MONTREAL - Defence Minister Gordon O'Connor says Canada will stay in Afghanistan until the progress that's been made becomes irreversible by the extremists who still threaten the country.
O'Connor outlined for an international relations group in Montreal all of Canada's contributions to helping restore peace and hope in Afghanistan. The defence minister says he noticed during a recent trip that life is returning to normal in villages and towns.
But he warns that Taliban extremists are determined to undermine progress and that's why the Canadian Forces remain a vital part of the international mission.
O'Connor's speech was briefly interrupted by a handful of anti-war protesters who were quickly hustled out of the downtown hotel by police.
Outside the hotel, several dozen more protesters staged a small but noisy demonstration to demand that Canada pulls its troops out of Afghanistan.
