24 Sept 09
Injured CAN Officer Returns to AFG with Artificial Leg - More - more - "Malgré une amputation, Simon Mailloux repart pour le front afghan" - Plus
"Canada nomme un nouveau représentant à Kandahar" - Plus - New CAN Senior Rep in K'Har Takes Over - Bio of New ROCK - More - more - more
H1N1 Flu Worries Among CF Troops in AFG?
CF Member Found Not Guilty of 2007 Firearms Violation in AFG - More
Civilian Women and Kids Killed by Taliban IED in Panjwai - "Air raid carried out by international troops against Taliban militants .... claimed the lives of 21 militants in Nimroz province"
Taliban Propaganda Watch (links to non-terrorist web page): "5 Canadian invader and 3 NATO terrorists killed and 1 tank destroyed in Kandahar"
"U.S. Shifts Tactics To Pursue Afghan Drug Traffickers" - Meanwhile, RUS Pressing USA to Destroy Poppy Crop
23 Sept 09
Jonathan Couturier, R.I.P.: Battle Group Commander Explains Operation Latest Fallen Perished In
"Petition to change highway name in honour of Que. soldiers"
CF Builds New Web Site to Share Counter-IED Info with Troops - Counter Improvised Explosive Device Task Force (C-IED TF) site - MILNEWS.ca Blog: Well Done!
MILNEWS.ca on Dealing with Sexual Abuse of Boys by AFG Security Forces
How CAN Troops Helped Prepare for 20 Sept 09 End of Ramadan Celebrations
YouTube Video of USA Observation Post Supporting CAN Troops
"The Federal Court has curtailed - but not halted - a military watchdog probe into the high-profile controversy over Canada's transfer of Afghan detainees."
Former OMLT-eer Blogger: "Protecting the population is the agreed goal here, but it will take different forms on different terrain, often in the form of concentric areas out from a major population centre."
B.C. TV Writer Working on K'Har Hospital TV Series
US Army/Marines COIN Centre Blog: Does Literacy Matter in AFG Army? - AUS Think Tank Report on AUS Role in Building AFG Army
Latest UK Fallen Identified - Brit Sea Kings Used to Collect Intelligence
Taliban Propaganda Watch (links to non-terrorist web page): Foreign Tanks Claimed Destroyed in K'Har, Helmand, Uruzgan
Opinion: Anti-war Web Page Wants to Say Canada's Military is in Charge
22 Sept 09
CAN PM: "In 2011, we will have been in Afghanistan almost as long as we were in the two world wars combined .... I think in this time frame we've just got to see some results from the Afghan government on the ground as it pertains to their own security." - More - CAN Conservative Senator: “To try and predict where we're going to be in the summer of 2011 is foolhardy .... We have no idea.”
"Afghan interpreters have high hopes for (Canadian) relocation plan"
Blogger Terry Glavin on What Clear, Easy-to-understand Messaging Should Look Like - "A diplomatic offensive must accompany the renewal of NATO's military campaign, otherwise the nearly eight-year-old war in Afghanistan is doomed to fail, a Liberal senator said Monday." - MILNEWS.ca Blog: Senator Kenny Defeatist (But Not Entirely Wrong)
"A Quebec politician is launching a petition to rename the highway that leads to CFB Valcartier the Highway of Bravery to honour soldiers."
CAN Cops Helped Train AFG Cops for Election - Meanwhile, AFG Cops Question Need for More Foreign Troops
Opinion: "Is the Afghan Army a Figment of Washington's Imagination?" - Former CAN OMLT'eer On the Assessment
Wired.com's Read of the McChrystal Assessment (PDF): "The U.S. military and its allies are also losing the “important battle of perception” in Afghanistan to the Taliban." - "McChrystal to resign if not given resources for Afghanistan" - More
"The body investigating Afghan election fraud claims will allow just a sample of votes to be recounted from polling stations with reported irregularities." - UN Uber-Envoy Pleased - More - Taliban to Ignore Whoever Wins
So Much for Taliban Honouring "International Day of Peace" - Brit Killed by Blast on Foot Patrol in Gereshk - Europe Resisting Extra Troops
Taliban Propaganda Watch (links to non-terrorist web page): Attacks Alleged in K'Har, Helmand and Uruzgan
21 Sept 09
Jonathan Couturier, R.I.P.: "Dépouille du soldat Jonathan Couturier rentre au Canada" - He's Home
Jean-François Drouin, R.I.P.: Laid to rest
Jack Bouthillier, 1988-2009, R.I.P.: Father Remembers with Truck Mural
What CAN Troops are Up To East of Panjwaii
Swine Flu Worries @ Kandahar Air Field
The Wounded (and Their Supporters) Run in Ottawa - More - more - more
Opinion: "Liberal Senator Colin Kenny says politicians are too afraid of offending soldiers and their families by questioning Canada's role in Afghanistan, but it's important to have an honest debate about the mission." - More - "Only village idiot can remain hopeful in Afghanistan "
More Concerns about CF Sex Abuse Investigation
Registan.net: Are We Training the Afghans the Right Way?
