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Canadians Would Leave Afghanistan Before 2011
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Half of adults in Canada believe their country’s commitment to the mission in Afghanistan should draw to a close before the scheduled end date, according to a poll by Angus Reid Strategies. 51 per cent of respondents would withdraw the bulk of the troops before 2011.
Conversely, 33 per cent of respondents would remove most soldiers in 2011, while seven per cent would keep Canadian troops in Afghanistan after 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 1,131 soldiers—including 118 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 formed 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 March 2008, 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. In September 2008, Harper assured that there would be no new extension of the mission.
Yesterday, Harper visited Canadian troops in Afghanistan, and declared: "We did not come as permanent occupiers. (...) We’re moving to a mission with better defined civilian objectives. That really is where the future of the mission is going."
Polling Data
As you may know, Prime Minister Stephen Harper has said that Canada would withdraw the bulk of the troops currently deployed in Afghanistan in 2011. Which of these statements comes closest to your own point of view?
|
May 2009 |
Feb. 2009 |
Dec. 2008 |
|
|
The bulk of the troops should be withdrawn from Afghanistan before 2011 |
51% |
48% |
53% |
|
The bulk of the troops should be withdrawn from Afghanistan in 2011 as scheduled |
33% |
35% |
30% |
|
The bulk of the troops should remain in Afghanistan after 2011 |
7% |
7% |
8% |
|
Not sure |
9% |
10% |
8% |
Source: Angus Reid Strategies
Methodology: Online interviews with 1,009 Canadian adults, conducted on Apr. 30 and May 1, 2009. Margin of error is 3.1 per cent.
