# The Sandbox and Areas Reports Thread December 2008



## old medic (1 Dec 2008)

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/feedarticle/8105254

US deaths in Afghanistan drop dramatically
AP foreign, Monday December 1 2008 



By JASON STRAZIUSO



> Associated Press Writer= KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) - Only one American serviceman died in Afghanistan in November, a dramatic drop from earlier months that the U.S. military attributed to a campaign targeting insurgent leaders, an improvement in Afghan security forces and the onset of winter.
> 
> Twice this year, monthly U.S. death tolls in Afghanistan surpassed the monthly toll in Iraq, highlighting the differing trends in the two war zones; security in Iraq has improved while it has deteriorated in Afghanistan.
> 
> ...





http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-12/01/content_10440346.htm
Taliban commander, district chief killed in Afghanistan


    





> KABUL, Dec. 1 (Xinhua) -- Continued violence and conflicts have claimed the lives of a district chief and a Taliban local commander in Afghanistan, officials said Monday.
> 
> Militants riding a motor bike shot dead Abdul Rahim Disiwal, the chief of Andar district in Ghazni province of southeastern Afghanistan, Monday morning, spokesman of provincial administration Ismael Jihangir said.
> 
> ...




http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/02/world/asia/02afghan.html?ref=world

Suicide Bomber Kills 7 in Afghanistan

By KHALID FAZLY and KIRK SEMPLE
Published: December 1, 2008



> KABUL, Afghanistan — A man wrapped in explosives approached a police car passing through a crowded marketplace in the southern province of Helmand on Monday and detonated himself, killing at least seven people and wounding at least 27, the local authorities said.
> 
> The attack, coming on the busiest shopping day of the week in the town of Musa Qala, seemed intended to inflict the highest number of casualties possible. Five of the dead were civilians and two were police officers, while all but five of the wounded were civilians, said Asadullah Sherzad, the police chief of Helmand Province.
> 
> ...





http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,24736744-662,00.html

Fallen hero starts the journey home from Afghanistan
Ian McPhedran
December 02, 2008 12:00am



> THE body of Lt Michael Fussell has started its long journey home from the violent mountains of Afghanistan to the tranquillity of the NSW North Coast.
> 
> The 25-year-old died instantly last Thursday when an improvised explosive device blew up as he walked past during a foot patrol.
> 
> ...




http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081201.wafghan01/BNStory/Afghanistan/home

'I'm shaking as I'm telling you the story'
Captured by the Taliban
GRAEME SMITH



> KANDAHAR, AFGHANISTAN — The young journalist says he trembles as he remembers his days in Taliban custody.
> 
> Aziz Popal, 25, returned home to Kandahar yesterday, one of two local reporters set free by the insurgents who grabbed them on the country's main highway last week.
> 
> ...


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## old medic (1 Dec 2008)

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/feedarticle/8105999

NATO trucks attacked in Pakistan; bomber kills 8
AP foreign, Monday December 1 2008

By RIAZ KHAN



> Pakistan (AP) - Militants destroyed trucks ferrying Humvees to Western forces in Afghanistan on Monday in an attack that killed two people and underscored the vulnerability of the crucial supply line.
> 
> The raid on a terminal in the northwestern Pakistani city of Peshawar came as the country faces rising tensions with its eastern neighbor India in the wake of the terror attacks in Mumbai.
> 
> ...




http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20081201.POLL01/TPStory/TPInternational/Asia/

Canadians have 'obligation' to step in
Despite troubled mission in Afghanistan, poll finds majority still believes country has a duty to intervene in man-made humanitarian crises such as ethnic cleansing, starvation and terrorism

OLIVER MOORE

December 1, 2008



> Canadians are keenly aware of international events and are strong supporters of humanitarian intervention in troubled foreign countries, according to new polling data.
> 
> Seventy-two per cent of people polled by the Innovative Research Group last month thought the international community had an obligation to step in and stop man-made humanitarian crises, while 18 per cent did not and the rest were not sure or would not answer.
> 
> ...




http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/11/30/europe/germany.php

German general breaks silence on Afghanistan
By Judy Dempsey
Published: November 30, 2008



> BERLIN: Breaking with a military tradition of keeping silent about policy, a top German general has branded his country's efforts in Afghanistan a failure, singling out its poor record in training the Afghan police and allocating development aid.
> 
> The comments came from General Hans-Christoph Ammon, head of the army's elite special commando unit, or KSK, whose officers are in Afghanistan fighting alongside U.S. forces against Al Qaeda and the Taliban.
> 
> ...




http://en.rian.ru/world/20081201/118623280.html

Over 60 Taliban militants killed in Afghanistan
13:30   01/ 12/ 2008



> KABUL, December 1 (RIA Novosti) - Around 60 militants belonging to the radical Islamic Taliban movement have been killed in Afghanistan in the past 24 hours, a spokesman for the country's Defense Ministry said on Monday.
> 
> The spokesman said that 33 militants were killed in the southern Helmand province, and that others were eliminated in military operations in the eastern provinces of Kandahar and Farah, as well as the western Ghazni province. In addition, 17 militants were arrested in the eastern province of Pactiv.
> 
> ...


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## career_radio-checker (1 Dec 2008)

I'm very interested to see these munk debates but there aren't any cineplex theatres around here. If anyone is going to go watch them, could they post on here how they turned out?


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## MarkOttawa (2 Dec 2008)

ARTICLES FOUND DEC. 2

Afghan Strategy Poses Stiff Challenge for Obama
_NY Times,_ Dec. 1, by Michael R. Gordon
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/02/world/asia/02strategy.html?ref=todayspaper


> ...
> Mr. Obama and his aides have yet to outline a strategy for precisely how many reinforcements would be sent and how specifically they would be employed.
> 
> But the Pentagon is already planning to send more than 20,000 additional troops in response to a request from Gen. David D. McKiernan, the top commander in Afghanistan. Pentagon officials say that force would include four combat brigades, an aviation brigade equipped with attack and troop-carrying helicopters, reconnaissance units, support troops and trainers for the Afghan Army and the police.
> ...



But compare with this, Oct. 29:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/28/AR2008102803856.html


> ...
> The Pentagon has approved the deployment of one additional combat battalion and one Army brigade, or about 4,000 troops, set to arrive in Afghanistan by January. Commanders have already requested three more combat brigades -- 10,500 to 12,000 troops -- but those *reinforcements depend on further reductions from Iraq and are unlikely to arrive until spring or summer* [emphasis added], according to senior defense officials. Now, U.S. commanders are asking the Pentagon for 5,000 to 10,000 additional support forces to help them tackle the country's unique geographic and logistical challenges...



South Asia is biggest threat to U.S., Obama says
_Globe and Mail_, Dec. 2
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20081202.OBAMAMAIN02/TPStory/International


> ...
> "The situation in South Asia, as a whole, and the safe havens for terrorists that have been established there represent the single most important threat against the American people."
> 
> Although he didn't name Pakistan, Mr. Obama left little doubt that he was referring to that country where large sections remain beyond the control of the government.
> ...



Jock Stirrup: More British troops could be sent to Afghanistan
More British troops will be sent to Afghanistan next year, the head of the Armed Forces has signalled.
_Daily Telegraph_, Dec. 1
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/onthefrontline/3540304/Jock-Stirrup-More-British-troops-could-be-sent-to-Afghanistan.html



> Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup, the chief of the defence staff, said that more service personnel could be deployed in Afghanistan as Britain withdraws from Iraq.
> 
> But he insisted that the additional force sent to Afghanistan must be smaller than the 4,000 troops that will soon leave Iraq.
> 
> ...



Mark
Ottawa


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## GAP (3 Dec 2008)

*Articles found November 3, 2008*


Afghanistan Says It Will Sign Cluster Bomb Treaty  
By WALTER GIBBS and KIRK SEMPLE Published: December 3, 2008 
Article Link

OSLO, Dec. 3 — In a last-minute change, President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan agreed on Wednesday to join some 90 other nations signing a treaty banning the use of the cluster munitions that have devastated his country in recent years.

The decision appeared to reflect Mr. Karzai’s growing independence from the Bush administration, which has opposed the treaty and, according to a senior Afghan official who requested anonymity following standard diplomatic protocol, had urged Mr. Karzai not to sign it.

“Until this morning, Afghanistan was not going to be a signatory,” said Jawed Ludin, Afghanistan’s ambassador to the Scandinavian countries and the leader of its delegation here. He said the president’s change of heart came as a result of pressure by human rights organizations and cluster-bomb victims, including Soraj Ghulam Habib, a 17-year-old boy from the city of Herat who lost both legs when he accidentally stepped on an explosive cluster remnant seven years ago.

Mr. Ludin’s announcement was greeted by raucous cheers in Oslo’s City Hall, where the signing ceremony began Wednesday after two years of diplomatic work by Norway. By the end of the day 91 nations — including 18 of 26 NATO members — had signed the treaty, officially called the Convention on Cluster Muntions, which bars adherents from using, producing, selling or stockpiling cluster munitions.

Norway’s foreign minister, Jonas Gahr Stoere, said he expected several more nations to sign on Thursday. Among them, however, will not be the United States, Russia, China, India, Pakistan and several Middle Eastern states. But Mr. Gahr Stoere said universal compliance was not necessary for the cluster-bomb treaty to work 

“What we’ve adopted today is going to create profound change,” he said. “If you use or stockpile cluster weapons after today you will be breaking a new international norm.”

