Fallen soldiers to return home Monday

There are many heavy hearts back at the base in Kandahar, but for many soldiers, along with the sadness, there's determination to make sure their comrades did not die in vain.

CTV's Question Period: Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff says he is committed to making Parliament work and not looking to call an election.

After seeing support increase in Quebec, Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff has been spending more time in that province. With the economy and the mission in Afghanistan on the front burners though, Ignatieff says he is committed to making Parliament work and not looking to call an election.

CTV's Question Period: Washington Bureau Chief Paul Workman and military analyst Sunil Ram

Washington has already begun an Afghanistan mission review, and the recent loss of Canadian soldiers has some saying Canada should be involed in that process. Analysts however say, the level of involvement in the review is indicative of Canada's presence in Afghanistan.

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CTV.ca News Staff

Date: Sun. Mar. 22 2009 4:14 PM ET

The bodies of four fallen Canadian soldiers will arrive back in Canada on Monday, three days after their deaths in two separate bomb arracks in Afghanistan.

The flag-draped caskets of Master Cpl. Scott Vernelli, 28, Cpl. Tyler Crooks, 24, Trooper Jack Bouthillier, 20, and Trooper Corey Joseph Hayes, 22, are expected to arrive at CFB Trenton around 2 p.m. on Monday.

Gov. Gen. Michaelle Jean and Defence Minister Peter MacKay are expected to be on hand for the repatriation ceremony at the eastern Ontario military base.

Vernelli and Crooks died while on foot patrol in Zhari district, west of Kandahar city. A Friday blast that occurred around 6:45 a.m., local time, killed both men, a local interpreter and injured five other soldiers.

Two hours later, Bouthillier and Hayes were killed after their vehicle struck a roadside bomb in Shah Wali Kot, northeast of Kandahar city.

The Friday deaths of the four Canadian soldiers occurred as the Canadians were working with U.S. troops to attack and disrupt Taliban command centres and supply lines.

They also came at a time when the U.S. is undertaking a review of its own presence in Afghanistan, though it has not consulted Canada on the matter.

Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff said the most recent deaths of Canadian soldiers has prompted renewed debate about the mission in Afghanistan, though he said is concerned the most significant debate is taking place south of the border.

"The loss of those soldiers is a body blow and I think we are rethinking our mission right now. The problem is that the rethinking of the mission is going on in Washington," he told CTV's Question Period on Sunday.

"The problem is that the Canadians are not, I think, full participants. I don't want the strategy in Afghanistan to be defined in Washington. We've paid in blood and treasure to be at the table when these strategic decisions are made."

Ignatieff said whatever the future brings in Afghanistan, he favours seeing Canada remain engaged in the country on a humanitarian and political basis after its military commitments have been completed.

Defence analyst Sunil Ram said Canada has not been consulted on the U.S. review, because its troop presence "isn't that relevant to the size of the U.S. forces on the ground."

Ram predicts that NATO forces are angling to leave Afghanistan as soon as possible because of rising casualties and a belief that they are going to have to negotiate with the Taliban rather than continue to fight against its militants.

"There's really no reason to stay at this point and continue to take casualties when it's pretty clear that Afghanistan, one way or the other, is going to end up in the hands of the Taliban, be it politically or be it militarily," Ram told Question Period. "So we have to be realistic about these things."