U.S. ambassador 'proud' he helped convince Canada to stay in Afghanistan
Source: The Globe and Mail
The behind-the-scenes role that U.S. ambassador David Jacobson played in convincing the Harper government not to quit Afghanistan remains a point of pride for the American envoy as he prepares to leave his post.
His intervention came in 2010, when Prime Minister Stephen Harper was preparing to pull Canadian combat troops out of Kandahar. Mr. Jacobson played a major role in convincing the Harper government to send 950 troops to Afghanistan as trainers so that the end of the Canadian combat mission would not mark an abrupt Canadian exit – one which might be followed by other allies.
... “That is one of the things that I am very proud of,” Mr. Jacobson said in an interview at the Ottawa residence he is leaving this month. “It wasn’t just me, but I did have a role.”
... The U.S. Ambassador said he believes that Canada’s role in Afghanistan did a lot to make Canadians feel good about their role in the world, and bolstered the country’s reputation on the world stage. “I think Canada earned a lot of credit around the world, not just I the United States but around the world, for their work in Afghanistan,” he said.
Read more: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/us-ambassador-proud-he-helped-convince-canada-to-remain-in-afghanistan/article12605920/
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