Afghanistan pullout 'daunting': defence chief

Withdrawing all of Canada's troops and equipment from Afghanistan by 2011 will be a "demanding task," says Gen. Walter Natynczyk, Canada's chief of defence staff.

"The logistics of the drawdown are daunting," Natynczyk said on Tuesday, appearing before the standing committee on national defence.

Natynczyk said it's the largest military pullout for Canada since the Korean War and that there’s a wide variety of equipment in Afghanistan, including weapons, ammunition, spare parts material, kitchens and medical facilities.

He said there are also more than 1,200 vehicles and several thousand sea containers "full of stuff."

"The withdrawal of the Canadian forces from Afghanistan will be a demanding task."

Natynczyk said the Forces will have to start bringing contractors in by the summer of 2010 in order to get everything home in July 2011, the end date of the military mission as dictated by a parliamentary motion.

A reconnaissance team is currently in Afghanistan working out the issues to co-ordinate the withdrawal of the Canadian Forces, material and equipment, he said.

The team is also determining what material and equipment should be disposed of, what should be sold off and what should be donated to the Afghans or allies, he said.

There are 2,800 Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan, based primarily in Kandahar province.

Natynczyk repeated that all soldiers will be out of Afghanistan by 2011.

The government has insisted Canada's military mission will end in 2011. But its ministers and staff — including Defence Minister Peter MacKay — have suggested Canadian soldiers could remain in Afghanistan beyond that deadline, though perhaps not in combat.