CANinKHarOct2008


News

October 2008


CAN in Kandahar News Archive (Apr-Dec 2006)


31 Oct 08

First of CAN Chinooks Finally in AFG - More - more

 

AFG Army: Takes a Lickin', but Keeps On Tickin' - How They Handle Their Fallen - USA Watchdog:  "....CSTC-A had not clearly defined the missions, roles, and responsibilities of U.S. training teams and senior mentors involved in advising ANSF and the Afghan Ministries of Defense and Interior on the accountability, control, and physical security of U.S.-supplied Arms, Ammunition, and Explosives...."

 

"Fledgling Afghan army hospital improving daily but pace seen as 'glacial' "

 

“Tribal leaders with authority in some of the most dangerous border regions in southern Afghanistan have been asked by government officials to consider raising their own militias to fill security gaps insurgents are exploiting"

 

Wanted by US:  Commercial Chopper Pilots for Work in AFG (.pdf permalink) - More

 

Calls for Female Sensititvity Training for Troops (Foreign and AFG Security Forces)

 

K'Har Exporting LOADSA Pomegranates

 

"People in Helmand, a stronghold of Taliban have complained of civic amenities in a public meeting of provincial governor in Kajaki" - Governor Consolidates Following Big Push in Uruzgan

 

UK Military Think Tank:  Another "Berlin Airlift" Needed to Deal with AFG Hunger, a Bigger Threat than Taliban - Briefing note (.pdf) - More - more - more

 

More on Rolling Stone Embed with the Taliban

 

NLD Deputy Cdr of RC-South (in GoogleEnglish):  "Local governance, decent leaders, judges and public prosecutors, we have worked hard to draw, but insufficient progress seen .... The key lies with the government in Kabul. The people in the south must see and feel that their government will address these matters vigorously." - Original article in Dutch - Recipe Ideas for Brit Operational Rations in AFG - UK MoD news release - Recipe book (2.1MB .pdf)

 

Taliban Propaganda Watch:  "District headquarter attacked kills 5 puppet police in Zabul"

 

Taliban Holding Kidnapped Folks in Mosques

 

Analysis:  "Seven years after the war to topple the Taliban regime, Afghans are starting to wonder if anything has been achieved" - "Nothing quick or dramatic may come of the tribal council attended by 50 Afghan and Pakistani political and tribal leaders this week in Islamabad. Still, the very fact of the meeting, or jirga, and its promise of "a dialogue with opposition groups" suggest a promising change of attitudes on both sides of the world's most conflict-ridden border ...."

 

Opinion:  "Now more than ever, Britain needs a plan for Afghanistan" - "It's time to talk, however long it takes"

 

 

30 Oct 08

"Two years after Sgt. Vaughan Ingram died in combat, his brother says a posthumous honour helps preserve his memory." - "Mentioned in Dispatches" news release

 

What D Squadron, 12e Régiment blindé du Canada is Up To in AFG - Meanwhile, Their Colleagues Are Training to Head Over (video) - B Squadron, Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians) Remember Injured Colleague in Their Work

 

CAN Troops Fighting the Info War

 

"Real Afghan Shortgage: Copters, Spy Planes"

 

K'Har Residents Complain of Security Contractors Speeding - More Anti-Taliban Protests of Bus Massacre

 

CAN Embed Likes Sounds of Canada at KAF

 

Sudbury Doc to Talk About His Experiences

 

Karzai: "One of the nation's biggest wishes was full security ... which we have not brought. It has even dropped"

 

New Housing Going Up in Kandahar - Zabul PRT Helps Train, Certify Dental Specialists - More - What's a Royal Navy "agricultural land use advisor" Do on the Ground in Helmand?

 

DNK Soldier Injured in Helmand - Brits Suffering Big Time Hearing Problems After AFG - More - Brit Marine Who Threw Himself on Grenade to Save Buddies Gets George Cross Today

 

Talkin' to the Taliban:  "The United States will support the Afghan government in efforts to step up its reconciliation with the Taliban and other insurgents in Afghanistan, but not with al-Qaida or those who support it, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell told reporters today." - Transcript of news conference - More - Afghans React - CAN NDP Leader Calling on Ottawa to Support Idea

 

"Is the Taliban Stockpiling Opium? And If So, Why?" - Analysis:  "The Taliban and al Qaeda are popular because these Islamic fundamentalists want to turn back the clock (but) A lot of tribal leaders, apparently the majority, don't believe that trying to make the modern world disappear is going to work."

 

Taliban Propaganda Watch:  "tank of American invaders blew up in Zabol"

 

Opinion:  "Would it be impossible to break Afghanistan into several city-states? You’ve got Kabul, Kandahar, Mazar-i-Sharif and Herat which you could begin with."

 

Some PAK Taliban Disarming?

 

 

29 Oct 08

 

Richard Steve Leary, R.I.P.: Brantford to Memorialize Name of Fallen on Cenotaph

 

CAN GG Honours AFG Vets, Fallen with Bravery Medals - More - more

 

CAN's Veterans' Ombudsman: "Canada’s war in Afghanistan is sure to boost the numbers of homeless people in this country"

 

Work on Dahla Dam Project Expected to Begin in January 2009 - Original Request for Proposals - Alternate RFP Viewing/download Site

 

First, a CAN War Poet, Now a CAN War Artist for AFG

 

How PMCs are Helping Guard the Gates

 

"U.S. Generals Want 20,000 New Troops"

 

Former Brit General:  Militias Could Help in the Fight.... - ....because NATO Troops Have "Reached Their Limit"? - More

 

Helmand Governor Says Security Situation Improving

 

700 Ridgbacks Armoured Vehicles Headed to Brit Troops in AFG - More on OP Tornado in Uruzgan - UK Ghurkas with Royal Marines Celebrate Dashain in Helmand

 

Survey Says Afghans Becoming More Pessimistic - More - "Afghanistan in 2008: A Survey of the Afghan People"

 

Talkin' to the Taliban:  It's Time? - More - USA Reportedly Considering Chatting Up the Ones who Renounce Violence - AFG, PAK Leaders Offer Olive Branch - More - more - more - IRN Media Says USA Considering Dropping Mullah Omar from Terr List? (.pdf version) - Picked Up by Pro-Taliban Blogs - World Socialists Suspicious of Motives Behind Talks?

 

Analysis:  "Al Qaeda and the Taliban have noted that they can kill more foreign troops, with smaller losses to themselves, by using suicide bombers. Thus for every terrorist lost, you inflict 1.6 deaths on enemy security forces. However, you kill twice as many civilians. This is the fatal flaw of suicide car bombers."

 

Taliban Propaganda Watch:  "1 police Chief killed in Kandahar" - "4 British invader terrorists killed 3 wounded in Helmand province" - "8 foreign and 7 internal troops killed in Zabul province"

 

AFG Human Rights Official: "Afghan Corruption Fight Hurt by Lack of Focus"

 

War Good News, Bad News for AFG Economy

 

Opinion:  "Afghans do not need runaway pessimism; they understand both the history of failure in Afghanistan and the fragility of the present situation. What they do not understand is the wavering on the part of the international community."

 

 

28 Oct 08

Stars & Stripes on Latest CAN Work in the South:  "Sustained combat with ISAF and Afghan government troops is relatively rare, but roadside bombs, rocket attacks and sporadic firefights continue to take a steady toll." (.pdf permalink)

 

K'Har Businessman Says CAN Should Think Big in Development Projects

 

Aid Not Reaching Most Kandaharis? - "Local aid workers in the firing line"

 

Stats:  1000+ Allied Fallen Since 2001 in AFG - icasualties.org AFG page

 

New Push in Uruzgan

 

US Official:  AFG Army Looking Better - UK DefMin Says AFG Army to be Grown - Still, AFG Army Threatened by Taliban Bribes

 

Fighting Malnutrition in Zabul

 

DNK Want Freer Rules of Engagement - DNK Parliament Wants Taliban Death Toll Made Public - Blog:  Brit Civvy Foreign Aid Rep's Life in Helmand

 

Taliban Propaganda Watch:  "5 British invader terrorists killed in Helmand province"

 

AUS Looking into Allegations of AFG Refugee Rejects Killed by Taliban on Return

 

Warlord Forgiven by Former Campaign Manager who was Kidnapped - More

 

"Right messaging and support for farmers led to drop in Afghan poppy cultivation – UN"

 

"Brzezinski: West Must Avoid Russia's Mistakes in Afghanistan"

 

US Public Broadcast Corporation Preparing to Air Documentary from Embed with USA Troops - "The War Briefing"

 

