Some Canadian soldiers may remain in Kabul to train Afghan security forces after Canada's combat role in Afghanistan ends next summer, senior officials have told Â鶹´«Ã½.
A final decision on an extended mission has not been taken, the officials say. But using Canadian troops is one of three options that cabinet is considering, they say.
The other two options for an extended mission to Afghanistan are continued Canadian aid as well as development that includes infrastructure and promoting governance in a nation beset by corruption.
A decision about what Canada's post-combat role will look like could be made within 10 days, Defence Minister Peter MacKay suggested on Sunday.
NATO is due to hold a leaders' summit in Portugal on Nov. 18, and MacKay said the government may decide on Canada's future role in Afghanistan prior to that meeting.
He also confirmed that any mission beyond next year would be based outside of Kandahar province, where fighting has been fierce. Canadian troops would also work "behind the wire," meaning the mission would not involve combat.
NATO has said that some 900 foreign security forces are needed to help train the Afghan military and police, and MacKay said Ottawa is bearing that request in mind.
MacKay made the comments on the last day of the Halifax International Security Forum, where the future of Afghanistan was a hot topic of conversation among the foreign politicians, diplomats and academics who were in attendance.
He said the federal government will respect the Parliamentary motion demanding that Canada end its combat operations in the war-torn country by next summer.
But training Afghan security forces remains a priority, he said, leaving open the possibility of such a role post-2011.
U.S. Senator John McCain, who attended the conference, said that the U.S. has "a strong desire" for Canada to remain in Afghanistan in some capacity.
"We respect the Canadian government's domestic as well as foreign policy needs," he told CTV's Question Period from Halifax. "But we would really, really appreciate if the Canadian government and people could see their way clear to continue a presence, at least in the training area.
As you know, that's a part of any success of counter-insurgency strategy."
Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff has supported the idea of Canadian soldiers training the Afghan military, but Prime Minister Stephen Harper has so far rejected such plans.
Liberal Foreign Affairs critic Bob Rae said Sunday that the government needs to let Parliament and the public know "exactly what it has in mind" for Afghanistan after 2011, before the NATO leader's summit takes place.
"We still don't have the details as to what's being proposed, what the timeline, for example, of the mission will be," Rae told Â鶹´«Ã½ Channel. "We certainly haven't seen any details of the aid package. Nor do we know exactly what the diplomatic role Canada sees going forward."
"But it's better that we're getting a little bit of information and getting a little more light on this subject," he added.
With files from CTV's Ottawa Bureau Chief Robert Fife and The Canadian Press