Election Troubleshooter Coming to Sort Out AFG Poll? - More
Taliban Propaganda Watch (links to non-terrorist web page): Two CAN Tanks Alleged Destroyed - Nimruz District Int Boss Allegedly "Arrested"
"Afghanistan Strategy Must Focus on al-Qaeda, Obama Says" - "The top military commander in Afghanistan warns in a confidential assessment of the war there that he needs additional troops within the next year or else the conflict “will likely result in failure.” " - More
20 Sept 09
Jonathan Couturier, R.I.P.: Revient au Canada Aujourd'hui - Coming Home Today
Jean-François Drouin, R.I.P.: Laid to Rest - More
Marc Diab, 1986-2009, R.I.P.: Parents Share Memorial Web Page
More Troops Headed Downrange - CF Social Workers Busy In Theatre
MILNEWS.ca Blog: What Could Canada's Post-2011 Mission Look Like? - MORE Proof of Canada Reducing the Military Face of the Afghan Mission? - Opinion: "What is the 'different' Tory policy on Afghanistan?"
New CAN Envoy Settling In, Hoping for Development Progress
More Questions About CF Probe into Child Sex Allegations
"A suicide bomber killed 5 people and wounded 16 others in the southern city of Kandahar on Saturday evening, as the Muslim holy month of Ramadan drew to a close." - US Medics Help Child in Daykondi - Cholera Being Dealt With in K'Har Province
“There's a lot of belief among Afghans that when [the West] turns off the taps, it's going to go back to 1989, so these warlords are building war chests, big piles of money for guns, tanks, whatever.”
Taliban Propaganda Watch (links to non-terrorist web page): Attack Killing Uruzgan PRT Staff Alleged - Mullah Omar Shares End of Ramadan Message - More - more - more - more - more - Taliban Blame British for Killing Afghan Translator During Rescue of British Journalist in Kunduz
CIA Surge
19 Sept 09
Jonathan Couturier, R.I.P.: "Les militaires en mission en Afghanistan saluent le soldat Couturier" - On His Way Home - More - more - MILNEWS.ca Blog: Has ANYONE Learned Lessons about Relatives Speaking for the Dead?
Some Children of the Fallen Receive Scholarships
CAN Helicopter Pilots Use Simulators to Get Ready
"Captain Robert Semrau will face a General Court Martial in relation to the shooting death of a wounded insurgent that occurred in Afghanistan in October 2008." - More - more - more - "Capitaine Robert Semrau sera jugé par une cour martiale générale relativement à la mort par balle d’un insurgé blessé dans la province d’Helmand, en Afghanistan en octobre 2008." - Plus - plus
Board of Inquiry into Allegations of Afghan Sexual Abuse of Boys Still Under Way - One Sold Young Woman's Story
Spreading the "Ink Spot" Beyond CAN's "Model Village" - "Opération Kalay : La seule « construction » dans le Sud" - "Operation KANTOLO: The village-based approach at work" - "Opération Kantolo : L’approche par village au travail"
"Canada réclamera une trêve olympique tout en bataillant en Afghanistan" - "Canada to ask UN for Olympic Truce while fighting war in Afghanistan"
CAN Plans to Build Mock Afghan Village Display in Washington, D.C. Halted - MILNEWS.ca Blog: Biggest Sign of CAN Changing Mission's Face from Civilian to Military
DNK Soldier Killed in Helmand
US Special Envoy: "Holbrooke: Deal with Taliban Propaganda Head-On"
Taliban Propaganda Watch (links to non-terrorist web page): Still More Attacks Alleged in Helmand, Zabul
Opinion: "Despite all you may have read or heard about Afghanistan, all is not lost" - "The lesson of Arnhem and Afghanistan: heroism is no substitute for strategy" - "It's a simple fact: Afghans need us"
18 Sept 09
Jonathan Couturier, R.I.P.: "Un militaire canadien tué et onze blessés lors de l’explosion d’un engin explosif" - CF news release - ISAF statement - Presse Canadienne - Plus - plus - One Killed, Eleven Injured, in Panjwai IED Blast - more - more - more - more - more - Army.ca condolences thread - Message de gouverneure générale - GG Statement - Déclaration du Premier ministre du Canada - PM Statement
CAN PM's First Public Words on the Post-2011 Mission in AFG
CENTCOM Commander: "Afghanistan is hard all the time, but it’s doable" - More from Former CAN Envoy: "The debate over Canada's mission in Afghanistan has been engulfed by reports of military losses rather than focusing on the achievements being made"
"Afghan-International Security Force Detains Three Taliban Militants in Kandahar"
"Overstretched health services in Kandahar Province"
Latest Brit Fallen Named - More - more - AUS Bushmaster Takes IED Strike in Uruzgan with No Injuries
"General Sir David Richards, the new head of the British Army, has said that Afghans are losing patience with Nato’s “failure” to deliver progress in the battle with the Taliban." - Says Victory in AFG "Vital"
"Taliban insurgents have called the UN-initiated International Peace Day, 21 September, “a futile showy day” but said their fighters will be in a defensive position on the day."
