[delnisfernan]

The past is irrelavant. As I said before there is not a cap on effort. The mission doesnt end when you fulfill your quota of effort. I also understand the reasons behind their ending the combat mission. Politics.

I agree, but some people, including some of the polititians, see a NATO mission as more of a team effort, and they believed it was time for some other member of the team to step up in Kandahar.
Like I say, I don't agree with that position. We should have stayed the course.
Harper didn't want to go back on a deal he had agreed to in 2008 when he had a minority government. That deal involved a three year extention of the mission but with a firm pull-out date. It was the best he could get at the time.