31 July 09
Ronald Kevin Megeney, 1982-2007, R.I.P.: Colleague Found Guilty of "criminal negligence causing death and negligent performance of a military duty" - More - more - more - more
Military Historian Jack Granatstein: "Canadians likely could have been convinced to keep more than 2,000 troops in Afghanistan, if Prime Minister Stephen Harper and other federal politicians had done more to tell the public about the goals of the mission." - Opinion: "(Canadian) leaders were willing to put a few hundred troops in harm's way but never wanted to risk their own political careers by trying to convince Canadians the war only could be won with an all-out effort."
Embed's View of Drive from K'Har Airport to City
AFG Big Item on Incoming NATO Sec Gen's Plate Starting Today
How Number-Crunching Analysts are Helping Predict IEDs, Bad Guy Activity - UAV's to Help Out More in the Fight?
UN: More Civvy Cas, Mostly from Bad Guy Activity - ISAF Airstrike in Zabul May Have Hit Civilians - Three Bad Guys Nabbed in K'Har Compound Search
ISAF Soldier Killed in South - Bad Month for Brit Cas - Bringing In More Medics to Help
More on Taliban Promising to Disrupt Election - More - more - Taliban Statement (Arabic) - Arabic statement at non-terrorist web page - GoogleEnglish translation - Registan.net on Why This May Be Good News
Taliban Propaganda Watch (links to non-terrorist web page): Missile Strike Alleged Against K'Har Airfield
More NATO Reaction to "Tailban Rule Book": “The insurgents use children as suicide bombers. Despite their so-called ‘code of conduct,’ the insurgents have no respect for human life. They buy and sell children as young as 11 to act as suicide bombers and use them against the local population.”
30 July 09
RC-South Commander: "It is important that the Afghans know that we are here to stay"
CAN Soldier Sees Progress Over Two Tours
CAN, USA War Wounded to Paddle Together Along West Coast
More on Think Tank Report (.pdf) Calling for More USA Troops
Afghans Still Not Happy with Their Cops - More
US Marines Hard at Work in Helmand - More
NATO, AFG Officials: "A new Taliban code of military conduct that tells fighters to limit suicide attacks and avoid killing civilians is a sham that doesn't reflect the true nature of the insurgents"
Taliban Propaganda Watch (links to non-terrorist web page): Taliban Claims to Shoot Down Helicopter in Shah Wali Kot (.pdf version at non-terrorist site here) - ISAF: Taliban Damages Medical Evac Helicopter in South - MILNEWS.ca Blog: BAAAAAAAAAAD Taliban! - Taliban Calls for Election Boycott - More
Opinion: "Let's not forget Jean Chrétien sent ground troops, unprotected by helicopters"
29 July 09
CAN Reportedly Taking Kandahar City, Environs While USA Covers Rest of K'Har Province - More - CAN Def Min Says USA Troops'll Make Big Difference in the Fight - Violence Expected to Wind Down Post Election
Big Push in Helmand: The Big Map (from BBC) - Excerpts from CO's Diaries During Brit Push
IED Kills Two AFG Civilians in Zhari - Eight AFG Security Contractors Killed in IED Blast near Gereshk - "An Afghan civilian has been killed, and five others wounded, following an incident involving International Security Assistance Force troops and insurgents ....in southern Afghanistan."
Latest UK Fallen Identified
UN Uber-Envoy Calls on Taliban Not to Disrupt Election
USA Envoy: "More money is coming from the Gulf than is coming from the drug trade to the Taliban" - Jihadi Post Canvasses for Mo' Money for the Taliban (.pdf) - Blogger: Plea = Time to Jump Down Hard on Opium Trade
Taliban Propaganda Watch (links to non-terrorist web page): 12 ISAF, 11 AFG Troops Allegedly Killed in Helmand - Unknown Poster to Jihadi Forum Claims to Witness Four Aircraft Downed in Helmand
Opinion: World Socialists say UK "intends to deepen its collaboration with the United States in Afghanistan"
28 July 09
Embed Blogger: Taliban Anti-Aircraft Reported in Sangin - More
Think Tank Report (.pdf): "No meaningful form of success can occur without giving the development of ANSF forces a much higher priority." - More
Big Push in Helmand: UK's "Mission Accomplished"? - Brit PM Statement - Last Armoured Push to Wrap Up Brit Op PANTHER'S CLAW - More - more
"At least 9 Afghans were killed and 6 others wounded in separate bomb blasts in southern Afghanistan on Tuesday"
Fallen Brit Gunner ID'ed - Two More UK Fallen in Helmand - Reinforcements Being Sent In
US Special Envoy Says Taliban Under Pressure - US Secretary of State Says Taliban Under Tremendous Pressure - Chair of Joint Chiefs Says Taliban Tough Organization
Talkin' to the Taliban: More on UK, US Desire to See (Some) Taliban Brought into AFG Tent - More - Registan.net: Win First, THEN Talk - Prairie Pundit Agrees
More on USA No Longer Broadcasting Taliban Body Count
Taliban Propaganda Watch (links to non-terrorist web page): Attacks Claimed in K'Har, Helmand & Zabul - Taliban Claims Chinook Downed in Farah (first item) - New Manual for Talib Fighters? - 2006 List of Rules
Ceasefire in Baghdis Firing Alright, Ceasefire STOPS!
Blogger Worries About IND Int Work in AFG Masquerading as Aid Work
27 July 09
"As Canadian soldiers now focus efforts on Kandahar City, Canada has much to be proud of about its mission, outgoing ambassador says" - More
Using Lasers to Detect Explosives, IEDs
CAN Officer: "Afghanistan is a country .... where corruption and greed are a normal part of life and is generally part of doing business."
