US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta says there is no question that the US public has had enough of the Afghan war, but also notes that the war's strategy shouldn’t be determined by polls.
“We cannot fight wars by polls,” he told reporters after meeting his Canadian and Mexican counterparts in Ottawa. “If we do that, we're in deep trouble. We have to operate based on what we believe is the best strategy to achieve the mission that we are embarked on.”
Panetta stated that the mission in Afghanistan was to safeguard the American people and to make sure the country never again becomes a “safe haven” for the Taliban and al-Qaeda. He also said that the commitment to the effort must be to ensure that lives lost in the conflict were not lost in vain.
Panetta’s statements were backed by Canadian Defense Minister Peter Mackay, whose country has 1,000 troops in Afghanistan.
“Polls are for dogs,” Mackay said, quoting former Prime Minister John Diefenbaker “This is our generation's war, this is a test of perseverance.”
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