CANADIAN PM AND DEFMIN PRAISE AFGHAN MISSION,

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 OTTAWA 002322 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL MOPS MARR AF CA SUBJECT: CANADIAN PM AND DEFMIN PRAISE AFGHAN MISSION, ADMONISH IRAN ¶1. (U) Summary: Canadian Defense Minister Peter MacKay, Chief of Defense Staff Rick Hillier, and U.S. Ambassador David Wilkins visited Canadian troops in Kandahar on Christmas day. MacKay underscored the "remarkable progress" in Afghanistan, while the Ambassador praised Canada's contribution to securing and rebuilding Afghanistan. MacKay also used the occasion to urge Iran and Pakistan to stop the flow of weapons and explosives from their countries to terrorist forces in Afghanistan. Meanwhile, in Ottawa, Prime Minister Harper took advantage of end-of-year interviews to encourage Canadians to support the extension of Canadian participation in the ISAF mission in Kandahar. He also pressed opposition parties to resist the temptation to exploit popular concerns about Canadian casualties and NATO burden-sharing in Afghanistan for short-term political gain. End summary. DEFMIN MACKAY EMPHASIZES PROGRESS IN AFGHANISTAN... -------------- -------------- ¶2. (U) Speaking to reporters on December 25 just after having served Canadian troops Christmas dinner, Defense Minister Peter MacKay emphasized that, while Parliament will ultimately decide whether Canadian troops remain in Afghanistan past their February 2009 mandate, the Canadian government does "not want to leave work undone." Canada should stick with Afghanistan until it is a "functional, secure, self-sustaining country," he said. MacKay noted that "remarkable progress" had been made in the country, stressing that five or six years is a "relatively short time, in the grand scheme of things, to build a country that has been under such difficult circumstances for so many years." ¶3. (U) Canadian media quoted U.S. Ambassador to Canada David Wilkins, who participated in the visit at MacKay's request, as calling Canada's contribution in Afghanistan "a great example of what a freedom-loving people can do to help other people gain freedom and democracy." ...URGES IRAN, PAKISTAN TO INTERDICT WEAPONS -------------- ¶4. (U) MacKay also used the visit to publicly urge Iran and Pakistan to stop the flow of weapons and explosives, particularly IEDs, to terrorist groups that are targeting NATO forces in Afghanistan. MacKay said that Canada has registered its concerns with Iran and Pakistan, and that Canada is "very concerned" that weapons are entering Afghanistan from Iran. PM HARPER CALLS ON CANADIANS TO SUPPORT ISAF MISSION -------------- -------------- ¶5. (U) In his year-end interview with the Canadian Press, PM Harper said his government would ask Parliament to vote by spring on what kind of mission Canada should undertake in Afghanistan after the current mandate expires in February ¶2009. But Harper acknowledged the political complexity of the issue. Asked if he believed Canadians truly appreciated what was at stake in deciding whether to extend the mandate to 2011, Harper responded, "I don't know. The short answer is I don't know." He said that Canada had taken on an important international commitment that would directly impact Qimportant international commitment that would directly impact Canada in the long run, but was not sure this understanding was shared by the Canadian people, who he believed are "deeply troubled" by the casualties. Harper urged the opposition parties to resist the temptation to use the issue for short-term political advantage rather than taking a decision that is in "the long run interest of the country, its international reputation, and the sacrifice our men and women have made to secure it." COMMENT -------------- ¶6. (SBU) With the Manley Panel report due to be released within the next month, the Canadian government will need to make a tough decision on whether to call a parliamentary vote on the mission this winter, or to delay the vote until the spring in hopes that Canada's NATO allies will commit more OTTAWA 00002322 002 OF 002 troops at the April NATO meeting. PM Harper's government is working hard to increase support for extending the mission, with MacKay's trip to Afghanistan playing well in the press, especially as it fell on the heels of visits to Afghanistan by the French and Australian leaders, who raised hopes that those two countries might contribute additional combat forces to the effort in southern Afghanistan. Visit Canada,s Economy and Environment Forum at http://www.intelink.gov/communities/state/can ada BREESE