Taliban Boss in PAK Nailed

 

AFG, PAK Reps Meet to Talk About Taliban - More

 

 

27 Oct 08

 

More on Latest CF Injured - More

 

Opinion:  "Canadians have no appetite to use up the lives of their soldiers making Afghanistan safe for reactionary zealots, but dangerous as hell for Afghan journalists who dare to ask who, what, where, when and why." - White House "Disturbed" about Case of Sayed Parwez Kambakhsh

 

NATO Boss in AFG Getting Tired of Negative Headlines

 

AFG DefMin Answers Questions Regarding Arming of Militias near Border

 

 

"Parallel Taliban administration finds some favour among Afghans"

 

Taliban Accused of Gouging Out K'Har Resident's Eyes - More - Taliban Statement:  "What Eye Gouging?" - Taliban Appear to be Killing Returning Unsuccessful Refugee Claimants

 

 

DNK, UK Forces Drive Bad Guys from Helmand Village - More

 

Are Religious Differences Pushing Taliban Away from AQ? - Taliban Still Saying Foreign Forces Must GTFO - More - more

 

Talkin' to the Taliban:  Summit Starting Today? - "The time will come to do a deal with the Taliban"

 

Taliban Propaganda Watch:  "4 puppet police killed in Helmand" - "A puppet army commander killed in Zabul"

 

Opinion:  "Canada's 2,500 troops in their Afghanistan mission need all the resources and the support they can get from Canadians here at home to do the job the Canadian government has sent them there to do until 2011"  - "US military command in Kabul is under the spell of Indian, Israeli and Northern Alliance advisers and is thoughtlessly ignoring the above noted threats emanating from multiple directions."

 

"Gunmen kill brother of top (PAK) Taliban commander" - More - more

 

 

26 Oct 08

 

CF Soldier Injured in IED Strike in K'Har Province - More

 

CAN CDS:  Troops Soon Focusing on Nailing Drug Labs (Not Opium Fields) - Stars & Stripes:  "The agreement was struck with the stipulation that NATO troops must have the permission of their own governments before they participate in the attacks, allowing several European nations who balked at the idea to decline participation."

 

USA Building New Base for 9K Surge Troops in Helmand? - More on USA Mapping New Approach - "(USA) special operations forces could narrowly target the most violent insurgent bands"

 

ISAF:  Gunfight in Helmand; Taliban Firing All Over the Place; Air Strikes Helped; No Evidence of Civvies Injured from Strike

 

Heating Up in Uruzgan

 

Talkin' with the Taliban (AFG):  "As U.S. and European officials ponder what to do about the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan, they are coming to a perhaps surprising conclusion: The simplest way to stabilize the country may be to negotiate a truce with the Taliban fundamentalists who were driven from power by the United States in 2001."

 

Taliban Propaganda Watch:  Summary 23-26 Oct 08 (.pdf) -  "1 military vehicle of puppet army blew up in Kandahar" - "Attacked checkpoints of puppet police in Nemroz" - "18 supplies trucks of American invaders destroyed and 7 puppet security gourds were killed in Zabul"

 

Outgoing Commander of AUS Task Force Says Taliban Surrender Only a Matter of Time - Returning Brit Paras:  4 Months, 70 Firefights ROM Troops Celebrate Romanian Army Day in Zabul

 

"Abductions stunt growth of economy"

 

Opinion:  "I commend the purchase of new equipment that should allow for the use of a very different tactical approach to the problems created by the cowardly terrorists that our troops face daily during their struggle in Afghanistan." - "Using Afghanistan as a base for anti-Iran policies handicaps U.S. efforts in the region." - "Why the war criminals must leave Afghanistan"

 

Talkin' to the Taliban (PAK):  OK to Talk to Taliban Who Stop Fighting - Some PAK Tribes Oppose Talking to Taliban

 

Kandahar-Born PAK Taliban Spokesperson (Believed) Nailed - More - more - more

 

 

25 Oct 08

 

Critically Injured Sudbury Reservist Reportedly Recovering in Ottawa (.pdf)

 

Troops Returning Home - More - more

 

CAN Embed Travels with the General, Says FOB Food is Fab

 

Sudbury MD Sharing His "Time Spent in AFG" Story

 

More on Lacrosse for the Troops

 

More on Survivor's Story from Taliban Bus Massacre

 

Chair of NATO Military Committee After Dropping By “It is undeniable that the overall situation is still problematic, but we need to witness what we have seen and heard: tangible signs of progress, that are really encouraging and lead us and the International Community towards even greater efforts to support Afghanistan in its struggle for a more secure and better future.”

 

Kandahar's Municipal Engineer a Target - Meanwhile, Not Everyone's Happy with the Latest AFG Cabinet Appointment

 

US Marines Killed in Helmand

 

Taliban Bad Boy Nabbed in Uruzgan

 

Opinion:  "Rudyard Kipling got his arithmetic right in 1886:  No proposition Euclid wrote, No formulae the text-books know, Will turn the bullet from your coat, Or ward the tulwar's downward blow Strike hard who cares - shoot straight who can - The odds are on the cheaper man." - Kipling's "Arithmetic on the Frontier"

 

“UN Ambassador Angelina Jolie urges greater support for Afghan returnees”

 

“U.S. and U.N. experts agree that Afghanistan will harvest fewer poppy plants bound for the drug trade in 2008 after two years of record crops. But they have radically different estimates about what that decline will mean for opium production." - More

 

USA Training PAK Forces to Fight Taliban, AQ - “Taming the ISI: Implications for Pakistan’s Stability and the War on Terrorism”

 

 

24 Oct 08

CF IED Team Sees World Through Bomber's Eyes

 

How Mounties are Helping AFG Cops

 

Warpoet.ca:  "Through text, audio, images, video and contributions by Canada's military personnel, warpoet.ca examines and records the contemporary Canadian war experience." - More

 

AFG Rights Official Says CAN Should Spend Development Money Outside Kandahar, Too

 

Remember All the Probes into CAN Treatment of Detainees?

 

USA Envoy to NATO:  Europe'll Send More Troops if Reassured about Our Strategy, Commitment

 

CAN-AFG Filmmaker Shows RANA FM, CF Troops Training for AFG - NFB's "Good Morning Kandahar"

 

New Car Bomb Screening Equipment in Place @ KAF

 

K'har Police Boss Escapes Injury in Donkey Bombing - Headline Wrong, Story OK - Bad Boys Nailed By AFG Security Forces in Helmand

 

 

AFG Civilians in East Protest Against Taliban for Bus Massacre - AFG Officials, Elders Condemn Bus Killings

 

Taliban Claim to be Gunning for Danes in RC-South - "The Danish soldiers is a sought-after goal for the Taleban because of the Muhammad cartoons" (GoogEng) - Original Article in Danish - DNK Firing Back - DNK Special Forces Headed to AFG? - More - more - Smaller, Lighter MRAPS Coming - More - Brit Navy Lynx Choppers Help in the Fight - UK DefMin Meets Karzai

 

Talkin' to the Taliban:  "Obama, Petraeus, McCain Agree: Taliban Talks OK" - AFG Planning Round Two - "The sudden emergence of a diplomatic dialogue illustrates just how far the U.S.-led war effort in Afghanistan has deteriorated, some experts say." - "Pakistan at odds with US over talks with Islamic militants"

 

Taliban Propaganda Watch:  "Americans’ Last Ditch Attempt" (Taliban Suggests USA Not Fund Tribal Militas) -"BM's Mortars shells fired at Kandahar airport" - "11 puppet police killed in Kandahar" - "In Explosions 13 puppet police killed in Kandahar" - "Few British invader terrorists killed in Helmand province" - "In an ambush 3 tanks of the NATO invaders destroyed in Zabul"

 

Opinion:  "Making a difference takes time - it takes commitment and selflessness. Our troops, who have given of themselves for this cause, deserve respect and support, not propaganda tearing at the legitimacy of their mission." - "Canada is a peace-loving nation that has some of the most talented and most civilized citizens in the world who wish to play a positive role in Afghanistan — but not in military uniforms." - "The decision to go to war in Afghanistan was the right one, but after years of misplaced priorities and muddling through, we have to do some hard thinking before asking our military to create the stability and security that are badly needed there."

 

Security Worries as Voter Registration Begins - Analysis:  Killing Aid Workers Could Cause Rift Among Bad Guys?