"Why has it been nearly impossible to coax Taliban fighters into turning in their weapons and cooperating with the Afghan government?"
Talkin' to the Taliban: Brit General Tasked with Turning Taliban Willing to Lay Down Arms - "We must tackle Taliban grievances"
Taliban Propaganda Watch (links to non-terrorist web page): Attacks Claimed in Helmand, Zabul
Opinion: "The first rule of relations between nations or individuals is respect for the right .... of others to run their own lives." - "The Art of Declaring Victory and Going Home: Strategic Communication and the Management of Expectations"
17 Sept 09
Patrick Lormand, R.I.P.: Lormand rapatrié - He's Home - More - more - more - more
Yannick Pépin, R.I.P.: "Adieu émouvant au major Pépin" - Plus - Valcartier Mourns - More
Canada's Model Afghan Village "shows how to win the battle but lose the war"
Former CAN Envoy Quoted Saying Mission Could be Saved - Former US Head of Homeland Security Says CAN Will be Missed in AFG
Preliminary AFG Election Results Put Karzai Ahead - Glitches Remain - Karzai Pissed at Allegations - Still Weeks Away from Final Results - More - Meanwhile, Talk of AFG "Transitional Government" Surfaces: NGO report - AFG Human Rights Watchdog Op-Ed - Registan.net's Take
ISAF on Offensive Pause for 21 Sept 09 Peace Day
Mentoring AFG Border Cops in Helmand
Al-Qaeda Calls for Foreign Kidnappings in AFG
Taliban Propaganda Watch (links to non-terrorist web page): Attacks Claimed in Helmand, Uruzgan - New Taliban Rule Book Out in English - Pro-Talib Blogger Picks Wrong Poster Boy
Opinion: "One can only wish that Canada's NDP would take the cue of the (German) Left Party and oppose a war which a majority of Canadians do not want."
USA Pres: "No 'pending' decision on troops to Afghan" - "Allies search for 'third way' strategy in Afghanistan"
16 Sept 09
Patrick Lormand, R.I.P.: "Notre camarade mort en service revient au pays" - Returning Home Today
Latest Progress Report is Out (PDF version - HTML version), and Initial MediaFocus on Bad News, Moving Targets - MILNEWS.ca Blog Haiku on First MSM Coverage - Continuing to Fight Polio
CAN to Ease Immigration of Some Afghans Helping Canadians in Kandahar - More - more - more - more - MILNEWS.ca Blog: Good News (But Not After 2011)
Edmonton-based Troops Headed Downrange to Train AFG Troops - More
Television Home Design Show Helps One of Canada's Wounded - "Divine Design" program site
Reuters Paraphrases CAN Minister Saying "2011 military pullout still stands" - The Torch: "Skill Testing Question on Canada's Afghan Mission" - Opinion: "In doing our part, Canada is not only doing the right thing in Afghanistan, but we're properly honoring the memory of 9/11—something that won't soon be forgotten by our American neighbours and friends."
CAN Officer Volunteers to Help K'Har School
US Chair of Joint Chiefs: Bad Governance as Bad as Taliban
Taliban Propaganda Watch (links to non-terrorist web page): Taliban Alleges Three Canadians Killed, One Tank Destroyed, in Kandahar Mine Blast
USA Chair of Joint Chiefs: We May Need More Troops - More - more - more - "A forthcoming request from the commander of U.S. troops in Afghanistan for additional resources for the war is likely to take the form of a palette of options, not simply an appeal for more troops" - "U.S. on right track by boosting troop ranks in Afghanistan: Harper"
15 Sept 09
Patrick Lormand, R.I.P.: On His Way Home - More - "Cérémonie d'adieu pour le soldat Lormand" - "Un soldat natif de Chute-à-Blondeau est mort en devoir en Afghanistan." - Gouverneure générale et commandante en chef: "J’ai eu le cœur brisé lorsque la nouvelle de la mort du soldat Patrick Lormand du Royal 22e Régiment" - Emotional Message from Governor-General - Déclaration du Premier ministre du Canada - PM's Statement - Déclaration du ministre de la Défense nationale - Statement by the Minister of National Defence - "He did not come here as a potential victim, he came here to help and help he did."
CAN TF Commander: “The thousands of young, clear, determined eyes that remain wide open here in Kandahar are working hard, every day to protect and stabilize the population — not an impossible mission as some might suggest.” - More
CF To Deploy Laser Dazzlers Before Year End - More on New Rules for Dusty Landings for CAN Choppers
CAN PM's Spokesperson: "Canada's position is clear .... The military component of the mission ends in 2011." - More - "Canada ne veut pas étendre sa mission en Afghanistan" - Plus
Another Mountie Sues After Serving in AFG
"The federal government is prepared to open its doors to hundreds of Afghan citizens who have worked alongside Canadian soldiers and diplomats in Afghanistan."
