Security and Defence, Stollery criticized Hamid Karzai, then President of Afghanistan. Although Karzai was democratically elected, Stollery implied that Karzai's ascent to power was due to US influence. He argued that Canadian troops could be better used to help “create a democratic society in Afghanistan”. In September 2006, Stollery added that the limited presence of Canadian troops on the African continent was a result of military officials believing it was not as "sexy" as helping the U.S. by fighting in Afghanistan. He was subsequently criticized by Liberal Senator Roméo Dallaire, who called Stollery's comments "scandalous language." Dallaire stated that "Nothing is sexy in war. The whole concept of war is perverse, and the reason we're in one area and not another is because political decisions have been taken." References External links 1935 births Businesspeople from Toronto Canadian businesspeople in retailing Canadian senators from Ontario Fellows of the Royal Geographical Society Liberal Party of Canada MPs Liberal Party of Canada senators Living people Members of the House of Commons of Canada from Ontario Politicians from Toronto 21st-century Canadian politicians