The Afghan war is lost. We can't win, and the British, at least, are willing to admit it . Nobody has successfully subjugated the Pashtun in more than 400 years. To beat one would-be conqueror after another, they've used exactly the same strategy. Wear down the enemy until they are too tired or too weak to continue. Not only does it work every time, its working now . In addition, the Taliban enjoy some support from parts of the Pakistani government. To a certain extent, we are fighting a proxy war against Pakistan.
Canada entered Afghanistan as a part of our obligations under NATO. I agreed with our intervention at the time, and still think it was the right thing to do. However, no matter our international obligations, we cannot honorably ask our soldiers to die in a war we know can't be won. This war can't be won. Possibly it could have been in 2002 or 2003, but not anymore. Canada should withdraw our troops, first to their bases, and then home.