Recount Ordered in Some AFG Polls - More - more
Washington Post: "The slow and quiet fall of Kandahar, the country's second-largest city, poses a complex new challenge for the NATO effort to stabilize Afghanistan." - National Post: "For more than three years now, some media have claimed Kandahar City was about to fall to the Taliban. In fact, the Taliban have not once mounted a serious attack to gain control of even one part of Afghanistan's second largest city. What several deadly attacks on Afghan civilians in the provincial capital have demonstrated is that suicide bombers and IEDs have become the only way for insurgents to fight."
Bad Boys Nailed in Zabul - "International Security Assistance Force Deputy Meets With Garmsir District Governor"
"The Taliban has been building simpler, cheaper anti-personnel bombs made of hard-to-detect nonmetal components, increasing the number of lethal attacks on NATO forces in Afghanistan"
Taliban Will Allow Polio Vaccine Campaign in South (This Time) - More
Taliban Propaganda Watch (links to non-terrorist web page): "Great Casualties" Allegedly Inflicted in Helmand
Opinion: "A political consensus has emerged over Canada's involvement in Afghanistan. That is, there are no votes to be won in talking about it, so our politicians have decided not to bother."
14 Sept 09
Patrick Lormand, R.I.P.: "Soldat canadien tué et quatre blessés lors de l’explosion d’un engin explosif" - "One Canadian soldier killed and four injured in an explosive device strike" - Presse Canadienne - Canadian Press - Radio-Canada - CBC.ca - CanWest - Taliban Claim Responsibility for Attack
What CF Soldiers Say of the Mission (And Other Under-reported Truths)
UK Analyst: "More countries could pull out after Canada"
Canadian Press Surprised Canadian Government Tracks What Reporters Do in AFG - MILNEWS.ca Blog: And Other Governments Don't Do Such Things?
"Taliban tactics costly to Afghan civilians"
Taliban Propaganda Watch (links to non-terrorist web page): Taliban's Version of Attack on Police/Int Station in K'Har City
13 Sept 09
CAN CDS: "Soldiers in the Kandahar area have gone from being run ragged to being firmly in control"
More on K'Har City Intelligence HQ Attack - One of a Wave of Attacks Across AFG
National Post Review of "Confronting the Chaos" by Sean Maloney
"U.S. to send more counter-explosives units to Afghanistan" - USA DEA Raids K'Har Drug Lab - Video - Ten Civilians Killed in Uruzgan IED Strike
Brit Officer Wins Two Awards for Bayoneting Taliban - BBC Video of Life in Brit Compound in AFG
Talkin' to the Taliban: "I told the US to talk to the Taliban. They jailed me"
Taliban Propaganda Watch (links to non-terrorist web page): Taliban Claims 20+ Killed in Helmand Clashes
12 Sept 09
CAN Model Village Doing Well (But Drawing the Eye of the Bad Guy?)
Ronald Kevin Megeney, R.I.P.: Mother of Convicted Apologizes to Family of Fallen
"Shoemaking as an alternative livelihood in Kandahar"
"US troops in Afghanistan remember 9-11 attacks amid waning support for eight-year war"
CAN Embassy Cutting IED Explosion from Washington, D.C. Display
UK's Prince Edward Drops By - More - AUS Troops Injured in Uruzgan IED Incident
Tweets Allege Bombing, Gunfire Attack on K'Har City National Directorate of Security Office - Maiwand IED Kills Five Civilians in Kandahar Province - Video (~3 minutes) of Taliban Blowing Up Own IED While Planting It - Meanwhile, IED "Facilitator" Nabbed in Helmand
Taliban Propaganda Watch (links to non-terrorist web page): Attacks Claimed in K'Har, Helmand and Zabul
Opinion: CAN Senator Says "War cannot be won in Afghanistan. It is time to talk about retreat" - UN Should Stay Away from Kunduz Fuel Truck Strike Probe - "The war in Afghanistan is not about freedom and human rights. For the West, it is a conflict to shore up a border region in the American Empire, the kind of war the Romans fought on the Scottish border, or to hold back the barbarians on the frontiers of Gaul or in the Balkans."
ISAF Commander: "No signs of a major al-Qaida presence in the country, but .... the terror group still maintains close links to insurgents." - Meanwhile, "Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida is under heavy pressure in its strongholds in Pakistan's remote tribal areas and is finding it difficult to attract recruits or carry out spectacular operations in western countries" - PAK Taliban Boss Building New Links with AQ
11 Sept 09
"Prime Minister Stephen Harper will participate in a memorial to commemorate the victims of September 11th, 2001 and the sacrifices of the members of the Canadian Forces in Afghanistan."
"Canada's task force in Kandahar is to grow by nearly 1,000 soldiers this month as U.S. troops pour into the provincial capital to work alongside Canadians mentoring Afghan police there."