 

"Afghan anti-corruption efforts receive financial boost with UN grants"

 

PAK Politician Warns Against AFG Surge - PAK Says Bad Guys Still Sneaking In from AFG - More

 

 

23 Oct 08

Sudbury Restaurant Helps Family of Injured Sudbury Reservist

 

"Afghan army declares victory after beating off attack on southern city" (with CAN Mentoring)

 

CAN Police Team Calls New K'Har Police Boss "Breath of Fresh Air" (.pdf) - Next Day, Same Story,  Different Headline (.pdf)

 

New RC-South Commander's Priority is "Free, Fair and Peaceful" Elections (.pdf permalink)

 

Bloggers Underwhelmed with CAN Embed's Comparing KAF to Cuban Resort (.pdf permalink) The Torch - Daimnation - Small Dead Animals

 

Blogger Disses Brit Enbed's Coverage, Behaviour During IED Strike - More

 

More on Rolling Stone Embed with Taliban - Not All Are Impressed

 

Study:  Six Out of Ten Homicide Bombers Disabled

 

Donkey-Borne Bomb Kills, Injures AFG Cops in K'Har

 

Day of Mourning for K'Har Bus Massacre

 

More on Kabul-Kandahar Highway Not Living Up to Its Promise

 

Uruzgan District Boss Charged with Beating Teachers, Head of Religious School

 

AFG Security Forces Keep Taliban Away from K'Har Residents

 

Motorcyclist in Sangin, Ignoring Four Warning Shots, Killed - Taliban Bosses Nailed in Helmand, Uruzgan - More - more - more - more - more - AUS SF Troops Overpayments Clawed Back While Strapping Themselves Injured to Vehicles to Fight? - Brit FAC(?) Could Face Charges in Helmand Friendly Fire Death - UK Def Min to Discuss AFG with NATO SecGen

 

Talkin' to the Taliban:  SAU Confirms Talks Over Supper - AFG Confirms, Too - More - more

 

Taliban Propaganda Watch:  "17 puppet police killed 3 arrested in Uruzgan" - "Independent" Media Shares "Resistance" Statement on Cell Phone Restrictions

 

Opinion:  "Local connection means that the insurgents will (unlike the US/Nato occupation forces) go to great lengths to not put local people in danger. Purveyors of the line about the "Taliban's execrable tactic of using civilians as human shields" are either themselves unaware of classic guerrilla strategy or, more likely, seek to manipulate the general public's ignorance about the same." - NATO Shows Photo of Taliban Using Kids to Shield IED Planters

 

 

22 Oct 08

CAN Funding Program for Ex-Taliban Job Retraining

 

"Assessing Afghan security no easy task for troops"

 

Brother of Man Jailed 20 Years for Blasphemy Seeks CAN's Help

 

Mom of CF Soldier Who Reported Sex Abuse by AFG Troops Wants Quick Inquiry

 

BC Group Sending Lacrosse Equipment to the Troops - Windsor Church Sends Volleyballs for AFG Kids

 

LewMac:  Stay in AFG, Don't Capture Bin Laden - RUS Ambassador to AFG"They've already repeated all of our mistakes .... Now, they're making mistakes of their own, ones for which we do not own the copyright."

 

Organization of the Islamic Conference Pissed at Taliban Over Bus Beheadings in South - UN Uber-Envoy Underwhelmed, Too (.pdf of Envoy's statement) - More - Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission Calls It "A Crime Against Humanity" - More - Taliban's Explanation?  They Were Soldiers in Disguise - Survivor Says Different

 

CAN Embed's Assessment of K'Har Airfield:  "one part developing country resort .... one part hellish native reserve (and) a third element, one that I would liken to a steroidal summer camp"

 

ISAF's Side of the Nad E Ali Civvy Deaths

 

Bad Boys Nailed in Helmand

 

"Bases" Closing in Helmand Because DNK, UK Short of Troops? - More - more - more

 

New UK DefMin Drops By - Says AFG Army Will be Grown - AUS Moving Toward More Mentoring, Training - AUS DefMin Announcement - Some Pictures - AUS Compensates Family of Governor Killed in Spec Forces Firefight

 

Taliban Propaganda Watch:  18-20 Oct 08 Taliban Forum Posts from RC-South (.pdf permalink) - Taliban Propagada Watch 12-21 Oct 08 Round-Up (.pdf) - "4 British invader terrorists killed in Helmand" - "6 puppet police killed in Zabul"

 

Opinion:  "The mission of the MSM" - "Pessimism in Kabul (is) genuine" - "Can the Canadians coax the Americans and other NATO allies to train and support more local forces, while bolstering diplomatic efforts with neighbouring countries? That must be the plan." - "Have the British suddenly remembered the unsustainable cost of fighting asymmetric conflicts? Afghanistan has never been a place any foreign army could stay for long." - "If Afghanistan ever achieves real freedom, it will come by the struggle of its own people, at the expense of America’s imperial project."

 

AFG Rights Group Boss:  "There is no clear mechanism to fighting .... corruption. We have an anti-corruption commission, but we don't know what it does"

 

PAK, AFG Will Only Talk to Disarmed Taliban - Not Bloody Likely (At Least in PAK)

 

 

21 Oct 08

Injured Sudbury Reservist Flown to Germany for Further Treatment

 

CAN Ambassador:  We're Ready to Help AFG Talk to Some Taliban - More

 

Mail Your Packages to the Troops Free until 16 Jan 09

 

Families Band Together to Remember, Help Each Other - Families in Remembrance of Military Members (FIRMM) home page

 

CAN Troops Help Make K'Har Soccer Field Something OTHER Than Execution Venue

 

NATO Supreme Allied Cdr Europe:  Allies "Wavering" on AFG - More - more

 

Previous USA Commander in AFG Didn't Like Airstrikes - More

 

"Afghan NGOs are teaching human rights and Islamic law along with calls to end the war with a national peace jirga."

 

Disabled Kids Having Hard Time Getting to School - Assassination of Senior Female Cop in K'Har Bad Omen for Women's Rights in AFG

 

White House Condemns Taliban Attack on Bus Passengers - More

 

Taliban Wants Cell Phone Towers Shut Off During the Day in South Central AFG (see below for rationale behind shutting off mobile phone service @ night) - Teenager Hides to Escape Being Killed by Taliban in Helmand

 

Taliban Propaganda Watch:   "7 British invader terrorists killed in Helmand province" (.pdf permalink) - Showing Off Captured French Kit, Weapon - Taliban Rationalizes Cutting Off Mobile Phone Service @ Night (.pdf permalink)

 

Opinion:  "Now, with all that pesky democracy out of the way, is it safe to talk about Afghanistan again?"

 

IRN Calls for End to AFG "Occupation"

 

 

20 Oct 08

 

 

CF to Spend $100M on IED Dectection - More

 

How Officer In Charge of CF Medics in AFG Will be Spending Xmas

 

Editorial on Investigation of MCPL Walsh's Death"a more complete, more timely investigation would likely have enabled the prosecutor to come to a decision to withdraw the charges on his own, and sooner. It should not have taken more than two years to catch up with the facts."

 

Getting a Grip on Accidental Civvy Deaths

 

Blogger Reminder of Logistical Challenge Linked to Any Surge

 

How One CAN Embed Reporter Finds Things One Year Later - Another Embed Learns About How to React to Explosions - Brit Embed Witnesses IED Strike

 

"Microfinance changing lives of Afghan women but sector has its challenges"

 

Analysis:  "The Taliban appear to have 20-30 percent more gunmen in operation this year, largely because of greater earning from the drug business" - "Increasingly frustrated by the "downward spiral" that the United States intelligence community sees in Afghanistan, the Pentagon appears to be moving towards engaging leaders of the resurgent Taliban - if they are prepared to disassociate themselves from al-Qaeda."

 

"Taliban behead 30 men pulled from bus" in South - More - more - more - more - "What started as the road to recovery has turned into a highway of terror in Afghanistan"

 

UK Foreign Sec Says We're NOT Losing - Brits Seeking "Deputy Head (Delivery) in the UK Civilian-Military Mission" for Helmand - Brits Also Seeking Head of Counternarcatics Program in Helmand for $93K/year+"attractive benefits package"

 

USA Wants JPN to Send Choppers

 

Bad Boys Nailed in K'Har - Homicide Bomber Injures AFG Cop in Strike on Convoy in Helmand

 

Opinion:  "There's little in what British Brig. Mark Carleton-Smith says about the war in Afghanistan that Canadian soldiers there would dispute" - "The impact of NATO's premature withdrawal from Afghanistan will plunge Afghans into a situation worse than the 1990s" - "No one can win war in Afghanistan; Time to set troops deadline, negotiate peace deal"- "The key to success lies in strengthening the Afghan security forces, but donor countries must stick to their promises" - "Time for a Political Solution in Afghanistan?" - "A mediating role for Mecca in Afghanistan?" - "How to wind down the Afghan war" - "Petraeus(') .... initiative to broaden the scope of dialogue by bringing on board all the stakeholders, including Taleban and Pakistan, can be the first step in the right direction."

