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Calls for pullout as Canadians ready for major battleSep. 1, 2006. 05:35 AM
GRAHAM FRASER
NATIONAL AFFAIRS WRITER
OTTAWA—As Canadian soldiers marshalled for a major battle against Taliban forces in southern Afghanistan, NDP Leader Jack Layton called yesterday for Canada to pull its troops from the country by next February.
"Withdrawal should begin as soon as possible — working with our international partners to ensure a safe and smooth transition — but with a view to having it complete by February 2007," Layton said, calling Afghanistan the wrong mission for Canada.
"Canada can then focus on building a made-in-Canada foreign policy that moves us towards reclaiming Canada's place in the world. One that is clear, comprehensive and balanced," he said.
/snip/
"Prime Minister Harper need only look at the experiences in Iraq to conclude that ill-conceived and unbalanced missions do not create the conditions for long-term peace," he said. "Why are we blindly following the defence policy prescriptions of the Bush administration?"
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Why indeed!
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