(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Many adults in Canada believe their government should not extend its current mandate in Afghanistan, according to a poll by Angus Reid Strategies. 58 per cent of respondents disagree with allowing the mission to continue beyond February 2009.

In addition, 61 per cent think the current government has not effectively explained the mission in Afghanistan.

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 756 soldiers—including 78 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.

In January, a special panel—chaired by Liberal member and former deputy prime minister John Manley—issued its report on Canada’s participation in the Afghanistan mission. The document calls on NATO to adopt a comprehensive political-military plan to address security concerns and imbalances in the mission, urges the Canadian federal government to issue "franker and more frequent" reporting, and suggests conditioning the extension of Canada’s military presence in Afghanistan to an increase of troops by other NATO members.

On Feb. 8, Conservative House leader Peter Van Loan revealed that the government will table a motion to extend the mission in Afghanistan until the end of 2011, adding, "(With the) increasing emphasis on training the Afghan National Security Forces expeditiously to take increasing responsibility for security in Kandahar and Afghanistan as a whole, (...) Canada’s combat role should be commensurately reduced."

Liberal leader Stéphane Dion rejected the proposal, saying, "We have a motion that we cannot accept today. (...) Our position is that combat aspect of the mission has a deadline, which is February 2009."

Polling Data

Do you agree or disagree with this statement? - Canada should extend the mission in Afghanistan beyond February 2009

Do you agree or disagree with this statement? - The Harper government has effectively explained the mission in Afghanistan

Source: Angus Reid Strategies
Methodology: Online interviews with 1,018 Canadian adults, conducted from Jan. 31 to Feb. 1, 2007. Margin of error is 3.1 per cent.

Other poll highlights: 57% (+10) regard Canadian participation as war mission; 59% (+2) say Afghan people are benefiting from Canadian efforts; 53% (-5) call for an early withdrawal of Canadian troops from Afghanistan; 76% (+5) say Canada is shouldering too much of the burden of NATO’s mission. At least 70% of respondents agree with Manley panel’s recommendations.

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