Hey Jack! You Don't Have An Exclusive On Sorrow

If you are that adamant that Canada not fulfill it's obligations in Afganhistan all you have to do is get the bloc and liberals to support your withdrawal proposal and put it to a vote.........have you forgotten that Harper has a minority in the House Of Commons?

NDP leader wants new approach in Afghanistan following soldier's death
By SEAN PATRICK SULLIVAN

TORONTO (CP) - Following the death of yet another Canadian soldier in Afghanistan, NDP Leader Jack Layton says he hopes Canadians will ask the government to take a different approach to combat in the war-torn country.

Cpl. Matthew McCully, 25, was killed by a roadside bomb on Friday in the Zhari district of Kandahar province.

In an interview with The Canadian Press in Toronto, Layton said his heart goes out to the family and friends of the fallen soldier, but stressed the need for a continued debate about the mission in Afghanistan.

"Our soldiers will risk their lives, according to what we request them to do. We saw yesterday the profound reality of that commitment," he said.

Layton said his party is concerned about what he calls an "aggressive" counter-insurgency campaign being waged by Canadian forces.

McCully was participating in Operation Hoover, a major anti-Taliban offensive, alongside Afghan and Portugeuse troops when he stepped on an anti-tank mine that instantly killed him.

On Saturday, eight members of McCully's squadron carried his flag-drapped coffin into a Hercules aircraft that would take him home to Ontario.

It was the first Canadian death since mid-April, when eight soldiers were killed by a massive roadside bomb.

Layton said it is "distressing" that the prime minister has opened the door to a prolonged mission in Afghanistan, where 55 Canadian soldiers have been killed since 2002.

In a surprise visit to Afghanistan last week, Prime Minister Stephen Harper told troops it would be wrong to guarantee a pull-out date in advance.

"You know that your work is not complete," Harper told the assembled troops. "You know that we can't just put down our weapons and hope for peace."

The NDP has called for an immediate withdrawal, while the Liberals want Canada to pull its troops when the current mission expires in 2009.

Citing the rising costs - both human and financial - Layton said multibillion-dollar purchases of tanks and helicopters could have been avoided if the military was not engaged in a "search and destroy mission."

"I think many Canadians are asking themselves whether Mr. Harper hasn't lost track of the priorities of Canadians," said Layton.

Friends, family members, and fellow soldiers are remembering McCully as a good friend who was enthusiastic about his tour in Afghanistan.

McCully's sister, Shannon McGrady, said the 25-year-old was a role model who acted a father figure to his younger siblings while growing up in Orangeville, Ont. He was also a soldier who loved his job, she said.

"I thought he was crazy. He loved the army," McGrady said. "If he was asked to do this all over again, he wouldn't change it."