12 Dec 09
"Canada's Engagement in Afghanistan, Report to Parliament, September 2009" - Summary
Surge Worry: "the Taliban will melt into the north and west of the country, where NATO troops operate under caveats that limit their ability to go on the offensive"
"Turkey mulls sending more non-combat troops to Afghanistan"
Taliban Propaganda Watch (all links to non-terrorist web pages): Two Helmand Statements in One Day, Two Messages? - Abandoned Nuristan Base Video Funny (But Not Really?)
11 Dec 09
Post-2011 AFG Mission: Civilian Contractors Helping Hunt IEDs? - More
CAN Detainee Handling Fracas: MUST READ: The Torch's Damian "Babbling" Brooks on the Detainee Issue - "Detainee questions 'spear the Canadian Forces,' opposition told" - "Government, parliamentary lawyers battle over MP access to classified documents" - "3-D strategy to deal with Afghan abuse controversy" in House of Commons - "The Liberals narrowly pushed through a motion in the Commons on Thursday that forces Harper's government to release waves of unedited documents" - "Canada's military police watchdog announced Thursday three weeks of "public interest" hearings (may be?) starting March 22 for its probe into the politically hot topic of Afghan detainees."
Talkin' to the Taliban: Canadian Council of Churches: "Canada should launch a "peace mission" to Afghanistan aimed at ending the war there through diplomatic and political means" - CCC Statement: "We call for a Canadian diplomatic surge characterized by energetic encouragement of meaningful peace negotiations."
McChrystal: "Commando raids against Taliban and al-Qaeda fighters will accelerate as the U.S. adds more forces in Afghanistan" - Opinion: If ISAF Doesn't Deal with Sanctuaries in PAK, "NATO allies will be fighting today’s Taliban, while tomorrow’s jihadists will be receiving their instruction in full tranquility"
Video: How Busy is Kandahar Air Field's Post Office These Days?
Blog Watch: Loadsa Dough Going into Kandahar Air Field Infrastructure - Governance in Afghanistan Is Its Own War
Médecins Sans Frontières on Why They Shouldn't Accept Gov't Money for Hospital in Helmand (And Why Weapons Should Be Kept Out of All Hospitals)
Taliban Fires at Troops Preparing to do Kandahar Medical Clinic - Two NLD Troops Wounded in Uruzgan IED Blast (Google English from Dutch) - Afghan Army, Police Shoot at Each Other in Uruzgan Capital Last Week, with Civilians Killed, Injured in "Rivalry Riot" (Google English from Dutch) - Zabul PRT Busy
USAF Deputy ISR Boss: "The number one cause of civilian casualties in Afghanistan is the Taliban — not air power"
Taliban Propaganda Watch (all links to non-terrorist web pages): Not One, But TWO Statements This Week Regarding The Latest Push in Helmand
BBC: "The United Nations envoy to Afghanistan, Kai Eide, will not continue in his role once his term expires in March" - More - more
10 Dec 09
"The Canadian Army doesn’t want to say when reserve soldiers heading to Afghanistan will receive the incentive pay they are owed"
"Terry Glavin: Troops gain ground while Ottawa dithers" - Will Canada leaving Afghanistan be portrayed as "a vivid symbol of Western war weariness"?
