The dance continues

The Defence Minister indicates some degree of interest in Michael Ignatieff’s proposal for a post-2011 mission in Afghanistan.

"I’m very interested. I know the Prime Minister has expressed interest in what Mr. Ignatieff said. But the parliamentary motion is very clear so that is where we are today," he said.

As has been noted elsewhere, the parliamentary motion that extended the mission in 2008 spoke specifically of the Canadian deployment "in Kandahar." The Liberal proposal would see Canada "pursue a post-combat role, for a fixed period, based on training of police and military personnel in a staff college setting in Kabul."