how many troops does canada have in afghanistan
Canada's role in the War in Afghanistan By late 2013 Canada began withdrawing its final soldiers from the training mission. In October the force was down to 650 personnel from over 800 and the withdrawal from Afghanistan was scheduled to be completed by March 2014.[31] On 12 March the government announced with little fanfare that the mission was formally completed with a flag lowering ceremony held in Kabul.[32] [33] The last 84 soldiers left Afghanistan on 15 March 2014, ending Canada's twelve-year military presence in the country.[34]
War in Afghanistan (2001–present) Immediately after the attacks, General Tommy Franks, then-commanding general of Central Command (CENTCOM), initially proposed to President George W. Bush and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld that the U.S. invade Afghanistan using a conventional force of 60,000 troops, preceded by six months of preparation. Rumsfield and Bush feared that a conventional invasion of Afghanistan could bog down as had happened to the Soviets and the British.[131] Rumsfield rejected Franks's plan, saying "I want men on the ground now!" Franks returned the next day with a plan utilizing U.S. Special Forces.[132] On September 26, 2001, fifteen days after the 9/11 attack, the U.S. covertly inserted members of the CIA's Special Activities Division led by Gary Schroen as part of team Jawbreaker into Afghanistan, forming the Northern Afghanistan Liaison Team.[133][134][135] They linked up with the Northern Alliance as part of Task Force Dagger.[136]