Canada rejects NATO's request for Afghan mission extension

OTTAWA, Aug. 6 (Xinhua) -- Canada on Thursday rejected NATO's request for extending its mission in Afghanistan, saying it will withdraw troops in 2011 as scheduled.

The new secretary-general of NATO, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, said earlier Thursday that he would like Canada to stay beyond the planned 2011 withdrawal date, according to Canadian media reports.

"Of course I'm not going to interfere with domestic politics in individual allied nations, but seen from an alliance point of view, I would strongly regret if that became the final outcome of the Canadian considerations," Rasmussen was quoted as saying in Afghanistan.

"At the end of the day it is a question of our own security -- we cannot allow Afghanistan once again to become a safe haven for terrorists -- and

I also think it is in Canada's interest to ensure a peaceful and stable Afghanistan," the Canadian Television (CTV) and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) quoted him as saying.

Canadian Foreign Minister Lawrence Cannon quickly responded by saying that Ottawa would stick to its plan.

"On the other comments, however, our government is abiding by the motion passed in Parliament in 2008 -- that is that our combat forces will leave by 2011. We are staying the course," he said.

Canada has long complained that its troops are making big sacrifices in Afghanistan, having lost 127 soldiers since 2002. The Conservative government has vowed to withdraw troops in early 2011.

Military officials have said the army cannot sustain the deployment any more and will need at least 18 months to recover once the mission ends.