Prime Minister Stephen Harper told U.S. President George Bush during a briefing on the Manley report that Canada won't extend its mission in Afghanistan without more equipment and combat aid.
The pair spoke by phone on Wednesday with Harper telling Bush that he has accepted the general recommendations of a blue-ribbon panel led by former deputy prime minister John Manley. The Manley report recommended that Canada stay in Afghanistan beyond its 2009 commitment only if NATO provides an additional 1,000 combat troops.
Late Wednesday, the White House acknowledged that Harper and Bush had spoken about how to ensure the Afghan mission's success.
"The president noted the deployment of 3,200 additional U.S. Marines to Afghanistan, as well as his continued commitment to work with NATO to enhance its commitment to the Afghanistan mission,'' deputy White House press secretary Tony Fratto said in a statement.
But when the Pentagon announced the additional U.S. troops earlier this month, it noted the "extraordinary, one-time deployment" would only last seven months. U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates has also said the additional troops would not be a long-term solution and will not stay beyond the seven-month commitment.
Word of the Harper-Bush telephone briefing came as NATO urged Canada to keep its troops in Kandahar, one of Afghanistan's most dangerous provinces. According to The Associated Press, NATO spokesperson James Appathurai said the organization will come up with the additional soldiers that the Manley report recommended.
Appathurai said Canada's demands will be discussed by NATO defence ministers when they meet in Vilnius, Lithuania, next month.
Canada has also asked for more drone surveillance planes and helicopters.
Meanwhile, the Liberals say Canada should change its focus in Afghanistan and move away from a combat role in the country after February 2009.
"We (the Liberals) want to stay on in Afghanistan in a non-combat role, in training or reconstruction or in those other things that Canadians have traditionally done," John McCallum, a former defence minister under the Liberals, told Â鶹´«Ã½net's Mike Duffy Live on Wednesday.
McCallum said that Ottawa should adjust its policy and then inform NATO as soon as possible so the alliance can find replacements. Canada currently has about 2,500 troops in the country.
With files from The Canadian Press and The Associated Press
