Mr. Speaker, I had the opportunity to travel to Afghanistan about a month ago. It was most interesting to see. The member mentioned the three D s: defence, diplomacy and development. They do not really all take place at the same time or follow one another. They occur in various places and not in any special sequence. Sometimes they do occur at the same time.
One thing I find very interesting is the fact that the development going on in Afghanistan can be seen.
I had the opportunity to visit Kabul, where I went first. I thought things were very difficult there. Later on, I went to Kandahar. I saw there the difference it made. I saw that Kandahar had once been what Kabul is now.
The armed forces have made the difference. I saw that people appreciate what they are doing. I was especially proud watching children and the people talking with the Canadian armed forces. They were very proud and treated them very warmly because they understood that the Canadian Forces were their friends and had come to help them. I was very moved to see that a Canadian soldier in Afghanistan is welcomed by the people of the region.
I come back to what I said at the start. It all begins with defence. Going there and providing some stability is essential. Once there is stability, development can occur and progress follows. In Afghanistan the difference it makes can be seen. I think the three D s happen all at once in places all over in Afghanistan, wherever our forces have been.