Whether dropped from aircraft or fired from artillery, cluster bombs can scatter dozens or even hundreds of smaller explosives across an area the size of a football field. Some bomblets fail to explode upon hitting the ground and, like landmines, can remain a deadly hazard to children, farmers and other civilians long after a conflict ends.
More on link

French aid worker freed in Afghanistan
3 hours ago
Article Link

PARIS (AP) — A French aid worker kidnapped at gunpoint in the Afghan capital and later seen in an emotional hostage video was released by his captors Wednesday and is "doing well," President Nicolas Sarkozy announced.

Dany Egreteau, a 32-year-old worker for Solidarite Laique, or Secular Solidarity, was captured by gunmen in Kabul on Nov. 3 as he drove to work with another aid worker who managed to escape. An Afghan who tried to prevent the kidnapping was killed.

"I rejoice over his liberation, which happened several minutes ago," Sarkozy said in a surprise announcement while on a visit to Compiegne, north of Paris.

"He is doing well. His family is being notified," the president said, adding that medical exams were being conducted before he is returned to France on Thursday.

"We had been very concerned for him," Sarkozy added.

Egreteau has appeared in a video with a rifle pressed to each side of his head and chains around his legs. In the video, obtained by news agencies in Afghanistan on Nov. 26, Egreteau, streaked with dirt, pleaded for his release, barely seeming to open his eyes.

"I have been here for the last eight days, fully in the black," he said, his voice trembling at times.

He referred to a ransom demand, begging for someone to pay it.
More on link

US forces kill 10 Taliban militants in Afghanistan
December 03, 2008 10:56 EST
Article Link

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) -- The military says U.S. troops killed 10 Taliban militants during operations in southern and central Afghanistan yesterday.

In a statement, the military says a joint U.S.-Afghan patrol was doing reconnaissance in southern Helmand province when militants attacked from multiple positions using small-arms, indirect and rocket fire. Seven militants were killed in the battle.

The other clash took place in Ghazni province, where U.S. troops were targeting a militant leader coordinating Taliban activities in the province. They killed three militants during a firefight.

Meanwhile, at a U.S. base in eastern Afghanistan, a hearing continues into allegations that two U.S. soldiers mistreated a detainee in August. They are facing an Article 32 hearing, similar to a civilian grand jury investigation, to determine whether they should be brought to trial.
More on link

The War On Buggery
December 2, 2008
Article Link

 Homosexuality is a dirty little secret in southern Afghanistan, and this has become a big issue in Canada. Recently, several Canadian soldiers have complained to  chaplains that troops were ordered to ignore incidents of Afghan soldiers buggering young boys. Now there is a public uproar in Canada over the issue. 

Foreign troops operating in southern Afghanistan quickly learn that this is a place where men are men, even if they are sexually attracted to other men, and especially boys. Other Afghans know about this, and a favorite bit of humor on the subject asks, "why do male birds fly over Kandahar flapping only one wing?" The punch line is, "so they can use their other wing to protect their rear end." Naturally, foreign troops are told to be careful with local ways, and not offend Afghans by mocking or criticizing local customs that offend, or amuse, foreign sensibilities. 
More on link

IEDs on highways greet rare shura for Afghan women in Panjwaii
1 day ago
Article Link

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan — In what was once a hotbed of Taliban activity, the burka-clad women filed slowly into a local community centre, eager for a rare chance to voice their opinions in a society dominated by men.

They were on hand for a women's shura in the traditionally conservative village of Bazar-e Panjwaii, a place that has borne witness to countless battles over the decades - from fighting off invading Soviets to the more recent clashes between insurgents and Canadian soldiers.

Shuras, also known as tribal or village councils, have long played an important role in Afghan society. Usually comprised of respected male elders, shuras are gatherings where conflicts are resolved, community issues are debated, and steps are taken to meet community needs.

The notion of an all-women shura is counter-intuitive in a country where females are largely subjugated. But numerous women's shuras have taken place in Afghanistan over the years, although none in the birthplace of the Taliban - until now.

"They trickled in at the start," said Maj. Steve Nolan, the OMLT (Operational Mentoring Liason Team) commander, which trains and mentors members of the Afghan National Army.
More on link


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## GAP (4 Dec 2008)

*Articles found November , 2008*

Governor Raufi of Kandahar fired: reports
Updated Thu. Dec. 4 2008 7:29 AM ET CTV.ca News
Article Link

The governor of Kandahar, the southern Afghan province where about 2,000 Canadian soldiers are stationed, says he has been sacked. 

Rahmatullah Raufi also says powerful people in the region have sabotaged his work. 

"Last night I received a call from Kabul saying that you are fired," Raufi told The Associated Press. 

"Personally I do not want to work either, because some of the powerful people (in Kandahar) were creating problems in my job." 

He did not say who fired him, according to AP. 

Last month, Raufi burned a stash of drugs, including heroin and hashish. He said drugs had "burned" his country, and this why he torched the contraband. Critics have accused the Afghan national government of not doing enough to curb the drug trade. 

Raufi became governor in August, taking over for a controversial predecessor. 

Asadullah Khalid, the former governor, was mired in corruption and torture allegations for much of his tenure. 

In fact, Canada's former Foreign Affairs Minister Maxime Bernier committed a major faux pas earlier this year when he publicly raised questions about Khalid. Bernier had called on Afghanistan President Hamad Karzai to replace the controversial figure. 

Canada's Ambassador to Afghanistan, Ron Hoffmann gave a muted response to Raufi's reported dismissal, according to The Canadian Press. 
More on link

Canada Up-Armoring its LAV-IIIs
03-Dec-2008 13:13 EST
Article Link

The Government of Canada recently awarded “EODC Engineering, Developing and Licencing Inc.” of Ottawa, Canada C$ 81.5 million (about $65.5 million ) worth of contracts to provide for add-on-armour kits, modules and spares for its LAV III wheeled armored personnel carriers. LAV-III vehicles are known as Piranha-III in Europe, and are the base platform for the USA’s Stryker family of vehicles. Canadian LAV-IIIs have seen extensive use on the front lines of Afghanistan, where they have both achieved important successes and demonstrated key limitations.

The first, C$ 68 million contract, includes kits, modules, and spares for LAV III supplemental armor, as well as the repair and overhaul of their current modules and kits. An additional contract estimated at C$ 13.5 million was also awarded to EODC to provide “an Improvised Explosive Device Protection Kit.” The government release adds that EODC is the sole-source supplier because it owns the intellectual property rights. As the CASR think tank points out, Engineering Office Deisenroth Canada (EODC) is a subsidiary of Germany’s IBD Deisenroth; and IBD Deisenroth’s site makes it clear that Canadian LAVs have already started to use AMAP-IED armor
More on link

Canada doubles number of mentors for Afghan Uniformed Police
4 hours ago
Article Link

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan — The Afghan Uniformed Police will be getting more help now that the number of civilian police team members in Kandahar province is being doubled.

RCMP Supt. Joe McAllister said the number of officers, who will mentor AUP officers, is increasing from 12 to 24. A batch of new mentors has arrived from training and will be in Kandahar city and the Canadian forward operating bases in the Zhari and Panjwaii districts for the next year.

McAllister said the training of the AUP failed in the past because they were given a brief amount of instruction and then left on their own to deal with the Taliban.

He said the police remain what he calls a "soft target" for the Taliban but there is still no lack of volunteers to join up and wear the uniform
More on link

Double suicide attacks kills five in Afghanistan: official
4 hours ago
Article Link

KABUL (AFP) — Two suicide attacks against a counter narcotics office and the intelligence agency Thursday killed at least five people and wounded ten others in eastern Afghanistan, an official said.

A suicide attacker rammed his explosives-laden Toyota pick up truck into the entrance of the National Directorate of Security (NDS) in Khost city, the capital of Khost province, killing two agency employees.

"The suicide car bomb at the intelligence office martyred two intelligence workers and wounded three others," Tahir Khan Sabari, the deputy governor of Khost province, told AFP.

Separately, another suicide bomber wearing an Afghan army uniform and carrying an AK-47 machine gun tried to get into the adjacent counter narcotics building but was stopped by police guards who shot at him, he said.

"Police fired at him and explosives strapped to his body went off, killing three policemen and wounding seven others including three civilians," Sabari said.

Sabari said police were still looking for other militants who were also wearing army uniform and were reported to have entered the NDS offices right after the first suicide blast.
More on link

NDP will not oppose Afghan war while in coalition
14 hours ago
Article Link

OTTAWA — New Democrats will stop opposing Canada's war in Afghanistan while the party is in league with the Liberals, the NDP's deputy leader declared Wednesday.

It's a significant concession for a party that has been the standard-bearer for the peace movement in Canada.

"The NDP is putting aside its differences that have existed historically with the Liberals on such issues as Afghanistan," said Thomas Mulcair, the party's only MP in Quebec.

"Because we understand, in the interest of the Canadian population, the overarching principle is that we act on the economy and in the interest of Canadian families."

In order to seal its coalition with the Liberals on Monday, NDP Leader Jack Layton gave up the party's demand for a reversal of planned corporate tax cuts, but made no mention of the war.

