Clinton weighs in on Afghanistan, U.S. elections

Former U.S. president Bill Clinton has urged Canadians to continue the Afghan mission, calling it a chance to help a "genuine Muslim moderate democracy prevail" that should be distinguished from the Iraq war.

Clinton also offered his take on the mid-term elections south of the border during two Canadian fundraisers on Wednesday.

At his first event of the day, a $500-per-plate fundraiser for the Catholic Family Counselling Centre in Kitchener, Ont., Clinton urged the country to keep its soldiers in Afghanistan.

"I ask Canadians to disassociate whatever you think about Iraq and the mistakes made there from the security interests we all have in seeing a genuine Muslim moderate democracy prevail in Afghanistan," said Clinton.

"We may not be able to save it, but if we can, we should because we will all be at great risk if al-Qaeda can roam freely."

More than 2,000 Canadian troops are serving in Afghanistan's volatile southern Kandahar region. Forty-two soldiers and one diplomat have died since the mission started more than four years ago.

U.S. should beef up Afghan deployment,Clinton says

Clinton said the United States should send 8,000 more soldiers to the country to support the NATO-led mission. There are already about 18,000 American soldiers in Afghanistan, sent during the U.S.-led invasion following the Sept. 11 attacks.

"If we lose in Afghanistan and the Taliban come back, it will not only be a nightmare for the Afghan people, but it will create greater options of movement for the al-Qaeda leadership, and increase the likelihood that they will be able to mount and conduct more global terrorist operations."

Clinton, a Democrat, also took a swipe at his Republican successor, criticizing the administration of U.S. President George W. Bush and calling its 2003 invasion of Iraq a "serious mistake."

Americans turfed 'hard-headed ideological' politics

At a fundraiser for the Jewish National Fund of Ottawa later in the day, Clinton spoke about the Democratic gains during Tuesday's mid-term elections in the U.S.

The former president said he was glued to the television until the early morning as the results rolled in, giving the Democrats control of the House and the Senate for the first time in more than a decade.

Americans soundly rejected "hard-headed ideological" politics, said Clinton.

He repeated his criticism of the war in Iraq, citing its now debunked claims that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction.

He also criticized U.S. President George W. Bush's handling of tensions with North Korea, saying by "branding someone evil, you can hardly invite them over for a drink."

Former prime minister Jean Chrétien and Green Party Leader Elizabeth May attended the fundraiser.

Clinton's appearance at the Kitchener fundraiser stirred controversy when it was first announced in the summer.

A southern Ontario bishop urged Catholics to boycott the event, saying Clinton's support for abortion, his marital infidelity and his promotion of condom use to prevent the spread of AIDS go against Catholic Church doctrine.