Olympics could hit Canada's Afghan military tour

OTTAWA, Nov 21 (Reuters) Canada might not be able to extend the life of its 2,500-strong mission to Afghanistan beyond February 2009 because many troops will be needed to ensure security at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, according to a document.

The mission was supposed to end in February 2007 but the ruing Conservatives, who won an election this year in part by promising to boost the overstretched and underfunded military, pushed through a parliamentary vote approving a two-year extension.

Although the government has said little about whether Canadian soldiers will stay beyond February 2009, a formerly secret military briefing document prepared for Defence Minister Gordon O'Connor casts doubt on this possibility.

''Planning and mounting the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games security operation is a high priority activity that will represent a major commitment for the Canadian forces and will have a significant impact on domestic operations in 2009 and 2010,'' the document says.

''Security commitment for the Games could also affect the Canadian forces' ability to deploy a large number of forces overseas,'' it continued.

The 2010 Olympics will be held from February. 12 to 28 in a series of venues that stretch 75 miles from southern Vancouver to the mountain resort of Whistler in British Columbia.

The report from top officials was made available to Reuters under access to information legislation. It was dated February. 5, the day before the Conservatives formally took power.

A spokesman for the defense ministry said no decision had yet been taken as to how many soldiers would be needed for the 2010 Games.

Since 2002, 42 Canadian soldiers have died in Afghanistan, most of them in battles in the south of the country over the past few months.

Recent opinion polls have largely shown most Canadians are pessimistic about the future of the Afghan mission and want the troops to come home.

REUTERS DKS PM0456