Canadians in Afghanistan for the long termIt's not as if the news from Afghanistan has ever been reassuring. From the death of four Canadian soldiers by friendly fire in April 2002 to the suicide attack which claimed the life of Corporal. Jamie Murphy, 26, of Conception Harbour, Newfoundland, in January 2004, in the ax attack earlier that month that injured Captain Trevor Greene - Canada's missions in Afghanistan after 9/11 provided a series of violent news one after another. Can there really be a Canadian left that imagines this is an old-fashioned peacekeeping mission? This impoverished country, located at the turbulent crossroads of Central Asia, the Middle East and the Indian subcontinent, has more than lived up to its former reputation as a test of the will of foreigners who put their boots in the dirt. It should not have been much of a surprise that public opinion, measured in two polls, showed a marked lack of enthusiasm for Canada's continued engagement in one of the most unforgiving places in the world. planet. And yet the poll results seemed to unsettle politicians and military officers. . Stephen HARPER's new government has had to deal not only with a recent series of attacks and accidents suffered by the Canadian contingent - now 2,300 strong, leading the international mission in the dangerous southern region around Kandahar - but also to precise figures. A Strategic Counsel poll found that 62 percent of Canadians oppose sending troops to Afghanistan; Ipsos-Reid found a divided nation, with 52 percent believing Canadian troops are carrying out a vital mission, but 48 percent saying troops should be brought home as soon as possible. Harper firmly reaffirmed the government's determination not to "run away" from Afghanistan, attacking the opposition...... middle of paper ... it would be in a future Afghanistan. The future of Afghanistan is not easy for anyone. But O'Connor insists a worried public need not fear that Canadian troops there face ever greater risks. “Our role in Afghanistan is not to conduct combat operations,” he said. "The overall role of the military is to provide a security environment for the population. Now, part of that mission may be to eliminate insurgents, but we are not there primarily for combat operations." Far To go on the offensive, O'Connor emphasized, Canadian troops are primarily expected to meet with local leaders and interact with ordinary Afghans, help train Afghan forces and generally improve security. , however, is that they have to try to do all of this while constantly watching for the next roadside bomb or suicide attack. 20, 2006