 

Still No Word About Nabbed AFG Envoy in PAK - PAK Taliban Allege Shooting Down USA Chopper

 

 

 

19 Oct 08

Sudbury Reservist Still Fighting for Life Following IED Injuries

 

Medic Handed Out Crayons Donated by Peterborough School Kids

 

Going to Take a While Investigating Child Sexual Abuse Among AFG Forces

 

ISAF"The insurgency will not win. The people of Afghanistan have told the world they do not want the Taliban back, or another substitute extremist regime."

 

CAN Embed: "The advantage of my navigational difficulties, it turns out, is that I've gotten to see parts of the base I might not otherwise have gone. The further upside of this is that it has helped me get a handle on which country's troops are having the most fun."

 

Private Security Needed in K'har

 

K'Har Elder, Former Karzai Bodyguard Assassinated in K'Har - More - Taliban Seizing Passenger Buses, Killing Passengers

 

ISAF Confirms Some Civvy Cas in Helmand; Looking Into It - Complicating Factors: "The ISAF investigation is complicated by the fact that shortly after the airstrike, two indiscriminate enemy force missile attacks appear to have been launched into the residential centre of Lashkar Gah that reportedly caused civilian casualties. We have also heard reports of other non-ISAF related incidents around Lashkar Gah which may have caused casualties."

 

NLD Investing in Anti-IED Research Team (.pdf version) - More - more - DNK Medical Patrol to Helmand's Capital (video)

 

Poochies in Helmand

 

Helmand Governor Converting Opium Fields to Food Fields

 

Analysis: "The Taliban has the support of only one in 10 Afghans in the southern provinces. But its forces are now more organised and dangerous, and have killed many of the Afghan leaders who opposed them." - "West lowers sights in Afghanistan as war drags on"

 

Opinion:  "While allies and other key players rethink strategy, Canada is missing in action." - "Talking to some of the Taliban makes sense. But there is no short cut to peace"

 

IRN Warning West Against Talking to Taliban - More - more

 

 

18 Oct 08

Name of Injured Reservist Released by Unit - More - more - Sudbury TV Video - Thoughts & Prayers on Army.ca

 

Remembering One of the First Fallen

 

CAN Business Middleman Hunting for Companies Willing to Invest in AFG - CAN Civilian Engineer Tells His Story

 

"Despite Canadian soldiers fighting and dying in a war half a world away, Canada's mission in Afghanistan was little more than a blip on most Canadians' radar screens this election."

 

Next RC-South HQ Team Preparing, Rehearsing

 

More on US Plan to Arm, Train Tribes to Fight Taliban - "U.S. Afghan review to be completed after election"

 

"Enemy Engagements Decrease for (USA) Marines in Afghanistan"

 

General McKiernan Sees More Foreigners Fighting with Taliban - "Kandahar elder gunned down while leaving mosque after morning prayers" - Blockade of Herat-Kandahar Highway at Nimruz ended

 

Brit Trainer on ANA Getting M-16's: "This equipment issue has now outstripped their training .... They are literally dumping this equipment on them and we are having to backtrack. It would be better if we could concentrate on the basics.” - Brit Hardware Being Stolen

 

Taliban "Discouraging" Voters Via Night Letters (.pdf) - Opinion: "The Taliban are waging a simultaneous three-front war: information, media and military, in a dazzlingly modern insurrection"

 

"Rolling Stone" Embeds with the Taliban (.pdf permalink)

 

Taliban Propaganda Watch:  "US Economic Crisis Indicates the Beginning of the Fall of the American Empire"

 

Not ALL Anthropologists Enamoured with Human Terrain Analysis

 

Opinion:  "Despite violence, some say this is "no time to go wobbly" in Afghanistan" - Former CAN Diplomat Says "We must stop the propaganda and end the mission. Our troops are not contributing to democracy abroad, security there or at home, or the nonsensical GWOT."

 

UN Uber-Envoy Says AFG-PAK Relations Improving

 

 

17 Oct 08

Sudbury Reservist One of the Latest Wounded - Another of the Earlier Injured Arrives in Windsor

 

Reservists Get Ready to Head Out

 

Stars & Stripes Compares CAN, US Military in AFG

 

Worries About MRAP Rollovers?

 

US General:  Taliban Getting Outside Help (But Won't Win)

 

NATO Airstike Hits Civvies in Nad Ali District, Helmand? - More - ISAF Looking Into It - AFG Authorities, Too

 

"Karzai flays Uruzgan blast" - Better Co-ordination Between K'Har Justice Agencies Urged - Coalition Military Medical Visit to K'Har

 

"St. Peter" Ready to Shake Up the Fight Against the Taliban? - More - US SecDef Says Mo' Than Just Mo' Guns Needed - New UK Army Boss Says 3K Troop Surge Needed

 

DEU Approves More Troops - IND Sends 6K Paramilitary Troops to Protect Projects

 

Analysis:  "America worries about Taliban advances and British despondency"

 

A Blogger's Buddy's "Analysis":  "Southern Afghanistan is like a football match. The Taliban are 4 goals up, and NATO is clearly being dominated on the field. Thunder clouds appear on the horizon and it starts to rain. So the NATO players run over to the Taliban and ask, “let’s call it a draw, ok? It’s started to rain.” But the Taliban don’t care. They’re ahead and they don’t mind a bit of rain. This is what the negotiations are like."

 

Taliban Propaganda Watch:  "(N)ews about death of 70 Talibs in Helmend" (GoogEng) - Original in Arabic - "Rescued by the Taliban"

 

AQ Not Shorta Funds, Even in Financial Storm

 

PAK's Issues Focus of Conference in Ottawa

 

 

16 Oct 08

 

Three CAN Soldiers Injured in IED Blast During Foot Patrol - More - more (see Taliban version below)

 

"Afghan army still rife with problems but more ready for Canadian handoff "

 

Analysis:  "The war, and foreign policy in general, had virtually no impact on (CAN) voters, experts and pollsters say." (.pdf permalink)

 

More on "New" Rules of Engagement with Air Strikes - A Bit of Context (Courtesy of Army.ca)

 

CF Bomb-Sniffing Poochies Help Out - Honourary Colonel:  "Canadian troops are putting their lives on the line, and making a difference for the people of Afghanistan"

 

Assassination of K'Har Official to Strike Fear into Residents - More

 

"Better Living Through (Counter-)Chemistry"

 

"Mapping Human Terrain in Helmand, Pt. 2"

 

US SecDef:  Better Allied Co-ordination Needed in AFG

 

More on Taliban's Second Kick at the Helmand Cat This Week - More - more - more - Arabs, Pakistanis Among the Taliban Nailed? - More - Governor:  "Taliban will never be able to capture Lashkargah" (.pdf permalink)

 

Brit Soldier Killed in Helmand

 

Helmand Farmers Getting Better Seed - Lining Up for Jobs @ K'Har City Hall

 

Talkin' to the Taliban:  "What Kind of Negotiations Should There Be Between Karzai and The Taliban?" - "Will NATO surrender to the Taliban?" - "Saudi Arabia hosts Taliban talks to bolster Pakistan"

 

 

Taliban Propaganda Watch:  "5 Canadian invaders soldiers Killed in Kandahar" - "2 checkpoints of puppet police captured in Grishek" - "1 tanks, 5 supplies trucks of American invaders were destroyed in Kandahar" - "Provincial capital attack kills 20 British invader and puppet army terrorists in Helmand" - "Provincial capital attack kills 16 British invader and 20 puppet army terrorists in Helmand" - Analysis: "Taliban mock West for calling Afghanistan unwinnable" - Taliban Posting Analyzed

 

Opinion:  "High stakes in Afghanistan: Reversing a downward spiral"

 

Confusion Over Accounts of Attack on Aid Convoy - More Attacks = Cutting Back Aid Ops

 

 

 

15 Oct 08

"Charges dropped against soldier accused of shooting colleague in Afghanistan" - CF Statement (.pdf permalink) - More - more - more - more

 

CAN Reps Pissed @ Assassination of K'Har Official

 

ANOTHER (Lucky) Motorcyclist Doesn't Stop When Ordered in Sangin

 

Taliban Tactics Work Around Fast Air, Coalition Bombers

 

More on Big Op Racking Up Caches

 

"Top UN envoy warns deadly Afghan attacks on increase as situation worsens" - Also Attacks Doom and Gloom Naysayers - News release - More - more - Even AFG DefMin Says It's Been a Bad Year - AFG Envoy to UN Says Taliban Now Regional Threat - NGO Security Office:  Lots of Aid Groups Attacked, Too

 

Hekmatyar:  "Islamic troops could replace soldiers from the West" - Analysis:  "Peace Talks Could Be Win-Win For Afghan Government, Taliban" - World Socialists:  "Growing talk of a political deal with the Taliban" - "A role for Mecca in Afghanistan?"