A Day in the Life of the Canadian "Sheriff" of an FOB
CAN Chair of AFG Electoral Complaints Commission
Big Push in Helmand: "The governor of Afghanistan's Helmand province has said his country is ashamed that scores of British soldiers are being killed helping the nation (and) attacked the Taliban who have bullied civilians into submission for years and urged village leaders to lobby their people against the insurgents "who have given us nothing." "
Opinion: "The U.S. Marine advance into Helmand province is being slowed down by the new Rules Of Engagement (ROE), which forbid the use of bombs or missiles in any situation where there might be civilians."
NZ Still Considering (Another) SAS Deployment - More
Talkin' to the Taliban: Brit Foreign Minister Urges AFG to Speak to "Moderate Taliban" - More - more - Minister's Speech (.pdf permalink here)
Taliban Propaganda Watch (links to non-terrorist web page): Attacks Alleged in Helmand, Uruzgan
ISAF Boss Visits PAK - More - more
26 July 09
Sébastien Courcy, R.I.P.: Funérailles ont été célébrées à Beloeil - Laid to Rest
David Robert Greenslade, 1986-2007, R.I.P.: Grave Site Vandalized
"Gen. Stanley McChrystal says the military must work for the safety of the Afghan people, even if it means temporarily allowing the Taliban to operate more freely in remote areas."
"Dearth of Capable Afghan Forces Complicates U.S. Mission in South"
Shortage of Troops, Helicopters Nixes Proposed UK Plan to Monitor Taliban IED Making?
Big Push in Helmand: US Troops Say Taliban Tougher than IRQ Bad Guys - Blogger With UK Troops - Brit Gunner Killed in Helmand - Brit Surgeon Hard At It in Helmand - "A raid in southern Helmand province yielded homemade explosives, improvised-explosive-device-making materials and more than 1,600 bags of poppy seeds."
"Improved medical care facilities for Tarin Kowt Hospital"
Newsweek Profiles Taliban #2 (Maybe #1?) in AFG (.pdf permalink here)
Taliban Propaganda Watch (links to non-terrorist web page): 20+ Brits Claimed Killed in Helmand - More
Opinion: Questions About Whether AUS Fighting COIN or Counter-Terr Fight
USA Chair of Joint Chiefs: PAK Int Still At 'Er in AFG
25 July 09
Family of Girl Killed by CAN Ricochet Upset
Ronald Kevin Megeney, 1982-2007, R.I.P.: Man Charged with Manslaughter Says He Fired in Self Defence
The Torch: Review of CAN Logistician's Book About AFG
Building a CAN "Golf Course" in K'Har
ISAF Kills AFG Cops in K'har
"A Pushtun leader in neighbouring Uruzgan has declared that if Dutch soldiers leave his province next year, as The Hague has ordered, he and his tribe will either seek the protection of the Taliban or flee the country." - "Afghan president Hamid Karzai has said that he will review agreements with foreign forces operating in Afghanistan if he is re-elected."
Big Push in Helmand: "ANSF and ISAF have already begun the transition from Phase One of Operation Khanjar (Strike of the Sword) in the Helmand River valley, to Phase Two." - "The major British offensive in Afghanistan that has led to a large loss of life and many wounded has strengthened Britain's battered relationship with America" - Defence of the Realm blog: "Is this is what it's about?" - Afghans Starting to Ask for Help from Brits - Registan.net's Doubts About "Build" in Helmand
Taliban Propaganda Watch (links to non-terrorist web page): Kills Claimed in Helmand, K'Har; Customs Cop Boss Reportedly Seized by Talibs in Nimroz
24 July 09
Sébastien Courcy, R.I.P.: Funeral in Beloeil Today
CAN Helping Rebuild Schools
More on CAN (Maaaaaaaaaaaaaaybe) Joining the UAV War Against PAK
Calls for Longer OMLT/Advisor Deployments
Director of Counterinsurgency Training Center Afghanistan: "International forces in Afghanistan must garner popular support among residents to defeat the insurgency" - Think Tank Study (.pdf): "Can we win? The answer is yes, provided that victory is defined in realistic and practical terms."
Latest Brit Fallen Identified - NLD, DEU Working on Projects in Uruzgan, Kandahar - AUS Sending More Troops for Elections
Big Push in Helmand: "Residents worry that rebels, facing huge offensive by foreign troops, are taking out their anger on them." - USA "more closely integrating intelligence-gathering operations as part of its new drive against Taliban insurgents"
Registan.net: Advocacy Group Hiring Contractors to Administer Pilot Medical Opium Project in Helmand? - "The American-led mission in Afghanistan is all but abandoning efforts to destroy poppy crops that provide the largest source of income to the insurgency, and instead will take dramatic steps to wean local farmers off the drug trade."
Taliban Targeting Civilians with Rockets in Helmand (And Where's the Media Coverage?)
Talkin' to the Taliban: "There are mistake on both sides, mistakes were taken on the Taliban side, mistakes were taken on the United States side, and mistakes were taken on the Afghan government side .... I think we have to start our thinking in the future."
Taliban Propaganda Watch (links to non-terrorist web page): Attacks Claimed in Helmand, Kandahar
Opinion: "Opponents of the war in Afghanistan ignore the consequences of withdrawal. We supporters live with the price of staying" - "Will COIN lead to victory in Afghanistan? The case has not been made." - More
USA Envoy Says Taliban Won't Be Allowed to Sneak Out of PAK Into AFG - Bin Laden's Son Killed in PAK (Apparently Some Time Ago)
23 July 09
CAN Warning Shot Hits, Kills Girl - More - more - more
CAN, US Officers' Paper on UAVs Over K'har: "The key to successful employment of the UAV is the relationships formed between UAV pilots and the ground personnel directing the aerial surveillance and strikes performed by the aircraft, articulation of priorities, and building and sharing a detailed intelligence picture."