Asked this week whether their position on Afghanistan had changed, several New Democrat MPs laughed nervously and ducked the question.

Political observers have said the fourth-place party, long-known as the conscience of Parliament, has to make key compromises to keep the coalition together.
More on link


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## MarkOttawa (4 Dec 2008)

Strategic Motivations for the Mumbai Attack (longish piece--the conclusion)
_Stratfor.com_, Dec. 1
http://www.stratfor.com/weekly/20081201_strategic_motivations_mumbai_attack


> ...
> It is possible that New Delhi will make a radical proposal to Rice, however. Given that the Pakistani government is incapable of exercising control in its own country, and given that Pakistan now represents a threat to both U.S. and Indian national security, the Indians might suggest a joint operation with the Americans against Pakistan.
> 
> What that joint operation might entail is uncertain, but regardless, this is something that Rice would reject out of hand and that Obama would reject in January 2009. Pakistan has a huge population and nuclear weapons, and the last thing Bush or Obama wants is to practice nation-building in Pakistan. The Indians, of course, will anticipate this response. The truth is that New Delhi itself does not want to engage deep in Pakistan to strike at militant training camps and other Islamist sites. That would be a nightmare. But if Rice shows up with a request for Indian restraint and no concrete proposal — or willingness to entertain a proposal — for solving the Pakistani problem, India will be able to refuse on the grounds that the Americans are asking India to absorb a risk (more Mumbai-style attacks) without the United States’ willingness to share in the risk.
> ...



Afghanistan, Mumbai
Conference of Defence Associations media round-up, Dec. 4
http://www.cdaforumcad.ca/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1228406554

Mark
Ottawa


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## MarkOttawa (5 Dec 2008)

ARTICLES FOUND DEC. 5

Don't put civilians in harm's way
_Ottawa Citizen_, Dec. 5, by Nipa Banerjee
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/opinion/civilians+harm/1034519/story.html



> A recent news report
> http://news.sympatico.msn.cbc.ca/World/ContentPosting?newsitemid=27595025&feedname=CP-WORLD&show=False&number=0&showbyline=True&subtitle=&detect=&abc=abc&date=True
> that Canadian civilians were being posted to areas in Kandahar known for fearsome fighting (Panjwaii and Zahri) sends shivers down my spine. What is the rationale for putting Canadian officials' lives in danger?..
> 
> ...



Mark
Ottawa


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## The Bread Guy (5 Dec 2008)

*Three Canadian soldiers killed in Afghanistan*
CF news release, CEFCOM NR 08.040 - December 5, 2008

OTTAWA – Three Canadian soldiers were killed as a result of an improvised explosive device attack on their armoured vehicle during a joint patrol with Afghan National Army soldiers in the Arghandab District. The incident occurred approximately 15 kilometers west of Kandahar City at about 9:00 a.m., Kandahar time on 5 December 2008.

The Canadian soldiers were participating in a vehicle patrol with their Afghan colleagues when their vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device. The three soldiers were killed instantly by the explosion.

Killed in action were Corporal Mark Robert McLaren and Private Demetrios Diplaros. The primary next of kin for all three soldiers have been notified; however, the third name will not be released at this time at the request of the family.

In an unrelated incident, earlier on the same day, two Canadian soldiers were seriously injured when an improvised explosive device detonated in the vicinity of a joint Canadian - Afghan foot patrol in Zharey District. The incident occurred at approximately 8:00 a.m., Kandahar time, approximately 30 kilometers west of Kandahar City.

A cordon was quickly established and the soldiers were evacuated by helicopter to the Multi-national Medical Facility at Kandahar Airfield where one soldier is reported to be in serious condition and the other is reported to be in fair condition. The names of the injured soldiers will not be released.

Today Canada lost three fine soldiers. It is our hope that the focus remains on the lives and sacrifices of our soldiers as they served Canada in an effort to bring peace and security to the people of Afghanistan.



Canadian Press


> Three more Canadian soldiers were killed Friday in Afghanistan, pushing to 100 the total number of troops Canada has lost as part of its mission in this battle-weary country.  The troops - Cpl. Mark Robert McLaren, Pte. Demetrios Diplaros and a third soldier whose name was withheld at the request of the family - were riding in an armoured vehicle in the Arghandab district, west of Kandahar city, when they struck an improvised explosive device.  All three were members of the 1st Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment, based in Petawawa, Ont., said Brig.-Gen. Denis Thompson, the commander of Canadian forces in Afghanistan.  The tragedy marks the first Canadian fatalities in Afghanistan in nearly three months, but pushes the seven-year-old deployment to a tragic milestone that's likely to trigger a careful examination of Canada's role in the NATO-led mission.  "Canada lost three fine soldiers today," he said.  "Already there is talk of numbers and milestones, but it is my hope that the focus remains on the lives and the sacrifices of these brave soldiers as they serve Canada in the effort to bring peace and stability to Afghanistan."  In a separate incident, two other Canadian soldiers were injured, one seriously, in an explosion during a foot patrol in the dangerous Zhari district west of Kandahar city that occurred about an our before the fatal attack, Thompson said....




National Post


> Three Canadians were killed in Afghanistan on Friday bringing the country's military death toll in the war-torn country to 100.  The incident occurred at approximately 9 a.m. Kandahar time, when an improvised explosive device detonated near the soldiers' armoured vehicle during a patrol near the border between Afghanistan's Arghandab and Zhari districts.  Dead are Cpl. Mark Robert McLaren and Pte. Demetrios Diplaros of the 1st Battalion Royal Canadian Regiment, CFB Petawawa. The identity of the third deceased soldier is being withheld at the request of the family.  Today's fatalities brought the death toll at Petawawa to 26.  In a second unrelated incident, two more Canadian soldiers were injured, one seriously, when an IED detonated in the vicinity of a foot patrol of Canadian and Afghanistan soldiers in the Zhari district....




CBC.ca


> Three Canadian soldiers were killed and two were wounded in separate incidents in Afghanistan on Friday, raising to more than 100 the number of Canadians who have died while serving in the war-torn country.  Brig.-Gen. Denis Thompson, commander of Canadian troops, identified two of the latest casualties as Cpl. Mark Robert McLaren and Pte. Demetrios (Dip) Diplaros, both based in Petawawa, Ont. They died after the armoured vehicle they were in struck an improvised explosive device (IED).  The name of the third soldier who died was being temporarily withheld at the request of the family, Thompson said.  The blast occurred at about 9 a.m. local time, said the CBC's David Common, reporting from Kandahar.  "We can presume it was a very large device because, of course, this was an armoured vehicle," said Common.  In the second incident, the two soldiers were seriously injured in an explosion while on foot patrol in Zhari district, west of Kandahar City....




_More on links_


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## The Bread Guy (7 Dec 2008)

*Name of third Canadian soldier killed in Afghanistan released*
CEFCOM news release NR 08.041, 5 Dec 08
News release link

The third soldier killed by an improvised explosive device in Afghanistan on December 5, 2008, was Warrant Officer Robert John Wilson.  WO Wilson was a member of the 1st Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment from Canadian Forces Base Petawawa, Ontario, serving with the Task Force Kandahar Operational Mentor and Liaison Team.  He was killed with Corporal Mark Robert McLaren and Private Demetrios Diplaros, in an attack by improvised explosive device on their armoured vehicle, during a joint patrol in the Arghandab District with Afghan National Army soldiers. The incident occurred approximately 15 kilometres west of Kandahar City at about 9:00 a.m. Kandahar time.


*Three ISAF soldiers killed in southern Afghanistan*
NATO news release PR# 2008-689, 6 Dec 08
News release link

KABUL, Afghanistan — Three ISAF soldiers were killed in an IED strike yesterday morning in southern Afghanistan.  “These soldiers died honourably, helping bring security to Afghanistan,” said Brigadier General Richard Blanchette, ISAF spokesperson. “These dedicated professionals have risked their lives for a safe and stable Afghanistan.  Our thoughts go out to their families during this time.”  It is ISAF policy not to release the nationality of any casualty prior to the relevant national authority doing so.  Next of kin have been notified.


*Bodies of 3 Canadian soldiers on their way home after solemn ramp ceremony*
Bill Graveland, Canadian Press, 6 Dec 08
Article link

It's a scene that has played over and over on the tarmac at Kandahar Airfield. Solemn soldiers from several countries, a bagpiper and coffins draped with the Canadian flag carried by grieving comrades.  The ramp ceremony - it's an event that soldiers dread but wouldn't miss. While the world hears about the casualties of war and the death toll continues to rise - the soldiers here don't talk about numbers - they talk about the friends lost and experiences shared.  More than 2,000 soldiers from a dozen countries turned out Saturday as the setting Afghan sun turned the sky a brilliant shade of bronze ....


*'We lost three great Canadians'*
More than 2,000 attend emotional ramp ceremony
Ethan Baron, Ottawa Citizen, 7 Dec 08
Article link

More than 2,000 NATO soldiers lined the tarmac to pay their respects yesterday as comrades of the three latest Canadians to die in Afghanistan carried the caskets to a waiting airplane for their final journey home.  Cpl. Mark Robert McLaren, 23, Pte. Demetrios Diplaros, 24, and Warrant Officer Robert John Wilson, 38, died Friday morning when their armoured vehicle struck a bomb in the road. The vehicle was hurled more than 80 metres and a crater nine-metres deep was left in the highway.  "We lost three great Canadians," Col. Joseph Shipley said as a magnificent sunset faded to darkness. The commander of the unit in which all three blast victims worked training the Afghan army said that the men "were doing an incredible job .... They've made the sacrifice for something they believed in." ....


