Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion was behind closed doors this morning, speaking to MPs and senators on the party's priorities and planning committee.

That is a committee that helps set the federal party's overriding priorities and right now Afghanistan is the big one on the table as Parliament gets set to vote on whether to extend the mission past 2009.

Today, Dion met with his deputy leader, Michael Ignatieff; the national election campaign co-chair, Senator David Smith; and about a dozen MPs and senators to hammer out the Liberal amendments to the Harper government's motion on the Afghan mission.

Dion emerged from this meeting firm in his position that Canadian troops should not be engaged in combat past 2009.

He said the Liberals support keeping Canadian soldiers in the volatile southern province of Kandahar until 2011 to help with development projects and security as well as the training of Afghan forces. But he stressed Canada's role should be a defensive, not an offensive, one.

This position seems to have little in common with the government's plan to extend the combat role until 2011, provided there is more help from NATO or the Pentagon.

Dion has already stated that the vote will be a whipped one. In other words, MPs must support the party's position of non-combat or face a penalty.

The last time a vote was held to extend the mission, in May of 2006, more than 20 Liberals, including Ignatieff, voted with the Conservatives to extend the mission. But that was a free vote.

Dion will have an emergency meeting with his entire caucus tonight and then outline the Liberal amendments at a news conference tomorrow.