether that involves the military or not is another question, indeed...

Harris and the other nine committee members spoke with one voice about the need for what the New Democrat MP called "an open-ended debate in Parliament on the issue" of what Canada should do in Afghanistan in the future.

Whatever is decided, it has to be done "in a timely fashion" and "must be put to bed" by the end of this year, Wilfert said. "This is not a Liberal mission or a Conservative mission. This is a Canadian mission . . .

"It is our committee's responsibility to make a recommendation to Parliament but ultimately, it is up to the government to put something forward [emphasis added]."..

Listen up, Mr Harper.