*Ramp ceremony held for killed Canadian soldiers*
CBC.ca, 6 Dec 08
Article link

More than 2,000 Canadian, U.S., Dutch and British soldiers turned out for a ramp ceremony at Kandahar Airfield on Saturday to pay tribute to three comrades who died in the line of duty.  The soldiers stood quietly at twilight as the bodies of Cpl. Mark McLaren, Pte. Demetrios Diplaros and Warrant Officer Robert Wilson were sent home.  The three men were killed west of the city of Kandahar on Friday when their armoured vehicle struck a roadside bomb — pushing the number of Canadian troops killed in Afghanistan to 100 since the mission began in earnest in 2002 ....


*Troops salute fallen colleagues*
GRAEME SMITH, Globe and Mail, 6 Dec 08
Article link

Dusk was falling over Kandahar Air Field this evening as troops gathered on the tarmac to salute the flag-draped caskets of three Canadian soldiers.  The remains of Warrant Officer Robert Wilson, Corporal Mark Robert McLaren, and Private Demetrios Diplaros were hoisted on the shoulders of their colleagues and carried slowly into the back of a waiting transport plane, to the sound of bagpipes.  Among more than 2,000 soldiers who gathered for the farewell ceremony was Master-Corporal Debra Starr Hendrickson, who wept and leaned on her colleagues as her slain husband Warrant Officer Wilson was loaded into the aircraft.  "As we prepare to carry our dear friends home, let us remember the joy and zeal that these men poured into this mission," said Major Michel Dion, a military padre ....


*Bodies of slain soldiers on their way home*
CTV.ca, 6 Dec 08
Article link

Comrades carried the caskets of three slain soldiers to a waiting military plane at Kandahar Airfield on Saturday, as 2,000 soldiers from a dozen countries stood at attention.  The bodies of Cpl. Mark Robert McLaren, Warrant Officer Robert John Wilson and Pte. Demetrios Diplaros are now being flown back to Canada.  Brig.-Gen. Denis Thompson, commander of Task Force Kandahar, said the soldiers who attended the ramp ceremony may have come from different countries, but they all share a common bond ....



*Canadian Air Wing ready to patrol the skies over Afghanistan *
Canadian Press, 7 Dec 08
Article link

The Canadian Forces is expanding its presence in the skies over Afghanistan with it's own air wing that will serve under the auspices of the NATO command.  Canada's battle group moved into southern Afghanistan in 2006 without any helicopters, unlike the British, U.S., and Dutch forces.  The lack of air assets forced the Canadians to rely heavily on road convoys which has proven dangerous for troops because of improvised explosive devices and suicide bombers.  Brig.-Gen. Denis Thompson, the commander of Task Force Kandahar, said this is the airforce "equivalent of committing a brigade" to overseas operations ....



_More on links_


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## Yrys (7 Dec 2008)

It look akin to old medic article about last week attack....

Militant attack burns NATO supply containers (Depot located just outside Peshawar, Pakistan)

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- Dozens of containers, possibly holding supplies for NATO troops in Afghanistan, 
burned after militants attacked a Pakistani freight terminal with mortars and grenades early Sunday, according 
to Pakistani police officials.

A security guard was killed and two employees were wounded in the attack on the Faisalal terminal just outside 
of the city of Peshawar, according to officials. Companies hired by NATO to drive fuel, food and other supplies 
to troops fighting the Taliban use the terminal to park containers waiting for convoys across the border into Afghanistan.

The fire started by the attackers destroyed 62 containers, according to Peshawar Senior Police Superintendent Kashif Alam.
Some of the dozens of attackers were captured, Alam said. He criticized the contractors for not providing enough security 
for the terminal.

Militants attacked another Peshawar terminal a week ago, destroying several trucks. Trucks moving from Pakistan 
to Afghanistan have been attacked in recent months, including one incident in which dozens of trucks with fuel for 
NATO forces were burned while parked in the Khyber agency of tribal region last March.

Last week, militants fired rockets at a supply terminal in Peshawar that sat along a route from Pakistan to Afghanistan. 
The attack left two people dead, two others wounded and 12 trucks ablaze, Peshawar police said. Pakistan's central 
government has long exerted little control in the area, but it launched an intense military offensive in late July to flush 
out militants. As retaliation for the military presence, the Taliban has carried out a series of deadly bombings -- and 
said the attacks will continue until the troops pull out.

Convoys carrying food and military supplies to U.S. troops in Afghanistan have regularly come under attack.


----------



## GAP (7 Dec 2008)

*Articles found Dec 7, 2008*

 Taliban militants release four policemen in Afghanistan   
17:33 | 07/ 12/ 2008 
    Article Link

KABUL, December 7 (RIA Novosti) - Taliban militants have freed four policemen captured during an assault on November 28 on a military convoy in the province of Badghis in northwestern Afghanistan, local security officials said on Sunday. 

The policemen were set free after local elders and tribe leaders held talks with the militants, the officials said. 

On the night of November 27-28, a 300-strong Taliban force attacked a military convoy of the Afghan national army and national police in the province's Murgab area, killing 68 personnel and capturing 19 soldiers and 8 policemen. 

This year has seen the worst rise in violence in Afghanistan since a U.S.-led international force overthrew the hard-line Islamic Taliban movement in 2001. 
More on link

 Twelve insurgents, five soldiers killed in Afghanistan
7 hours ago
Article Link

KABUL (AFP) — Twelve Taliban militants and five Afghan soldiers were killed in separate violence across the country over the weekend, officials said Sunday.

Most the militants died when they attacked a police post in Afghanistan's restive southern Helmand province late Saturday, triggering a gunbattle that also left policemen wounded.

Police arrested two militants but another two escaped, Daud Ahmadi, spokesman for the provincial governor, told AFP.

"Nine Taliban were killed and they left their bodies at the battlefield. Four Taliban and three policemen were wounded," he said.

Separately, US-led coalition forces said they killed three insurgents outside the capital Kabul on Saturday.

The Afghan army said five of its soldiers died and three others were wounded in two roadside bomb explosions on Saturday.
More on link


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## MarkOttawa (7 Dec 2008)

Militants torch Afghan supplies
BBC, Dec. 7
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7769758.stm



> More than 90 lorries supplying US forces in Afghanistan have been set on fire in a suspected militant attack in north-west Pakistan, police say.
> 
> Police said at least one person was killed as about 300 gunmen using rockets overpowered the guards at a terminal near the city of Peshawar.
> 
> ...


      

U.S. Plans a Shift to Focus Troops on Kabul Region 
_NY Times_, Dec. 6
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/07/world/asia/07troops.html?pagewanted=1&_r=2&ref=todayspaper



> Most of the additional American troops arriving in Afghanistan early next year will be deployed near the capital, Kabul, American military commanders here say, in a measure of how precarious the war effort has become.
> 
> It will be the first time that American or coalition forces have been deployed in large numbers on the southern flank of the city, a decision that reflects the rising concerns among military officers, diplomats and government officials about the increasing vulnerability of the capital and the surrounding area.
> 
> ...



Pentagon plans troop surge in Afghanistan
_The Times_, Dec. 6
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article5295191.ece



> The Pentagon has begun a massive building operation to construct new barracks and facilities in Afghanistan for 20,000 extra US troops that will pour into the country early next year.
> 
> The surge of additional forces, to combat the perilous and rapidly deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan, comes amid growing tensions between the US and Britain over the possible deployment of extra UK troops - and the performance of British soldiers already there.
> 
> ...



Mark
Ottawa


----------



## GAP (8 Dec 2008)

*Articles found December 8, 2008*

Obama security advisor is a fan of Canada
Matthew Fisher, National Post   Published: Monday, December 08, 2008
Article Link

Canada has an admirer in James Jones, the former Marine Corps commandant and supreme commander of NATO whom president-elect Barack Obama chose last week as his national security advisor.

Jones has spoken of how impressed he was by Canada's army when it shifted from Kabul to Kandahar in the spring of 2006.

"I think the Canadian leadership in the south is the answer to what was a clearly open question in some communities. Would NATO fight if tested?" the general said during an hour-long interview at SHAPE headquarters in Belgium a few weeks before he retired at the end of 2006. "They chose to test Canada and Canada responded magnificently."

Canada has returned the compliment. Because Jones had "invariably been responsive to Canadian concerns and has provided strong support to Canadian commanders in theatre," he was awarded the Meritorious Service Cross by Governor-General Michaelle Jean last year.

Jones brings a critical, knowledgeable eye to the Afghan file, which Obama has identified as a top priority. A window into his thinking can be found in the publication earlier this year of a report on the war by the Atlantic Council of the United States, which he chaired. "Make no mistake, NATO is not winning in Afghanistan," became the report's highly publicized signature line.

