Liberals welcome creation of Harper panel on Afghanistan

This is from the Liberal Party's website! A little while ago I thought that Stephane Dion said that Harper had to commit to quit the combat component of the mission in Feb. 2009 or else he would vote against the Throne Speech. Harper had to make clear his intentions now. Setting up this panel makes it crystal clear that Harper has no intention of revealing his intentions now regardless of what the Liberals say or do.
Imagine Rae welcomes the panel, a masterful stroke by Harper to sideline the Liberals and mock them. In placing Ignatieff and Rae in high positions Dion may be assuring his own shipwreck.

Creation of Panel Shouldn’t Stop Open Debate and Discussion in Parliament on Afghanistan
October 12, 2007
TORONTO - Liberal Foreign Affairs Critic Bob Rae today welcomed the Conservative Government’s creation of a panel to study Canada’s mission in Afghanistan.

Mr. Rae also insisted that the creation of the panel should not stop the Harper Government from having an open discussion in the House of Commons about the Afghan mission.

“If the panel serves to encourage an open, public and thoughtful debate about the mission beyond 2009, we support it,” said Mr. Rae, who was appointed Foreign Affairs Critic by Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion.

Mr. Rae was responding to Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s announcement today creating a five-person panel to decide on the future of Canada’s presence in Afghanistan after the 2009 deadline.

Mr. Rae said there can be no reconstruction in Afghanistan without security, but Canada’s current combat mission cannot be expected to continue indefinitely.

“There needs to be an open and transparent discussion in NATO as well as in Canada,” he said.