We'll call this meeting to order. We are about five minutes late.
We have one witness who has not shown up yet from Montreal. If he does end up making it here, we will give him the opportunity to make an opening statement when he does.
This is meeting number 17 of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development, Thursday, March 6, 2008. Today we're continuing our study of Canada's mission in Afghanistan.
As witnesses we have, from the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs, Peggy Mason, senior fellow; and from the University of Ottawa, Nipa Banerjee, professor, Faculty of Social Sciences, International Development and Globalization.
If retired Lieutenant Colonel Rémi Landry is able to make it here today, I would note he is from the University of Montreal.
Towards the end of our meeting we will have time for committee business, so we'll go to that.
I would invite our guests to give us their opening statements. Again, welcome here on a wintry March 6. Then we will go into a couple of rounds of questions.
We'll begin with Ms. Mason. Thank you for being here.