Taliban Welcome Canadian Afghanistan Pullout Date

Last week Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper promised that Canadian troops will leave Afghanistan by 2011. Predictably the taliban have welcomed this news with wide open arms.

If the taliban praises your actions/promises you know you've done something wrong. National Post

KANDAHAR, AFGHANISTAN - A high-ranking Taliban commander in Kandahar province says he welcomes Prime Minister Stephen Harper's pledge to withdraw Canadian troops from Afghanistan by 2011, adding that he doubts the Afghan forces will be ready to defend the war-torn country by then.

"It's a step that will help save Canadian civilians and soldiers," said Mullah Jalil Akhund about the Conservative election promise. "We want foreign troops out of our country, and those that insist on staying, we will carry on fighting."[...]

The exit strategy, however, is predicated on the Afghan government and the Afghan National Security Forces being able to provide some semblance of security to Kandahar by that point.

Akhund, an influential figure in both Kandahar and neighbouring Helmand province, said in an interview this weekend that he does not think the Afghan forces will ready by 2011.