More on CAN Training AFG Troops
Heating Up in the North as AFG Troops Head South
Civvy Contract Translators Out of Shape, Not Expecting Combat
Big Push in Helmand: "The more troops you use, the less you lose" - "Marines, Afghan Security Forces Meet With Hundreds of Village Elders in Helmand"
Suspected Bad Boys Nabbed in K'Har Compound Search - "Afghan Soldiers Help Villagers Build Bridge in Uruzgan Province"
Latest Fallen UK EOD Expert Identified - Coldstream Guard Killed on Foot Patrol in Nad e Ali - "Australia's exit strategy in Afghanistan relies on training a local force to take control of Uruzgan province."
Taliban Propaganda Watch (links to non-terrorist web page): Voice of Jihad English page offline
Opinion: "5 Reasons Why Half of Britain Wants Troops out of Afghanistan"
PAK Seeks More Military Aid... - ...While "Fighting" the Taliban
22 July 09
CAN Working Hard Training AFG Army... - ....While USA Working Hard Training AFG Cops
Kevin Megeney, 1982-1007, R.I.P.: "Prosecution expected to close court martial case today" - More
Angus Reid Survey Says, "Adults in the United States remain supportive of their country’s military engagement in Afghanistan, but people in Britain and Canada are considerably less enthusiastic about the mission" (More details on .pdf version here)
Weapons Nabbed in Helmand and Zabul - Analyst on Taliban in Helmand: "The Taliban haven't gone anywhere .... They are here. Every one of them is in his place. They are not outsiders or foreigners. They are in the community."
AUS SF Troops Nail Taliban Boss in Oruzgan - Brit Minister Says Not Enough Choppers - More
PAK Unhappy with Expanding US Ops in AFG?
Talkin' to the Taliban: AFG Pres Says "We must engage in negotiations, bring back those Taliban who are willing to return, who have been driven out by fear and coercion and the mistakes we've all made. They are part of this country and must be called back."
Taliban Propaganda Watch (links to non-terrorist web page): Taliban Claims Responsibility for Convoy Attack in Maiwand
Opinion: "The only way to bring security is protect the women and children, not with bombs and bullets, armour and airplanes, but with secure schools, clean wells, steady supplies of food and legislation that punishes men, not women." - Maybe Focusing on Problems Bigger than Opium Best Option?
IRN Kickin' Out Afghans
21 July 09
More on Worries About Canada's "Secret Plans" to Expand Air War Post-2011 - More
Taliban Propaganda Watch (links to non-terrorist web page): CAN Troops Accused of Destroying Grape Vines
NATO SecGen: "If we were to walk away, Afghanistan would fall to the Taliban, with devastating effect for the people there - women in particular"
Big Push in Helmand: PAK Beefing Up Border Presence to Block Bad Guys Fleeing from Helmand - Marines Facing Brisk Fighting - Registan.net Asks "Deja Vu All Over Again?" - Blowin' Up Poppy Seeds - How the Brits Are Hunting the Taliban - Brit Video of Heliborne Assault on Babaji - Helmand Governor Makin' the Rounds
AUS Identifies Latest Fallen - News conference - AUS Outta AFG in 3-4 Years? - Warning That Coalition Leaving AFG Could Lead to Terror Surge - Brit IED Specialist Killed - Brits ID Latest Fallen - LOTS of Brit Wounded in Helmand - NZ Pondering Deployment of SAS (Again)
Opinion: "Come 2011, no one should assume that Canada's military presence in Afghanistan will end at one stroke" - "The question for Canadians is what shape will Canada’s mission take in the near future, especially in light of the 2011 projected end of Canada’s combat operations in a war which seems far from over and one in which progress, according to a recent Candian government report, is measure in centimeters."
20 July 09
Sébastien Courcy, R.I.P.: He's Home - More - more - more - Stepped on Explosive Device Before Falling From High Ground - More - more
"Troops from the Quebec-based Royal 22nd Regiment and their Afghan army allies "hit the jackpot" in a major combat operation that ended Sunday"
AFG's New Envoy to CAN: Progress Could Come Quicker with More Troops Around
Brit Tornado Jet Crashes @ KAF - More - ISAF Statement
Brit Soldier Killed on Foot Patrol in Sangin
Taliban Propaganda Watch (links to non-terrorist web page): Chinook Claimed Shot Down @ KAF, Jail Break Claimed in Zabul
19 July 09
Sébastien Courcy, R.I.P.: Arriving Home Today
Martin Joannette, R.I.P.: "Les funérailles .... ont été célébrées samedi à la base militaire de Valcartier." - "Hundreds gather for soldier killed in Afghan crash"
Michelle Mendes, R.I.P.: Foundation in Honour of Mendes Supports RMC Nijmegen Marchers
CAN Troops Shoot Afghan Racing Through Cordon Around IED Defusing Team - More - more
How the Cas Stats Look
Civilian Helicopter Crash @ K'Har Airfield Kills 16: ISAF statement - Globe & Mail - AFP - Associated Press - Reuters - RIA Novosti - Voice of America - BBC - AFG media
Registan.net: ISAF Good at Clearing Areas of Bad Guys (But Not So Good at Backfilling with AFG Authority) - More - UK Iraq Speech Colonel: "The trick is to make the Taliban irrelevant. That means honest governance driven from the top down that delivers on the promises to improve people's lives and cut corruption."
