Prime Minister Stephen Harper in Churchill, Man., on Aug. 24.
Stephen Harper admits he's still searching for answers to the question of how Canada will protect its civilian workers in Afghanistan after Canadian troops withdraw in 2011.
This is one of several problems that complicate the Prime Minister's decision to end Canada's military mission in Afghanistan next year - a subject destined to re-emerge on the federal political agenda this fall.
The Liberals continue to press for Canada to leave some soldiers behind to act as trainers for Afghan forces. And one European ally tells The Globe and Mail that other countries have still been lobbying Mr. Harper - as recently as June - to do the same.
At a media availability Tuesday in Churchill, Man. - where the Prime Minister's northern tour was grounded for a day due to fierce weather - Mr. Harper was asked who would protect the security of civilians in Afghanistan without the presence of Canadian troops.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai has said he wants all private security firms out of his country by the end of this year, claiming they contribute to, rather than prevent, violence. Canada uses private contractors to protect its embassy and some development projects such as the rebuilding of the Dahla dam.
Responding on the matter, the Prime Minister cited Tuesday's Globe and Mail report that Ottawa is mapping out a "strictly civilian" mission for Afghanistan after Canadian troops withdraw in 2011 - one that would spend $549-million over three years on development and diplomacy.
He said plans for post-2011 are still in flux.
"While officials are examining various proposals, we have not taken decisions and there are difficult questions along those lines to answer," he responded.
But, Mr. Harper conceded, Mr. Karzai's edict makes post-2011 planning even more difficult.
"I will certainly concede that President Karzai's recent decision will complicate some of those choices in the future," Mr. Harper said.
One option might be to keep some troops in Afghanistan to protect Canadians on the ground and to assist in training Afghan forces, which Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff has proposed. Liberal foreign affairs critic Bob Rae said he expects this proposal will be examined by the special Commons committee on Afghanistan this fall.
However, as if to forestall speculation about this option, the Prime Minister's Office e-mailed a memorandum to reporters shortly after the press conference declaring: "We just want to be absolutely clear that Canada's military mission in Afghanistan ends in 2011."
One European ally told The Globe and Mail on condition of anonymity that Mr. Harper informed its political head of government recently he was personally open to keeping Canadian soldiers behind as trainers - but wasn't sure he could rely on long-term Liberal support for such a move.
Just weeks later, the ally said Mr. Harper also confided that he was more hesitant about the prospects of leaving behind soldier trainers because he could not clearly divine the opposition's position. This came amid reports of rising casualties and the growing sense among Western countries that Mr. Karzai was an unreliable partner.
The European ally said Mr. Harper wrapped up this discussion by saying he would try to seek more clarity on opposition opinion by October.
Dimitri Soudas, chief spokesman for Mr. Harper, wouldn't comment on anonymous recounting of private meetings, but said the prime minister has only one position on the matter. "He's equally clear in private as he is in public in terms of our military mission ending in 2011. … That means Canadian forces will redeploy back to Canada."
Retired major-general Lewis MacKenzie said he's starting to think he may be wrong in assuming Canada will eventually relent and leave behind soldiers to train the Afghans. "This is the first day I think that maybe that's not going to happen."
The Conservatives privately say they fear that soldiers left behind as military trainers might end up in combat, but Mr. MacKenzie said it's not that hard at all to design a role for Canadians that could keep them off the battlefield.