 

AFG Def Min:  "NATO has ordered its troops in Afghanistan to pull back from firefights with the Taliban rather than call in air strikes that might kill civilians" - Happy to Hear AFG Army to Grow, Too - USA Doing Well in IRQ=Bad Guys Running Away to Fight in AFG

 

DEU General, ISAF 3i/c"The assumption that one could easily defeat the insurgents using conventional means was wrong .... Perhaps we, the international community, were a bit naïve."

 

Taliban Push on Police Checkpoints In Helmand - More - more - more - more - more

 

Al-Jazeera Reports AFG Security Forces Switching Sides?

 

ISAF Helps Protect Seed Grain Shipment to Zabul - Paving Starts in Helmand Capital - Arms Cache Spotted in Nimruz - Bad Boys Nailed in Helmand

 

Mapping "Human Terrain" in Helmand - UK Cas Rate in AFG High

 

Taliban Propaganda Watch:  "1 tank of foreign invaders blew up in Kandahar" (GoogEng) - Original in Arabic - "1 tanks of English invaders blew up in Helmend" (GoogEng) - Original in Arabic - "Several explosion in Kandahar, chief of department Dost Mohammed Registani is killed" (GoogEng) - Original in Arabic

 

Opinion:  "The Canadian Election and the War in Afghanistan" - "Unwinnable Afghanistan" - "The best salve, then, for this seven-year burn, treats the fragile, fertile ground that foments violence. Saudi's hand, if extended to the Taliban, will undoubtedly be directed toward this goal." - "Afghanistan .... can be won if the carrot and stick balance is right"

 

AFG Pres Spokesperson says Strikes in PAK "fail to improve security" - Ex-Taliban Envoy "accuses Pakistani government of failing to respect diplomatic code"

 

 

14 Oct 08

"Court martial to begin for Canadian soldier accused of killing colleague" - More

 

More on Cache Find

 

Injured CF Soldier from Windsor Coming Home to Recover

 

Review of Academic's Book on CAN Mission - "Kandahar Tour" (Amazon.ca)

 

CAN Embed Reporter Introduces LAV Team to Readers

 

How Taliban is Cutting Off Kabul and Other Major Cities

 

K'Har Social Affairs Minister, Bodyguard Assassinated - More - more - more

 

Analysis:  "Stabilizing Afghanistan is going to require one of the most complicated exercises in statecraft undertaken by the United States in years." - "Almost every time the Taliban fight a battle, they lose to overwhelming firepower. Unfortunately, such Western successes are strategically meaningless."  - "The insurgents appear to have decided that it is worth the chance to score a major propaganda victory by overrunning a base or seizing a major town." - More - "An impression is being created that there is a "rift" between the United States and Britain regarding the reconciliation track involving the Taliban. The plain truth is that the US, Britain, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan are in this murky game together."

 

Embed Blogger Discovers Some USMC Ops Last Longer than Planned - Brit Mil Interpreter Becomes Spy for IRN - Brit Amputee Returns to Work as Recruiter

 

Paper on Provincial Reconstruction Teams: "Some of the current problems that the coalition faces in Afghanistan are identified, and the specific areas where the lessons from (Vietnam) might be helpful are discussed. Recognition is made of the additional problems that ISAF faces over those the US had to manage in Vietnam, and considers whether a military alliance such as NATO is actually capable of establishing the robust, unified command structure necessary to succeed in Afghanistan."

 

Blast in Uruzgan Kills Nine Civvies on Bus - More - more - Bad Boy Boss Nailed in K'har - Bad Day for Bad Boys in Zabul - Caches Found in K'Har, Uruzgan

 

More on NATO Fighting Drug Lords - "Why is opium production rising in Afghanistan, and can it be stopped?"

 

Opinion:  "Withdrawing troops lets Afghans settle matters"

 

Online Survey: "Majority of readers believe international troops can win the war"

 

PAK Worried About All Those (Armed) AFGs in the Country

 

Spy, or Dopey Tourist? - More

 

 

13 Oct 08

 

More Details on CAN Find of Taliban Cache (.pdf version) - More Photos - Red Cross Helps ALL Sides

 

Where CAN Parties Stand on AFG Mission

 

Taliban Attack on Helmand Compared to Tet Offensive - More - more - more - Royal Marines Still in Control, Though - Could Drug Lords Profit from Attack?

 

"Flip-flopping general a mixed blessing to U.S." (.pdf permalink) - Wikipedia bio of Dostum

 

Analysis:  "The Taliban are losing the battles but winning the war. The prognosis is wretched, yet we must sustain military aid" - "As Afghanistan Slides, Chance of a Taliban Deal Increases" - "Afghan quick fixes doomed to fail"

 

Taliban Propaganda Watch:  "A vehicle of Puppet army blew up in Kandahar" - "1 tank of American invaders, 1 vehicle of puppet police destroyed in Zabul"

 

Opinion:  "I'm not impressed by the prospect of our withdrawing so casually from a conflict where so many Canadian lives have been lost without any indication that our fighting there has achieved many military objectives, as opposed to civilian ones." - "Afghanistan can be conquered, but you cannot govern it" - "A major campaign against opium is .... unlikely to cripple the Taliban, and is likely to inspire underhand resistance from powerful elements in the Afghan government."

 

Some AFG MPs Not Happy with Cabinet Shuffle

 

 

12 Oct 08

 

Photos from CAN Op Flushing Out Taliban Stores Stash

 

Not EVERYONE Agrees with CAN Reservist Letter to the Editor Accusing Coalition of War Crimes

 

ISAF Commander:  "We are not losing in Afghanistan (but) we have insufficient security forces here to adequately provide for the security of the people of Afghanistan." - More

 

Review of CAN Book by Embedded Reporter - "Contact Charlie" @ Amazon.ca

 

Big USA Troop Surge Coming? - More on USA Leaning Toward Arming, Training Militias

 

"Taliban leader killed by SAS was Pakistan officer" - More on PAK Military Working in AFG with Taliban - Meanwhile, PAK Says THEIR Taliban's Weapons Coming From AFG

 

More on ANA swaping "AK47s for M16s, pickups for Humvees"

 

Talkin' to the Taliban:  "President Hamid Karzai has offered Taliban leaders the possibility of positions in his government if they agree to a peace deal which could bring fighting to an end" - "It would make sense to announce a deadline for pulling out the foreign troops and start negotiating for a final peace settlement in Afghanistan now. Waiting is unlikely to produce a better deal." - "Talk to the Taliban? Later, maybe, but not now" - More

 

AFG Happy to See Crackdown on Drug Infrastructure

 

LOTSA Bad Boys Nailed in Helmand - More - more - more - more - ISAF:  Killed 'Em Before They Attacked - Taliban's Version:  "Provincial capital attack kills 25 enemy soldiers in Helmand"

 

Weapon Cache Found in Uruzgan - Homicide Bomber Kills Five Civvies, One AFG Soldier in Uruzgan

 

Taliban Propaganda Watch:  Weekly Summary, 6-12 Oct 08 (.pdf) - "7 Canadian invaders soldiers Killed in Kandahar" - "A vehicle of Puppet army blew up in Kandahar" - "1 supplies truck and 2 puppet police vehicle were destroyed in Zabul" - "In explosion 8 puppet soldiers killed in Uruzgan"

 

Aid Blogger:  "The UN and a number of NGOs recently called on the Taliban to support a new humanitarian agenda in Afghanistan .... The question, of course, is whether the Taliban will listen."

