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CANinKandahar

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News

Updated ~11:30UTC and ~00:30UTC

Background Information & Research Information


CAN in Kandahar News Archive (Apr-Dec 2006)


4 Sept 09

"U.S. probe of 2006 Afghan friendly fire critical of Canada"

 

CAN Transferring Control of K'Har Military Hospital - One Plastic Surgeon's Story

 

Facebook Photos of CAN Gunners in AFG

 

July K'Har Drug Raid Nabs Border Police Boss

 

The Torch Shares Way to Help a School in AFG

 

Taliban Propaganda Watch (links to non-terrorist web page):  Taliban Claims U.S. Forces Caused Car Bomb Massacre in Kandahar City - Profile of Taliban Boss in Uruzgan (Last Item)

 

US Looking into Possibility of Aid Funding Ending Up in Taliban Hands

 

RUS Ready to Offer Advice on AFG Strategy

 

 

3 Sept 09

 

"Les soldats canadiens n'ont jamais été assez nombreux dans Kandahar" - Google English:  Never Enough CAN Soldiers in Panjwai - "Le Canada joue quitte ou double"

 

German Journalist on Kandahar Security Situation: "The Canadians have done a poor job in trying to maintain security. The local government is also partially to blame. There has been an influx of different governors coming and going .... And the Taliban have done a very good job with taking out the middle management (among the government officials.)"

 

CAN Drops Plans to Use Donkeys for Hauling - Milnet.ca Discussion on Some Donkey Use in AFG

 

More on Latest UN Drug Report: "Poppy cultivation increased in the Canadian military's theatre of action in Afghanistan while the rest of the country saw a decline in poppy crops" - More - more

 

More on Canada's Man in the Election Fracas - "Election results are headed into weeks of limbo as a government commission investigates more than 600 complaints of ballot stuffing, intimidation and other allegations."

 

The Torch blog: "Canadians love to talk the talk about being a, er, force in the world and still (delusionally) believe we are. But we will not walk the walk, nor pay the price."

 

MILNEWS.ca blog:  Kajaki Dam Proof that Development, Aid Can't Happen Without Security - Boots on the Ground blog:  "There is a time to build, and there is a time to fight. It may be that unless we want to fund a self-perpetuating war in Afghanistan, we may need to focus more on taking out the trash before we spend a whole lot sprucing up the place."

 

"For the Marines of Company C, 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, hunting the Taliban takes patience and flexibility."

 

K'Har Bad Boy Nabbed - Taliban Looking for 5.45mm Rifles to Help Penetrate Body Armour? - How Crime Helps Pay the Taliban's Bills - Protection Racketeering Helps, Too

 

Taliban Propaganda Watch (links to non-terrorist web page):  Attacks Alleged in K'Har, Helmand and Zabul - Taliban Targets Mosque to Kill Int Boss

 

2 Sept 09 

R22eR BG Commander: "We are about to break the Canadian status quo of 3 1/2 years .... It has been extremely interesting since April and will be until next April."

 

"Le lieutenant Alexandre Hottin vit depuis un mois chez les talibans."

 

Opinion:  "Canadians have paid dearly in both lives and treasure over the past eight years .... If this sacrifice is not to be wasted, the next Afghan government .... must be held to a much higher standard of competence and integrity. ISAF forces cannot continue to provide support for a government that is flagrant in its disdain for its own people."

 

Mountie Complains of Low Key Racism at Work in KPRT - Suing the Force

 

CAN COIN Centre Exchange Officer Asks "Is there a hybrid solution, local security forces with leadership trained, paid and loyal to the centre, like the British system in ancient Scotland, Wales and Ireland?" - MILNEWS.ca Blog:  It'll Take QUITE a While

 

MILNEWS.ca Blog:  Some Ideas For Sharing Good News with Canadians

 

Southern Tribal Leaders Call for Karzai to Go - More - Authorities Ready for Run-off Election if Needed - More Evidence of Taliban Maiming of Potential Voters in Daikundi

 

"NATO soldiers ordered to drive nice on Afghan streets, win trust of people"

 

Taliban Mines in Helmand Maiming, Killing Civilians - IED's Killing Clumsy Taliban in K'Har - Washington Post: "The Taliban has become a much more potent adversary in Afghanistan by improving its own tactics and finding gaps in the U.S. military playbook"

 

Latest Brit Fallen Identified - Close Call for AUS Chinook in Kandahar - DNK PM Drops By - Report:  LOADS of Private Security Contractors Working for US in AFG

 

Taliban Propaganda Watch (links to non-terrorist web page):  August 2009 Stats of Taliban Claims of Canadian Casualties - Taliban Web Page Now Claims Taliban, Not NATO, Destroyed Latest Downed Chinook - Big (Alleged) Punch-up in Musa Qala - More Killings Alleged in K'Har, Helmand and Uruzgan

 

NATO Military Work = Drop in Drug Production - More - more - Still, Evidence Bad Guys Forming Cartel, Stockpiling Drugs - More Details from UNODC

 

Registan.net: "It seems like no one either in the Obama Administration or the military is articulating why a counterinsurgency in Afghanistan (and not, say, Pakistan) is the most promising method of ensuring al Qaeda never again imposes a strategic threat against us."

 

UN Uber-Envoy:  "Enough is Enough with the Piecemeal Approach" - Also Calls for Three-Week Peace Campaign

 

1 Sept 09

 

CAN "Stabilization Company" for Kandahar PRT

 

"Une escouade anti-drogue sans Canadiens" - Plus - MILNEWS.ca Blog:  CAN SF Are Busy Enough Doing Other Good Work

 

"The top commander in Afghanistan, Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, said Monday that conditions on the ground were “serious” but that the war here is still winnable, part of a long-awaited assessment of the American-led war." - More - more - Registan.net: "There needs to be some fundamentally new thinking in Afghanistan"

 

The New Yorker with "Road Rage: Marauding Taliban and drug-dealing warlords on the road to Kandahar"

 

"Tactical Conflict Assessment Planning and Framework" Helping U.S. Marines Deal with Conflict in Helmand

 

Blogger Shows Election Day Work in Sangin

 

Two Black Watch Soldiers Killed in Explosion During Foot Patrol - ISAF Statement - Two More ISAF Troops Killed in Southern Firefight - NLD Civvy Boss in Oruzgan Blogs & Settles Into His Job

 

Taliban Propaganda Watch (links to non-terrorist web page):  Taliban Claims Responsibility for Latest Brit Chinook Incident (.pdf) - Attacks Alleged in Panjwai, Arghandab, Marja, Tarin Kowt and Qalat - The Torch Spots Globe & Mail Letter Comparing Quoting Taliban to Quoting Goebbels

 

U.S. Special Envoy Says Taliban Hurting Bad in S. AFG - Opinion:  Not Looking Good for the Talban (But You Don't Hear THEM Complaining)

 

31 Aug 09 

CAN Not Part of AFG Drug-Lord Hunting Teams - More - U.S. Senate Report Mentioned in Story (.pdf) - Alternate Site for Report

 

"Les soldats à pied de plus en plus visés"

 

MILNEWS.ca Blog:  Insensitive Blog Post on Recent CAN Injury

 

"Canadians instructing Afghans on how to fight and prepare for war are following an honourable tradition, says Canada's top Operational Mentor and Liaison Team adviser to local forces in Kandahar."

