'Canadian troops in Afghanistan will end up training Taliban insurgents'

Toronto, Jan 15(ANI): Changing Canada's military mission from combat to training in Afghanistan would mean that Canada would train and equip many who will later join Taliban, New Democratic Party (NDP) leader Jack Layton has said.

Layton's comment comes after the Canadian government's announced its plan to deploy 1,000 troops in Afghanistan to build up the country's army.

"Every year, one in five soldiers walks out of the Afghan National Army for good. How many of these become Taliban fighters, taking their training and weapons with them?" the Globe and Mail quoted Layton, as saying during a speech at the University of Ottawa.

"You think you're training government officers, but then you're really training insurgents as well," he added.

The NDP leader also emphasized that it would create a military machine for a corrupt and distrusted Afghan President.

"Even if the military is loyal, it will serve a President, Hamid Karzai, that's very closely tied to rigged elections and rampant corruption, and discredited with his own people," Layton said. (ANI)