Natynczyk: Afghan mission ends in 2011

OTTAWA, Nov. 10 (UPI) -- Canada's top military commander says the country's military mission in Afghanistan ends in 2011 and that's when he will pull the country's troops out.

Gen. Walter Natynczyk told the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. in an exclusive interview aired Tuesday he was basing his position on parliamentary language directing an end to Canada's military mission in July 2011.

"I mean those are the words that are there," said Natynczyk, the chief of the defense staff. "And for me it's pretty clear. What we do for the Canadian forces are military missions."

The CBC reported that while the government has maintained the country's military mission ends then, Defense Minister Peter MacKay and other ministers and staff have suggested troops could stay in Afghanistan longer, though perhaps not in combat. Canada has 2,800 soldiers in Afghanistan.

Natynczyk said he doesn't envision a role for any soldiers other than a contingent assigned to the embassy staff in Kabul

"We provide protection, we provide security, we enable governance, we enable development, we enable training," he said. "But our function is security and protection. That's the military mission."