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Canadians Perceive Afghan Mission as War
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Many adults in Canada believe the participation of their armed forces in Afghanistan has more to do with conflict than peace-building, according to a poll by Angus Reid Strategies. 53 per cent of respondents regard the Canadian mission in Afghanistan as war.
In addition, 54 per cent of respondents believe the Conservative government has not effectively explained the mission.
Afghanistan has been the main battleground in the war on terrorism. The conflict began in October 2001, after the Taliban regime refused to hand over Osama bin Laden, prime suspect in the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington. Al-Qaeda operatives hijacked and crashed four airplanes on Sept. 11, 2001, killing nearly 3,000 people.
At least 529 soldiers—including 44 Canadians—have died in the war on terrorism, either in support of the U.S.-led Operation Enduring Freedom or as part of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) led by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). 65 per cent of respondents think Canada is shouldering too much of the burden of NATO's mission in Afghanistan.
Canadians renewed the House of Commons in January 2006. The Conservative party—led by Stephen Harper—received 36.3 per cent of the vote, and secured 124 seats in the 308-member lower house. Harper leads a minority administration after more than 12 years of government by the Liberal party.
In May, the House of Commons extended Canada's mission in Afghanistan until February 2009. 46 per cent of respondents think Canada should withdraw its troops from the country before the current mandate ends, while 41 per cent disagree.
On Feb. 26, Canadian foreign minister Peter MacKay tabled a report on Afghanistan, which read: "While there may be grounds for some cautious optimism, it remains to be seen whether this improvement can be sustained. (...) In order to maintain sufficient security for development work, additional forces are required." While 47 per cent of respondents think the Afghan people are clearly benefiting from Canadian efforts in their country, 32 per cent are not sure.
Polling Data
In your view, is the Canadian mission in Afghanistan...
A peace mission | 29% |
A war mission | 53% |
Not sure | 18% |
Do you agree or disagree with the following statements:
Agree | Disagree | Not sure | |
The Harper government has effectively | 27% | 54% | 18% |
Canada is shouldering too much of the | 65% | 18% | 18% |
Canada should withdraw its troops from Afghanistan before their mandate ends in | 46% | 41% | 14% |
The Afghan people are clearly benefiting | 47% | 20% | 32% |
Source: Angus Reid Strategies
Methodology: Online interviews with 1,069 Canadian adults, conducted on Feb. 20 and Feb. 21, 2007. Margin of error is 2.9 per cent.
