Otherwise, the NATO-led battle for Afghanistan could last "a very long time if there is no attempt to resolve the issue through diplomacy," the committee warned.

In May, Defense Minister Peter MacKay said Ottawa would never negotiate with the militant Taliban in Afghanistan, where Canada has 2,500 troops posted in the volatile southern province of Kandahar as part of the International Security Assistance Force.

"We are not talking to the Taliban. We are not having direct discussions with terrorists. We won't, will not, that will not change," MacKay said.

The senate panel concluded the ultimatum is flawed.

"Drawing lines in the sand is one of those child-rearing mechanisms that doesn't always work in the adult world of conflict resolution," the report said.

"'Go to your room until you're ready to behave like an adult.' That sometimes works with kids," it noted.

"It gets trickier with resistance movements, who inevitably believe they are going to win in the long run and play by their own rules."

The committee urged the Canadian military to start talking to "all locals, including Taliban, finding out about their needs and using this to our advantage."

"Every effort needs to be made to win over moderate Taliban supporters who are looking for evidence that there are better options than continued insurgency."

Since 2002, 85 Canadian soldiers and one senior diplomat have died in the war-torn country.

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