Asked two years ago about how the war had been prosecuted up until then, Jones intimated that the initial strategy had been flawed. If Afghanistan was looked at like it was the face of a clock, coalition forces had started out in a counter-clockwise direction, heading west from Kabul and then southwest, establishing themselves in the tamest parts of the country before heading towards the Taliban heartland. If a clockwise strategy had been pursued first, the Pakistani border and Kandahar would have been tackled much earlier and the insurgency might never had had a chance to reestablish itself.
More on link

Canadian Forces launch new air wing in Afghanistan
Updated Sun. Dec. 7 2008 4:28 PM ET CTV.ca News Staff
Article Link

A newly-launched air wing has significantly increased the capabilities of the Canadian Forces in Afghanistan by reducing their reliance on ground transport, say Canadian military officials. 

Brig.-Gen. Denis Thompson, commander of Task Force Kandahar, said the Joint Task Force (Afghanistan) Air Wing has given Canadian Forces the kind of operational air support that has not been seen in decades. 

"For the air force, this is extremely significant," he told The Canadian Press. 

"Now we're not talking about an individual unit which would be the army equivalent of a battalion. This is the equivalent of committing a brigade to overseas operations. I don't think this has occurred since the Korean time (war)." 

The air wing includes four units made up of 450 troops and has six CH-47D Chinook helicopters, eight CH-146 Griffon helicopters, six civilian Mi-8 helicopters and various unmanned surveillance aircraft included in its inventory. 

The Canadian Forces had C-130 Hercules transport planes in service prior to the development of the new air wing. 

Thomson estimated that the air wing has "doubled or tripled" the capability of Canadian troops, by lessening their reliance on road convoys which are at continual risk of bombings and other ground-based attacks. 
More on link


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## MarkOttawa (8 Dec 2008)

Governor General announces the awarding of Military Valour Decorations, Meritorious Service Decorations and a Mention in Dispatches
Governor General News Releases and Messages, February 6, 2007
http://www.gg.ca/media/doc.asp?lang=e&DocID=4961


> ...
> General James L. Jones, M.S.C.
> McLean, United States of America
> Meritorious Service Cross (Military Division)
> ...



Second supply attack in Peshawar 
BBC, Dec. 8
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7770640.stm



> Suspected militants in the Pakistani city of Peshawar have attacked another terminal holding Nato-bound equipment, the second such attack in two days.
> 
> The attackers struck the terminal on the outskirts of the city, torching up to 50 vehicles.
> 
> ...



Mark
Ottawa


----------



## GAP (9 Dec 2008)

*Articles found December 9, 2008*

Taliban commander killed in Afghan-NATO operation
Article Link

KABUL, Afghanistan (CNN) -- Afghan and NATO troops killed a Taliban commander who was responsible for suicide bombings, kidnappings, and torture, NATO's International Security Assistance Force said Tuesday.

Muhammed Bobi was killed overnight during a joint operation between the Afghan and NATO troops in the Pol-e Alam district of Logar province, just south of the Afghan capital, Kabul, ISAF said.

Bobi facilitated suicide bombings against local civilians and troops from NATO and the Afghan National Security Forces, ISAF said. He was also involved in the torture and kidnapping of local civilians and was linked to a number of crimes in the area, ISAF said.
More on link

Article Link
9 militants arrested in E Afghanistan   
 www.chinaview.cn  2008-12-09 14:14:39    

    KABUL, Dec. 9 (Xinhua) -- Afghan National Police (ANP) and the U.S.-led Coalition forces detained nine suspected militants during a combined operation, said a Coalition statement released here on Tuesday. 

    The operation, launched to disrupt the Haqqani network in eastern Afghan province of Khost on Monday, targeted a Haqqani commander known to direct and assist with the movement of weapons and foreign fighters into the region, the statement said. 

    Moreover, the combined force during the operation encountered an armed militant who refused to comply with their instructions and displayed hostile intent, it said. "The force engaged the militant with small-arms fire and wounded him
More on link

Convoy attacks trigger race to open new Afghan supply lines
Article Link
Richard Norton-Taylor, Julian Borger and Suzanne Goldenberg in Washington 
The Guardian, Tuesday December 9 2008 

Nato countries are scrambling for alternative routes as far afield as Belarus and Ukraine to supply their forces in Afghanistan, which are increasingly vulnerable to a resurgent Taliban, the Guardian has learned.

Four serious attacks on US and Nato supplies in Pakistan during the past month, including two in the past three days, have added to the sense of urgency to conclude pacts with former Soviet republics bordering Afghanistan to the north.

Nato is negotiating with Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan to allow supplies for Nato forces, including fuel, to cross borders into Afghanistan from the north. The deal, which officials said was close to being agreed, follows an agreement with Moscow this year allowing Nato supplies to be transported by rail or road through Russia.

The deal could allow more fuel for Nato forces to be transported from refineries in Baku, Azerbaijan, and Turkmenistan. Most of the 75m gallons of fuel estimated to be used by Nato forces annually in Afghanistan comes from refineries in Pakistan.

Germany and Spain, whose troops are based in more peaceful northern Afghanistan, have negotiated separate bilateral air transport agreements with Russia.
More on link


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## MarkOttawa (9 Dec 2008)

Kandahar base braces for wave of U.S. troops
Massive new construction program under way at sprawling facility in order to accommodate expected doubling of population
_Globe and Mail_, Dec. 9
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081209.wafghansurge09/BNStory/Afghanistan/



> KANDAHAR, AFGHANISTAN — The coming transformation of the war in Kandahar is summarized in a cartoon posted inside Canada's military headquarters. It depicts a huge wave crashing toward a tiny sandcastle on a beach, indicating the overwhelming force of many thousand U.S. troops expected to sweep into southern Afghanistan next year.
> 
> The New York Times reported this weekend that the first brigade of new troops will go north to protect Kabul, the capital city, but a massive new program of base construction shows the United States preparing to send a bigger share of its additional forces to Kandahar in the south.
> 
> ...



*AP Interview: Marines will shift to Afghanistan*
AP, Dec. 8
http://www3.signonsandiego.com/stories/2008/dec/08/marines-afghanistan-120808/?zIndex=20468



> There is a growing consensus among defense leaders to send a substantial contingent of Marines to Afghanistan, probably beginning next spring, while dramatically reducing their presence in western Iraq, the top Marine general told The Associated Press on Monday.
> 
> Gen. James Conway, the Marine Corps commandant, said in an interview that Marine units tentatively scheduled to go to Iraq next spring are already incorporating some training for Afghanistan into their preparations.
> 
> ...



Mark
Ottawa


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## MarkOttawa (11 Dec 2008)

ARTICLES FOUND DEC. 11

MacKay declines Gates's suggestion to extend Afghanistan mission
CBC, Dec. 11
http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2008/12/11/gates-soldiers.html



> Canada's defence ministry has ruled out extending its combat mission in Afghanistan past the 2011 scheduled deadline despite hints from U.S. Defence Secretary Robert Gates that Ottawa should reconsider its end date.
> 
> "Nothing has changed since the parliamentary motion was passed," said Dan Dugas, a spokesman for Defence Minister Peter MacKay. "We're done with the Kandahar combat mission in 2011."
> 
> ...



Gates: More brigades to Afghanistan by summer
AP, Dec. 11
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iHJ_mmyzSO5vLdDwuAyMaHxEbcJgD950F88G0


> ...
> Gates said he has no details on the expected deployments to Afghanistan next year, adding that he has not approved any orders for specific units. He said the Joint Chiefs may have identified the units, but he's not aware of those decisions.
> 
> He added that he *does not know when he will be able to send the fourth requested brigade* [emphasis added].
> ...



5,000 US troops to help British with Taleban stalemate in Afghanistan
_The Times_, Dec. 11, by Michael Evans, Defence Editor 
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article5321078.ece



> America is planning to send at least 5,000 additional troops to Afghanistan's Helmand province to help out beleaguered British troops, according to defence sources in Washington and Kabul.
> 
> Ministers are expected to examine early next year whether British reinforcements will also be sent to boost the present force of 8,100 troops in the British-controlled province...
> 
> ...



Mark
Ottawa


----------



## GAP (11 Dec 2008)

*Articles found Dec 11, 2008*

 Prince Harry to return to Afghanistan as helicopter pilot  
Prince Harry will return to front line in Afghanistan after he passed the selection process to become a helicopter pilot with the Army Air Corps.  
By Andrew Pierce Last Updated: 9:54PM GMT 11 Dec 2008
Article Link

The Prince will begin his pilot training next month after passing a four-week course to assess whether he had the ability to fly. 

He is following in the footsteps of the Duke of York who flew helicopters in the Royal Navy in the Falklands War. The Duke, who is Prince Harry's godfather, was a key influence in his decision to volunteer for training as a helicopter pilot in the Army. 

Prince Harry, 24, the first member of the Royal family to serve on a military front line since the Falklands in 1982, has been told that he will be able to go back to Afghanistan with his unit. 

As a soldier on the ground the Prince is feared to act as a magnet for bombs putting the lives of those around him at an increased risk. He would also be at risk of kidnap. But life as an airborne soldier, while still extremely dangerous, is less likely to cause problems for his fellow troops. 

A Clarence House spokesman said: "If Prince Harry qualifies as an Army Air Corps pilot, he will, like any officer, be available for operational service wherever the AAC flies." Afghanistan is a regular tour of duty for the AAC. One source said: "If his unit goes to Afghanistan Prince Harry will go with them. No doubt about it." 