Selling the CF a Bit Better
CAN Detainee Handling Fracas: CDS Says Afghan Injured by AFG Cops Was in Canadian Custody at One Point CDS Statement - More - more - "Military launches inquiry after conceding Afghan held by Canadians prior to beating" - Custody =/= Detention - What Changed the CDS's Story - LewMac: "It's possible the incident in question was buried in a summary report and never brought directly to the chief of defence staff or the defence minister." - "Canada has Never been Complicit in Torture: MacKay" - "Colvin readies new response to government on torture" - "Stephen Harper stands up for troops - but falls silent on Peter MacKay" - "MacKay may be indefensible, but his job is safe"
Blogger Predicts Heavy Casualties for Coming Year
AUS Soldier Wounded in Oruzgan Op - YouTube of Brits Pushing Around Kajaki Dam - What British Navy Sea Kings are Doing in AFG
Taliban Propaganda Watch (all links to non-terrorist web pages): Taliban Allege a Dozen Brits Killed, Wounded in Actions in Helmand, Threaten South Korea if Troops Sent to AFG
9 Dec 09
Canada's Post-2011 Mission Messaging Mambo ©: DefMin Peter MacKay Tells Parliament DND "has not developed any contingencies for the extension of the Canadian military mission in Afghanistan beyond 2011." - MILNEWS.ca Blog: WTF? - Chief of Defence Staff Says "Outta Kandahar" Means "Outta Afghanistan" - CDS Says Packing Up to Leave a Big Job - More
Blog Watch: CAN ISAF General on NATO $ to Taliban to Allow Convoys Thru: "What the (ISAF-contracted)suppliers need to do to get the material (into the country) is...their responsibility. We don't dig too deep."
"Canadian soldiers file fewer sick days despite stress of Afghan war"
CAN Detainee Handling Fracas: "Tories ignore criticism from ex-ambassadors over Afghan detainee controversy" - NDP Calls for DefMin to Resign - More - more
Randy Payne, 1973-2006, R.I.P.: Parents Receive Sacrifice, Other Medals
Canada's War Poet Published in Canadian Academic Military Journal (PDF)
Red Cross Rep: Civvy Cas Numbers Climbing in South - A Reminder of the Breakdown of Who's Killing Civvies
Eleven Bad Guys Reported Killed in Latest Helmand Push - Aid Groups Say Help Not Getting to Refugees Pushed Out by Fighting in Helmand - Vehicle Full of Explosives Nabbed in Uruzgan
Karzai, November 2009: Want Foreign Troops Out of AFG in 5 Years - Karzai, December 2009: Need 15 Years to Get AFG Security Forces Up to Snuff
UK Def Sec Drops By, Saying If We Leave Now, We'll Have to Go Back - 100th Brit Fallen in 2009 Identified
Opinion: Process+Approvals = Operational & Informational Constipation in AFG? - "The Taliban have shown determination until now in facing a superior enemy, and they will try to wait out this period while still keeping the resistance alive, in the hope that the foreign forces will leave eventually or offer them a negotiated political deal."
Talkin' to the Taliban: Taliban bosses make (or SAY they've made) “you leave, we leave you alone” offer to West?
Taliban Propaganda Watch (all links to non-terrorist web pages): Statements allege 2 NATO tks, 2 "minion AFG army" veh, 1 border gd donkey destroyed in Kandahar
8 Dec 09
Canada's Post-2011 Mission Messaging Mambo ©: Pentagon Official Says Discussions Still Under Way About CAN's Post-2011 Mission - The Mambo as a Strip Tease - Embedded Blogger Says CAN Troops Have More Details of U.S. Surge Plans Than Canada's Future Mission
Ronald Kevin Megeney, R.I.P.: "N.S. soldier who killed comrade in Afghanistan released pending appeal"
CAN Detainee Handling Fracas: "Uncensored documents and sworn testimony indicate one prisoner was beaten so badly, Canadians intervened to take him back and treat him"
US Announces Units in First Wave of Latest Surge - Opinion: "All things considered, NATO has done well – so far – in responding to President Obama's request for more troops."
