I'm not sure it's not a bad idea for Afstan combat ops to end in 2009. However, I think Layton could be corralled into supporting a return to Kabul in aid-to-civil-power and training roles. Some of his voters wouldn't like that but if the Libs, Tories and BQ signed on, his few political instincts would kick in. Here's why I think the main force should rotate out in 2009.
1. Taking a time out from Afstan would allow experienced troops to return to Canada and join the training system and its increased recruit population. It would also allow any depletions in materiel to be assessed and resolved.
2. There's no shortage of places needing help in the world although places like Lebanon, Cyprus, Sudan and Sri Lanka would just be exploited by the media to create more division at home by playing ethnic communities off each other. Instead, for instance, Canada could start playing a part in Pacific security by joining/replacing Australian deployments with to settle places like the Solomons, East Timor etc. where the Aussies have been pretty much doing it solo to date in addition to their Iraq/Afstan duties. Politically this might be a runner given the general meeting of minds and exchanges of political operators between Howard and Harper. South Korea, taking a turn from a US battalion or two, could also be an option although again you'd wonder if the media would try and stir it up in the local Korean communities especially here in Toronto.
3. The departure of Canada from Afstan would force NATO to confront some awkward truths about the nature of ISAF, of caveats and of the 8,000 non-ISAF US forces in Afstan and how what they do they do affects ISAF.