Afghan President Hamid Karzai said his emotional meeting Friday with the families of Canadians who died in Afghanistan often left him at a loss for words.

"They have given their life to a very good cause, the cause of helping a suffering part of humanity, the Afghan people," Karzai told CTV's Ottawa bureau chief Robert Fife Friday.

And because of this, they are "bringing greater security to the world, Canada included," he said.

"But when you are faced with a mother or father who has lost a son or a daughter, you don't know what to say," Karzai confessed to Fife in an interview on CTV Newsnet. "I was speechless.

"Their loved one will not come back to them," he said, but Afghanistan is grateful because "the blood they shed in Afghanistan is going to make a lot of other parents have the lives of their children (made) safer, better."

Asked what role Afghans are playing in the fight, Karzai said the country is still struggling to rebuild its institutions, including the military and police force, after more than 25 years of war.

"We began to rebuild them some three and a half years ago," Karzai said, and "the national army is getting better.

"There are daily Afghan soldiers dying alongside our international friends in Afghanistan -- every day there is an Afghan army loss, an Afghan police loss," he said. "... but we will need time to build the strength of our forces, institutionally and otherwise."

Karzai again raised the issue of the Taliban using countries such as Pakistan as a base for recruiting and training the forces that are killing Afghan and international troops in his country.

The Taliban resurgence has occurred "because we neglected their sanctuaries beyond our borders," he said. "We hope that all of us, Pakistan included, will have a much stronger effort to remove those places that run in ... the name of religious schools, who actually preach hatred, preach the destruction of people and encourage, mislead young people to go and kill."

Address to Parliament

Earlier Friday, addressing a joint session of the Commons and Senate in Ottawa, Karzai praised Canada's role in his war-ravaged country

While extending official condolences to the families of Canadian soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice in Afghanistan, he described Canada as a "model for all that is good."

The Afghan leader, who arrived in Canada Thursday for a three-day visit, offered thanks for what Canada has done for his troubled country.

He said Canada's role was indispensable in the battle against Taliban militants and emphasized the importance of non-military support -- such as reconstruction and protecting human rights.

"Canada has made a tremendous difference in the lives of millions of Afghans already. Your country is helping us on a daily basis,'' he said.

Karzai also mentioned Afghanistan's drug problem, which he said would take five to 10 years to resolve.

"If we do not destroy poppies in Afghanistan, then poppies will destroy us. I hope you have the patience to succeed."

After being introduced by Prime Minister Stephen Harper, MPs and senators gave Karzai a standing ovation as he stepped to the podium in the crowded Commons chamber Friday morning.

Speaking at a news conference later, Karzai opposed an early withdrawal of Canada's troops, saying they are defending Canadian security as well as Afghanistan's.

His comments were backed by Harper, who said development and military force must go hand in hand.

When asked if Canada should stay in Afghanistan beyond its present commitment to 2009, Karzai said an extension would be welcome, but stopped short of urging it.

Military salute

Before making his address Friday, Karzai signed a guest book in the rotunda beneath the Peace Tower, writing that he wanted to thank Canadians for their help in Afghanistan's "hour of need.''

The Afghan leader was met by Harper, Defence Minister Gordon O'Connor and Gen. Rick Hillier, the chief of the defence staff as he arrived to a 21-gun salute on Parliament Hill.

When asked by a reporter how long Canada was going to stay in Afghanistan, O'Connor said: "NATO and Canada will consider an exit when we believe that governance and development are making steady progress and are irreversible."

About a half dozen protesters wearing masks depicting U.S. President George W. Bush, Harper and Karzai chanted as Karzai went through the welcoming ceremonies.

"Hey Karzai,'' they shouted, "we know you. You're a little puppet too.''

Karzai's attempt to shore up Canadian support was said to be a tough sell.

"Recent polls show the majority of Canadians oppose the mission, so this is going to be a very carefully stage-managed visit," Fife told CTV Newsnet Friday.

"He knows he has to convince the Canadian public that the loss of life is for a good cause."

Public support

Harper, who met with Karzai for a dinner meeting in Ottawa Thursday, is battling a slide in public support for Canada's role in Afghanistan, where 36 Canadian soldiers and one diplomat have died since 2002.

Government figures released Thursday reveal Canada spent $2.3 billion in the war-torn country between September 2001 and May of 2006.

The figure is expected to reach $3.5 billion by early 2009 and does not include a commitment of $1 billion in development aid over 10 years.

Meanwhile, a newspaper report Friday claimed Ottawa is paving the way for deployment of CF-18 fighter jets to support Canadian troops in battling the Taliban in Afghanistan.

The report said Ottawa had awarded the U.S. government a $1.9-million contract for "deployment support" for the CF-18s and cited a list of contracts from Public Works and Government Services.

O'Connor denied any knowledge of the report, the Canadian Press reported.

Canada has around 2,200 troops in Afghanistan -- the majority in the Taliban stronghold of Kandahar province.