USA Sec of Def: Gotta Turn The War Around by Next Summer (To Avoid Looking Unwinnable)
Two AFG Troops Killed by Homicide Vehicle Bomber at Zabul Base Gate - AUS Soldier Killed in Uruzgan
Taliban Propaganda Watch (links to non-terrorist web page): Attacks Claimed in K'Har, Helmand, Zabul & Uruzgan
18 July 09
Sébastien Courcy, R.I.P.: "Rapatriement de la dépouille mortelle d'un soldat" - "La dépouille du dernier soldat canadien à avoir perdu la vie en Afghanistan, Sébastien Courcy, a quitté Kandahar, vendredi." - On His Way Home - Expected to Arrive Tomorrow - More - "Family remembers fallen soldier as courageous, selfless"
"A roadside bomb struck a civilian vehicle in Kandahar, killing 9 civilians including 5 kids on Friday"
"Afghan officials are investigating reports that civilians were killed in a U.S. air strike in Kandahar province."
Big USA Push in Helmand: Washington Post Blog on the Fight - Four Bad Guys, Grenade Nabbed in Nad Ali Compound Search
Another Brit Fallen
Taliban Propaganda Watch (links to non-terrorist web page): More Allegations of Civvy Cas in Helmand
"Militants in north-west Pakistan have destroyed two tankers carrying fuel for Nato forces in Afghanistan in two separate attacks."
17 July 09
Sébastien Courcy, R.I.P.: "Un soldat canadien est décédé en effectuant des opérations" - CF Statement - Message de gouverneure générale et commandante en chef - Message from Governor General and Commander-in-Chief - Déclaration du Premier ministre du Canada - Statement by the Prime Minister of Canada - Déclaration du ministre de la Défense nationale - Statement by the Minister of National Defence - Presse Canadienne - Journal de Québec - Radio-Canada.ca - Le Figaro - Canadian Press - AFP - CBC.ca - CanWest - Globe & Mail - More - CTV.ca
Survey For CanWest/National Post Says "Support for Mission in Afghanistan Holds Steady (48%) But Come 2011 Majority (52%) Says It’s Time for Canada to Pull Out" (.pdf) - More - Survey for CBC Says "Decisive Opposition to Canada's Afghanistan Mission" (.pdf) - More - more - "Canadiens contre la mission afghane" - Plus - MILNEWS.ca Blog: Guess What?
"A suicide attacker rammed a car bomb into a police convoy in (Nimroz), killing three policemen and wounding four others"
More on CAN Helping Romanian Engineers Build Bridges in Zabul (.pdf permalink)
Taliban Propaganda Watch (links to non-terrorist web page): Taliban Claim Lots of Attacks, Cas in K'Har
16 July 09
CAN Envoy "Ron Hoffman considers the bombs, danger, political intrigue and stress of being the highest-ranking Canadian in the world’s most volatile area hard to beat."
Survey Says More Canadians Want Troops Outta AFG by 2011 - More
More Paranoia Worries About CAN Using CF-18's, UAV's After 2011 - My Take on "Secret Plan"
"The Pentagon says any move to further increase the size of Afghan security forces will require an international commitment to provide trainers and funding."
Big USA Push in Helmand: AFG Media Says "The major US offensive against the Taliban militants in Helmand harms the local people, according to residents" - "Despite the grim toll of British soldiers' bodies coming home in coffins, many Afghans believe British troops have been helping the Taleban." - US Commander: "United States Marines had faced less resistance than expected in their operation to clear Taliban safe havens in the south, but that British troops just to the north were running into fiercer fighting than anticipated."
K'Har Governor: "It's becoming more difficult to recruit new people who are outspoken and willing to speak against the militants and violence, and for the government" - More
USAF C-17 Helping AUS Troops in Tarin Kowt
Talkin' to the Taliban: "US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has held out an olive branch to Taliban militants willing to lay down their arms, adding her support to an offer of talks from Afghan leader Hamid Karzai." - More - Think Tank Study Claims "Amongst the Taleban, as the insurgency's core, there are pragmatic elements. There is an internal debate and some Taleban look for a political solution. The report recommends to explore how contacts can be developed without compromising progress made in Afghanistan since 2001."
Taliban Propaganda Watch (links to non-terrorist web page): Taliban Warns Obama "your advanced and sophisticated weapon will not protect you from death"
"Security Council stresses need for free, fair and secure Afghan polls next month" - Statement
Opinion: "Obama has been suckered into believing the solution lies with the current Afghan government to create an armed force that will fight. Frankly, we would be more impressed if Karzai could create an armed force that does not steal or oppress the people of Afghanistan."
15 July 09
Bad Guys Attack CAN "Model Village" - More - "Des insurgés talibans ont attaqué un village modèle bâti par des Canadiens"
Would-Be Homicide Bomber Shot Dead in K'Har
Six UKR Killed as "Missile or Rocket" Reportedly Shoots Down Moldovan Mi-26: Associated Press - Reuters - More - AFP - DPA - New York Times - Voice of America - Al Jazeera - MILNEWS.ca Taliban MANPAD OSINT Page
Next USA ROTO Announced - Downloadable Document on Latest Tactical Directive (.pdf)
Big USA Push in Helmand: "Taliban Continues To Cast Shadow Over Helmand" - Fomer CAN OMLT-eer Explains Why More AFG Troops May Not Be Available - UK PM Asks AFG Pres to Send Mo' Troops to Helmand - "Local residents willing to give qualified approval to Operation Khanjar, but there’s a long way to go before it can be termed a success."