 

Opinion:  "Without a proper breakdown of the costs, you run the risk of a breakdown in public support." - "Ottawa has shown itself a reliable ally. (It needed to.) The lives of Afghan women and girls, in particular, have improved markedly." - "In order for our military to work properly, you have to put money into it to provide the resources necessary for the troops to do their job." - "Since debate during the waning moments of our election is not adequate, the incoming (Canadian) government -- likely another minority -- should make a better effort at justifying ongoing and future costs." - "Whitehall’s pessimism will not help Afghanistan"

 

Cabinet Shuffle, New Interior Minister Comes with Experience - More - UN Uber-Envoy on Shuffle: "reshuffle demonstrates political determination, the importance of implementing more rigorously the agenda set and agreed upon in Paris in June"

 

 

11 Oct 08

CAN Troops on Patrol Find Major Taliban Supply Cache - No Bad Guys, Though - Big Morale Boost, Nonetheless

 

More Soldiers Returning Home - CF Soldier Returning from AFG Disheartened to Hear Brit General Comments

 

How Life Continues for Mother of One of the Fallen

 

More on Projected AFG Mission Cost for CAN:  Blogger Says It's Pennies a Day - "Usual Suspect" Commentator on Estimate - "Afghan sticker shock" - World Socialists Speak Their Piece

 

NATO Gives Green Light for ISAF to Jump All Over Drug Lords - More - more

 

USA Leaning Toward Training More Militias? - Taliban Spotted This Article

 

Brit Chief of Def Staff:  "The armed forces are only there to create space within which political and other solutions can be delivered. They are a means to an end." - More - Taliban Spotted This, Too

 

US Diplomat: "We're not there to win a military victory (but) to provide the appropriate security conditions so that we can provide the government services and the development assistance to the people of Afghanistan."

 

Brit Marines Familiarize Themselves in Sangin - Coalition, AFG Forces Busy in RC-South - More - Bad Boys Nabbed in Uruzgan with 12.7mm MG - ISAF Helps Afghans Shot in Robbery - Panjwai Families Receive Aid

 

Talkin' to the Taliban:  Prez's Brother Says He Tried Getting SAU to Get Taliban to Talk - More on the Talks That May Have Been (.pdf version) - "Pursuit Of Elusive Peace Could Drive Afghan Government, Taliban To The Table"

 

"How to take the media battle to the Taliban"

 

Taliban Propaganda Watch:  "In explosion 5 puppet soldiers killed 3 wounded in Kandahar" - Analysis of This Taliban Message - Alternate Analysis - "They're willing to give poor Afghans mobile phones while there is still a food shortage over there. This isn't exactly the way to win the war of "hearts and minds."

 

Opinion:  "The public in the West has to buy into Afghanistan - and soon"

 

US Chair of Joint Chiefs:  IND's Gotta Be At the Table for AFG-PAK Border Peace - PAK Tribes Attack Taliban - Here's Why PAK Tribes are Pissed

 

 

 

10 Oct 08

CAN Parliamentary Budget Officer says It'll Cost (At Least) Up to $18B by 2011 - "Fiscal Impact of the Costs Incurred by the Government of Canada in support of the Mission in Afghanistan" (.pdf) - "Methodology for Estimating the Fiscal Impact of the Costs Incurred by the Government of Canada in Support of the Mission in Afghanistan" (.pdf) - Canadian Press (CP) Highlights - CP Summary of Recommendations - CP Overview - Globe & Mail - National Post - CTV.ca - CBC.ca - CEP News - Associated Press - Reuters - Agence France-Presse - Xinhua (CHN)

 

CAN PM:  We'll Spend What's Needed - NDP Questions What's In and What's Not In - More - CAN Bloc Quebecois Leader "wants emergency debate to redefine Afghanistan mission"

 

 

AFG As Fodder for CAN Theatre?

 

More on AFG Military Receiving NATO Weapons, Equipment

 

NATO Def Ministers Talk in London:  Discussing AFG "Problems, Challenges" - Looking Ahead

 

Looking for Ways to Halt Taliban Drug Money - "Taliban money trail from Pakistan to United Arab Emirates"

 

US Chair of Joint Chiefs: "New Strategy to Broaden Scope, Coordination in Afghanistan" - Sees AFG Getting Worse into Next Year?

 

Former USMC-Current PMC Blogger Shares Impressions, Images of Traveling Through Southern AFG

 

Bad Guys Nailed in Oruzgan - More - Some Killed in Helmand, Too

 

Brit Gunners Pull Off Longest Recorded Desert Patrol Since WW2 in Helmand - NLD Troop "Mutiny" in Uruzgan Over - NLD Statement (GoogEng) - Original in Dutch - More on DEU Pulling SF Troops Out

 

"The international media have discovered a new hype ....  It's called 'Talking with the Taliban' ...." (.pdf permalink) - Opinion:  "You might not get what you want (talking to the Taliban), but .... Afghanistan right now the U.S. might just get what it needs - a window of opportunity to extract itself less messily from .... grinding COIN (conflict)-without-end .... soaking up US blood, treasure and prestige" - "Dialogue with Taliban is one-sided"

 

Taliban Propaganda Watch:  "Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid denies Taliban-Afghan Govt. talks in Saudi Arabia" - "40 puppet police killed 3 vehicles destroyed in Helmand" - "20 British invader soldiers killed 4 military vehicles destroyed in Helmand" - "4 supplies trucks of Australian invaders were destroyed in Uruzgan" - "America too arrogant to admit impossibility of winning in Afghanistan"

 

UK Plan to Counter Taliban Info Ops

 

Opinion "Positive Use of Afghan Poppies" - "Taliban winning in Afghanistan?"

 

"Pakistan border fight strains anti-Taliban alliance" - PAK Commentator Analysis: "Reconciliation in Afghanistan?"

 

 

9 Oct 08

CAN soldier injured in AFG - More - more

 

More Troops Coming Home

 

CAN Gov't Estimate of AFG Cost to be Released Today - More - Media Advisory - A Guess of What's Expected - One Think Tank Guesstimate:  $20.7 billion by 2011 - "The Cost of the War and the End of Peacekeeping" (.pdf) - More - more - more

 

Alternative Media Pick Up Alleged Reservist's Letter to the Editor - Army.ca Discussion of Letter Continues...

 

What The General (Allegedly) Said:  UK's Foreign Secretary Backs General's Comments on Blog - More - FRA General Backs UK General's Statement

 

Talkin' to the Taliban:  Former Taliban ForMin:  "US should 'release detainees before peace-talks with Afghan government begin" - Petraeus:  Negotiations with "some members" of the Taliban could reduce violence - More - Talks Could Help? - Comment:  "Negotiating with the Taliban is an insult to the Afghan people. Has the world forgotten what they are like?"

 

USA Nat'l Int Estimate Said to Warn of "Crisis" in AFG - More

 

Taliban Propaganda Watch:  "Withdrawal of invader forces is the only solution to Afghan conflict" - "1 Canadian soldiers terrorist killed 3 wounded in Kandahar" - "4 Canadian 7 puppet police terrorist killed in Kandahar" - "6 puppet police vehicle were destroyed in Zabul" - "Attacked on a supply convoy of enemy in Zabul" - "4 soldiers of enemy killed in Uruzgan" (GoogEng) - Original in Arabic

 

Brit Battle Group in Helmand Changes Bosses - UK Development Agency Reps Blog from Helmand - DEU SF Not All That Busy

 

"Aid agencies call on Taliban to back new humanitarian agenda"

 

"Nimroz drug addiction hits record high"

 

Centre for Defence Information September 2008 Summary (.pdf)

 

NATO Def Ministers Meeting in UK (with AFG on Their Minds) - Considering Talking to Taliban? - Also Discussing New Approach to Dealing with Opium - USA Looking for Long-Term Commitment from Allies

 

Opinion:  "Afghanistan could fall if more players don't get involved" - "Worrying about the new haven for al-Qaida and radical jihadists" - "Afghanistan is Operation Futility unless we talk to the Taliban"

 

 

8 Oct 08

Introducing USFOR-A - Army.ca Discussion of New Arrangement

 

USA Giving Vehicles, M-16s to AFG Army

 

"Insurgents show growing tendency to spread fear by singling out victims for atrocities"

 

Analysis: "Success of 'surge' far from clear"

 

Study:  ~3K Civvies Killed, CAN Compensation Closer to Top End - Researcher bio

 

Lotsa Bad Boys Nailed, Nabbed in Zabul - More - more

 

One Brit Squaddie's Story After Helmand - DEU Extends Mission, Adds (Some) Troops - More - Taliban:  No More DEU Special Forces to Contend With

 

"We Ate, But We Didn't Talk" - Yet ANOTHER Denial - Why It's Difficult to Talk to a United Taliban - DNK ForMin Supports (Conditional) Talks With Taliban

 

Taliban Propaganda Watch:  "In Explosion 13 puppet soldiers terrorist killed in Helmand" - "14 Puppet police terrorists killed and 2 vehicles destroyed in Zabul"

 

"Taliban have not split from al Qaeda: sources"

 

