Opposition blames 'militarizing' Afghanistan mission for soldier deaths

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http://www.canada.com/topics/news/politics/story.html?id=3c67058e-4032-4fde-ab11-862e504ad8bd&k=14884

OTTAWA - Fewer Canadian soldiers would be killed or injured in Afghanistan if Prime Minister Stephen Harper stopped forcing troops into a combat role in that country, opposition critics said after four Canadians were killed in attacks Thursday.

The Conservative government has ''militarized'' Canada's mission in Afghanistan, which has turned citizens against soldiers that were originally sent to focus on humanitarian and reconstruction work, and it's endangering their lives, said Liberal defence critic Ujjal Dosanjh.

''Many Afghans today don't think of us as liberators. Something has gone wrong and that's why we need to reassess the focus of that mission. If we were winning the hearts and minds of more of the Afghani people, certainly there would be less casualties. There's no question in my mind,'' he said.

Meanwhile, at a Conservative caucus meeting in Cornwall, Ont., Thursday, Prime Minister Stephen Harper vowed to pursue Canada's mission in Afghanistan and urged Canadians to show more support for their troops following the latest casualties in the war on terrorism.