Prince Harry will be thrilled to return to the front line after his 10-week deployment in Helmand Province was cut short early this year after details of his posting was leaked on an overseas internet site. He had the lives of British troops in his hands in his key role as a battlefield air controller. 
More on link

 NEDA Telecommunications, Afghanistan's Largest ISP to Deploy Quick Start IP Trunking Solution from O3b Networks, Ltd.
Afghanistan's largest ISP to use O3b Networks' low-latency constellation to expand internet services throughout the provinces and urban centers  
Last update: 11:21 a.m. EST Dec. 11, 2008 
Article Link

ST. JOHN, Jersey, Channel Islands, Dec 11, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- O3b Networks the developer of a new fiber-quality, satellite-based, global Internet backbone for telecommunications operators and Internet Service Providers announced today that NEDA Telecommunications will deploy O3b Networks' Quick Start service as part of a multi-year, multi-million dollar agreement. The agreement will provide low-latency, fiber quality, internet connectivity between Afghanistan and the global internet infrastructure. 
O3b Networks, funded by Google Inc., Liberty Global, Inc. and HSBC Principal Investments, recently announced it will deploy the world's first ultra-low-latency, Medium Earth Orbit (MEO), Ka-band, fiber-speed satellite network. The network is designed to improve Internet access for millions of consumers and businesses in emerging and developed markets, as well as selected vertical markets. Service activation and ground equipment is scheduled for late 2010. 
"O3b Networks allows us to significantly enhance our ISP services," said Paul Shaw, CEO of NEDA. "With O3b's low-latency connection to the global internet, our customers will be able to fully utilize today's web 2.0 applications. There is a substantial and continuously growing demand all across Afghanistan for Internet services. Throughout the world low latency access to the Internet at significantly lower costs is proving to be a key factor in economic and social development. We are proud to be a part of bringing the O3B service to Afghanistan, and helping Afghanistan to compete on an equal basis with the rest of the world." 
More on link

 Turkey aid to Afghanistan reaches to 15,000 families  
  Article Link

Turkey sent food, clothing and stationery assistance to 15,000 Afghan families and 9,000 Afghan students, as well as providing direct health service to 750,000 Afghans.

Some 300 Afghan students were also granted scholarships to study in Turkey.

Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) trained 1,600 Afghan personnel in Afghanistan as well as more than 500 Afghan personnel in Turkey within the scope of a military training cooperation.

 The Turkish International Cooperation and Development Agency (TIKA) Afghanistan Coordination Office stated that 35 new schools were built, seven schools were renovated and 42 schools were furnished in Afghanistan.

Within the scope of health projects, Turkey built one hospital and five clinics, renovated two hospitals, and operated seven hospitals, three clinics and one midwife training center, providing direct heath services to 750,000 Afghan citizens.
end

 Torture of Afghan detainees continues, say human rights groups
Article Link

OTTAWA — An agreement between Canada and the Afghanistan government has not stopped the torture of Afghan detainees after Canadian troops hand them over to Afghan security forces, the Federal Court of Appeal heard Wednesday.

A lawyer for human-rights groups that want to extend Canadian human-rights protection to the detainees told court the agreement reached in February has not ended abuses that came to light in 2007.

"It is our submission it is not working," lawyer Paul Champ told a court tribunal. "There are still human-rights abuses in Afghanistan."

Champ later said investigations by UNICEF and the Afghanistan Human Rights Commission have found recent evidence of torture in Afghanistan.

But he said it has been impossible to obtain information from the Canadian Forces about the treatment of prisoners they hand over to Afghan police.

Champ urged the tribunal to overturn a Federal Court ruling earlier this year that rejected an application by Amnesty International and the B.C. Civil Liberties Association for a court order to halt Canadian transfers because they violate the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
More on link

 Warlords Toughen US Task in Afghanistan
By Aryn Baker / Kabul Tuesday, Dec. 09, 2008
Article Link

Like many mothers in Afghanistan, Maghferat Samimi has affixed the photo of a child to her mobile phone. But the two-and-a-half-year-old is not her daughter. She is a rape victim, one of scores that Samimi, a researcher with the Afghan Human Rights Organization, has documented in the country's northern provinces over the past six months. Witnesses to the child's abduction by a local militia commander — a person who would once have been called a "warlord" — have had their rape claim backed up by a nearby hospital, but the district police chief maintains that the child fell on a stick. The police chief's refusal to issue an arrest warrant, he says, has nothing to do with the fact that he is friends with the militia commander. Seeking justice from government officials, says Samimi, "is like going to the wolves for help, when the wolves have stolen your sheep." That is what it is like in Afghanistan, where lawless warlords are now the law.
More on link

 International Datacasting Corporation Wins $2.7 Million Government Contract for Canadian Forces Radio and Television Network
Last update: 12:24 p.m. EST Dec. 9, 2008
Article Link

OTTAWA, ONTARIO, Dec 09, 2008 (MARKET WIRE via COMTEX) -- International Datacasting Corporation (CA:IDC: news, chart, profile) , a global leader in advanced solutions for broadband multimedia content distribution via satellite, announced today that it has won a competitive tender with the Canadian Department of National Defence (DND) to continue broadcasting radio and television channels to Canadian Forces serving overseas. Valued at $2.7 million for the first year, the contract has renewal options for an additional two years for a total potential value of more than $8.1 million. 
The Canadian Forces Radio and Television (CFRT) network delivers entertainment programming, sports and news over two television channels (English and French) as well as FM radio. IDC has been providing this service since 2000 to Canadian Forces and peacekeeping troops deployed in regions around the globe including the Middle East, Eastern Europe and Africa. Today CFRT serves Canadian Forces stationed in Afghanistan and on ships at sea in the region. 
IDC is responsible for all aspects of programming including negotiating rights and permissions, scheduling, recording, and uplinking the network from its Ottawa based network operations centre. This is the fourth time IDC has won the competition for this contract, an indication of the ongoing excellence of the service. 
More on link


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## The Bread Guy (11 Dec 2008)

GAP said:
			
		

> *International Datacasting Corporation Wins $2.7 Million Government Contract for Canadian Forces Radio and Television Network*
> Last update: 12:24 p.m. EST Dec. 9, 2008
> Article Link
> 
> ...



Link to 10 Nov 08 proposal call:
http://forums.army.ca/forums/threads/81068/post-776742.html#msg776742


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## MarkOttawa (12 Dec 2008)

ARTICLES FOUND DEC. 11

Canada poised to cede command in Kandahar
_Globe and Mail_, Dec. 12
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081212.wafghan12/BNStory/Afghanistan/



> PASAB, AFGHANISTAN, OTTAWA — Canada appears ready to give up its leadership position in Kandahar before its mandate ends in 2011, ceding command to a surge of U.S. troops that will ease the burden the Canadian military shouldered nearly three years ago when it took charge of the province.
> 
> Canada's senior officer in Afghanistan yesterday suggested Canada may soon take a less prominent role in war-ravaged Kandahar province - comments made on the same day U.S. Secretary of Defence Robert Gates called on Ottawa to extend its mission beyond 2011.
> 
> ...



Italy plans temporary increase in Afghan force
AFP, Dec. 12
http://www.defencetalk.com/news/publish/army/Italy_plans_temporary_increase_in_Afghan_force110016791.php



> Italy will temporarily increase its number of troops in Afghanistan by 500 next year in the face of a "delicate operational situation" in western Herat province, the government said on Wednesday.
> 
> "The commitments we have made within NATO demand that our contingent in Afghanistan reach the figure of 2,800 for six months in 2009," Defence Minister Ignazio La Russa told the Senate defence and foreign affairs committees.
> 
> ...



Mark
Ottawa


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## MarkOttawa (14 Dec 2008)

ARTICLES FOUND DEC. 14

The Other Front
_Washington Post_, Dec. 14, by Sarah Chayes
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/12/AR2008121203290.html



> KANDAHAR, Afghanistan
> ...
> In the seven years I've lived in this stronghold of the Afghan south -- the erstwhile capital of the Taliban and the focus of their renewed assault on the country -- most of my conversations with locals about what's going wrong have centered on corruption and abuse of power. "More than roads, more than schools or wells or electricity, we need good governance," said Nurallah ["one of the 13 Afghan men and women who make up my cooperative"] during yet another discussion a couple of weeks ago.
> 
> ...



Ex-minister slates UK policy on Afghanistan
_The Guardian_, Dec. 11
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2008/dec/11/afghanistan-kim-howells-corruption-karzai



> The former Foreign Office minister with responsibility for Afghanistan yesterday accused the country of being corrupt "from top to bottom", and said the international community had wrongly treated President Hamid Karzai with kid gloves.
> 
> The criticism came from Kim Howells, who was in charge of the Afghanistan brief for three-and-a-half years until he stepped down as a foreign affairs minister in the October government reshuffle. The remarks reflect his considered judgment on what has been described as the most difficult foreign policy challenge facing the UK government and its armed forces.
> 
> ...



