Canadians in Afghanistan for a long timeIt's not as if the news from Afghanistan has ever been reassuring. From the death of four Canadian soldiers caused by friendly fire in April 2002, to the suicide bomber who took the corporal's life. Jamie Murphy, 26, of Conception Harbour, Nfld., in the January 2004 ax attack that injured Capt. Trevor Greene earlier this month - Canadian post-9/11 Afghan missions provided jolt of violent news after another. Can there really be a Canadian left that imagines this was ever an old-fashioned PEACEKEEPING mission? The impoverished country at the turbulent crossroads of Central Asia, the Middle East and the Indian subcontinent more than lives up to its ancient reputation for testing the will of foreigners who put their boots in the dust. It shouldn't have been surprising that public opinion, as measured in two polls, showed a marked lack of enthusiasm for Canada's continued commitment to one of the most unforgiving places on earth. Yet the survey results seemed to trouble politicians and military officials. . Stephen HARPER's new government has had to deal not only with the recent series of attacks and incidents suffered by the Canadian contingent - which now numbers 2,300 soldiers, leading the international mission in the dangerous southern region around Kandahar - but also with some numbers hard. A poll conducted by a strategic consultant found that 62% of Canadians oppose sending troops to Afghanistan; Ipsos-Reid found a divided nation, with 52 per cent believing Canadian troops are carrying out a vital mission, but 48 per cent believing the troops should be brought home as soon as possible. Harper firmly reaffirmed the government's determination not to "cut and run" from Afghanistan, lashing out at the opposition... mid-paper... nor would it be in a future Afghanistan." Afghanistan's future is not easy for anyone. But O'Connor insists that a queasy public need not fear that Canadian troops are being dragged into ever greater danger. "Our role in Afghanistan is not to conduct combat operations," he said. The overall role of the military is to provide a security environment for the people. Now, part of that may be rooting out insurgents, but we're not there primarily for combat operations." Far from going on the offensive, O'Connor stressed, Canadian troops are expected to primarily meet with local leaders and interact with ordinary Afghans, help train Afghanistan's forces, and generally improve security. The harsh reality, however, is that they must try to do all of this while remaining constantly vigilant for the next bomb or suicide attack on the edge of the road. Maclean's March. 20, 2006