 

New Rules of the Road for ISAF Drivers

 

Another Brit Chinook Destroyed to Keep It Out of Enemy Hands - More - more - more - more - .pdf of initial release material - UK Sending More IED, Trainers to AFG (But Not Increasing Total Numbers in Country)

 

"An Australian Bushmaster Protected Mobility Vehicle has been struck by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) to the north of Tarin Kowt, Afghanistan, resulting in damage to the vehicle." - "The Governor of Oruzgan province, Assadullah Hamdam has thanked Australian Army engineers for their efforts in refurbishing the Tarin Kowt Boy’s School."

 

K'Har City Hospital Busy After Latest Blast

 

Taliban Propaganda Watch (links to non-terrorist web page):  Taliban Allege Brit Kill During Brit PM Visit - Still Some Trouble with Translations

 

Opinion: "After eight years of international military intervention, the Afghan people are now free to vote for the warlord of their choice, and then equally free to ignore the election result if they don’t like the outcome."

 

"General Stanley McChrystal, the Commander of NATO’s International Security Assistance Force and U.S. Forces Afghanistan forwarded his strategic assessment today to the Commander, U.S. Central Command, General David Petraeus, and the Commander, Joint Force Command Brunssum, General Egon Ramms, who will comment and forward through their respective chains of command to the U.S. Secretary of Defense and NATO Secretary General." - Analyst:  More Troops, Resources Needed, Not Just "broad set of strategic concepts"

 

Kilcullen: "A government that is losing to a counter-insurgency isn't being outfought, it is being out-governed. And that's what's happening in Afghanistan."

 

"Brig. Gen. Phillip E. McGhee, director of Resource Management for U.S. Army Forces, U.S. Central Command, said by the beginning of the fiscal year, Oct. 1, the Army will go cashless in (Afghanistan) when writing up contracts with local vendors."

 

"Bombings targeted a Pakistani police station and set a NATO fuel convoy ablaze Sunday, killing 16 cadets in the northwest's Swat Valley and threatening the supply line to international forces in Afghanistan in a separate attack near the border."

 

30 Aug 09 

"Un soldat canadien a été retrouvé grièvement blessé dans un bunker situé près d'un secteur résidentiel de la base de Kandahar, en Afghanistan."

 

"Les Afghans, un exemple de politesse extrême"

 

More on Construction Season Getting Under Way

 

More Detailed Preliminary Results Expected Ready Next Week

 

UK PM Drops By, Announces New Strategy Including Talking to (Some) Taliban - More - more - more - more

 

Taliban Propaganda Watch (links to non-terrorist web page):  Americans Accused of Civvy Cas in Helmand Attack

 

US Chair of Joint Chiefs Worries About Military Messaging about PAK, AFG - Mullen's Editorial (.pdf)

 

"The White House has assembled a list of about 50 measurements to gauge progress in Afghanistan and Pakistan as it tries to calm rising public and congressional anxiety about its war strategy."

 

"American Antiwar Movement Plans an Autumn Campaign Against Policies on Afghanistan"

 

"Fuel and other supplies to Nato forces in Afghanistan were stopped as traffic on both sides of the Pakistan-Afghan border remained suspended on Saturday because of a row over search of goods trucks coming from Afghanistan." - PAK Homicide Bombers at Border Crossings a Problem, Too - More

 

29 Aug 09 

CAN Soldier Recovering from Gunshot Wound Sustained at K'Har Base - More - more - more

 

Taliban Commanders Claim Election Victory via Globe & Mail - Shared via Pro-Terr Blog - MILNEWS.ca Blog Analysis - More

 

"The so-called summer "fighting season" in Afghanistan is coming to an end, so Canadian construction season is about to begin."

 

Latest Pix of CAN's FOO/FACs on the Job

 

Washington Post Follows Human Terrain Teams in Helmand

 

"Afghan-International Security Forces Pursue Taliban Militants in Kandahar" - "Suicide Bomber Kills 2, Wounds 23 in Zabul"

 

"NATO's mission in Afghanistan will last "as long as it takes" to ensure that the country is secure, the alliance's new leader said Friday during a visit to the Turkish capital."

 

Taliban Propaganda Watch (links to non-terrorist web page):  Attacks Alleged in K'Har, Helmand

 

CAN Foreign Minister: "Canada’s participation in the Friends of Democratic Pakistan meeting reaffirmed our commitment, in partnership with the international community, to work with the Government of Pakistan and its people to build a secure and prosperous future and contribute to global security."

 

28 Aug 09 

Fewer NATO Civvy Deaths, More Taliban Civvy Deaths Following New NATO Rules - More - Tactical Directive Text (.pdf) - "Well Done" from Blog

 

Zhari Post Expanding to Host More US Troops

 

Worries About Taliban Winning in K'Har? - Columnist on Kandahar Blast: "That was no act of insurgency. It was an atrocity."

 

Opinion: "The cost of deserting Afghanistan now"

 

MILNEWS.ca Blog:  Amnesty International Helps the Enemy in Afghanistan - More Blogger Worries About Media Coverage

 

CAN Military Voice Shares AFG Experience at US Army/Marine COIN Centre Blog

 

Statement:  AUS Looking into Procedures After Recent Shooting Incidents - More

 

Taliban Propaganda Watch (links to non-terrorist web page):  Attacks Claimed in Helmand, Uruzgan, Zabul - Official (and Better Translated) English Version of Taliban Statement Denying Blame for K'Har Blasts

 

Heated Exchange Between US Special Envoy, Karzai?