AFG Election Panel Throws Out Fraudulent Votes in K'Har, Ghazni and Paktika - More - more - more - "US warns Taliban may benefit from Afghan vote delay" - CAN Ambassador: “Canada awaits the official, ratified results of the elections. Those results must be in accordance with Afghanistan's electoral law and reflect the will of the Afghan people.”
Ronald Kevin Megeney, R.I.P.: "Military justice system ruled fair by judge, sentencing hearing continues" - More - more - more - more - "Father of soldier killed by colleague in Afghanistan says he lost his best buddy"
Kandahar PRT "goes greener while helping local business"
Bruce Cockburn Drops By to Visit Doctor Brother - More - more
NATO Sec-Gen Cancels Visit to CAN - "Secrétaire général de l'OTAN annule une visite à Ottawa"
NATO CIMIC Rep: "The U.S. could be stuck fighting in Afghanistan for a long time because its army doesn't have the training to connect with the population or understand that country's complicated culture" - More
CAN Officer @ COIN Centre Blog: "If we can’t find the Afghan Inglorious Bastards and figure out why criminals without money, air support, artillery, armoured vehicles or large training centers can be compared to the Marines, we will never win this fight. We need to ask tough questions and stop making up the answers that please us."
Think Tank Report: "Eight years after 9/11 Taliban now has a permanent presence in 80% of Afghanistan" - More
AFG Civil Servants Moonlighting for the Taliban Because They're Not Getting Paid at Work
Taliban Propaganda Watch (links to non-terrorist web page): Alleged Double Homicide Bombing Attack in Helmand, Brits Alleged Killed
10 Sept 09
Jean-François Drouin, Yannick Pépin, R.I.P.: Dépouilles rentrent au pays - Plus - They're Home - More
Martin Joannette, Pat Audet, R.I.P.: I nitial Occurrence Report on Helicopter Crash Out (PDF version) - "The Canadian air force is taking steps to handle "dust ball" landings differently in the aftermath of a helicopter crash .... in Afghanistan."
Ronald Kevin Megeney, R.I.P.: "Military justice system 'cruel and unusual,' lawyer tells sentencing hearing"
"La gouverneure générale et commandante en chef du Canada effectue sa deuxième visite en Afghanistan"- CAN Governor-General Drops By - More - Says Mission "Far from Lost Cause" - More - more - more - Michaëlle Jean défend la mission - Plus
Spin Boldak Border Crossing Still Closed on PAK Side - More
International Criminal Court Reportedly "Collecting Information" on Incidents in AFG to See if They Might Be War Crimes - More
"Britain, France and Germany have called for “timelines” to be set for a step-by-step handover of responsibility for Afghanistan to its people."
NATO Sec-Gen: "What we need is a clear step toward transition to Afghan leadership in all areas — security, health, education, development and governance." - “Let no one think that a run for the exits is an option; it is not.” - Worries Debate Going in Wrong Direction
Taliban Propaganda Watch (links to non-terrorist web page): Taliban Claim Big British Casualty Count in Helmand - Taliban Alleges Downed Helicopter in Kunar
Opinion: "As Mackenzie King also understood, no substantial Canadian force should ever be deployed abroad without a vote of Parliament."
AFG Tells IRN Not to Interfere
9 Sept 09
Jean-François Drouin, Yannick Pépin, R.I.P.: "Nos camarades morts en service reviennent au pays" - "Fallen Comrades Return Home (Today)" - More
"A sentencing hearing begins Wednesday for a young Canadian reservist convicted in the 2007 shooting death of another soldier while serving in Afghanistan."
Former DND DM, Hostage of AQ in Africa: "It's not just the commitment and the wasting of our youth and the enormous, enormous cost in difficult financial times. It's to get it done, we will have to do some unpleasant things. I mean some deeply hard, this isn't — this is not a nice war."
AFG Election Recount Needed in Some Areas - Could Take Months
LOTS of Explosives Seized in Kandahar Raid - Taliban Using Mosque as Fire Base in Kandahar - "Clash between Afghan troops and Taliban insurgents in Kandahar province south of Afghanistan claimed the lives of two insurgents and forced nine others to lay down arms and surrender" - Bad Boys "Interdicted" (Permanently) in Zabul
Taliban Kills Civilians in Homicide Bomb Attack in Helmand
Taliban Propaganda Watch (links to non-terrorist web page): Attacks Alleged in Helmand, Uruzgan - Taliban Claims to Have All the Answers to the Kunduz Fuel Truck Strike
Opinion: "The loss of two more Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan over the weekend proves that coalition troops "are not winning" the battle for the hearts and minds of the Afghan people and Canada needs to rethink its military strategy in the country"
"Eight NATO supply trucks torched in Pakistan: police"
8 Sept 09
Jean-François Drouin, Yannick Pépin, R.I.P.: "Canadiens tués sont honorés lors d'une cérémonie en Afghanistan" - On Their Way Home - More - more - "Maj. Yannick Pepin, the highest ranking Canadian killed in combat in Afghanistan, had lamented the death of two soldiers under his command just five weeks ago." - More - ISAF Statement - Déclaration du ministre de la Défense nationale - Statement by the Minister of National Defence
CAN Officer Appointed to Investigate NATO Attack on Fuel Trucks in Kunduz - More - more - Officer's Biography
Next ROTO of CAN Tankers Preparing to Head Downrange
Four Minute YouTube Video of CAN Troops in Contact at Night in K'Har City
UN: Vote Counting by Election Monitors Expected to be Complete this Week - Independent Election Commission of Afghanistan news release page
"A military watchdog agency has subpoenaed senior federal officials and is seeking a court order to force the Conservative government to release withheld information concerning the controversial transfer of suspected Taliban fighters into Afghan custody."