Here's Why Troops Need Language Training - Here's How Canada's Dealing with the Problem Short-Term
Blog Watch: "Winning the War, 30 Taliban at a Time" - Expect Surprises from AQ, Taliban - Blogger/journalist says Taliban Leaving Bodies Behind These Days? - More - more
"Operation Khareh Cobra continues in Now Zad Valley" - 15 Bad Guys Claimed Dead, Taliban Claim +12 Killed - Taliban Spokesperson Quoted Saying "the operation did not have any negative effects on the Taleban positions" - "Afghan Villagers Embrace Afghan-ISAF Forces After Months of Hiding" - "Corrupt police, lack of services block progress, frustrate locals in Afghanistan’s Maywand province" - "Jobs, not Taliban, are the worry in (Helmand) town"
Blog Watch: AUS Spec Ops "Scapegoats" in Civvie Deaths in Uruzgan? - 13 Feb 09 Statement on Original Incident - Link to 4 Dec 09 AUS DoD Statement of Investigation No Longer Working - AUS MSM Coverage of Latest Probe - More - more
Royal Anglian Reg't Soldier 100th Brit Fallen in 2009 - UK MoD Statement - UK Media Claims 7:1 Injured:Killed Ratio among Brit Troops in Helmand - Suspected Militants Nabbed in Zabul Compound Raid - Insurgent suspects nabbed in Senjaray, Arghandab compound raids
Talkin' to the Taliban: Expect Three Levels of "Talking" with the Taliban - "When asked if high-level negotiations with the Taliban were possible, (Secretary of State Hilary) Clinton replied: "We don't know yet." " - Talking to the Tailban a no-win proposition for Afghans???
Taliban Propaganda Watch (all links to non-terrorist web pages): Claims of 9 allied tps killed, 9 wounded in attacks in Helmand, Uruzgan
7 Dec 09
"In the five months they have to establish a security zone around the insurgent snake pit known as Kandahar city, Canadian troops will be working to turn local allegiances in an effort to marginalize the Taliban."
Canada's Post-2011 Mission Messaging Mambo ©: MILNEWS.ca Blog on the Latest Tea Leaves to be Read
CAN Detainee Handling Fracas: Straight Talk from Kandahar about Detainee Fracas - DOJ, Not DND, Responsible for Blacking Out Bits of Released E-Mails
Petraeus: Don't Expect IRQ-Like Quick Turnaround from AFG Surge - NATO Force Generation Meeting in Belgium Today
Zabul PRT Completes 40 Projects
Taliban Propaganda Watch (all links to non-terrorist web pages): Taliban claim 30+ killed, 10+ injured, 15 veh destroyed in alleged Helmand attacks
Karzai Unveiling New Cabinet Tuesday
6 Dec 09
CAN Senior Officers Get Out in Harm's Way in AFG
Small Wars Journal: "the first phase of NATO plan for wresting control of (Kandahar City) from Taliban domination is sound"
Blog Watch: Blogger/Journalist Talks Straight about Detainee Fracas - More on Mainstream Media Not Picking Up Good News of CAN Work in AFG
CAN Detainee Handling Fracas: Anti-War Academic Calls for War Crimes Investigation by ICC
Obama's Plan: Howz 7K Troops Gonna Happen? - Estonian Vet of Soviet AFG War Writes Obama - "Less than meets the eye"?
ISAF Push in Helmand Continues - More - more - Moving to Isolate Taliban
Tailban commanders nabbed in Kandahar (Panjwai, Kharkiz) compound searches, raids
YouTube Video of Zabul Heliborne Op - More on AUS Prodigal Poochie Story
Taliban Working on Killing More ISAF, AFG Troops via IED
Talkin' to the Taliban: Karzai to Name Cabinet Shortly; Spokesperson Says Talks with Taliban Under Way
Taliban Propaganda Watch (all links to non-terrorist web pages): Attacks on Foreign Troops Alleged in Helmand, Uruzgan
More Talk of Split Between AQ, Taliban
5 Dec 09
US National Security Advisor: "While we would encourage everyone to stay engaged as long as possible without summary announcements of total withdrawal, those are national decisions that have to be made"
"Kandahar Cops Won't Go On Patrol Without U.S. Mentors"
Embed Reporter: National Support Element = "Canadian Tire of Joint Task Force"
CAN Detainee Handling Fracas: "A court has confirmed that a watchdog agency can investigate only what military police knew - or should have known - about the controversy over Canada's handling of Afghan detainees."
Obama's Plan: "NATO allies offer 7,000 extra troops for Afghan war" - More - US Sec of State: "All of NATO and ISAF are standing with us in strong support of the President’s strategy." - NATO Talks Leave NATO Supreme Commander ‘Extremely Confident’ - "Analysts say economic leverage should be used to help end corruption in the Afghan government"
Op Khareh Cobra Under Way in Helmand - More
Blog Watch: Give Peace(keeping) a Chance in Afghanistan?
