For Immediate Release

Liberals Rubber-Stamp the Afghan Troop Extension.
Commons Debate Shows Dion's True Colours.

April 19, 2007

Toronto: The Liberals confirmed their support for the extension of Canada's Afghan deployment until 2009 with a motion debated in the House of Commons today, proving that they are more out of touch with Canadians than ever.

"The Liberals are saying the same thing that the Conservatives said last year." Said Christine Jones, Co-Chair of the Canadian Peace Alliance. "They have not called for the troops to be brought home. They are supporting the mission extension that Canadians oppose."

Given that many Liberals voted against the extension of the mission when it was last debated, this is actually a step backwards. None of this should surprise the Canadian people. It was the Liberals, under Paul Martin that sent troops to Kandahar in the first place and it was the Liberals under Jean Chretien that sent troops in 2001 and increased their numbers in 2003.

The motion doesn't call for troop removal after 2009 but instead asks only for an end to the combat operations in the south. That is not what the people of Canada have been asking for. Canadians are asking for this war to end now. The bloodshed in Afghanistan is increasing daily and the counter insurgency mission, based on the Iraq model is clearly making things worse. The war in Afghanistan is a disaster, reconstruction is failing the people and human rights are deteriorating under the violent reign of the new Afghan government that NATO supports.

The Canadian Peace Alliance, Canada's largest umbrella peace network, will continue to campaign, lobby and protest until the troops are brought home.

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For more information please contact Sid Lacombe, coordinator of the Canadian Peace Alliance at 416-588-5555 or 416-333-7567 (cell)

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