Deaths shake Canada's Afghan mission

By Lee Carter
BBC News, Canada

Raymond Arndt was among the Canadians killed in Afghanistan

The news that four more Canadians have died in Afghanistan will add fuel to an already divisive debate in Canada over the mission.

Thirty-six Canadian soldiers and one diplomat have been killed since Canada became involved in Afghanistan in 2002.

For many Canadians, seeing their troops engaged in combat is a relatively new experience.

Since the 1950s, the country has been mainly involved in peacekeeping missions, from Kosovo to Somalia.

Canada has more than 2,000 troops based near Kandahar - a substantial commitment.

Liberals turn

But the by-now almost weekly ritual of coffins draped in the maple-leaf flag returning from Afghanistan is sharply dividing public opinion, with recent polls showing Canadian support for the mission falling to less than half.

The latest deaths, coming just a few days after several European Nato countries have shown their reluctance to deploy their troops to the more volatile south of Afghanistan, will add more urgency to the debate.

The government of Prime Minister Stephen Harper has vowed that it is committed to fighting the Taleban in Afghanistan for as long as necessary. It has made the mission a cornerstone of its foreign policy.

Even though the main Liberal opposition party sent the Canadian troops there in the first place, it is joining other parties in calling for an emergency debate on the issue, just as the country's parliament convenes for its autumn session.