Mark
Ottawa


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## MarkOttawa (15 Dec 2008)

ARTICLES FOUND DEC. 15

More UK troops head to Afghanistan
_The Scotsman_, Dec. 15
http://www.scotsman.com/latestnews/More-UK-troops-head-to.4794917.jp



> BRITAIN is to boost the number of troops serving in Afghanistan by around 300, the Prime Minister confirmed today.
> 
> Mr Brown told the Commons that to reinforce "progress" already made, reserves were being called forward for deployment on a "temporary basis".
> 
> ...



Gordon Brown ready to defy Barack Obama over Afghanistan troop surge
_The Times_, Dec. 15
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article5342404.ece



> Gordon Brown is considering rejecting an expected request from Barack Obama, the US President-elect, to send 2,000 more British troops to Afghanistan to join the surge of US forces confronting the Taleban.
> 
> Britain is expected to come under considerable pressure from Mr Obama when he becomes President in January to send another battle group of 1,500-2,000. Turning down such a request would open a rift between Britain and the US. British military chiefs have also been clamouring for reinforcements for the beleaguered troops in the southern Afghan province of Helmand.
> 
> ...



Royal Marines killed by teen suicide bomber shows UK needs allies in Afghanistan battle
If anyone still needs an illustration of the hideousness of the Taliban, its use of a 13-year-old boy as a suicide bomber provides it 
_Telegraph View_ (other title Our forces need allies in Aghan battle), Dec. 14
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/telegraph-view/3743622/Royal-Marines-killed-by-teen-suicide-bomber-shows-UK-needs-allies-in-Afghanistan-battle.html



> The poor, brainwashed child detonated his device and killed himself. He also killed three Royal Marines serving as part of Britain's forces in Afghanistan. On the disgusting calculus of death used by the Taliban, that counts as a "successful" operation.
> 
> British forces are fighting in Afghanistan for one simple reason: to prevent the country reverting to a government that was bigoted, bloodthirsty and remorselessly cruel.
> 
> ...



Face to face with the Taliban
Exclusive report from a Taliban veteran's compound in Afghanistan and on the battlefield (long article)
The Guardian, Dec. 14
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/dec/14/afghanistan-terrorism



> Qomendan Hemmet sat cross-legged under a window of the mud-walled room. His shoulder, sunk in an old military jacket, rested against the wall and a radio antenna stuck out of his pocket. Next to him sat his deputy, wrapped in a big blanket, silent and sleepy. Around the room sat his men, their faces contorted by years of fighting and poverty, dressed in shalwar kameez and magazine pouches, eyes dark as the kohl lining them. Radios crackled, phones rang non-stop, and more fighters came, drank tea and left with orders.
> 
> "Salar is the new Falluja," declared Qomendan Hemmet emphatically. "The Americans and the Afghan army control the highway, and five metres on each side. The rest is our territory."
> 
> ...



Why the US Will Scale Down Its Goals in Afghanistan
_Time_, Dec. 14
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1866326,00.html?xid=rss-topstories



> The Pentagon has made clear that the U.S. will leave Afghanistan when the rag-tag Afghan security forces have been beefed up to the point where they can keep the peace without help. "Significantly expanding [Afghanistan's national security forces] is, in fact, our exit strategy," Defense Secretary Robert Gates told U.S. troops in Kandahar last week. But that's a strategy that could  leave U.S. forces in Afghanistan for quite some time to come — for one thing, the economy of impoverished Afghanistan is unlikely, for the foreseeable future, to sustain an army big enough to guarantee the country's security. And that's just one of several thorny issues likely to make success in Afghanistan harder to achieve than Iraq — unless the U.S. scales back its ambitious goals for the country. But such a rethink may be on the cards, U.S. military officers say, as internal U.S. reviews and President-elect Barack Obama give the seven-year war a fresh look.
> 
> U.S. military officers are already making clear that many of the additional 20,000 U.S. troops bound for Afghanistan in the coming year won't be headed to the Afghan-Pakistani border where the Taliban and its al-Qaeda allies are launching regular and deadly attacks against U.S. and allied troops. Instead, they'll be concentrated on defending the capital, Kabul, from Taliban attack, and also *on reinforcing British troops in Helmand and other parts of the south* [emphasis added]. That will do little to assuage the criticism that the limited U.S. and NATO deployments in Afghanistan have left Afghan President Hamid Karzai with little more real authority than the "mayor of Kabul", or the reality that the Taliban currently enjoy the momentum...
> 
> U.S. military officers, speaking privately, concede the bleak outlook in Afghanistan is likely to prompt a scaling back of U.S. goals for the country. The desire to build a strong central government with a large army is likely to be de-emphasized in favor of a provincial structure that relies more on local militias to provide security. "There's a widespread belief in national security circles that the Bush Administration's goals for Afghanistan were too ambitious," says Stephen Biddle, a military expert at the Council on Foreign Relations. "If George W. Bush had served a third term, my guess is that he would be re-evaluating his aims, too."..



Mark
Ottawa


----------



## George Wallace (16 Dec 2008)

*Articles found 16 Dec 2008*

Reproduced under the Fair Dealings provisions of the Copyright Act.    (Link in Title)

Top Canadian general predicts rise in Afghan violence


*The top commander for all deployed Canadian forces made a grim but not unexpected prediction for Afghanistan Tuesday morning, warning violence levels are likely to increase. * 
16/12/2008 7:39:30 AM

CTV.ca News Staff 

Lt.-Gen. Michel Gauthier spoke to reporters in Kandahar, and said he expects a spike in fighting next year when U.S. troop levels increase in the south. 

Gauthier also said it will likely be 2010 before violence levels begin to decrease. Canada's commitment to Afghanistan is scheduled to end in 2011. 

"With respect to the security situation, it is improving greatly in some places, but as you all know, violence levels overall have increased from a year ago," Gauthier said.

He also said two suspected insurgents were killed in an air strike Tuesday morning while they were attempting to plant a roadside bomb. The strike occurred on a road where six Canadians have been killed by IEDs in recent weeks.

Gauthier's comments follow those of Brig.-Gen Richard Blanchette, a Canadian spokesperson for the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, who recently predicted an increase in violence following the troop surge next year. 

By year's end, 3,500 additional U.S. Marines will be arriving in Afghanistan, followed by an Army brigade of about 5,000 soldiers for early 2009. As many as three additional Army brigades could follow in the months after that. 

Blanchette said the troop surge will strengthen the fight against the Taliban and lead to more "kinetic activity" on the ground.


----------



## MarkOttawa (16 Dec 2008)

Bid to split Taliban, Al Qaeda
In Afghanistan, US and NATO reassess their strategy amid concerns that their efforts are failing.
_CS Monitor_, Dec. 16
http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/1216/p01s01-wosc.htm



> Kabul, Afghanistan
> 
> The Afghan government and its allies are reconciling with moderates and isolating hard-liners in a bid to split the insurgency, Western and Afghan officials say.
> 
> ...



US accuses Britain over military failings in Afghanistan
_The Times_, Dec. 16
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article5349036.ece



> The performance of Britain’s overstretched military in Afghanistan is coming under sustained criticism from the Pentagon and US analysts even as Gordon Brown ponders whether to send in further reinforcements.
> 
> Robert Gates, the US Defence Secretary who has been asked to remain in his job under Barack Obama, is understood to have expressed strong reservations about counterinsurgency operations in British-controlled Helmand province.
> 
> ...



Letter from Pashmul
Policing Afghanistan
An ethnic-minority force enters a Taliban stronghold. (Too long to excerpt properly, but some samples below. *Warrant Officer Mike Vollick* appears throughout, along with some other Canadians).
_New Yorker_, Dec. 8,  by Graeme Wood  
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/12/08/081208fa_fact_wood


> ...
> Khan’s police unit patrols a war zone, and the men often do the work of soldiers rather than of normal beat police officers. Although the Army lends support when the police encounter armed resistance, the soldiers then retreat to a base outside Pashmul. On most days, the police patrol the alleys alone, except for a few Canadian soldiers whom NATO has assigned to train and mentor them. Taliban snipers routinely fire at the base’s wooden guard towers, and the Hazara policemen fire back. They watch the rickety pickups that pass on a paved road along the base’s eastern edge, on the lookout for suicide bombers. Khan’s men know the faces in each village, but they remain an alien presence. One man, who sold goats to the Hazara policemen, would say hello to the patrol when it walked past his home; his corpse later turned up in the next village...
> 
> Khan’s directness enables him to work efficiently with his Canadian supervisors—particularly Mike Vollick, a warrant officer stationed at Khan’s police base. An infantryman, Vollick is thirty-seven and of medium height, with sturdy arms that, when I met him, five months after his arrival in Pashmul, were scabby from dozens of sand-fly bites. The Canadians and the Hazaras communicate reasonably well, although they mostly use a translator and don’t have more than a few dozen words in common, most of which describe military equipment. Vollick considers Khan the most effective Afghan police commander he has seen, and an ideal candidate for district police chief, although, given Khan’s inability to speak Pashto, the local language, and the strength of Pashtun prejudice, this would be an unlikely appointment...
> ...



Mark
Ottawa


----------



## GAP (17 Dec 2008)

*Articles found December 17 , 2008*

Taliban Targets NATO Convoy in Pakistan   
By VOA News  17 December 2008
   Article Link

Pakistani officials said suspected Taliban militants fired rocket-propelled grenades at a NATO supply convoy, killing a woman in a nearby house and wounding at least one of her children

Officials Wednesday said the grenades missed the convoy and hit the house in Pakistan's Khyber tribal district.

