OTTAWA — There will be times after 2009 when Canadian troops will have to be engaged in combat in Afghanistan and the timing of such decisions are best left to commanders on the ground, Defence Minister Peter MacKay said Wednesday.

The possibility of Canadian troops continuing to carry the fight to the Taliban is at the heart of a debate over whether the federal Liberals will support the Conservative government's motion to extend deployment in Kandahar up to July 2011.

In opening debate on the motion Monday, Liberal Leader Stephane Dion made it clear his party wants other NATO troops to take over the lead combat role, leaving Canadian soldiers to focus on reconstruction, security and training Afghan forces.

But MacKay says he believes the Liberals are realistic and have come to the conclusion that there are times when fighting will be necessary.

"I think there is a general acceptance by the Liberal party, certainly an understanding on our part, that these operations decisions often do involve combat, that involve in engaging in fighting with the Taliban, when the Taliban confront them,'' he said at an update briefing Wednesday.

"That capability remains. It has to. If you check the record you'll find its littered comments from people like Mr. (deputy Liberal leader Michael) Ignatieff, (defence critic) Denis Coderre and others who have said quite clearly they understand there's a necessity for combat.''

Debate on the Conservative motion, which the Liberals have tentatively signalled they will accept as long as there are a few clarifications, took place over two days this week and is expected to face a vote in the House of Commons in late March. The proposal, among other things, sets a firm timeline for withdrawal from the war-torn country -- something the Liberals had also been demanding.

Acceptance of the motion also hinges on NATO agreeing to provide 1,000 more combat troops specifically for Kandahar, as well as National Defence securing battlefield helicopters and advanced unmanned surveillance aircraft.

Both MacKay and Foreign Affairs Minister Maxime Bernier downplayed recent suggestions that U.S. President George W. Bush had already agreed to provide the troops.

But both seemed decidedly more upbeat about the prospect of securing those reinforcements, with MacKay speaking in terms of "when those troops will arrive,'' rather than if they were coming.

"It's in my nature to be optimistic,'' said Bernier with a grin and shrug, when asked why they seemed more buoyant than before.

"I hope in the near future we will have a partner.''

MacKay also dismissed media reports that France had decided to send more troops to eastern, rather than southern Afghanistan as speculation. At a recent informal meeting of NATO defence ministers, the French hinted strongly they were considering answering Canada's call for reinforcements.

If a decision had been made, MacKay said he was certain the French government would have informed Ottawa.

Meanwhile, the minister in charge of Canada's aid and reconstruction effort in Afghanistan said that red-tape and restrictions, which have hampered progress, are being eased.

Officials with the Canadian International Development Agency, working out of the provincial reconstruction base in Kandahar, won't have to seek permission from Ottawa to spend money on individual projects as often as they have in the past.

That should speed up the rebuilding effort, said Bev Oda.

In addition, travel restrictions placed on civilian staff in the wake of the 2006 death of diplomat Glyn Berry, are being eased.

Many involved in the reconstruction effort have send the inability of development staff to travel very far from secure compunds has it tough to get things accomplished.

The Manley commission report recommended Canadian aid become more visible with a so-called signature project, such as a hospital or some other vital piece of infrastructure.

Oda, who had initially been skeptical of the idea, said Wednesday that the department is currently trying to line up such a project.