The debate begins in the House of Commons in just a few hours that will end in a vote tonite to decide whether Canadian soldiers will remain in Afghanistan for two years beyond February, 2007.The Liberals hold the fate of those soldiers in their hands.
CBC has announced that both the Bloc and the NDP will vote against the motion, while the Liberals have yet to make a public statement. Former Defence Minister John McCallum called this rush to vote a Conservative political "trap" as he made his way into the Liberal's caucus meeting ahead of the debate.
If the Liberals have any sense, they will also oppose this extended mission.
Bring our soldiers home.
UPDATE: Liberal leader Bill Graham has announced that his party's MPs will listen to the reasons put forth by the Conservatives to support this vote today and that they will then have to decide individually how they will vote tonite (free vote). Graham expressed frustration about the fact that there has not been an intensive look via committee or other means to examine the feasibility of such an extension and feels that his colleagues have not had enough time to evaluate all aspects of keeping the soldiers in Afghanistan beyond February, 2007.
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