Opinion:  CAN Reservist Says "It's time to end Afghanistan war" - More - "The fall of Afghanistan: It may happen soon if we don't get more players involved" - "Between the Taliban and a hard place" - "There Will Be No Lasting Peace without the Taliban" - "On Anniversary Of Bombing Afghanistan, We Need A Surge In Diplomacy" - "A fatal flaw in Afghan peace process"

 

"Seven Years After First Air Strikes, Afghans Hope For Jobs, Peace "

 

 

7 Oct 08

 

Injured CAN Soldier on the Mend

 

Advance Release of Former CAN PM Bio:  CAN Not in K'Har Because of Dithering (GoogEng) - Original in French

 

CAN Liberal Party Attacks NDP's Plan for Diplomatic Offensive for AFG - Fighting Over AFG in CAN DefMin's Riding

 

CAN PM: Talking to Taliban Up to AFG Gov't - More - AP:  Former Taliban Ambassador Says AFG, SAU and Hekmatyar Officials Met - Kabul:  Sure We'd Love to Talk (But We Weren't At That Meeting) - Taliban, AFG Deny Talks in SAU (see below for more from Taliban) - Hekmatyar: “The only solution to the existing crisis is the withdrawal of foreign troops, the holding of fair elections, the transfer of power to elected representatives and the establishment of an Islamic government in Afghanistan”

 

US COIN Expert on AFG:  CAN Has Lessons for USA, NATO Strategists

 

More on Taliban's Alleged Break with AQ

 

What The General (Allegedly) Said:  Comments as Reported Surprises Former Colleagues - UN Uber-Envoy:  Of Course Military Not the Way to Win - More - more - more - US SecDef:  "While we face significant challenges in Afghanistan, there certainly is no reason to be defeatist or to underestimate the opportunities to be successful in the long run" - Editorials:  "The fight for a secure Afghanistan does not require a total victory. It does require a stronger military presence (as well as more effective development aid) that will create the conditions for any useful talks. An emboldened Taliban is unlikely to have developed a realism of its own." - "Canada's mission has been undercut by Kabul's ineptness, corruption and waste.... But a Taliban comeback would be worse, making the country terror-friendly again. What American, Canadian, British and other allies can do is buy time for Karzai. But the clock is ticking." - Blogger: "We aren't going to meet the Taliban on some distant battlefield, decisively defeat them militarily and end the war. Instead, just as we found in Iraq, we need a combination of coordinated efforts on different fronts to defeat the enemy."

 

UN Uber-Envoy: Insurgents should understand food shipments are "purely humanitarian, not a political effort to win hearts and minds" - More - News conference transcript:  "There are those who talk about failure and those who have been talking about failure for years and will continue in future to talk about failure. None of us can deny that there are very serious problems and none of us can deny that the security situation has deteriorated. But I am sick and tired of pessimistic voices."

 

USA:  Send Troops, or Send Money, Folks

 

NATO Mil Boss:  Get Cracking Harder on Heroin Problem - Meanwhile, Chris Hitchens Recommends USA Buy Up AFG Poppy Crop

 

UN Sanctions Committee Fine Tunes Taliban List - Latest Version of "The List"

 

Karzai's Bro Denies Drug Link Allegations

 

"Criminal Gang Busted in Helmand" - Worries About Fate of Old Fort in Helmand - Nimruz Health Official Nabbed - Nimruz Seeing Cholera Cases

 

More on AUS SF Nabbing Taliban Boss in Uruzgan - Brit Wounded Win Major Compensation Package - Meanwhile, Inquest Hears They Shoulda Been Told About the Minefield - IRN Offered Warlord Shelter After Ambush of FRA Troops? - YouTube Videos of USMC in Helmand

 

Taliban Propaganda Watch:  Former Taliban Envoy Denies Talks in Saudi Arabia; Suggests OIC instead of UN as Intemediary (.pdf permalink) - More on Taliban Denying Talks - "(I)n explosion killed 6 puppet soldiers on road LashkarGhah-Kandahar" (GoogEng) - Original in Arabic - "Attaked convoy, 4 invaders and 8 puppets soldiers killed in Zabol" (GoogEng) - Original in Arabic

 

Opinion:  "Even amongst America’s military leadership there is no clear consensus on how well the war in Afghanistan is progressing"

 

Voter Registration Begins for 2009 AFG Election - Bad Times Looming? - Taliban Promises to Cause Trouble

 

"Taliban rebuild children’s suicide camp in South Waziristan"

 

PAK to AFG Refugees in Battle Zones:  GTFO! - Could Cause Problems in AFG - Some PAK Tribesmen Rising Up Against Taliban

 

 

6 Oct 08

 

CF Soldier Recovering from Wounds from Maywand IED Explosion - More - more - more

 

How CAN Embed Reporters in AFG are Affected by Election Campaign

 

CAN NDP Jumps On Spin of UK General's Statement - More - more - more - more - AFG DefMin Disappointed with Statement - CAN PM Rejects UK General's Assessment - CAN ForMin:  Taliban Talks Can Happen (with Democratic AFG Gov't and No Violence from Taliban) - More on Spinning UK General's Statement

 

More on CF Investigation of AFG Sexual Abuse of Boys

 

CAN Helping Spread Facebook in AFG? - Lotsa $ Raised to Buy Coffee for CF Troops

 

AFG DefMin:  Calming Down PAK Helps Calm Down AFG - Says More than Just Military Action Needed to Win - More

 

Drug Making Chemicals Seized in K'har - Medical Patrol into Village in Zabul - Hindus Protest Worsening Situation in Helmand

 

More on More USA UAVs Headed to AFG - USMC Considering Using New 120mm Mortar in AFG

 

Analysis:  "Can King David (Petraeus) bring order to the mountains of Afghanistan?" - "The chances of victory in Afghanistan"

 

AUS DefMin Says AFG Strategy Too Slow

 

Following US Marines on Patrol in Helmand - Brit Cas Rate Climbing - 42 Royal Marine Commando Blog:  Learning About IEDs, ROE - More on AUS-Captured Taliban Bad Boy in Uruzgan - AUS Troops Confident of Driving Out Worst Threats from their Areas

 

 

More on SAU Mediating/Facilitating Talks Between AFG, Taliban

 

Taliban Propaganda Watch:  Weekly Summary (.pdf) - "1 tank of Canadian invader destroyed in Kandahar" - "(A)nother 1 tank of Canadian destroyed in Kandahar"

 

Opinion:  "We have resumed an active leadership role and improved the lives of those living half a world away" - "The Manley report stated that any future pullout from the mission should be objective-driven, rather than based on an arbitrary deadline." - "The decision of the Military Police Complaints Commission chairman to proceed with its investigation into complaints involving high-ranking officers in Canada's military and the torture of detainees by Afghan authorities is a good one." - "Our role in (AFG) was and remains a blunder the Tories are perpetuating at the expense of our 2,500 troops there and their anxious families, executing a flawed mission for which Canada can be certain of receiving no thanks."

 

"British officials are pleased with their reconstruction. Our correspondent finds little for them to crow about" - Contractors Protecting USAID Deliveries in AFG Charged with Fraud - US DOJ news release

 

 

5 Oct 08

 

CAN Troops Voting in Advance Polls in AFG - More - more

 

Dumb Idea from CAN Election Campaign: "Unequivocal withdrawal date for troops in Afghanistan"

 

(Music) Video of PPCLI in the Fight

 

Bad Boy Boss Nabbed in Uruzgan - AFG Medevac Does the Job

 

UK General:  "If we reduce our expectations then I think realistically in the next three to five years we will be handing over tactical military responsibility to the Afghan army and in the next 10 years the bulk of responsibility for combating insurgency will be with them." - Becomes "AFG War Unwinnable" - Or, at least, "Afghan victory hopes played down"

 

Security & Aid Highlights (October 2008)

 

"Energy Minister says foreign troops are not Afghanistan's permanent guests"

 

IRN Media Reports of FRA Troops Not Wanting to Go to AFG? - More

 

Taliban in Tora Bora Training Turks?

