2 Nov 09

Steven Marshall, R.I.P.:  "Family says Canadian soldier killed in Afghanistan died doing what he loved"

CEFCOM Commander: Winning in Afghanistan "involves a different timeline and different set of criteria than in other wars in which this country had fought"

Blog Watch:  DND Beefing Up LAV II’s Belly Armour

UN SecGen: "I welcome today's decision by Afghanistan's Independent Election Commission to forego a run-off vote and to declare Hamid Karzai as the winner of the 2009 presidential elections." - NATO Sec-Gen Congratulates Karzai - CAN PM Congratulates Karzai - PM's statement - "Karzai vows to wipe out Afghan corruption" - "Karzai Is Vague on Confronting Corruption in Afghanistan" - "Afghan president says all welcome in his gov't" - Counterpoint:  "After a blatantly fraudulent ‘election’ and now mainstream media exposure of the Karzais’ nepotism and corruption, the work of the anti-war movement should in a sense now be easier, if also more urgent than ever."

CAN Officer at US Army/USMC COIN Centre: "Next year, (parliamentary and district) election security will require a full court press by all security stakeholders."

"Defence Minister Peter MacKay has ordered officials to look into allegations that innocent Afghans may have been sent to jail due to botched translations by Canadian military interpreters."

Royal Visit to Canada:  "Prince Charles said Monday that Canadians are serving with the "greatest possible distinction" in Afghanistan and that his heart goes out to the family of the latest soldier killed there."

UK General Takes Command of RC-South - More - Outgoing NLD Commander Says ISAF Regaining Initiative

Bad Boys Detained in IED Lab Raids in K'Har, Helmand

Inquiry into Nov 2008 Death of AUS SF Officer in Uruzgan:  "The risk of a casualty occurring in Afghanistan was increased by the deficiencies in training, assessment, certification and leadership" - More - more - Latest Brit Fallen Killed on LAST DAY of Tour while Defusing IED

ISAF Director of Intelligence:  "The expansion of Islamic extremist groups across the Afghanistan-Pakistan region is “the worst I’ve seen it,” with Afghan insurgents receiving help from Iranian operatives and “very possibly” freelancing Pakistani intelligence agents, as well as a small but growing number of “deadly” foreign fighters."

Talkin' to the Taliban:  Hilary Clinton Says U.S. In Contact with Taliban? - One Version:  USA Offering Taliban Control of Some Provinces in Exchange for Keeping Bases in AFG - Taliban Spokesperson Quoted Admitting to Mediated Talks - More

Taliban Propaganda Watch (all links to non-terrorist web page):   Taliban Claims Responsibility for 27 Allied Troops Allegedly Killed, Injured in Kandahar - Taliban Point Out Contradiction of Disarming Tribes, then Creating Tribal Militias - Leader Important to Taliban Dead?

Strategy Page on Taliban Helicopter Rumours: "Taliban helicopters are unlikely. Even if they came from Pakistan (where the Pakistani military has helped out that way in the past), avoiding NATO aircraft, and American spy satellites, would be difficult to do every time."

"The Pushtun tribes in southern Afghanistan now produce 90 percent of the worlds heroin, and most of it is produced in the Taliban heartland, particularly Helmand province. While there is a terrorism problem in Afghanistan, it's become mostly a drug problem."

Academic:  "That few Taliban leaders in either branch are likely to betray al Qaeda does not mean that all efforts to peel off or “flip” Taliban members are worthless."

1 Nov 09

Steven Marshall, R.I.P.:  Prime Minister's statement - "Hard to Believe He's Gone" - Arriving Home Tomorrow

Parents Worry as More Troops Head Downrange

Election, Round 2:  Run-off Cancelled, Karzai Declared Winner - More - UN SecGen in AFG for Poll Meetings - Says UN'll Stay in AFG - "With few options, US accepts Karzai"

President's Brother Denies Bankrolling by CIA, Says He Shared IED Int with Canadians

Canadian Press on Translation Woes in AFG:  Translator Says He's Frustrated that More Canadian Pashto-Speakers Aren't Heading to AFG to Help - More - Meanwhile, U.S. "Military 'terps' head to war to win peace -- and visas"

Blog Watch:  The Torch: "The Third Way: Ending the Illusions in Afghanistan," Part 2

CAN-funded Kandahar School Project Sees Grads

"A joint Afghan-International Security Assistance Force operation detained one militant in Kandahar province on Sunday while in pursuit of a Taliban district leader and senior commander of a sizable militant element in the area."

More on Haqqani Network, al Qaeda, behind attack on UN guesthouse in Kabul

Brit Logistician Killed in Sangin IED Blast - "Spy chiefs fear Al-Qaeda is intercepting (mail) to (British) troops in Afghanistan in a bid to target their families."

"Russians managed to buy off some tribes, but this did not work with many tribes because the top guy who took the money, often did not spread it around much. So his minions would often keep on causing trouble."

Taliban Propaganda Watch (all links to non-terrorist web page):   October Summary of CAN Casualties Alleged by Taliban - Alleged IED Attack on Canadian Tank in Panjwai - US Accused of Killing 8 Civilians in Uruzgan Air Strike

1 Nov 09 

Steven Marshall, R.I.P.:  On His Way Home - More - "Remembered as devoted friend with contagious sense of humour" - More - Governor General's statement - Minister of National Defence's statement

Justin Boyes, R.I.P.:   He's Home - More

Election, Round 2:  Karzai's Opponent May Pull Out of Run-off Election - More - more - "Security, not candidates, will determine whether voters in (Arghandab) risk going to the ballot box for next week's disputed presidential run-off vote." - What next:  "Weak gov't" or "Uncertainty, But Also Opportunities"? - "Afghan Vote Boycott Won’t Affect Poll: US "

AFG Int Claims Advance Info on Kabul Attack on U.N. Staff - Allegedly Co-ordinated by Warlord and AQ - Six Held Linked to Incidents - More

"Iranians, Pakistanis play role in growth of Taliban force"

Taliban Propaganda Watch (all links to non-terrorist web page):   20+ Brits Alleged Killed in Helmand Attacks - Account of Kabul Attack Admission of Taliban War Crime?

Opinion:  "One factor of special sensitivity and importance that receives almost no attention either in the public debate about Afghanistan or in the internal policy battles of the Obama administration may well be the most important of all: the domination of the Afghan armed forces, police, secret police and intelligence agencies by leaders of the Tajik ethnic minority"

Archives 

CAN in Kandahar October 2009

CAN in Kandahar September 2009

CAN in Kandahar August 2009

CAN in Kandahar July 2009