 

27 Aug 09 

Canadian Aboriginal Serving in US Army Killed in Vehicle Rollover - More

 

"Canadian police mentors in Kandahar City are going to get help soon from the U.S. army." - CAN Cops More Outside the Wire than Many Police Trainers

 

"Kandahar PRT operations going great"

 

CAN Doctor Writing Book about Work in AFG - "FOB Doc" on Amazon.ca

 

Colleagues of Fallen Estonian Troops Thank Canadians for Support

 

"Security Council, Secretary-General deplore brutal bombing in southern Afghanistan" - NATO Spokesperson: "The Taliban carry out terrorist attacks on a regular basis throughout the country and host terrorist organizations that carry out terrorist attacks throughout the country. They cannot absolve themselves of responsibility for this attack, either directly or indirectly." - Taliban Officially Denies Responsibility for Kandahar Car Blasts - Arabic/Google English of Taliban Statement - Still Looking for Survivors More Blasts in K'Har - More - more

 

"Petraeus Predicts Tough Fighting in Afghanistan" - NATO's Top Commander in Blog:  "While I remain convinced that the Coalition, working with the Afghan people, will ultimately win in Afghanistan .... the situation is extremely challenging." - More - ISAF Commander Issues Command Guidance on Counterinsurgency Fight

 

Latest Brit Fallen (Died of Wounds) Identified - Brit Side of IED-Clearing Operation on "Pharmacy Road" - Now-Expelled Embed's Version

 

BBC Podcast (.mp3) of Interview with DFC-decorated Brit Marine Chinook Pilot - Citation (at Bottom of Page) - "Immediate Response" on Amazon.com

 

Taliban Propaganda Watch (links to non-terrorist web page):  "Governor of Kakrez district (Allegedly) killed in Kandahar" - The Torch on Why Media Doesn't Present Taliban Propaganda as Lies - MILNEWS.ca Blog Agrees - Some Propaganda Sites Back Online - Others Not Working

 

US 3rd Special Forces Group Focusing on AFG, PAK

 

 

26 Aug 09

"Defence Minister Peter MacKay says his department has made progress on "most, if not all" of the 36 recommendations from a Commons committee highly critical of the care Canada's soldiers get for physical and mental injuries suffered in Afghanistan."

 

"MacKay to NATO allies: Don't look to Canada for more troops" - More

 

40+ Killed in K'Har City Multiple Car Bombing:  CAN Foreign Affairs Minister Condemns Bombing - AFG President Blames Taliban - Taliban Denies Responsibility - AFG Media Reuters - Agence France-Presse - CBC.ca - NY Times - CNN.com - BBC.co.uk - Voice of America - Al Jazeera - Globe & Mail

 

Wall Street Journal:  "The U.S. and its allies are planning to reinforce Afghan police and army units guarding Kandahar with American and Canadian troops, a move that acknowledges the deteriorating condition of the south's largest city."

 

Former Globe & Mail Embed on Reporting from AFG: "A key blind spot is that we have no idea what ordinary Afghans want."

 

More on How CAN Helped with AFG Election - MILNEWS.ca Blog:  Good Article, But Better Sooner - Pressure to Get CAN To Help Investigate Possible Election Fraud - AFG Election Commission:  Only One out of Ten Votes Counted So Far - Results for Pres, By Province (.pdf)

 

Danger Room Blog Embed with More Details on Helmand IED Clearing - GPS + Computer = Way to Look for Convoy Bottlenecks

 

AUS Special Forces Nail Oruzgan Bad Boy Boss - More - Bad Boy Nailed in Kandahar, Too

 

Taliban Propaganda Watch (links to non-terrorist web page):  Americans Allegedly Killed in Helmand

 

New Counterinsurgency Guidance Issued by ISAF Boss - Guidance Available for Download

 

Opinion: "Unlike NATO, the Taliban must know that time is on their side"

 

25 Aug 09 

Injured RCMP Officer Back in Hospital in Ottawa - More

 

Former CAN OMLT Trainer:  Why It's Taking So Long to Train Up ANA

 

"Top UN envoy urges calm as Afghanistan awaits election results" - More - Initial Results Expected Today - More - Opinion:  Tribal Warlords Still Wield Power

 

Blogger Shares Detailed Account of Brit Operation in Helmand - Air Assault K'Har Throws Wrench into Taliban Comms - "The Governor of Oruzgan province, Assadullah Hamdam has thanked Australian Army engineers for their efforts in refurbishing the Tarin Kowt Boy’s School."

 

Two EST, One USA Troops Killed in Helmand Blast - Latest UK Fallen Identified

 

Talkin' to the Taliban:  Calls for Talks with Taliban Willing to Stop Fighting, Buy Into Gov't - More - more

 

Taliban Propaganda Watch (links to non-terrorist web page):  Attacks Claimed Against Canadians in Arghandab, Spin Boldak - More

 

24 Aug 09

Canadian Wrestling with Allegations (From Both Sides) of Electoral Irregularities - Democracy International Observers: "Too Early To Judge If Afghanistan Election Is Credible" - More

 

CENTCOM Opening PAK/AFG Int Training Centre

 

Weapons Seized, Suspect Bad Guys Nabbed in K'har

 

USA Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Quoted Calling AFG Situation "serious and deteriorating" - More - US Military Commanders Say More Troops Needed

 

"Canadian helps found Afghanistan's first wildlife preserve"

 

The REST of the Story About Acid Attacks on Girls in November - More

 

"The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has no Pashto speakers and only a third of the Dari speakers it deems necessary to operate in Afghanistan, almost eight years after Britain went to war there." - UK shadow defence secretary "has called for Britain to shorten its deployment in Afghanistan by having clearer targets for success and sending more troops to train the Afghan army"

 

Talkin' to the Taliban:  "Karzai seeks Pakistan talks on Taliban"

 

Taliban Propaganda Watch (links to non-terrorist web page):  Attacks Claimed in K'Har, Helmand

 

PAK Media: "Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Foreign Affairs Canada, Monday announced to attend the meeting of Friends of Democratic Pakistan in Istanbul, Turkey from August 24 to 25"

 

"Pak denies Mullah Omar, Taliban central council operating from Balochistan"

 

 

23 Aug 09

 

Injured RCMP Officer Doing Better in Germany - MILNEWS.ca:  Good to Hear, But...

 

Flickr Feed of CAN Photos of Election in K'Har - Observer Group Issue Preliminary Report on Election (.pdf) - Initial EU Monitor Assessment: "Free was not the case in some parts of the territory due to terror installed .... Fair -- generally what we have observed was considered by our observers with our methodology good and fair." - EU Initial Report (.pdf) - More

 

Helmand: "Marines Fight Taliban With Little Aid From Afghans" - Brits Say Lots of Change in Sangin since 2006

 

Taliban Propaganda Watch (links to non-terrorist web page):  Taliban Alleges Two Canadians Killed in IED Blast

 

New Boss for PAK Taliban

 

Opinion:  "The Afghan problem is 30 years in the making. Even if the US military and the government has fully absorbed the lessons from Iraq and have installed the right leaders [both which remain to be seen], implementing any solutions are difficult given the poor resources in Afghanistan."