 

AFG Pres' Bro' in the Drug Trade? - Brother's WikiBio

 

Opinion:  CAN's "$22-billion little war must give way to a negotiated peace settlement" - "Dialogue only way to bring peace to Afghanistan" - "It's time to adjust the strategy" - "We pretend it's about Taliban"

 

Taliban Reportedly Pissed at Latest USA Strike in PAK - More

 

4 Oct 08

 

CF Mil Police Cleared of Abuse of Detainees - More - more -  more - CFNIS news release

 

CF, Military Police Looking into Claims of AFG Troops Raping Boys

 

Mission "At Critical Juncture"

 

More on CAN Election Candidates on AFG Mission

 

 

CAN Embed Reporter: "In recent weeks, there's been no place like base"

 

Attack by Bad Guys Repelled Near Zangabad - More on Bad Boy Boss Nabbed in Uruzgan by AUS Forces - Bad Boy Rocket Shrapnel Hits Child near Garmsir - ISAF Medics Help Afghans Injured in Vehicle Accident

 

Daikundi Getting More Insecure - Helmand Governor Pushing for Crops to Replace Poppies

 

Former Taliban Info Minister Says Taliban Clerics in Contact with SAU, Want Contacts Low Key (.pdf permalink)

 

Taliban Propaganda Watch:  "1 car of puppet police destroyed in Helmend" (GoogEng) - Original in Arabic - "Attaked military convoys, enemy has had the big losses (in Uruzgan)" (GoogEng) - Original in Arabic - "Attack on Center of district in Kandahar, 15 soldiers are killed also many are wounded" (GoogEng) - Original in Arabic

 

Brits Limiting Xmas Care Packages (A Bit) Going to Troops - More on Brit Marines Good to Go - More - Angus Reid Poll Says More Aussies Want AUS Outta AFG - ITA Politician Pissed More Not Being Done about Assassination of Top Female K'Har Cop

 

Opinion:  "The region needs a three-way political arrangement which puts Kabul, Islamabad and New Delhi at ease, bound as the three countries are geographically and strategically. Any new American effort must keep this in mind." - "Saudi Arabia can rein in the Taliban and al-Qaeda " - "Is Afghanistan in Peril?" - "Rethinking Afghanistan" - "If Australia has not gone to Afghanistan just for the sake of its alliance with the United States, then it is time to review its whole involvement."

 

"Is the U.S-Pakistan Alliance Against Terrorism Coming to an End?"

 

 

 

3 Oct 08

Stars & Stripes Watches 3 RCR November Company At Work in Zhari

 

Facing the Rockets @ K'Har Airfield - More

 

More on Where CAN Parties Stand on AFG - "Leaders feud over Afghanistan mission"? - CAN PM:  Can't Be in AFG Forever - More - more - Column:  "Taliban rooting for a Layton victory"

 

AFG Counter-Narc Minister on Lack of Success in South: "The problem there is a lack of reform in the Ministry of Interior (MoI). It is under-reformed, and the police do not have equipment. Furthermore, there are no proper prosecutors and judges." - Head UN Drug Staffer in AFG on Lack of Success in South: "We have agriculture conditions that are conducive [to producing narcotics in the South]. You have an insurgency, high levels of production, very well organized criminal networks and all this together makes the environment very conducive to cultivating opium."

 

NATO Targeting Drug Lords Funding Taliban

 

More on Karzai Reaching Out to Taliban (video) - More - ISAF Commander:  "Any reconciliation efforts should be led by the Afghan government, but that the military would support it." - EU:  Like the Idea of Talking (But Don't Talk to Those Who Won't Put Down Arms) - Taliban Spokesperson:  Thanks, but No Thanks - More

 

Analysis: "Historically, the Taliban’s strengths were their Islamic credentials, their reputation for imposing law and order and their opposition to tribal factionalism. If those three weaken, it is harder to distinguish them from the myriad other tribal militias that have long plagued Afghanistan." (.pdf permalink)

 

Taliban Propaganda Watch:  "Destroyed 7 military vehicles of enemy in Uruzgan" (GoogEng) - Original in Arabic

 

Blogger Shares Aerial Photos of Helmand Compounds

 

NATO SecGen Wants More Troops in AFG

 

NATO Asks Belgium for C-130s - The Story of One of the SF Fallen in Helmand - UK Royal Marines Ready to Head Back - MoreWhat Happens to the Refugees from the Fighting? - USMC Reassessing Equipment Needs

 

Opinion:  "A Surge of Will in Afghanistan"

 

ESP Int Says PAK Int Provided Taliban with Remote-Controlled IEDs - More

 

It Seems AFG Envoy to PAK HASN'T Been Recovered Just Yet - More

 

 

 

2 Oct 08

ISAF Mil Boss:  "In the East and the South, we are seeing a greater amount of insecurity in certain areas. So I won't say that things are all on the right track especially in the South and the East. So I think we are in a tough fight" - "Afghanistan Must Be Viewed Through Regional Prism" - "Solution Primarily Political, Not Military" - Transcript of media conference call

 

"Jack Layton has slammed the door on any proposal to send more troops to Afghanistan or extend the mission - even if Barack Obama becomes the next U.S. president and asks Canada to do so." (.pdf version) - "Leaders feud over Afghanistan mission"

 

CF CIMIC Soldier Returns as Civvy to Continue Development Work - "Development Works is a social enterprise agency that creates industry while reducing poverty."

 

More on Latest Probe of CAN Detainee Treatment

 

"Chaplains are there when Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan need someone to talk to"

 

Returned CF Soldier Tells His Story - Another One Does the Same - Mother of CAN Fallen Starts Charity to Help

 

USA SecDef Asking for UAV's, AFV's ASAP to Meet "Urgent" Need for More Help

 

Three USA SF Troops Killed in Helmand - Brit Amputee Back in the Fight - Danes Want Helmand Service Bonus for Troops - AUS Troops in RotationSome CZE Troops Headed to K'Har - More

 

AQ's Seven Year Plan "Al-Qaeda’s plan for Afghanistan is to gradually take over Kabul by cutting off its supply lines, followed by the reestablishment of the Islamic Emirate.  The mujahideen are waging war on multiple fronts in Afghanistan against NATO and apostate forces. The Taliban and al-Qaeda presently control large districts in Afghanistan due to the influx of volunteers and Salafi-Jihadi shaykhs."

 

Taliban Propaganda Watch:  "Weekly Comment: Negotiations - are only hearings" (GoogEng) - Original in Arabic - Claims of 80% Support for Taliban in End of Ramadan Web Page Message (.pdf if link doesn't work)

 

Opinion:  "The War Won’t End in Afghanistan" - "The insurgency does not exist because of opium, it exists because of local conditions the Taliban exploit—opium cultivation is just a second-order indicator of how well the Taliban is exploiting those conditions." - "A Canadian diplomat among the dead. That should show .... the aims and objectives of the Taliban and their followers, not to mention their thoughts about a diplomatic solution to this issue." - "Force Harper out and bring our troops home"

 

"Pak Army, NWFP govt extending help to tribesmen to combat Taliban" - "Target and Attackers Still a Mystery in Islamabad’s Marriott Bombing" - Jihadist Forum Says Thermal Bomb? (GoogEng) - 9MB video of TV story with reconstruction of strike (zip file)

 

1 Oct 08

CAN DefMin Says (Again) Pulling Troops =/= "Cutting and Running"

 

More on CF "Eid Aid"

 

CF Military Police Watchdog Looking into Amnesty Int'l Allegations about Detainee Treatment - Decision (s. 250.38 NDA) Regarding a Complaint by Amnesty International Canada and British Columbia Civil Liberties Association in June 2008 (.pdf version)

 

Another Excerpt from Another Book on CF in AFG - More - "Contact Charlie" by Chris Wattie

"Big Three" Bad Boys Responsible for Uptick in Violence

 

More on Needing More in AFG - Is More the Answer?

 

New USA Strategy "could allow it to expand airfields, preposition military forces and equipment, and prepare for a more robust effort soon against Islamist extremists in the region." - Leaked Memo Says UK Envoy to AFG Thinks USA Approach is Wrong? - Former PAK Army Boss Says USA Losing in AFG, PAK

 

"Taliban Embeds" Duped? - CAN Embed Discusses Air Conditioning

 

Blogger Shows US Marines in northern Helmand - ITA Sells Planes to USA for AFG Air Force - G.222/C-27A Spartan

 

UK Coroner:  Section Commander Should Have Checked For Mines Before Entering Mousehole?

 

Taliban Propaganda Watch:  "Killed four foreign soldiers on road kandahar-Herat" (GoogEng) - Arabic Version - "1 tank of English invaders destroyed in Helmend" (GoogEng) - Arabic Version

 

Opinion:  "Police officer's murder reminder of unfinished job" - Blogger Says CAN Part of Reason Taliban So Popular? - Can West Match Taliban's 20 Year Plan for War?

 

Now, RAF Harrier Pilots Want a Piece of the "Kajaki Dam Caper" Glory Pie

 

PAK Taliban Boss Reportedly Dead - More - No He's Not!

 

How PAK Gas Makes It Into AFG

 

ITA to Host "How Can We Be Friends?" Conference

 

PAK Sacks Int Agency Boss Linked to Old Pres - More