Canadian Press
Thursday, June 21, 2007
MONTREAL (CP) - The secretary-general of NATO is hoping Canada will stay in Afghanistan beyond its 2009 deadline.
Japp de Hoop Scheffer said Thursday it's important that all 26 NATO allies in Afghanistan carry on their missions.
"I think more time is necessary to create those conditions for reconstruction and development to go on and proceed," he told reporters.
Scheffer was at an international conference in Montreal.
"That is a message to the Canadians as much as it is to the Dutch or to the Danes or to the Norweigans. It's a message I have for all of my allied friends in the alliance and the partners alike."
But he said Canada's decision to stay longer in Afghanistan is one that will be made by the Canadian government. Scheffer was to meet later today in Ottawa with Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
The number of Canadian soldiers killed in war-torn Afghanistan has now reached 60.
Three Canadians were killed Wednesday when their unarmoured vehicle hit an improvised explosive device while on a re-supply mission.
Canadian military officials have defended the use of the unarmoured vehicle, but say procedures will be reviewed.
© The Canadian Press 2007
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