[NYTr] Afghanistan: Karzai pleads with Canada: Don't pull out troops

[All the News That Doesn't Fit]

Reuters - Sep 18, 2007
http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSN1843828820070918?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews

Karzai pleads with Canada: Don't pull out troops

OTTAWA (Reuters) - Afghan President Hamid Karzai pleaded with Canada on
Tuesday not to withdraw its 2,500 troops when their mission ends in
early 2009, saying to do so would only help deliver his country back to
the Taliban, the Globe and Mail newspaper reported.

Karzai made his comments to a special meeting of all Canadian reporters
based in Afghanistan.

"The presence of Canada is needed until Afghanistan is able to defend
itself, and that day is not going to be in 2009," a story on the Globe
Web site quoted him as saying.

So far 70 Canadian soldiers have died in Afghanistan, most of them in
roadside bomb explosions near their base in the southern city of
Kandahar.

Canada's minority Conservative government says it will not extend the
mission unless Parliament approves the idea, something that seems
highly unlikely.

"If you leave prematurely, before we can defend ourselves in terms of
our own abilities, government, institutions, and all associated
factors, Afghanistan will fall back," the Globe quoted Karzai as saying.

Earlier he remarked that "anarchy will bring back safe havens to
terrorists, among other things, and terrorists will then hurt you back
there in Canada and the United States. Simple as that."

Opposition parties in Canada say the troops have spent far too much
time fighting the Taliban, while neglecting the effort to help rebuild
the country.

A report on the CTV Web site said Karzai had pledged that if Canada
committed its troops to staying longer, he would work to end
corruption, rebuild infrastructure and try to bring good government.