 

22 Aug 09

Eleven Electoral Workers Killed - Taliban Cuts Fingers Off in K'Har - "Canadian commander hopes Afghan election brings 'refreshed' political atmosphere " - "Millions of Afghans vote, but is it enough?" - "Majority of Afghans ready to move forward, says Canadian chairman of electoral commission" - UN Security Council Pleased - Obama Pleased - Both Front Runners Claim Victory - More - more - Initial Results Expected Next Week

 

CF Helicopter Pilots Training in US for AFG - Meanwhile, Cyprus Looking Forward to More Troops Post ROTO

 

 

US Looking into Non-Combat Death at K'Har Air Field - US DoD Statement

 

Taliban Propaganda Watch (links to non-terrorist web page):  Last of Attacks Claimed from Election Day

 

21 Aug 09

 

Afghan Election:  "Canadian Forces in southern Afghanistan succeeded in fighting off Taliban insurgents seeking to attack Kandahar city during the presidential election, which saw less violence than initially feared. " - Gen Vance:  "After "some pretty grand pronouncements" the Taliban "failed miserably" to make good on their boast to destroy Afghanistan's presidential election" - Taliban Threats Affect Turnout - More - more - more - Voting's Done, Counting Begins - Counting Done? - Next Step:  Who Won? - Taliban Claim LOTS of Attacks Across the South Here and Here - Full List of 60+ Attacks Claimed by Taliban Across AFG on Election Day (all links to non-terrorist sites) - Turnout in K'Har?  Good and Not So Great - UN Uber-Envoy and Sec-Gen Congratulate Voters - Wise Words from Registan.net: "We have no idea how the election went."

 

Taliban Claims Shootdown of Chinook; UK Media Quote "Military Sources" It Was Shot Down

 

"Dutch Choose Bushmaster IMVs for Afghan Mission"

 

"The head of US Central Command, Gen David Petraeus, has said international forces have about a year to prove their strategy in Afghanistan can succeed."

 

What's Death of Taliban Boss in PAK Mean for AFG?

 

 

20 Aug 09 

"Three Canadian soldiers infected with a bacteria are under quarantine at a Quebec City hospital."

 

Public Safety Minister Speaks to Injured Mountie (MILNEWS.ca Blog:  This Isn't "News")

 

"Polls open as Afghans brave violence to vote" - "Taliban Attacks Close Poll Booths as Afghans Vote for President" - "Although intimidation by the Taliban had apparently succeeded in keeping many Kandaharis at home, voting for Thursday's presidential elections "was going very well," according to an Afghan election official."

 

What AFG Security Forces are Doing to Ensure Election Security - What NATO/ISAF's Doing - More - What Some Canadians are Doing

 

"Afghanistan's Helmand Province Becomes Electoral Litmus Test" - Today's Vote Could "help stem the recent political gains of the Taliban" - "Analysts Fear Violence If Vote Lacks Credibility"

 

"Taliban threaten to decapitate, dismember Afghan voters marked by anti-fraud ink "

 

IED Blast Kills Two NATO Troops in South - Three More Killed in Firefight in South - "An (American) international security force member died from non-battle-related injuries in southern Afghanistan .... The incident is currently under investigation."

 

Brit Chinook Engine Fire Forces Emergency Landing - More

 

Taliban Propaganda Watch (links to non-terrorist web page):  Taliban Claim Killing Canadians in "Tank" - Slew of Attacks Claimed Across RC-South

 

Opinion:  "Afghans will not be muted by fear" - "Because of its willingness to bleed and lead, Canada has gained power, influence and stature. All that could disappear"

 

19 Aug 09

 

Wounded Mountie Doing OK

 

Want to Follow AFG Election Via Twitter? - Taliban Controlling Radio in Ghazni... - ...While AFG Gov't Wants to Control Media Elsewhere - More - more - Free Media Allowed to Say "No, Thanks"

 

"A district chief was killed along with a tribal elder as their vehicle hit a roadside improvised explosive device (IED) in southern Kandahar province on Wednesday." (.pdf permalink here)

 

Taliban Sub-Boss in Helmand:  "We didn't take the election seriously until the Americans started arriving in larger numbers with more and better equipment than ever before .... Once we realized how important it was for the Americans to secure the election for their puppet Karzai and his corrupt government, it became equally important for us to try and stop it." - "Taliban message: Vote at your peril" - "The message (Taliban) hope to convey: It's not safe to vote."

 

K'Har Governor Reportedly "optimistic about Thursday's presidential and provincial council elections, in which he'll cast his first-ever ballot in Afghanistan." - Helmand Governor: "British troops give us hope"

 

"Despite US troops, Taliban roam freely in south" - Helmand "Villagers give election registration team short shrift, believing insurgents could soon be back."

 

"Coalition forces have set up a 'tiered' security plan at polling places" - "Independent Election Commission (IEC) said the president's supporters were trying to force it to accept polling stations in Taliban strongholds where voting could not be properly monitored."

 

AUS Troops Help Build School in Uruzgan - Red Cross Helping Out K'Har Hospital

 

Taliban Propaganda Watch (links to non-terrorist web page):  Attacks Claimed in K'Har, Helmand, Zabul

 

 

18 Aug 09 

"Des artistes québécois atterriront en Afghanistan au début du mois de septembre afin d'aller supporter les troupes canadiennes déployées sur le terrain."

 

Election Prep:  "Following the call from the government of Afghanistan for a Day of Peace, the International Security Assistance Force will suspend offensive operations during the election." - "No-Show Karzai Disappoints Helmandis" - "Afghan police and NATO troops have tightened security in southern Kandahar province ahead of Thursday’s presidential election." - "Thousands of Afghans defied Taliban threats and attended political campaign rallies in Kandahar on the weekend, vowing to go to the polls this week to elect their president and provincial councils." - "Afghanistan prepares to vote" - "A desperate President Hamid Karzai spins backroom deals as equally determined insurgents battle to close polling stations and keep ballot boxes from reaching dusty villages."

 

Taliban Pre-Election Push:  Six Afghans (Including Four Cops) Killed in Uruzgan Election Centre Bombing - Taliban Blaming Any Casualties During Election on Victims - "Taliban rooting for Karzai's defeat" - "Taliban hardliners spread out to undermine Afghanistan election"

 

Talkin' to the Taliban:  "Peace Talks With Taliban Are a Top Issue in Afghan Vote"

 

Latest British Fallen Identified

 

Taliban Propaganda Watch (links to non-terrorist web page):  Rockets on K'Har Airfield, Americans Accused of Killing Civilians in Helmand

 

Opinion:  "Canada will pull its troops out of combat in Afghanistan in 2011, and we must decide what the new role will be for our military" - "Regardless of who gets the most votes, Barack Obama will end up the real leader of Afghanistan" - "NATO commander putting brave spin on Afghan war" - Blogger:  More Allied Dead =/= More Taliban Action

 

17 Aug 09

 

Homicide Bomb Attack near NATO HQ in Kabul:  Injured Canadian Identified as a Mountie - More - more - "According to Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid, the target of Saturday's explosion in Kabul was not the headquarters of the International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) in Afghanistan but the American embassy. This careful clarification reveals the insurgents' strategic logic." - More

 

Embed:  "Two miles from the gates of this isolated Canadian military base in southern Afghanistan is Sangsar, where the Taliban's harsh interpretation of Islam was born. A few miles farther east is a school in Siah Choy where students learn to build roadside bombs for passing U.S. and Afghan troops or the farmers who welcome them."

