MONTREAL - Prime Minister Stephen Harper might not think the war in Afghanistan is a winnable one, but the first person to serve as Canada's official representative in Kandahar says she still has confidence in the mission.
Elissa Golberg, who was until recently Canada's top civilian in the country's volatile south, admits there have been plenty of challenges and setbacks this year as the insurgency has grown and gained strength.
But she says defeating the insurgency isn't strictly a military effort and believes Canada is making strides when it comes to training the Afghan army and police and building the courts and corrections systems.
Golberg says she also welcomes the U-S troop surge destined for Kandahar.
She says every country has its strengths and believes the U-S will look to Canada as a leader when it comes to development and governance.
The upcoming Afghan election will likely be one of the biggest challenges for her replacement but Golberg says last summer's Sarposa prison break prompted the development of a city-wide security plan that's proving useful to the voting process.
