Thank you for appearing here today, General Leslie.
I know you said very clearly how stretched the army is in fulfilling the commitments the Canadian government has asked of it.
I asked a question in the House today about the Vancouver Olympics in 2010. My question was to determine how the army would be able to participate in the security for the Vancouver and Whistler Olympics if we are still engaged in Afghanistan. I think there were 10,000 troops in Montreal in 1976--that was 30 years ago. In Turin, there were some 15,000 security personnel for the most recent Olympics. We're committed to Afghanistan from now to 2009. As you know, a number of people, including General Hillier, have said it may be 10 years. Others have said a Canadian commitment could be even longer. I want to ask if you've looked at that. Is the army looking at deploying security for the Olympics in 2010?
Secondly, in the summer of 2005, you were widely quoted in The Toronto Star and other media as saying, “Every time you kill an angry young man overseas, you're creating 15 more who will come after you”, and that “you have to be prepared for the consequences” of that. That was the quotation. I want to know if you still believe that and if you think that's part of what's happening in Kandahar. We know there's a problem with the Pakistan border and the Taliban training there and coming back. So I'm wondering about that statement.
My third question has to do with the Leopard tanks you just mentioned. I understand about the deployment. I'm wondering what state of readiness they were in, what had to be done to make them usable in Afghanistan, if anything, and if there are plans to send more. What kind of work has to be done to ensure they are in a state of readiness?