"A roadside bomb blast has killed at least 3 civilians and wounded 6 others, Tuesday, in the restive Uruzgan province"
UK Sending (Some) More Troops - RAF Regiment Protecting K'Har Airfield
Talkin' to the Taliban: "Pakistani military's contact with senior Taliban leader sparked tensions in Kabul where officials termed it ‘interference’"
Taliban Propaganda Watch (links to non-terrorist web page): 30+ Brits Claimed Killed in Attack on Chopper
14 July 09
CAN Special Forces Reportedly Working on IED Networks - More from The Torch - More from MILNEWS.ca Blog
CAN High Commissioner for AUS: "Building of schools, clinics and improvements in health of Afghans was essential in boosting their morale to resist Taliban intimidation"
UN: What is the Biggest Killer of Civvies in AFG, You Might Ask?
ISAF Apache Gunship Deals With IED Planters
Chopper Crashes near Sangin, Killing Six - More - more - more - Taliban Taking Early Credit - MILNEWS.ca Taliban SAM Threat Page
Big USA Push in Helmand: Crooked AFG Cops a Worry for Marines - More
BruceR @ Flit Blog: USA Changing All PRT Commanders to Army Officers? - Wired.com's Danger Room in Afghanistan: "Summer of the (Civilian) Surge"
UK DefMin, Foreign Office Tug-of-War Over Mo' Troops to AFG?
Talkin' to the Taliban: Karzai, Campaigning in Kandahar, Promises to Chat Up Taliban if Elected - More
Taliban Propaganda Watch (links to non-terrorist web page): Taliban Claims Five Canadians Killed, One Tank Destroyed in Dand - Taliban Takes Credit for Neutralizing Parachutists Coming Out of Helicopters
Registan.net Seeks REAL Good News Stories
"Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell on Afghanistan’s Supply Routes"
13 July 09
Nicholas Bulger, R.I.P.: Funeral in Edmonton Today - More
CF Working to Understand Mental Health Effects of Traumatic Brain Injuries
CAN TF Commander: Taliban "In Disarray"
Big USA Push in Helmand: Two US Marines Killed in IED Blast - Video of Chopper Crew Dealing with IED Planting Team - "While Afghan national army and U.K. soldiers searched vehicles along a roadway on the outskirts of Camp Bastion, one soldier spoke to the inhabitants of a local settlement, enabling him to develop a better understanding of the local population's concerns."
ISAF Video (4 minutes): Explaining the New Tactical Directive
UK Identifies Latest Six (Five and One) Fallen
IndyMedia Poster Claims UK Forces to Leave Helmand After September 2009 AFG Election? (.pdf permalink here)
Talkin' to the Taliban: PAK Says Taliban Ready To Talk to USA? Riiiiiight...
Taliban Propaganda Watch (links to non-terrorist web page): June 2009 Summary of Taliban Claims of CAN Casualties - Taliban Claims Killing of Official's Son and AFG Commander in Helmand
12 July 09
Nicholas Bulger, R.I.P.: Funeral in Edmonton Tomorrow
Big USA Push in Helmand: Lots of Bad Guys Reported Killed So Far
USA Prez Thanks UK Troops for Their Work - More - Obama: Taliban's Being Beat, But Still Work to be Done
"Uruzgan 911" Starts Operation
Brit Journalist Learns that Taliban Learns
Taliban Propaganda Watch (links to non-terrorist web page): Taliban Alleges Seven Canadians Killed in Zhari
PAK Says Osama's Hiding in Eastern AFG
11 July 09
Charles-Philippe Michaud, R.I.P.: "Fallen Canadian soldier knew risks of serving in Afghanistan, brother says"
More on How the Fallen Save More Lives
MILNEWS.ca Blog: Media Priorities, A Musical Freak and Canada's Fallen Heroes
"Griffons 'safe,' commander says after crash"
Bad Day for UK: Brits Announce Five, Two and One More Fallen in 24 Hours - More - Reminder of Falklands Fight?
Big USA Push in Helmand: "As the British-led Operation Panther's Claw and US-led Operation River Liberty continue across Helmand the Commanders of British, American and Afghan Forces have joined the Provincial Governor to promise the people of Afghanistan that they would prevail against the insurgents."
"Danger on the road to Uruzgan" - "Hard Summer" Expected for AUS Troops
Talkin' to the Taliban: PAK Military Says It Can Bring Mullah Omar to the Table with USA - More - more - more - CNN (.pdf permalink) - US Special Rep: We'll Talk When Taliban Denounce AQ and Lay Down Arms
Taliban Propaganda Watch (links to non-terrorist web page): Rockets Claimed On Lashkar Gah PRT, Civvy Cas Claimed in Uruzgan
Opinion: "The biggest problem trying to follow the Afghanistan conflict is that it is such a bits-and-pieces kind of war .... One can only hope that by the time all the bits and pieces of this conflict are finally put under some kind of rational direction it won't be too late for this long-tortured nation."
PAK Seals AFG Border to Prevent Latest Push Spill-Over
10 July 09
Pat Audet, Martin Joannette, R.I.P.: They're Home - More - more - more - more - more - more
Wounded Warriors Heal in Northwestern Ontario - More
USA Deputy Chair of Joint Chiefs: "A key measurement of success in Afghanistan will be the attitude of Afghans affected by U.S.-led operations" - "Marines Seek To Forge Bonds While Pursuing Taliban"
Big USA Push in Helmand: CENTCOM Boss Says Tough Work Still Ahead - "(AFG) President issues aid instructions for Helmand" - Blogger Says "It may be messy and long, but I believe the US is likely to turn a victory here. But if it doesn't, serious questions will be asked about whether it is worth it to stick around much longer."
