Mr. Chair, I just want to say one thing. I think it would be pretentious to say I had any influence on General Jones, who is responsible for the U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, but he said that if he had to choose between 5,000 additional soldiers and $50 million for reconstruction, he would take the money.
Why am I questioning the minister's statements? Because media reports during the visit of the Minister of International Cooperation and Minister for la Francophonie and Official Languages to Afghanistan did not show a single school or hospital. No wonder we do not think there is any reconstruction going on at this time.
The government is focusing its efforts in Afghanistan on military action. I would like the minister to answer the same question General Jones answered: if he had the choice between 5,000 additional soldiers and $50 million for reconstruction, which would he choose?