Thank you, Mr. Pellerin.
I have one very quick question for Mr. Fisher. We haven't heard so much from you in the questions and answers, but in your conclusion you say, “Therefore, Canada should retain a long-term commitment to Afghanistan's future, well beyond 2010.”
I think Canada has said that we are committed to a long-term future, that being through humanitarian aid, and a long-term future with development dollars and ODA and making sure that Afghanistan remains one of the big recipient countries.
You also say:
It is in our strategic interests and certainly in the interests of peace, order and good governance in Afghanistan. There is no quick fix and it is premature to be talking about an exit strategy.
Do you believe it is premature to talk about an exit strategy in regard to our military in 2008 or 2009? Is it preliminary to question how we can transition into a different phase but recognizing the importance of long-term stability in development?