(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Adults in Canada believe the House of Commons was wrong to prolong the country’s military mandate in Afghanistan, according to a poll by Angus Reid Strategies. 58 per cent of respondents disagree with the decision to extend the mission until the end of 2011.

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 777 soldiers—including 81 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).

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 2006, the House of Commons extended Canada’s mission in Afghanistan until February 2009. On Mar. 13, the House of Commons voted 198-77 to prolong the military deployment until the end of 2011. The Conservative and Liberal parties supported the motion, while the New Democratic Party (NDP) and the Bloc Québécois opposed it.

Canadian defence minister Peter MacKay declared: "(The decision) sends a very strong signal of consensus from our country to our troops and shows confidence in everything they are doing. (...) What you saw in the House, the expressions whether they be through votes or what was said in the gallery, are expressions of a country that has a healthy, vibrant democracy."

NDP leader Jack Layton expressed disappointment, saying, "We have not supported the notion of prolonged warfare. We’ve been there six years and this is going to add three more years. (...) I never thought that we’d see an extension."

Polling Data

As you may know, the House of Commons has authorized an extension of Canada’s mission in Afghanistan until the end of 2011, which is conditional on Canada coming up with unmanned aerial vehicles and transport helicopters, and NATO providing an additional 1,000 troops in the south. Do you agree or disagree with the decision to extend Canada’s mission in Afghanistan until the end of 2011?

Source: Angus Reid Strategies
Methodology: Online interviews with 1,045 Canadian adults, conducted on Mar. 17 and Mar. 18, 2008. Margin of error is 3.0 per cent.

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