Canadians Oppose Afghan Combat Beyond 2011
April 03, 2010
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - People in Canada reject the possibility of extending the country’s military commitment in Afghanistan beyond the current timetable, according to a poll by Angus Reid Public Opinion. 79 per cent of respondents oppose Canadian troops taking part in a combat mission after 2011.
Conversely, 64 per cent of respondents would welcome Canadian troops taking part in activities related to development and governance work, and 54 per cent support Canadian troops training the Afghan military.
Afghanistan has been the main battleground in the war on terrorism. The conflict began in October 2001, after the Taliban regime refused to hand over Osama bin Laden without evidence of his participation in the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington. Al-Qaeda operatives hijacked and crashed four airplanes on Sept. 11, 2001, killing nearly 3,000 people.
At least 1,687 soldiers—including 141 Canadians—have died in the war on terrorism, either in support of the U.S.-led Operation Enduring Freedom or as part of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) led by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
Canadians renewed the House of Commons in January 2006. The Conservative party—led by Stephen Harper—received 36.3 per cent of the vote, and secured 124 seats in the 308-member lower house. Harper formed a minority administration after more than 12 years of government by the Liberal party.
In May 2006, the House of Commons extended Canada’s mission in Afghanistan until February 2009. In March 2008, the House of Commons voted 198-77 to prolong the military deployment until the end of 2011. The Conservative and Liberal parties supported the motion, while the New Democratic Party (NDP) and the Bloc Québécois opposed it. In September 2008, Harper assured that there would be no new extension of the mission.
On Mar. 29, U.S. state secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton discussed a possible extension of Canada’s military mission, declaring, "We would obviously like to see some form of support continue, because the Canadian Forces have a great reputation, they work really well with our American troops and the other members of our coalition."
Following Rodham Clinton’s remarks, Canadian foreign minister Lawrence Cannon declared: "There will be no military mission post-2011."
Polling Data
As you may know, Canada’s commitment to the military mission in Afghanistan is set to expire in 2011. The U.S. government would like to see Canadian troops involved in Afghanistan after 2011. Do you support or oppose Canadian troops taking part in each one of these activities after 2011?
Support
Oppose
Not sure
A combat mission
16%
79%
5%
A training role for the Afghan military
54%
39%
7%
Activities related to development and governance work
64%
29%
7%
Source: Angus Reid Public Opinion Methodology: Online interviews with 1,006 Canadian adults, conducted on Mar. 30 and Mar. 31, 2010. Margin of error is 3.1 per cent.
Complete Poll (PDF)