Former CAN OMLT'eer on AP Photos of the Dying: "There will be no consequences in this case for Associated Press and other journalists, partly because, with the war trending down, soldiers need the journalists more than ever and have to put up with more of their liberties"
Agence France-Presse: USA Can Send Arms, Troops via RUS - More - AFG Taliban Rejects Call for Help from PAK Taliban - Weasel Zippers blog: "The 96-Hour NATO Rule That Is Limiting Success In Afghanistan"
Wired.com Danger Room blog: "Fighting for Real Estate in Helmand Province — Or Losing Focus?" - "Zabul Provincial Reconstruction Team Helps Reconnect Afghan Government"
Bad Guys Nabbed in Kandahar - "At least one civilian was killed and more than 20 others injured in a bomb blast in southern Urozgan province" - More - "Unknown armed men shot dead a woman worked outside home in Kandahar province the birthplace of Taliban in south Afghanistan on Monday"
Talkin' to the Taliban: "Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai hopes to hold peace talks with the Taliban within 100 days if he is re-elected"
Taliban Propaganda Watch (links to non-terrorist web page): Attacks Alleged in Kandahar, Uruzgan and Zabul
More on How Opium Funds the Taliban
7 Sept 09
Jean-François Drouin, Yannick Pépin, R.I.P.: CF News release - FC Communiqué - Presse Canadienne - Canadian Press - CBC.ca - Radio-Canada - CTV.ca - CanWest/Global - Bloomberg - Message de gouverneure générale - GG Statement - Déclaration du Premier ministre du Canada - PM Statement -
Taliban Claims Responsibility?
More on CAN Military Hospital Presence Shrinking in K'Har
US Serviceman Killed in South
Brit Special Forces Busy Nabbing IED Caches - RAF Officer Lobbies for "A Beer in Hand For Every Soldier Leaving AFG"
Taliban Propaganda Watch (links to non-terrorist web page): A Number of Attacks Alleged in Zabul
6 Sept 09
US, UK Giving Up Hope on European Countries Sending More Help to AFG?
More on AFG Authority Involvement in Drug Trade
AFG Troops, AUS Special Forces Strike Bomb Stuff Caches in Uruzgan
Latest Fallen Brit Identified - Royal Family Reportedly Pissed at Underequipping of UK Troops in AFG
Taliban Propaganda Watch (links to non-terrorist web page): Attacks Alleged in Garsir, Shah Joy and Mizani Districts - Taliban's Latest Version of Stats
Opinion: Registan.net on Why Tribal Militias Don't Work (Hint: They Haven't in the Past) - More
5 Sept 09
Quebec Comedienne/Singer Now Supports Mission After Entertaining the Troops - "Annie Dufresne maintenant convaincue de la nécessité de la mission" - Anniedufresne.com
What the Folks in CAN HQ Are Doing
CAN Officer: "Some of the ordnance used by the Taliban against Canadian tanks "are definitely attributable to the Soviet occupation era" "
CAN Officer on COIN Centre Blog: "The time of the warlord has passed. If they could secure the country perhaps we should pull out and let them do it and stop sullying our name by associating with them. If they can’t secure Afghanistan they are the root cause of the insurgency." - Worthington: "Critics who deplore the warlords and endemic corruption miss the point. These have always existed in Afghanistan -- a country of varying tribes and clans, where warlords are like the feudal lords who once ruled Europe."
MILNEWS.ca blog: Not JUST CBC Happy to Show Off the Dead
Strategy Page: "While the foreign troops are busy chasing down the Taliban and drug gangs in Helmand, the civilians have learned that they have more to fear from the Taliban bombs, than they do from the foreign troops."