Taliban "facilitator" nabbed in Nurayo Kariz compound search - Son of Helmand's Governor Seeking Asylum in UK - UK Chief of the Defence Staff: "The greatest threat to their morale is not the Taliban, or IEDs, but declining will at home. Support for our servicemen and women is indivisible from support for this mission."
Taliban Propaganda Watch (all links to non-terrorist web pages): Taliban claims 18 killed in booby-trapped house in Arghandab, Kandahar - Taliban Statement (PDF) Disses Warlords - Taliban Alleges Polish Helicopter Downed in Ghazni - Taliban Workout Video Out There
4 Dec 09
CAN BG Commander: "From the edge of Kandahar City to the Arghandab and out west to Zhari and Panjwaii, if required we will go anywhere to conduct operations with the Americans."
Taliban don't allow parents to Kandahar City, so "children have horrible infections and deformities"
Embed Discusses Some Recent Shortages at KAF - On KAF: "Chaotic, sprawling military base has strange allure for workers"
CAN Detainee Handling Fracas: AFG Int Declining to Take CAN Detainees because of Insufficient Evidence?- More
RMC Academic Calls for More UN Involvement in AFG Mission
"USAID rejects NGO concerns over aid militarization"
Obama's Plan: ISAF Boss Tells AFG They're Not Leaving Yet - NATO SecGen Says Allies "Offering" 7,000 Troops.... (Facebook Entry with Promise - Twitter Message with Promise) - ....But No Troops from Turkey - Chair of Joint Chiefs Tells Congress South, East Main Threats - Danger Room on How the Surge was Sold - Opinion: "A glaring omission in President Obama’s speech Tuesday was any attempt to address the propaganda war that is currently being waged with increasing sophistication and success by the Taliban again the U.S. efforts in Afghanistan."
US Marines Start New Push in Helmand - US Medics Win Friends in Helmand - AUS, AFG troops uncover 44 wpn caches in Oruzgan, Afghanistan since end of September - AUS Mil Prosecutor Considering Feb '09 killing of AFG Civvies during Special Forces Op - 13 Feb 09 Release on Original Incident - Meanwhile, "Australian Special Forces are maintaining the pressure on insurgents in Oruzgan Province" - Brits Seize Loads o' Weapons in Kandahar
Blog Watch: Wondering How NY Times Columnist Can Read Afghan Minds - OpEd in Question
Talkin' to the Taliban: Karzai Says He's Willing to Talk to Taliban - More
Taliban Propaganda Watch (all links to non-terrorist web pages): Loads of attacks alleged against British in Helmand
PAK Taliban Detainee Says Colleague Met Osama in AFG This Year - PAK PM: Osama's Not Here, Honest!
3 Dec 09
"Canadian command in Afghanistan grows with addition of U.S. troops" - More - "Canadian troops to form ‘ring of stability' " - More
US SecDef Gates gives CAN, AUS, NLD, DNK, UK and POL "A" Grade in Southern AFG Fighting
Canada's Post-2011 Mission Messaging Mambo ©: CAN Foreign Minister Tells Chinese News Agency "Our position is clear .... We will respect the motion to the letter."
