U.S. Defence Secretary Robert Gates wasn't talking about Canada when he verbally attacked the skills of the allied troops working in southern Afghanistan, Defence Minister Peter MacKay said Wednesday.

Damn. The let's leave Afghanistan movement needs a bit more help.

"He said, 'I specifically made no reference to any country and Canada is the last country I'd make those comments about.'"

Ok. I guess that makes it all ok then.

"He was extremely complimentary in what he said about Canadian forces and in fact expressed regret and embarrassment over those comments being in any way reflected towards our troops," MacKay said.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2008/01/16/gates-comments.html?ref=rss

_{aspiring to genteel poverty}