 

"Despite the angst and the anger, or perhaps because of it, Kandahar City is gripped by a definite election buzz." - More - Some Ways the Taliban are Disrupting Voting - "A group of Taliban fighters made their announcement in the bazaar of a nearby village a few days ago, and the word spread fast: anyone caught voting in the presidential election will have his finger — the one inked for the ballot — cut off."

 

ISAF Commander:  Less "Tail", More "Teeth"?

 

Stars & Stripes: "Canada has handed over about half of its battle space in southern Afghanistan’s Kandahar province to newly arrived U.S. soldiers"

 

"Three British soldiers killed on a foot patrol in Afghanistan were caught in a Taliban “daisy chain” trap involving consecutive bomb blasts." - UK MoD Statement

 

Taliban Propaganda Watch (links to non-terrorist web page):  Rockets Alleged on K'Har Airfield, Military Prosecutor Claimed Killed in K'Har

 

Opinion:  "Pashtun nationalism alone does not explain the Taliban’s strength, which is fueled by drug money, Islamist fervor, corrupt warlords, hatred of the American occupation and the hidden hand of Pakistani intelligence agencies. But the psychological cement that holds the disparate Taliban factions together is opposition to Tajik dominance in Kabul."

 

16 Aug 09

Homicide Bomb Attack near NATO HQ in Kabul:  Canadian Civilian, AFG Staff of CAN Embassy Injured in Blast - More - more - Taliban Say They Did It (links to non-jihadi site) - Karzai Pissed - UN Sec Gen Pissed - CAN Foreign Minister Pissed - NATO Video of Attack Aftermath

 

AFG Troops Re-Capture Volatile Helmand Area

 

Remember the Taliban "Ceasefire" for the Election?  Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight - More

 

"For now, the most immediate target of the Taliban is to prevent people across this region from turning out to vote in presidential elections, due on 20 August. If they succeed, it will dent the credibility of the election and may spiral into a political crisis for the government, analysts say. But if they fail, then Kandaharis hope for greater stability in the future."

 

"Karzai counts on tribal vote to win Kandahar" - "Vote a test for Afghanistan's tenuous south" - Women Election Staff in K'Har Only Allowed to Work at "Women's Only" Polling Stations

 

"A rocket attack in Afghanistan’s south wounded two children Sunday"

 

Opinion:  "Canada's role is changing, in line with the expectations of Canadians, the will of Parliament and the demands of ordinary Afghans themselves who want considerably more aid and less violence. Harper has a duty to drive that unequivocal message home." - Point by Gwynne Dyer - Counterpoint by The Torch - More Concerns About Limiting Support Fire Rules of Engagement

 

UK Cas Toll Reaches 200+ - Latest Brit Fallen Identified - Another Brit Cas

 

Taliban Propaganda Watch (links to non-terrorist web page):  Attacks Alleged in K'Har, Helmand and Uruzgan - Catch-Up Claims in K'har, Helmand When Voice of Jihad English was Down - "The Obama administration is establishing a new unit within the State Department for countering militant propaganda in Afghanistan and Pakistan, engaging more fully than ever in a war of words and ideas"

 

15 Aug 09

"Brigadier-General Jonathan Vance, the country's top commander in Afghanistan, says Canada's combat mission here will end just as crucial momentum is building toward a lasting victory against the Taliban."

 

US Think Tank Report:  AFG Cops the Weak Link

 

MILNEWS.ca Blog:  Where's the Media Outrage Over Taliban Killing Civilians in Kabul?

 

US DefSec: "In the intelligence business, we always used to categorize information in two ways, secrets and mysteries .... Mysteries were those where there were too many variables to predict. And I think that how long U.S. forces will be in Afghanistan is in that area." - More

 

One AFG Soldier Killed, Five Wounded in Suicide Bomb Attack in Lashkar Gah - "U.S. Marines pushing into Afghanistan's southern Helmand province are running up against a skeptical Afghan population heavily influenced by Taliban insurgents, signaling a long campaign ahead. "

 

Taliban Funding Ops by Taking Cut of Aid Projects - Anti-War Blogger Takes This a Step Too Far

 

UN-AFG Rights Group Report (.pdf):  "An upward trend in breaches of the principle of non-intimidation by anti-government elements (AGEs), as well as rival candidates and their supporters, is also of concern.  AGEs tend to be responsible for the majority of breaches of the principle of nonintimidation." (Translation:  Bad Guys Doing Most of the Anti-Voting Intimidation)

 

"Rehashed legislation allows husbands to deny wives food if they fail to obey sexual demands"

 

14 Aug 09 

CAN Embed:  "This time, they think they've got it, they've really got it: A plan, a strategy, a clear objective, a hope in hell. And they're no longer alone...." - "Joint patrols, training, building up Afghan forces for coalition exit"

 

CAN Officer Warning to Incoming US Troops:  "It's not complicated. Expect everything." - "We are proud to have been here. This is the heart of the insurgency .... But of course it's frustrating, because we lose ground every time we lose an area."

 

NZ Reporter:  NZ SF Troops (Likely) Replacing NLD SF, Not JTF-2 - More

 

Big Heavy CAN Trucks Resupplying the Tanks

 

"Taliban chiefs agree ceasefire deals for Afghan presidential election" - "Karzai orders Afghan forces election cease-fire" - Recipe for Disaster?

 

"Gates Notes Security Progress Prior to Afghan Election"

 

Three Brits Killed in Sangin Explosion - Step-By-Step of Marine's Fight in South

 

Taliban Propaganda Watch (links to non-terrorist web page):  Attacks Alleged in K'Har, Hemland, Uruzgan & Nimroz

 

Opinion:  "(NATO Sec-Gen) Rasmussen's plea for Canada to continue its present combat role after 2011, is recognition that our soldiers have done a superb job -- not only in thumping the Taliban in every operation, but in helping rebuild the infrastructure wherever they could. " - "So, logic and political promises aside, the prime minister will somehow worm out of his word, abetted by a compliant if "heated" parliament, keeping the killing going despite the Nervous Nellies at home that would have Canada's part in this multi-generational colonial combat project stopped; the sooner, the better."

 

 

13 Aug 09 

US Stars & Stripes Magazine with CAN Troops:  "Taliban mortar team cut down by Canadians" - "Canadian forces take ‘ink spot’ approach"

 

One of CAN's Injured Prepares for First Half-Marathon Since Double Amputation

 

YouTube Video of How CAN's Foreign Affairs Staff is Helping on Governance

 

"Helicopter-borne U.S. Marines backed by Harrier jets stormed into a Taliban-held town in southern Afghanistan before dawn Wednesday and exchanged heavy fire with insurgents, killing at least seven."

 

Opinion: Former CAN General Says Expect PRT, Some CAN Military Assets to Stay After 2011 - Canadians should be clear that, while our military has gained respect for the disproportionate casualties it has incurred since 2005, we haven't necessarily impressed anyone with that military's actual prowess in its counterinsurgency operations, at least to date. "Being respected for one's toughness and for one's ingenuity are two different, and sometimes almost unrelated, things."