Lotsa IEDs
"Karzai victory may trigger Afghan violence, US commander warns"
Two More Brits Killed - More - One More Fallen Brit Identified - Nine Days, Nine Fallen
Taliban Propaganda Watch (links to non-terrorist web page): Hits Claimed in Kandahar, Helmand
CZE Trains AFG Helicopter Pilots (In Russian)
Admiral Giampaolo Di Paola, Chairman of NATO’s Military Committee: "Pakistan’s sovereignty must be respected and military operations in its territory should be carried out by its own forces." - More - NATO Denies "Imperial" AFG-PAK Plan
9 July 09
Pat Audet, Martin Joannette, R.I.P.: Coming Home This Afternoon - More - more - Chopper Crash Reportedly Happened During Dusty Takeoff - More - More - UK MoD Says Accident Happened on Takeoff from Romanian FOB in Zabul (.pdf permalink here) - One of the Things They're Doing with Romanians in Zabul
CAN's Only War-wounded Triple Amputee Trying to Build Accessible House - Cpl. Bill Kerr Meets CAN CDS, USA Chair of Joint Chiefs
CAN CDS: New CAN Combat Vehicles Helps Deal with "Equipment Fatigue" - CF Statement
Peace, Earth and Justice Poster Seeks "A Public Investigation" Into CAN Troops Handing Detainees Over to USA Troops
Big USA Push in Helmand: "Marines in for the Long Haul in Southern Afghanistan" - "Generals: More forces needed for Afghan offensive" - Where Are the AFG Troops? - Blogger: Lots of AFG Troops Available (But They Can't be Moved Into the Fight) - Blogger: "Perhaps geography trumped doctrine in choosing Helmand to begin the counterinsurgency." - "After seven days of seizing poppy-rich areas of southern Afghanistan, the Marine Corps is planning a shift to gain the trust of Afghan civilians but expects the Taliban to return and fight for the land" - AFG Gov't Control Expands During Push
USA Chair of Joint Chiefs: Fighting Over Next 12-18 Months "is going to be very, very challenging” - UK DefMin Speech: "In the face of the casualties we are seeing, it is understandable when people ask is this too difficult. But let me tell you .... In Afghanistan, there is a sense of achievement and improvement compared with my visit in December last year."
Latest Pentagon Assessment (.pdf): "The United States continues to face severe security and governance challenges in Afghanistan this year, but U.S. efforts remain fixed on defeating extremism and boosting the Afghan government."
No New Choppers for Brits
"Private Security Contractors Become a Source of Public Scorn"
Taliban Propaganda Watch (links to non-terrorist web page): Attacks Claimed in Gorak, Lashkar Gah - Problems with Taliban's English, Arabic Web Pages?
Opinion: "Afghan conflict shows no sign of progress"
"The Afghan government says it has changed a planned law which critics had said legalised rape within marriage."
"Can the farmers and the drug warriors be friends?"
8 July 09
Pat Audet, Martin Joannette, R.I.P.: Message from Governor General and Commander-in-Chief - Message de gouverneure générale et commandante en chef - Statement by the Prime Minister of Canada - Déclaration du Premier ministre du Canada - Statement by the Minister of National Defence - Déclaration du ministre de la Défense nationale - On Their Way Home - More - more - more - more - More on Fallen Brit Sapper - More
Charles-Philippe Michaud, R.I.P.: "The military funeral for Master-Corporal Charles-Philippe Michaud will be held on Friday, July 10, 2009, at 4:00 p.m. (ADT), in Notre-Dame-des-Sept-Douleurs Church, located in Edmunston (N.B.)"
Big USA Push in Helmand: More on Taliban's Claimed Anti-Push - "One week after several battalions of Marines swept through the Helmand River valley, military commanders appear increasingly concerned about a lack of Afghan forces in the field." - Registan.net Asks "Does this course of action, right now, make sense when other, more permissive (or worse still, previously permissive) areas of the country are under such dire threat?" - Former US General Says "There is unlikely to be anything like a decisive result out of this operation, even in the local area in the short term .... Trust will only be built up in the eyes of a deeply suspicious local people by a protracted period of careful operations." - "Marines’ attempt to spare civilians lets militants go"
Opinion: "Let's hope this Afghan "surge" produces results that are similar to those achieved in Iraq since 2007."
Video of USA SF Helping Bust Drug Ops in Helmand - AUS Troops Wounded in IED Blast Somewhere - More
Think Tank Report: "The insurgency cannot be defeated while the Taliban retain a safe haven in Pakistan. The Taliban can conduct hit-and-run attacks from their refuge in Pakistan, and the North remains open to infiltration." - "The Taliban's Winning Strategy in Afghanistan" (.pdf)
Taliban Propaganda Watch (links to non-terrorist web page): Taliban Take Credit for Killing Canadians in Panjwai - "To force Taliban to withdraw from Helmand is a mere daydreaming" (.pdf)
UN Uber-Envoy: "inefficient management of Afghanistan’s water resources is critical to both the country’s widespread poverty and deadly tribal conflicts over territory"
Wired.com Danger Room: AFG Worker Loses Job with US Aid Delivery Agency for Suggesting Locals Eat with Foreign Staff? - Straight from the Fired Guy's Keyboard
7 July 09
Pat Audet, Martin Joannette, R.I.P.: Écrasement d’hélicoptère – Deux Canadien, un soldat de la FIAS morts, trois blessés - Helicopter Crash Kills Two CAN Troops, One Coalition Soldier, Injures Three - CF Statement - ISAF Statement - More - more - Army.ca Condolences - UK Announces Engineer Killed in Crash
Charles-Philippe Michaud, R.I.P.: "La mort de Charles-Philippe Michaud ébranle beaucoup ses amis, mais aussi toute sa communauté du Nouveau-Brunswick." - Remembered by Colleagues in Kandahar - More
Nicholas Bulger, R.I.P.: He's Home - More - more - more - Home Town Remembers - "Dépouille du caporal Bulger arrive au pays"
"Government of Canada congratulates Afghan graduates from Canadian-sponsored Junior Officer Staff Course" - "Canada félicite les diplômés afghans du Cours d'état-major à l'intention des officiers subalternes parrainé par le Canada"
CAN Leaving K'Har vs. CAN Leaving AFG: "I hope that a new future role is being considered seriously by the DND and the PMO, perhaps after a short break of a year or so."
