OTTAWA — Canada is not at war in Afghanistan, says Defence Minister Gordon O'Connor.

Fighting violent insurgents is just one task among many for Canadian soldiers trying to bring stability to the troubled country, O'Connor told a Commons committee Tuesday.

"The military has to conduct a range of activities,'' he said under questioning from MPs.

"I don't consider this war.''

Since 2002, 16 Canadian soldiers and one diplomat have been killed in Afghanistan.

Liberal committee member Ujjal Dosanjh suggested the Conservative government is avoiding use of the term war because it too closely mirrors American terminology, as in the war on terrorism.

"I think they're trying to downplay it,'' Dosanjh said after the committee meeting.

"I think we should be honest with Canadians and say, `You can call it whatever you want. Our military is engaged in battles almost every day.'

"The opinion on this particular mission is already divided. And if we're not honest with people, there's a danger that it would be further divided.''

O'Connor insisted it's not accurate to say Canada is at war.

"We're engaged in helping people move products around, we're helping them build houses, we're helping advise the police. And when we're attacked, we attack back.''

The Commons narrowly voted recently to extend Canada's mission in Afghanistan an additional two years, until February 2009.

O'Connor told MPs it was the "right and responsible thing'' to make the renewed commitment.

A day earlier, Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay said progress has been made on a variety of social, economic and judicial fronts under the auspices of Canada's 2,300-member military force.

O'Connor said Tuesday the job is not yet done.

"Our military mission in Afghanistan will be successful when the country and its government are stabilized,'' he said. "When the terrorists and their local support networks are defeated and denied sanctuary. And when the Afghan security forces are well-established and under the firm and legitimate control of the government of Afghanistan.''

O'Connor disclosed Tuesday that most of the military's jeep-like G-Wagons will be confined to the Canadian base in Kandahar and, in general, soldiers will venture out in armoured vehicles.

But he denied that will make Canada's military less visible and therefore less able to win the hearts and minds of Afghans. Instead, he suggested, it's a question of safety.

"You have to travel between towns. When you get to the town, you get out of your vehicles and you talk to the people.''

O'Connor also tried to deflect criticism about the exclusion of media from covering the return of soldiers' bodies from Afghanistan.

He insisted that in future, journalists will be free to cover these events if the privacy of family members is not violated.

"If the primary next-of-kin wants the press there, the press will be there.''