The head of Canada's opposition Liberals, Michael Ignatieff, asked the Conservative government for more information Monday on plans to possibly extend the nation's Afghanistan mission.

But Ignatieff, reacting to Defence Minister Peter MacKay's comments on Sunday that Canada was "considering" keeping troops in the war-ravaged nation beyond its parliamentary-mandated mid-2011 exit, kept mum about the Liberals' position on the matter.

"I have nothing to say because there isn't a plan. I don't know how many troops, I don't know what the timeline is, I don't know what the mission would involve and it's not a matter of a secret deal with the Liberals," Ignatieff said.

"There is no deal, and there are no discussions."

He urged Prime Minister Stephen Harper to hold an "open discussion" with the Canadian people first.

But Ignatieff also recalled that he had approved in principle in June a possible training mission, so long as the troops would not be engaged in combat and the government would provide a clear timeline and mission.

He criticized the government for waiting four months before exploring the matter, just two weeks before a NATO summit in Lisbon and under growing pressure from allies to provide an answer.

Harper's spokesman meanwhile said the government was studying three options for Afghanistan: "aid, development and military training in a non-combat role."

"After 2011, we've always been clear on the fact that we will continue to play a role in Afghanistan in a non-combat role," Dimitri Soudas said.

"The government "is in the process of finalizing the details," he added, declining to indicate when a decision would be made public.

MacKay stressed that regardless of whatever decision is made, Canada's 2,800 combat troops now routing insurgents as part of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force would come home next year.

Canada currently also has 400 troops training Afghan soldiers to take over security from ISAF. The proposal being contemplated would have the Canadians remain in the Taliban heartland of Kandahar, just as NATO has requested 900 more military trainers from its member countries.

Share This Article With Planet Earth