 

More on CAN's Help to PAK

 

Globe & Mail Embed Highlights Where Her "Fixer" Is Now

 

Taliban Pre-Election Push:  Taliban Blasts in Helmand, K'Har Kill +10 Civilians - Threats to Cut Off Fingers

 

Updated Bibliography, Taliban Anti-Aircraft/SAM Capabilities - Chronological Version

 

Two Motorcyclists Not Stopping When Ordered Shot by AUS Troops in Uruzgan - More - more - Motorcyclists Were AFG Cops - More

 

Taliban Propaganda Watch (links to non-terrorist web page):  Taliban Claims Responsibility for Attack on Canadians, Posts (Alleged) June-July Stats - MILNEWS.ca Review of Stats Video

 

"A Senate committee report says U.S. spy agencies believe that about $70 million flows to the Taliban annually from drugs -- enough to finance the militants' relatively low-cost insurgency." - Link to News Release & Report

 

12 Aug 09

"Importante mission complétée en Afghanistan" - "Canadian troops have moved into several villages to the southwest of Kandahar City in the past few days to live among the population and be much closer to the heart of the Taliban insurgency." - More - The Torch Helps Sort Out Who's Doing What in K'Har

 

"U.S. General Stanley McChrystal said he will reshuffle troops fighting the drug trade in Helmand province and other remote areas and refocus them on protecting civilians by securing the more heavily populated Kandahar"

 

"Canadian-trained Afghan police on the front line for next week's elections " - CAN Troops Say ANP Getting Better - Think Tank Report:  "The Obama administration has acknowledged the importance of the police and announced its intentions to expand and improve the ANP"

 

Christian Bobbitt, R.I.P.:  Friends, Family Say Goodbye

 

Former CAN OMLT-eer:  Does CAN Leaving Leave Room for Training AFG Forces?

 

Cordesman on CAN Leaving: "The withdrawal of a small number of troops is not as big an issue as the loss of experience and credibility with local Afghans in what has become the most important battleground in the war-torn country"

 

Gen. McChrystal: “We will win. The Taliban won’t win.”

 

"Western airstrikes kill fewer Afghan civilians"

 

Helmand IEDs Reportedly Affecting Supply Lines - Embed Reporters Injured in IED Blast in K'Har - More

 

More Discussion in Whether K'Har Has (In Essence) Fallen - More - Registan.net:  "Kandahar has been encircled by militants for years, and those militants have been systematically murdering community leaders to make that point precisely."

 

Talkin' to the Taliban:  ISAF/US Boss Quoted Saying "I would absolutely be comfortable with fighters and lower level commanders making the decision to reintegrate into the Afghan political process under the Afghan constitution." - More

 

Taliban Propaganda Watch (links to non-terrorist web page):  AFG Intelligence Officer Allegedly Killed in K'Har

 

CAN Provides $25 Million to PAK for Refugees - More - Minister Quoted Saying "Pakistan was a great friend of Canada and they would not leave the country in the middle of the crises" - Also Quoted Saying "Pakistan had commendably confronted the militants at a great human and material cost."

 

Opinion:  "Without winning the confidence of Mullah Omar led Taliban, peace in Afghanistan will remain illusive."

 

11 Aug 09

"The head of NATO and U.S. forces in Afghanistan has pledged to do “whatever we got to do” to back war-weary Canadian troops fighting to stop the Taliban from strengthening control over Kandahar city." - More on the Fight in the South - Fight in South Squeezing Bad Guys North?

 

Canadian Press:  "The military is recommending an overhaul of its medal system to address a growing number of complaints that have overshadowed the glittering honours awarded to troops who serve overseas."

 

CAN Buying New Helicopters.... - ....But Not in Time for Use in AFG?

 

How Helmand Mullahs are Pressing Afghans to Boycott Election - "Military operations against the Taleban may have failed to prepare Helmand for polling."

 

NZ SAS Headed (Back) to AFG - More - more - Will Kiwi SF Be Working with AUS/NLD, or CAN Special Forces? - Some Brits Having to Dye Cam Clothing Greenish

 

Taliban Propaganda Watch (links to non-terrorist web page):  Vehicles Allegedly Destroyed in K'Har, Helmand, Zabul

 

Opinion:  Huffington Post Asks If K'Har Has (Essentially) Fallen Already - Is Helmand a Sideshow? - More - "We can win in Afghanistan, but only if we restructure the campaign and resource it properly."

 

"U.S. to Hunt Down Afghan Drug Lords Tied to Taliban" - More - Registan.net:  "Killing the engine of Afghanistan’s rural economy doesn’t address the fundamental problem, which is that opium is an indicator, not a cause, of other, deeper issues like a lack of institutions, severe insecurity, and crap infrastructure."

 

 

10 Aug 09

"Canada transferred responsibility for the northern approaches to Kandahar City to the United States .... in a move designed to allow the Canadian battle group to concentrate on fighting the Taliban in the provincial capital and three notoriously turbulent, heavily populated outlying districts."

 

"Canada needs post-2011 Afghan strategy, experts; critics" - MILNEWS.ca Blog:  Sure Do

 - "Opinion d'experts - Le Canada devrait établir une stratégie après le retrait des troupes en 2011"

 

USA, ISAF Boss:  Taliban Has Momentum, Push-Back Has to be Firm

 

Helicopter Gunship Video of IED Planters in Zabul

 

Opinion: "Two months before the eighth anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan and the beginning of NATO's first-ever ground war the world is witness to a 21st Century armed conflict without end waged by the largest military coalition in history." - "It is hard to imagine a secretary-general of NATO failing to understand, or respect, the American or British positions on Afghanistan – or even, for that matter, that of the obstreperous French."

 

Taliban Propaganda Watch (links to non-terrorist web page):  Two Brit Tanks Claimed Destroyed in Helmand - Taliban Claims New FM Transmitters in Ghazni, Paktia, Paktika, Kunar and Nuristan (.pdf version if lnk doesn't work) - Registan.net Asks Why They're Still Transmitting

 

Death of PAK Taliban Boss = Trouble in AFG? - "No, Really, He's Just Really Sick, That's All..."

 

9 Aug 09 

"Les civils craignent les représailles" - "Reconstruire l'Afghanistan, un village à la fois"

 

"Canada's role in Afghanistan will be on the menu when Prime Minister Stephen Harper visits the White House next month." - More

 

Opinion: "NATO's new boss is 100% committed to Afghanistan. Is Canada?"

