A top NATO official says foreign troops could remain in Afghanistan far beyond a newly touted withdrawal deadline. The Obama administration has said it will extend a conditional date for withdrawing troops by three years to 2014. But speaking to reporters ahead of a NATO summit in Portugal, the top NATO civilian official in Afghanistan, Mark Sedwill, said, “The end of 2014 does not mean that the mission is over, but the mission changes. It’s the inflection point, if you like.” Sedwill’s comments come as the Canadian government has announced plans to end its combat mission in Afghanistan. In a blow to the U.S.-led NATO occupation, Canadian Foreign Minister Lawrence Cannon said Canadian forces would leave Kandahar next year.

Lawrence Cannon: “And despite—yes, despite—the urgings of our NATO allies, we shall withdraw from Kandahar and shut down our combat mission. But we are not abandoning the Afghan people. After 2011, our efforts will be centered in Kabul. We shall dedicate ourselves to development, diplomacy and a non-combat role in training members of the Afghan national security forces.”