Bad Water in Part of Kandahar Province
UK PM Calls on NATO Allies to Help in the Fight - "We Cannot Walk Away"
Taliban Propaganda Watch (links to non-terrorist web page): Attacks Alleged in K'Har, Helmand, Uruzgan and Zabul
UN Planning AFG Summit Next Spring
Opinion: "A Stable Pakistan Needs a Stable Afghanistan"
4 Sept 09
"U.S. probe of 2006 Afghan friendly fire critical of Canada"
CAN Transferring Control of K'Har Military Hospital - One Plastic Surgeon's Story
Facebook Photos of CAN Gunners in AFG
Former OMLT'eer Tells the REST of the Story about Southern Tribal Leaders Alleging Election Fraud
New CAN Ambassador Drops By K'Har Provincial Governor's Office
CAN Pissed at Latest Homicide Bombing Attack near Kabul - ISAF Commander Pissed
The Torch Shares Way to Help a School in AFG
CAN Embassy in USA to Hold Micro-Ex to Let American Leaders Know about Canada's Efforts
July K'Har Drug Raid Nabs Border Police Boss
Brit Maintainer Killed in Babaji Explosion - Identified - Second Bn Mercian Soldier Killed by Gunfire in Babaji - New and Improved Brit FOB - Captain's Journal blog on War on Foot in Helmand
Still Lots of American Anti-Tank Mines in Taliban Arsenel from When They Were Fighting the Soviets - Written Response Referred to in Article (.pdf) - US Looking into Possibility of Aid Funding Ending Up in Taliban Hands
Talkin' to the Taliban: Helmand Governor Quoted Saying “We have intensified our efforts for months so that we can bring over some groups of the insurgents to the government side.”
Taliban Propaganda Watch (links to non-terrorist web page): Taliban Claims U.S. Forces Caused Car Bomb Massacre in Kandahar City - Profile of Taliban Boss in Uruzgan (Last Item)
RUS Ready to Offer Advice on AFG Strategy
3 Sept 09
"Les soldats canadiens n'ont jamais été assez nombreux dans Kandahar" - Google English: Never Enough CAN Soldiers in Panjwai - "Le Canada joue quitte ou double"
German Journalist on Kandahar Security Situation: "The Canadians have done a poor job in trying to maintain security. The local government is also partially to blame. There has been an influx of different governors coming and going .... And the Taliban have done a very good job with taking out the middle management (among the government officials.)"
CAN Drops Plans to Use Donkeys for Hauling - Milnet.ca Discussion on Some Donkey Use in AFG
More on Latest UN Drug Report: "Poppy cultivation increased in the Canadian military's theatre of action in Afghanistan while the rest of the country saw a decline in poppy crops" - More - more
More on Canada's Man in the Election Fracas - "Election results are headed into weeks of limbo as a government commission investigates more than 600 complaints of ballot stuffing, intimidation and other allegations."
The Torch blog: "Canadians love to talk the talk about being a, er, force in the world and still (delusionally) believe we are. But we will not walk the walk, nor pay the price."
MILNEWS.ca blog: Kajaki Dam Proof that Development, Aid Can't Happen Without Security - Boots on the Ground blog: "There is a time to build, and there is a time to fight. It may be that unless we want to fund a self-perpetuating war in Afghanistan, we may need to focus more on taking out the trash before we spend a whole lot sprucing up the place."
"For the Marines of Company C, 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, hunting the Taliban takes patience and flexibility."
K'Har Bad Boy Nabbed - Taliban Looking for 5.45mm Rifles to Help Penetrate Body Armour? - How Crime Helps Pay the Taliban's Bills - Protection Racketeering Helps, Too
Taliban Propaganda Watch (links to non-terrorist web page): Attacks Alleged in K'Har, Helmand and Zabul - Taliban Targets Mosque to Kill Int Boss
2 Sept 09
R22eR BG Commander: "We are about to break the Canadian status quo of 3 1/2 years .... It has been extremely interesting since April and will be until next April."
"Le lieutenant Alexandre Hottin vit depuis un mois chez les talibans."
Opinion: "Canadians have paid dearly in both lives and treasure over the past eight years .... If this sacrifice is not to be wasted, the next Afghan government .... must be held to a much higher standard of competence and integrity. ISAF forces cannot continue to provide support for a government that is flagrant in its disdain for its own people."
Mountie Complains of Low Key Racism at Work in KPRT - Suing the Force
CAN COIN Centre Exchange Officer Asks "Is there a hybrid solution, local security forces with leadership trained, paid and loyal to the centre, like the British system in ancient Scotland, Wales and Ireland?" - MILNEWS.ca Blog: It'll Take QUITE a While
MILNEWS.ca Blog: Some Ideas For Sharing Good News with Canadians
Southern Tribal Leaders Call for Karzai to Go - More - Authorities Ready for Run-off Election if Needed - More Evidence of Taliban Maiming of Potential Voters in Daikundi
"NATO soldiers ordered to drive nice on Afghan streets, win trust of people"
Taliban Mines in Helmand Maiming, Killing Civilians - IED's Killing Clumsy Taliban in K'Har - Washington Post: "The Taliban has become a much more potent adversary in Afghanistan by improving its own tactics and finding gaps in the U.S. military playbook"
Latest Brit Fallen Identified - Close Call for AUS Chinook in Kandahar - DNK PM Drops By - Report: LOADS of Private Security Contractors Working for US in AFG
Taliban Propaganda Watch (links to non-terrorist web page): August 2009 Stats of Taliban Claims of Canadian Casualties - Taliban Web Page Now Claims Taliban, Not NATO, Destroyed Latest Downed Chinook - Big (Alleged) Punch-up in Musa Qala - More Killings Alleged in K'Har, Helmand and Uruzgan
NATO Military Work = Drop in Drug Production - More - more - Still, Evidence Bad Guys Forming Cartel, Stockpiling Drugs - More Details from UNODC
Registan.net: "It seems like no one either in the Obama Administration or the military is articulating why a counterinsurgency in Afghanistan (and not, say, Pakistan) is the most promising method of ensuring al Qaeda never again imposes a strategic threat against us."