 

Pentagon:  Review of AFG Mission Taking Longer than Planned - More - Analyst Discusses What to Measure

 

More on Investigation of Civvy Cas in Uruzgan

 

USMC Trains, Mentors AFG Cops in South Helmand

 

UK Identifies Three Fallen Paras - Another UK Soldier Killed - AFG Troops Killed in Zabul Blast - Three AUS Troops Injured by Uruzgan IED Blasts

 

Talkin' to the Taliban:  "The Taliban have no trust in the Western-backed Afghan government and no immediate incentive to accept calls for talks which could stop their insurgency dragging on for decades"

 

Taliban Propaganda Watch (links to non-terrorist web page):  Attacks Alleged in K'Har, Helmand, Nimroz & Uruzgan - Taliban Claims Four FM Transmitters Around AFG

 

PAK Taliban Says PAK Tailban Leader Just Hiding - More - PAK:  Yeah?  Prove It!

 

8 Aug 09

 

OMLT Work =/= No Combat

 

Former OMLT-eer Blogger Questions Toronto Star Article on Post-Deployment Decompression

 

Opinion: "It's too late to "sell" the Afghanistan mission to Canadians" - "Canada is operating on borrowed time in Kandahar, with less than two years remaining until the end set by Parliament to the mission. It is not too late, however, for Canada to make a difference." - "NATO can't back down from the challenge."

 

Failed Communist Party of Canada Candidate Dings NDP Leader for Supporting the Troops Too Much

 

Kilcullen:  USA Has Two Years to Hand Off to AFG Forces (or Leave Losers)? - Brit General Predicts UK Could Have 40 Year Role in AFG - More

 

Fertilizer Bomb Material Seized in K'Har City - ISAF Looking Into Civvy Cas in Uruzgan - More

 

UK Paras Killed Supporting Special Forces - NLD Special Forces Nab Bad Guys in Uruzgan - More - NLD Also Involved in Nailing IED Supplies Cache in Helmand - More on USA Patrolling on Foot in Zabul

 

Think Tank:  Run Off Election (Plus More Violence) Likely - "Afghanistan Elections: Guns and Money" - More

 

Talkin' to the Taliban:  "All this chatter about negotiating with even the vilest of protagonists/antagonists presumes that there's a receptive ear for such overtures. On the evidence, that simply isn't the case."

 

Taliban Propaganda Watch (links to non-terrorist web page):  Seven Allegedly Killed in Outpost Blast near K'Har

 

PAK Taliban Boss Stops Predator Missile - More - more - PAK Getting Bounty? - Possible Successors - More - Taliban Still Denying It

 

7 Aug 09

 

NATO Sec-Gen Drops By CAN Project, Hopes CAN'll Stick Around Past 2011:  Canadian Press - Globe & Mail - CanWest - CTV.ca - CBC.ca - Reuters - What He Was Up To Before Visiting CAN Project

 

Canada's Response:  We're Sticking by The Resolution of March 2008 - More - MILNEWS.ca Blog:  What's That Mean, Exactly?  - Text of Motion Adopted by the House of Commons 13 Mar 08

 

Opinion:  "With every day that passes, a 2011 pull-out - from combat operations in Kandahar, if not Afghanistan altogether - seems more inevitable." - "It may be that there is a role for Canadian troops to play in other, less volatile regions of Afghanistan than Kandahar, more akin to their operations in Kabul before 2006."

 

Worries About How CAN Troops Spend Money After Tour?

 

ISAF Chopper Lands Because of Mechanical Problems in South

 

Three British Paras Killed in Blast North of Lashkar Gah - More - Poochie Helps Brit Bomb Hunters

 

Afghans Allege Gunship Shot Up Van with Cucumbers (ISAF Says They Watched Van for an Hour Being Loaded with Weapons) - More - Holger Awakens Blog Shakes Its Head at Story

 

Taliban Propaganda Watch (links to non-terrorist web page):   Americans Accused of Killing Civilians in Kandahar - Drop in Taliban Postings Post-Kidnapping? (.pdf)

 

White House Wrestling with How to Measure Progress

 

PAK Bans Swack of Terrorist Organizations

 

6 Aug 09 

"As the Canadian Forces and the Taliban both opt to do less face-to-face fighting, Canada's role is shifting towards a joint civil-military effort aimed at winning the hearts and minds of Afghans through the digging of wells, building of bridges and allocation of micro-grants."

 

MILNEWS.ca Blog:  Why Isn't Canada Sharing Good News Quicker?

 

AFG-ISAF Team Nabs K'Har Bad Boy Bosses

 

Latest Reports of Alleged Civvy Casualties in K'Har:  Villagers' Story - ISAF's Story - Looking Into It

 

Roadside Bomb Kills Wedding Guests in Helmand - More - more - Taliban Rule Book:  "Governors, district chiefs and line commanders and every member of the Mujahideen must do their best to avoid civilian deaths, civilian injuries and damage to civilian property. Great care must be taken."

 

NATO SecGen Drops By AFG, Says NATO'll Finish the Job - More - Pledges Action on Civvy Casualties

 

Map Obtained by Reuters Shows Hot Spots - MILNEWS.ca Blog:  Reuters Takes "Glass Half Emtpy" Approach (Needs Help with Rounding Figures, Too) - Army.ca Discussion

 

Latest UK Fallen Identified

 

Talkin' to the Taliban:  UK Ambassador to AFG Quoted Saying "As many as two-thirds" of the Taliban Could Be Persuaded to Switch Sides

 

Taliban Propaganda Watch (links to non-terrorist web page):  Taliban Claim Responsibility for Latest Two Canadian Casualties - More on Taliban Threatening to Disrupt Elections - More

 

UK House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee Report: "Global Security: Afghanistan And Pakistan" (.pdf) - More

 

Small Wars Journal paper:  "The Interrelationship of Culture, Economics, and Security in Afghanistan"

 

 

5 Aug 09

Matthieu Allard & Christian Bobbitt, R.I.P.:  "Corps des soldats Allard et Bobbitt de retour au pays" - Plus - Tbey're Home - More

 

CAN, Other Forces Review Pre-Election Security Measures

 

RC-South Commander:  Trust in ISAF Forces is Building (But It's Been Hard Work Getting to This Point)

 

New ISAF Command System:  Four Star is in Charge of War in AFG, Three-Star In Charge of Day-to-Day Ops - More

 

AFG Troops Kill Bad Guys in Helmand - ISAF Medics Share Care in Zabul - Safe Areas Reportedly Growing in Uruzgan

 

Alleged Civvy Casualties in Arghandab Air Strike - NATO:  No Civvies Hit

 

UK Maintainer Killed in IED Blast Near Babaji - More - AUS Troops Injured Mentoring AFG Troops in Uruzgan - AUS Chinook Takes Small Arms Fire in South - UK DefMin Drops By - Bulgarians Help Guard K'Har Airfield

 

Brit Vehicles Stalled in Dubai Due to RAF Plane Shortage - More

 

PAK Preparing for Taliban Streaming Out of Southern AFG

 

 

4 Aug 09 

Matthieu Allard & Christian Bobbitt, R.I.P.: Second Fallen Sapper Identified - "L’identité du deuxième militaire canadien tué en Afghanistan est révélée" - "Rapatriement des dépouilles mortelles de nos soldats" - Coming Home Tomorrow - Presse Canadienne - Globe & Mail - Canadian Press - CanWest - CBC.ca - "We must not only grieve: We must remember their fellow engineers who, at this very moment, are on the roads of Kandahar, walking slowly toward armed monsters, quietly calculating how they can render the IEDs harmless to fellow soldiers and the little Afghan girl watching from the side of the road."

