Harper sets 2014 as firm Afghan deadline

Prime Minister Stephen Harper says there will be no Canadian troops on the ground in Afghanistan after 2014 – and the deadline is firm.

He made the comments during the last day of the NATO summit in Chicago. The prime minister was being asked to consider leaving some soldiers in Afghanistan after 2014. But Harper says Canada will only continue to financially support the Afghan military with $110 million a year for the next three years, calling the contribution generous and an example for other nations to follow.

“We want to assure that Afghanistan does not again become a centre for global terrorism and we want to see the Afghans take primary responsibility for their own security. For those reasons the NATO mission will end March 2014… firm and final.”

The 50 Afghanistan partners – including the U.S. – will still provide security training and a $4-billion a year subsidy for Afghan security after troops are gone.

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