UN Uber-Envoy: "Enough is Enough with the Piecemeal Approach" - Also Calls for Three-Week Peace Campaign
1 Sept 09
CAN "Stabilization Company" for Kandahar PRT
"Une escouade anti-drogue sans Canadiens" - Plus - MILNEWS.ca Blog: CAN SF Are Busy Enough Doing Other Good Work
"The top commander in Afghanistan, Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, said Monday that conditions on the ground were “serious” but that the war here is still winnable, part of a long-awaited assessment of the American-led war." - More - more - Registan.net: "There needs to be some fundamentally new thinking in Afghanistan"
The New Yorker with "Road Rage: Marauding Taliban and drug-dealing warlords on the road to Kandahar"
"Tactical Conflict Assessment Planning and Framework" Helping U.S. Marines Deal with Conflict in Helmand
Blogger Shows Election Day Work in Sangin
Two Black Watch Soldiers Killed in Explosion During Foot Patrol - ISAF Statement - Two More ISAF Troops Killed in Southern Firefight - NLD Civvy Boss in Oruzgan Blogs & Settles Into His Job
Taliban Propaganda Watch (links to non-terrorist web page): Taliban Claims Responsibility for Latest Brit Chinook Incident (.pdf) - Attacks Alleged in Panjwai, Arghandab, Marja, Tarin Kowt and Qalat - The Torch Spots Globe & Mail Letter Comparing Quoting Taliban to Quoting Goebbels
U.S. Special Envoy Says Taliban Hurting Bad in S. AFG - Opinion: Not Looking Good for the Talban (But You Don't Hear THEM Complaining)
31 Aug 09
CAN Not Part of AFG Drug-Lord Hunting Teams - More - U.S. Senate Report Mentioned in Story (.pdf) - Alternate Site for Report
"Les soldats à pied de plus en plus visés"
MILNEWS.ca Blog: Insensitive Blog Post on Recent CAN Injury
"Canadians instructing Afghans on how to fight and prepare for war are following an honourable tradition, says Canada's top Operational Mentor and Liaison Team adviser to local forces in Kandahar."
New Rules of the Road for ISAF Drivers
Another Brit Chinook Destroyed to Keep It Out of Enemy Hands - More - more - more - more - .pdf of initial release material - UK Sending More IED, Trainers to AFG (But Not Increasing Total Numbers in Country)
"An Australian Bushmaster Protected Mobility Vehicle has been struck by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) to the north of Tarin Kowt, Afghanistan, resulting in damage to the vehicle." - "The Governor of Oruzgan province, Assadullah Hamdam has thanked Australian Army engineers for their efforts in refurbishing the Tarin Kowt Boy’s School."
K'Har City Hospital Busy After Latest Blast
Taliban Propaganda Watch (links to non-terrorist web page): Taliban Allege Brit Kill During Brit PM Visit - Still Some Trouble with Translations
Opinion: "After eight years of international military intervention, the Afghan people are now free to vote for the warlord of their choice, and then equally free to ignore the election result if they don’t like the outcome."
"General Stanley McChrystal, the Commander of NATO’s International Security Assistance Force and U.S. Forces Afghanistan forwarded his strategic assessment today to the Commander, U.S. Central Command, General David Petraeus, and the Commander, Joint Force Command Brunssum, General Egon Ramms, who will comment and forward through their respective chains of command to the U.S. Secretary of Defense and NATO Secretary General." - Analyst: More Troops, Resources Needed, Not Just "broad set of strategic concepts"
Kilcullen: "A government that is losing to a counter-insurgency isn't being outfought, it is being out-governed. And that's what's happening in Afghanistan."
"Brig. Gen. Phillip E. McGhee, director of Resource Management for U.S. Army Forces, U.S. Central Command, said by the beginning of the fiscal year, Oct. 1, the Army will go cashless in (Afghanistan) when writing up contracts with local vendors."
"Bombings targeted a Pakistani police station and set a NATO fuel convoy ablaze Sunday, killing 16 cadets in the northwest's Swat Valley and threatening the supply line to international forces in Afghanistan in a separate attack near the border."
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CAN in Kandahar August 2009
CAN in Kandahar July 2009
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