U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says the West must continue efforts to defeat Taleban insurgents and support democracy in Afghanistan.
In comments Tuesday in Canada, Rice recalled how Afghanistan became a haven for terrorists after the United States withdrew support for the country after Soviet forces withdrew in 1989.
She warned against leaving Afghanistan too early again.
Rice made the comments during a news conference in Nova Scotia with Canadian Foreign Minister Peter MacKay.
She thanked Canada for its contributions to the NATO force in Afghanistan. Canada has about 2,200 troops in the country.
More than 20 Canadian troops have died in Afghanistan. Canadian lawmakers have faced calls to end the country's involvement in the war.
Some information for this report was provided by AP and Reuters.