 

2 i/c of CAN Counter-IED Unit (.pdf version of article): "We've been getting better equipment, our vehicles are better-equipped to resist some of the blasts. And that impacted their response: They had to put more explosives in in order to achieve the same results, so that makes it harder for them to hide them."

 

"A suicide bomber attacked a vehicle of a district intelligence official in the southern Zabul province, killing 4 and wounding 17" - "Afghan-International Security Forces Disarm Taliban in Helmand"

 

MILNEWS.ca Blog:  UN Report on Civilian Casualties Includes Information on Taliban Tactics, Targeting - Taliban Trying to Make "Invisible" IEDs in Helmand

 

UK Media:  Choppers Destined for AFG Not Safe - MoD:  We're Getting Them Ready - 50+ Amputees in UK From Svc in AFG - NLD's Civilian Rep Heads to Uruzgan

 

Kabul Blogger Teaches Blogging in Helmand

 

More on the Taliban's Latest Set o' Rules - More

 

Talkin' to the Taliban:  UN Uber-Envoy: "When the new Government has been formed, a political process should be opened with all parts of the population as soon as possible and that would have to include insurgents."

 

Latest Taliban Warning: "People with camera cellphones must not have pictures of unrelated women and handsome boys in their phones, which is against Islamic sharia"

 

New NATO SecGen Calls for More "International" Effort in AFG - More - UK Calls for Same - ISAF Commander's "Special Advisors" on the AFG Strategy

 

 

3 Aug 09 

Deux soldats canadiens tués et un blessé par un engin explosif:  Soldats morts sont rapatriés - FC dit "Deux soldats canadiens ont été tués et un blessé lorsqu’un engin explosif improvisé a explosé près d’une patrouille dans le district de Zhari." - CF Statement - Message de gouverneure générale - Message from GG - Déclaration du Premier ministre - PM Statement - Déclaration du ministre de la Défense nationale - DefMin Statement - ISAF Statement - Presse Canadienne - Canadian Press - Le Soleil - Radio-Canada - CBC.ca - CanWest - More - Globe & Mail - More - more - CTV.ca - Toronto Star - More - Xinhua

 

CAN Helping Fix Up K'Har Prison

 

MILNEWS.ca Blog on UN Report on Civilian Casualties:  Headlines You Won't See

 

New NATO Sec-Gen:  “I’m not in favor of setting timelines .... Let no Taliban propagandist try to sell my message as a run for the exits. It is not. We will support the Afghan people for as long as it takes.” - Doesn't Want AFG To Become Terror Hub - OTAN secrétaire général: "Nous resterons (en Afghanistan) tant que cela sera nécessaire"

 

Registan.net on How Foot Patrolling Out of Platoon-sized FOB is Working in Zabul - More

 

Talkin' to the Taliban:  UN AFG Boss Says Any Talks with Taliban Have to Include Leadership - More - more - more - FRA Foreign Minister Supports Talking to Taliban

 

Taliban Propaganda Watch (links to non-terrorist web page):  Taliban Claims Responsibility for Canadian Deaths, Claim Lots of Casualties in Helmand, Zabul

 

"The propaganda fight is intense because whoever wins it will gain the support of the people and stands a chance of winning the war on the ground too."

 

"Tensions grow in Afghanistan as villagers get rid of opium, fall into poverty"

 

 

2 Aug 09 

Two Canadian Military Engineers Killed by Two IED  Blasts in Zhari

 

CAN Commander in AFG Quoted Saying, "There’s no way that Afghan forces will be able to assume responsibility for security in Kandahar in 2011." - "L'armée afghane ne pourra pas assurer la sécurité à Kandahar en 2011, estime un général canadien"

 

Two Bad Guys Nabbed in Compound Search in Senjaray, Zharmi District - Four Bad Guys Nailed in Nimroz

 

Three ISAF Troops Killed in South - Identified as US Troops - More - Two More Fallen

 

Concerns About NZ Troops Handing Detainees Over to USA - More - more - more

 

Talkin' to the Taliban:  Tough Talking to the Taliban While They're Trying to Disrupt Elections

 

Taliban Propaganda Watch (links to non-terrorist web page):  Summary of July 2009 Taliban Statements Claiming Responsibility for Canadian Casualties

 

Opinion:  "Many Canadians may be anxious for a military pullout in the stated time. But the success of the mission also depends on the government explaining to Canadians what our long-term goals are in a country where we have planted our footprint."

 

AFG Academic: "The West, when it toppled the Taliban, mistook the Taliban defeat for its elimination. It was a big mistake."

 

UN Uber-Envoy: "This year is a critical year for Afghanistan. While this has been said before and the security situation looks dire, the present circumstances also provide ample opportunities. The picture is more mixed than ever. If we build upon recent progress and manage the situation well, this year could indeed become a turning point for Afghanistan."

 

Long War Journal on IRN Helping the Taliban

 

1 Aug 09

Former CAN OMLT Member:  Recent Quote from ISAF Boss by Blogger Seen as Dig at CAN Mil Int in AFG - Looking at ANA Down the Road - More

 

AFG Hands Over Land to CAN Embassy in Kabul

 

Counting the Dead:  Harder Than You Think for Compensation or for Stats (1.1 MB .pdf version of both articles) - MILNEWS.ca Blog:  Why So Long To Say This Out Loud?

 

US Report:  Taliban Responsible for About 97 out of 100 2004-2008 Attacks - Federation of American Scientists Shares "Afghanistan — Geospatial Analysis Reveals Patterns in Terrorist Incidents 2004-2008” - More - "US pledge to reduce Afghan deaths"

 

More on UN Report on More Civvy Cas in First 1/2 of 2009 - "Mid-Year Bulletin on the Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict in Afghanistan" (.pdf) - More

 

"School Foundation Stone Laid Down in Helmand"

 

"US, NATO forces fade into background for Afghan election to avoid perception of influence" - "Over 9,000 British and an additional 10,000 American troops have been sent into Afghanistan's Helmand Province to rout the Taliban and establish security ahead of next month's national elections. " - "Tens of thousands more U.S. soldiers may soon be needed in Afghanistan to quell the raging Taliban insurgency, top American generals are preparing to tell President Barack Obama."

 

Taliban Propaganda Watch (links to non-terrorist web page):  Another Rocket Attack Claimed on K'Har Airport

 

PAK:  We Have No Evidence Osama's Here

 

 

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"


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CAN in Kandahar July 2009

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