Canada isn't at war in Afghanistan, Defence Minister Gordon O'Connor said on Tuesday, but some in the opposition say the government is just playing semantics for political reasons.
FROM APRIL 10, 2006: Afghan mission keeps Canada safe: O'Connor
O'Connor told a committee hearing that Canada has 2,300 soldiers in Afghanistan — many of them involved in reconstruction, peacekeeping and democracy building — even though they've also been involved in heavy and deadly fighting.
"I don't consider this war," O'Connor said, but he declined to explain.
"To me, war would be — well, I can start going into what war would be, I just don't consider this to be war."
That's because O'Connor and the Conservative government are worried about the politics of the word, Liberal defence critic Ujjal Dosanjh said.
"Mr. Bush's language is it's the 'war on terror.' That is Mr. Bush's language and think maybe that is why they are afraid not to use the words," he said.
U.S. President George W. Bush is coming under increasing political pressure over his decision to take his country to war, first in Afghanistan, then in Iraq. Bush's popularity has fallen dramatically as the war in Iraq has become increasingly unpopular among U.S. citizens.
Nonetheless, O'Connor says, Canada is winning in Afghanistan.
"If you concentrate against our military, then, you know, we can defeat them. And lately they have been concentrating against our military in our area and they have been taking very large casualties," he said.
Canada has been in several battles with Taliban fighters in recent weeks. Capt. Nichola Goddard was killed on May 17, the 16th Canadian soldier to die in Afghanistan since 2002. Several others have been wounded, including five this week.
But dozens of Taliban fighters have been killed or captured at the same time, coalition officials say.
O'Connor says as more enemy fighters are killed, more reconstruction work can be accomplished.
Canada has said it will keep its soldiers in Afghanistan until 2009.