"A new tactical directive for coalition forces serving in Afghanistan re-emphasizes the importance of preventing civilian casualties." - ISAF Statement - US Forces-AFG "Notes"
Big USA Push in Helmand: Taliban Claim Counter-Push - Bad Day for NATO - More - "Afghan National Police assisted by International Security Assistance Force troops have restored government control in the town of Khan Neshin" - "U.S. Marines Secure Southernmost Point of Operations in Afghanistan" - More
"Joint US, Afghan and British operation disrupts Taliban" - IED Kills Brit in Babaji
Taliban Propaganda Watch (links to non-terrorist web page): Taliban Claims 16 Killed in K'Har Airfield Homicide Bombing, Apache Shot Down in Zabul
RUS Lets USA Fly Troops, Weapons into AFG
6 July 09
Charles-Philippe Michaud, R.I.P.: Presse Canadienne - plus - Canadian Press - CanWest News - More - CBC.ca - CTV.ca - Xinhua
Nicholas Bulger, R.I.P.: Arriving Home Today
Car Bomber Hits Gate of K'Har Airfield - More - more - more
"For cool-weather Canadians fighting a war in the south of this arid country, tackling the heat is sometimes half the battle." - "In a war fought against a shadowy enemy on what can be profoundly hostile terrain, having eyes in the sky is a huge benefit."
MILNEWS.ca Blog: Is CAN Leaving AFG, or Kandahar, in 2011?
Sports Program Helping Wounded CAN Troops "Soldier On"
USA Chair of Joint Chiefs: "We have enough forces there now not just to clear an area but to hold it. So we can build after."
Big USA Push in Helmand: "The mullah's message was blunt. We don't trust you and if you don't earn our trust, our first meeting will be our last." - "US military commanders in the southern Afghan province of Helmand have warned of the calm before the storm as thousands of Marines move with little resistance so far through the Taliban stronghold." - Engineers Put Up Fire Base Quick - "The success of the Marine-led offensive in southern Afghanistan .... hinges on the ability of the nation's army and police to provide security"
Taliban Propaganda Watch (links to non-terrorist web page): Bad Guys Claim 4 Chopper Shootdowns - More - Taliban's (Alleged) Stats for June 2009
5 July 09
Charles-Philippe Michaud, R.I.P.: "Un soldat canadien qui a récemment subit des blessures sérieuses en Afghanistan est décédé dans un hôpital de Québec hier." - Soldier Wounded in June Dies of Injuries - CF Statement - Message de gouverneure générale - Governor General's Statement - Déclaration du Premier ministre du Canada - PM's Statement - Déclaration du ministre de la Défense nationale - DefMin's Statement
Nicholas Bulger, R.I.P.: On His Way Home - More - more - more - One of the Injured Attends Send-off - "Slain soldier's comrades offer condolences to grieving family members" - Local Media - "It Never Gets Easier"
"The commander of Canadian Forces in Kandahar is no stay-at-home general."
Big USA Push in Helmand: "The major US offensive enters its fourth morning in Helmand where three districts still remain under militant control" - "New British and US strategy to break Taliban"
Two Brit Troops Killed in Separate Incidents - More
Taliban Propaganda Watch (links to non-terrorist web page): Taliban Claim to Kill Registan District Deputy-Boss
AFG Lessons to be Learned from 1845 Brit Cavalry?
"Russia will allow the U.S. to ship weapons across its territory to Afghanistan"
4 July 09
Nicholas Bulger, R.I.P.: Governor-General Statement - Prime Minister Statement - DefMin Statement - Soldier Destined to Receive Goodies from Home Town - Tally: 121 Troops, One Diplomat Dead - CBC.ca - Associated Press - Agence France-Presse - Family, Friends Rush to Support Mom - More - more - CAN TF AFG Boss Missed Blast By Not So Much
"The officer in charge of the United States Central Command is warning against premature optimism as thousands of American troops surge into Afghanistan's Helmand province." - "The Taliban is in for a tough fight as the Americans increase their troops in Afghanistan but the role of the Canadian forces is not going to change, says a top U.S. military commander."
Big USA Push in Helmand: Taliban Shoot at Marked, Unarmed Ambulance Helicopters Evacuating Wounded - More - Helmand Residents Brace - "Marines and Afghan personnel are clearing the region of Taliban and establishing bases among the people" - Taliban Shooting Back - But Not Lots Against the Brits
More on How the Dutch Are Working in Uruzgan - Poppy Cultivation Dropping in Uruzgan
Some Question About Quote Saying Chechens Are Fighting in AFG
3 July 09
Nicholas Bulger, R.I.P.: CF Statement - Canadian Press - National Post - CTV.ca - Army.ca Condolences
"Canadian commanders in Afghanistan received new fighting orders on Thursday which will prevent their troops from shooting at the Taliban if there is any risk of civilian casualties, even if it means allowing the enemy to escape."
