Afghanistan committee  If I can, I'll just make another comment on the issue of the connection to training. We have some fairly ambitious targets, but we're meeting them, for the most part, in terms of growing the size of the Afghan national security forces. This comes back to the issue we talked about earlier with respect to violence.

Afghanistan committee  Yes, sir, I would say that's a fair statement. There's been roughly a 40% increase in the last year in the number of troops on the ground. That includes both NATO troops and Afghan security forces. That 40% increase has meant that we're now getting into areas that we were not able to get into.

Afghanistan committee  Yes, Mr. Chair. We received government direction last week, so we're now in the process of consulting with our allies in terms of exactly where and in what capacity we can contribute towards the training. But the objective behind the increase in the training mission is to contribute across a broad range of areas.

Afghanistan committee  Mr. Chairman, I recognize that you would like me to be very quick, so I will. What we have begun is a village approach, which is to focus, as I say, on “clear, hold, and build” kinds of strategies. The idea is to go into various locations, clear the area of insurgents, hold the ground, and allow a transition for Afghan national security forces to take primary responsibility there if possible, particularly the Afghan National Police, if that can be done.

Afghanistan committee  Mr. Chair, the Canadian Forces does not get involved in poppy eradication. That's clearly not something we see as being within our mandate, so we don't do it.

Afghanistan committee  Mr. Chair, the Canadian Forces continue to be responsible for Kandahar City and its approaches, notwithstanding that the surge has begun to take place. In fact, I think it's worth noting, and it's a measure of the U.S.'s degree of confidence in the Canadian Forces, that there are actually three battalions under Canadian command in our area of responsibility.

Afghanistan committee  I would say that I dispute that the Taliban were about to take command of Kandahar City. Of course I'm sure they were in a position to declare that themselves. In a counter-insurgency, you can't prevent insurgents from being in certain parts of the country, and that's certainly the case in the counter-insurgency we're seeing in Afghanistan.

Afghanistan committee  I cannot exactly confirm that information. But I know that, as we speak, the British are still transferring their detainees. They have not ceased to do so. Perhaps, as you said, there are some operations where detainees are taken by Afghan authorities. I don't know. However, in all of my discussions with the British, they have told me that the transfers are continuing.

National Defence committee  If I may, Mr. Chair, I can answer the question on numbers. There are just over 360 in the ISU.