Obama's Plan = 30K More Troops + Start Pulling Them Out (Speed Depends on Progress) in 2011: "Canada Welcomes Additional U.S. Military and Civilian Resources in Afghanistan" - "NATO Secretary General calls on Allies to step up efforts" - More - 1K More ITA Troops? - Taliban Response - More Troops? More Targets for Us! - More - more - Worries About the Timeline - More - Pullout Date Not Definite? - "The US should withdraw its current troops, not increase them, say some residents of the southern zone of Afghanistan." (PDF permalink) - Aid Groups Worry About Aid Delivered by Military - US Lawmakers Debate New AFG Strategy - US Sec of State: Civilian Effort Vital in AFG
CAN Detainee Handling Fracas: "NDS detention - not just a Canadian problem" - "The International Red Cross met twice with senior Canadian officials in Kandahar to deliver veiled but insistent warnings about torture in Afghan jails a year before Canada acted to protect detainees." - "No physical evidence detainees tortured: official"
Talkin' to the Taliban: McChrystal Quoted saying "the Afghan government and its international partners should use the coming 18 months to convince the Taliban they can't win and offer militants a way to quit the insurgency "with dignity." "
Taliban Propaganda Watch (all links to non-terrorist web pages): Taliban claim responsibility for bombing death of govt worker in Lashkar Gah
2 Dec 09
CAN Troops Get Responsibility of Arghandab Suburb North of Kandahar City - More - more - more - more
Canada's Post-2011 Mission Messaging Mambo ©: DefMin Confirms redeployment to Arghandab "will not change the July 2011 end date of the mission for all Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan"
Obama's Plan = 30K More Troops + Start Pulling Them Out (Speed Depends on Progress) in 2011: Full Transcript of Speech (RFE/RL) - Full Transcript (White House) - Excerpts from Obama's Speech - U.S. AFG/PAK Policy Page - More Troops Likely Headed to South, East - ISAF Boss "Encourged" by New Plan - US Envoy to AFG Supports Moves - NATO Sec Gen "Warmly Welcomes" Plan - EU Welcomes Next Steps - NLD Calls Move "Wise Decision" - Taliban: We'll Recruit More Bad Guys - Other Reactions - Danger Room on Getting Troops There in a Hurry - Next Step: Asking Other Countries for Mo' Troops - POL Sending Some - AFG, PAK Comments - Mullah Omar's Message Upstaged Obama's?!?! - CanWest - Sun Media - Reuters - BBC - Agence France-Presse - Associated Press - Deutsche Welle - Voice of America - Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
CAN Detainee Handling Fracas: "House of Commons has voted in favour of holding a judicial inquiry into the treatment of Afghan detainees" - More - Transcript of 1 Dec 09 Debate (43 pg PDF) - Part 1, Public Inquiries Act - Foreign Affairs Minister Says Documents will be Handed Over
Bad Boy Suspects Nabbed SW of K'Har City
Taliban Propaganda Watch (all links to non-terrorist web pages): Summary of Taliban's Lies of the Month on Canadian Casualties - Attack Alleged on Uruzgan Governor; Attacks Alleged in K'Har, Helmand & Nimroz
1 Dec 09
CAN BG Cdr: "Insurgents targeted the governor of Kandahar province last week to demonstrate the vulnerabilities of the government" - CAN Pushing Taliban Out of Panjwai Villages - CAN Op Highlights
CanWest: "Personality conflict triggers Canadian general's recall from Afghanistan" - General's Last Interview
Think Tank Report: More Troops + COIN Strategy + Understanding of Bad Guy Strategy Needed to Beat Taliban in Kandahar Province - "Kandahar: Taliban’s birthplace, Afghanistan’s crucible"
Obama's Speech: The Leaks Begin - Expect Way Mo' Troops - More - more - Expected to Outline Costs, Limits - Generals Are Reportedly Briefed - And the Asking for More Troops Begins - UK Sending 500 Troops - US Asking FRA for 1500 Tps - US Veep, Not President, Asks CAN for Mo' Troops? - More - AFG Officials Worry About Exit Strategy
Blog Watch: Warlord Wants All Foreigners Out of AFG, Calls for Loya Jirga - "Not everything the Taliban does has al Qaeda’s hands behind it."
Taliban Using Donkey Bombs - Paper: Mistakes the Bad Guys Make (PDF)
Taliban Propaganda Watch (all links to non-terrorist web pages): Attacks Alleged in Kandahar, Helmand and Nimroz - Omar vs. Obama in Info Campaign?
Archives
CAN in Kandahar November 2009
CAN in Kandahar October 2009
CAN in Kandahar September 2009
CAN in Kandahar August 2009
CAN in Kandahar July 2009
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