CAN Former OMLT-eer: "The current approach to operational mentoring has some inherent flaws, and poses limitations on all our other military operations, that we're having difficulty recognizing for what they are. Partly this may be due to a lack of well-defined historical models."
CAN Combat Badge Royally Approved Before Being Canned
"Le ministre des Affaires étrangères, Lawrence Cannon, ferme la porte à double tour à une prolongation de la mission des quelque 2500 soldats canadiens en Afghanistan après 2011."
Big USA Push in Helmand: USMC Task Force Update - More - USMC Pix - Former CAN Diplomat Asks Where's Canada?" - How the Brits are Helping - Brits Launch Parallel Push - US Forces Facing Tougher-than-planned Public Response? - Reports of First USA Cas - More - more - Reuters Reports Progress - Hard Push, Still - More - More - more - more - Q&A About Offensive - Blogger Asks "What's Up with Parallel Civvy Surge?"
CO of 1st Bn Welsh Guards Killed in IED Explosion - MoD Statement
Taliban Propaganda Watch (links to non-terrorist web page): Taliban Claim 50+ Killed in Latest US Push - Other Alleged Attacks in Zhari, Nad Ali
Support for Changes in US Counterdrug Approach
Opinion: "If the Harper government believes that the mission can be successful, then the additional cost of extending the $11.1 billion mission and the effective cancellation of all UN missions may be a worthwhile endeavour in the pursuit of peace and stability in Afghanistan. But if there is any doubt, then a new strategy for Afghanistan must be adopted to quickly bring an end to the conflict." - "Is it possible we may finally get it right in Afghanistan? Is it possible we can kill the Taliban -- with kindness to the Afghan people."
2 July 09
"Canada Day marked in Afghanistan with tank decor, soldiers' festivities" - "Serving in Afghanistan gives soldiers appreciation for Canada" - "Brig.-Gen. Jonathan Vance spent most of Canada Day visiting Canadian bases in southern Afghanistan, wishing soldiers the best — and helping stop a Taliban ambush in the process."
More on CAN Buying Reconnaissance Blimps
USA Soldier Reported Captured by Insurgents - AFG Media Says Taliban May Be Seeking Prisoner Exchange - More
ISAF: Two Killed, Six Wounded in IED Blast in South - More - UK MoD Statement
Reaper Helps Out Over Qalat, F-18 Gives a Hand in Gereshk, and Tornado Shows Force Over Lashkar Gah
Big USA Push in Helmand: CENTCOM Statement - A Few Military Photos - New York Times - BBC - AFP - Associated Press - FOX News - Washington Post - CNN - Registan.net Comments on WP, CNN Versions
Brits Hit with Compensation Claims for Killed Civilians - Ghurkas Mentor AFG Cops in Sangin
"7 new development projects started in Urozgan Province"
Taliban Propaganda Watch (links to non-terrorist web page): Taliban Publishes (Alleged) Stats from Their OP Victory - 40+ Troops Allegedly Killed in Zabul - 29 "British invaders and puppet soldiers" Allegedly Killed, Injured in Helmand
US Army/USMC COIN Centre on How to Grow Trust in AFG
PAK Adding Border Guards on Frontier Next to Helmand
1 July 09
Ways to Celebrate Canada Day in K'Har - More
Returning RCMP Officer Happy to be Home
More on CAN's "Key Village" Approach: "The idea is to secure and stabilize the villages near Kandahar City to make them better places to live, and much less accessible to the insurgents who use them as staging areas for operations in Kandahar City." - "The result will be to deny the insurgents the use of their traditional staging, resting and transiting areas, thus ensuring a more secure environment in Kandahar City." (.pdf permalink to both articles here) - Blog: "Defending Kandahar to the Last Resident of Dand?" - More
CAN Foreign Affairs Minister on Extension Rumours: "Let me be perfectly clear: Canada is abiding by the motion that was adopted in our Parliament .... Our position is perfectly clear - we are not going beyond 2011." (.pdf permalink here) - AFG Envoy to CAN Not Seeking Extension - Text of 13 Mar 08 Commons Motion (.pdf permalink here)
Meanwhile, Minister Also Expected to Tell UN to Get Out of Kabul Into the Boonies - UN Sec-Gen 23 Jun 09 Report: "In May, UNAMA opened two new offices, in Tirin Kot and Sari Pul. Additional offices will be opened over the coming months." - More - 30 Jun 09 Debate at Security Council (.pdf permalink here) - CAN Foreign Mininster Calls for UN to do More Regionally (.pdf of UN summary of his speech here)
Shootout @ K'Har: "Police slayings by rogue forces highlight Afghan struggle to adopt rule of law" - "Afghan interior minister seeks end to private ‘militias’"
"Three years after its residents fled, the once bustling town of Now Zad (Helmand Province) is the scene of a stalemate between a company of newly arrived Marines and a band of Taliban fighters."
UK Politician: "We're on our way to losing and our young men are dying out there because politicians won't get their act together" - AUS Opposition Leader Drops By Uruzgan
Talkin' to the Taliban: New Survey Shows Support for AFG Gov't "Making Amends" with Taliban - IRI Releases Survey of Afghanistan Public Opinion
Taliban Propaganda Watch (links to non-terrorist web page): 22 Allegedly Killed Foot Patrol Blast in Zhari
Washington Post: "National security adviser James L. Jones told U.S. military commanders here last week that the Obama administration wants to hold troop levels here flat for now, and focus instead on carrying out the previously approved strategy of increased economic development, improved governance and participation by the Afghan military and civilians in the conflict." - Reuters Q&A on New USA Approach to AFG
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