This is the latest in a string of attacks on convoys heading for the Khyber Pass, the main route into Afghanistan along the mountainous border. Officials said the convoy continued on its way to Afghanistan.

Earlier this week, a Pakistani truckers association said many truck drivers are refusing to carry supplies into Afghanistan because of the sharp rise in attacks along the route.

NATO officials and local authorities both downplayed the truckers' claim. NATO spokesmen said there has been no major disruption in their supply lines.
More on link

Sixth British soldier in a week killed in Afghanistan
1 hour ago
Article Link

LONDON (AFP) — A British soldier was killed in fighting in troubled southern Afghanistan on Wednesday, the sixth fatality among British forces in the past week, the defence ministry said in a statement.

The soldier from 1st Battalion The Rifles was killed by enemy fire in an area north west of Lashkar Gah in southern Helmand province while fighting in the district of Nad-e-Ali, the ministry in London said.

He was treated at the scene before being taken to the military hospital at Camp Bastion by helicopter, but later died of his wounds.

His death follows that of a soldier from 29 Commando Royal Artillery in Helmand on Monday, and those of four marines in the province on Friday.

It brings to 134 the total number of British service personnel killed in Afghanistan since 2001, when US-led forces ousted the Taliban in the wake of the September 11 attacks in New York and Washington.

"The death of this soldier has left everyone in Task Force Helmand deeply saddened," army spokeswoman Commander Paula Rowe said.
More on link


----------



## The Bread Guy (18 Dec 2008)

*Bigger, better military spy drones arrive at Kandahar Airfield *
Steve Rennie, The Canadian Press. 17 Dec 08
Article link
Canada's soldiers in Afghanistan have new eyes in the sky.  The first of several Heron pilotless spy drones were unveiled Wednesday shortly after their arrival at Kandahar Airfield, where they will soon be keeping tabs on the Taliban from above.  The drones - also known as unmanned aerial vehicles, or UAVs - will help coalition forces ferret out Taliban fighters planting roadside bombs or planning ambushes, Canadian Forces officials say....

*New aerial drones will keep eye on Taliban*
Darah Hansen , Canwest News Service, 17 Dec 08
Article link
Canada is set to ramp up surveillance of insurgent activity and boost safety for its troops in Afghanistan with the arrival this week of the first in a fleet of new long-range aerial drones.  The CU170 Heron unmanned aerial vehicle - or UAV - has the capacity to fly for more than 24 hours at a time and detect insurgents planting deadly roadside bombs or planning ambushes across a 200-kilometre range.  "This is just an excellent new addition to Canada's inventory here in Afghanistan," said Col. Christopher Coates, Air Wing Commander in Kandahar. "We're absolutely confident that the Heron is going to increase safety for our soldiers out there working in the battlefield because it can maintain eyes on what's happening for a longer period of time."....


*Afghan-Canadian the top choice for governor of Kandahar*
Former villager comes full circle in 'great Canadian story'
GRAEME SMITH AND ROBERT MATAS, Globe and Mail, 18 Dec 08
Article link
An agricultural expert from British Columbia is now the leading candidate in the urgent search for a new governor of Kandahar, The Globe and Mail has learned. The post is a key political seat in southern Afghanistan but a dangerous task with little chance of glory.  Tooryalai Wesa, 58, of Coquitlam, B.C., was called from Canada to Afghanistan this week to discuss the unusual job offer. The current governor left the post after less than four months in the job, and prominent figures in the country had rejected the position, so President Hamid Karzai appears to have reached into the expatriate community and chosen a friend of his family with experience in rural development.  “Yes, that's the rumour, I think so. I'm not 100-per-cent sure,” said Ahmed Wali Karzai, chairman of Kandahar's provincial council and the President's younger brother. “I talked to him today, and he just arrived from Canada.”  The Afghan government has not announced Mr. Wesa's appointment, and even his relatives say it's unclear whether he will accept the job....

*Afghan-Canadian could be new governor of Kandahar*
Canadian Press, 18 Dec 08
Article link
An Afghan-Canadian academic is emerging as the front runner for the top political posting in Kandahar amid speculation a new governor could be appointed as early as next week.  A well-connected source told The Canadian Press that Tooryalai Wesa, 58, of Coquitlam, B.C., is scheduled to have lunch Thursday with Afghan President Hamid Karzai to discuss the job, which has been held by two different people in the past eight months.  The source said Wesa will then meet Jelani Popal of Afghanistan's Independent Directorate for Local Governance in Kabul. Following that, a committee will have to approve Wesa's appointment before he is named Kandahar's governor.  A Karzai aide declined comment on whether Wesa was scheduled to meet with the Afghan president, but others connected to the leader were not as tight-lipped.  Ahmed Wali Karzai, chair of Kandahar's provincial council and the younger half-brother of the president, said he has heard Wesa's name linked to the governorship....


*Year of the AFGHAN mission*
2009 is pivotal: If we're really leaving in 2011, fine. But if we're not, consider these four options
ROLAND PARIS, Globe & Mail, 17 Dec 08
Article link


> ....For Canada, too, 2009 may be crucial. Although 2011 seems far off, we'll soon have to decide whether to continue our Afghan engagement, and in what form if we do. NATO is already planning for the arrival of new U.S. forces in Kandahar. If we wish to carve out specific responsibilities for ourselves, we'll need to make a claim to them, probably before 2010.
> 
> Such decisions, however, presuppose serious public debate in Canada over the next year, informed by the evolving circumstances of the mission.
> 
> ...




*Afghan and ISAF engineers clear deadly ordnance*
NATO news release PR# 2008-717, 18 Dec 08
News release link
Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) and ISAF engineers will be collecting and disposing of legacy ordnance and explosives from the Garmsir and Musa Qala districts over the next four weeks.  Locals have been asked to report explosive devices or old ordnance to a member of the ANSF; ISAF or Afghan engineers will then destroy such ordnance in a controlled manner.  This is the largest joint operation of its type to be conducted in Helmand and further evidence of the positive work being done by the ANSF and ISAF. Unexploded warheads and legacy mines regularly cause significant injuries to civilians, particularly to children.


*Afghan Police Must Fight Crime, Not Taliban, ICG Says *
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 18 Dec 08
Article link
Systemic corruption among the Afghan police force, too used to fighting the Taliban instead of fighting crime, is fueling a perception of lawlessness and public discontent, a think tank has said.  In many isolated outposts, the police are the only face of the Afghan government and are vulnerable to insurgent attacks. But they are also renowned for milking the populace for bribes.  Endemic corruption in the Interior Ministry, which runs the police, means promotions are often bought, not earned on merit.  "Too much emphasis has continued to be placed on using the police to fight the insurgency rather than crime. Corruption and political appointments are derailing attempts to professionalize the force," the International Crisis Group (ICG) said.  "While hard to measure given the lack of crime statistics, there is a general perception in Afghanistan that lawlessness is on the rise," it said....

*The Other Front *
This Fucking War web log posting, 17 Dec 08
Posting link


> ....There'd been a fender-bender in the Kandahar bazaar, a taxi and a bicycle among wooden-wheeled vegetable carts. Wrenching around to avoid the knot, another cart touched one of the green open-backed trucks the police drive. In seconds, the officers were dragging the man to the chalky dust, beating him -- blow after blow to the head, neck, hips, kidneys. Shopkeepers in the nearby stalls began shouting, "What do you want to do, kill him?" The police slung the man into the back of their truck and roared away....


----------



## MarkOttawa (18 Dec 2008)

U.N.'s Afghan mission to expand
Reuters, Dec. 17
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/17/AR2008121701083.html



> The United Nations mission in Afghanistan will soon have its budget doubled and staff numbers increased to more than 2,000 from 1,500, the U.N.'s special envoy said Wednesday.
> 
> The extra money and staff reflects a growing international focus on Afghanistan where seven years after U.S. and Afghan forces toppled the Taliban, the militants are gaining ground and violence has reached its worst levels since 2001.
> 
> ...


Mark
Ottawa


----------



## a_majoor (18 Dec 2008)

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081218.wafghan18/BNStory/Afghanistan/home

*Afghan-Canadian the top choice for governor of Kandahar*
Former villager comes full circle in 'great Canadian story'
GRAEME SMITH AND ROBERT MATAS

From Thursday's Globe and Mail

December 18, 2008 at 1:30 AM EST

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan and VANCOUVER — An agricultural expert from British Columbia is now the leading candidate in the urgent search for a new governor of Kandahar, The Globe and Mail has learned. The post is a key political seat in southern Afghanistan but a dangerous task with little chance of glory.

Tooryalai Wesa, 58, of Coquitlam, B.C., was called from Canada to Afghanistan this week to discuss the unusual job offer. The current governor left the post after less than four months in the job, and prominent figures in the country had rejected the position, so President Hamid Karzai appears to have reached into the expatriate community and chosen a friend of his family with experience in rural development.

“Yes, that's the rumour, I think so. I'm not 100-per-cent sure,” said Ahmed Wali Karzai, chairman of Kandahar's provincial council and the President's younger brother. “I talked to him today, and he just arrived from Canada.”

The Afghan government has not announced Mr. Wesa's appointment, and even his relatives say it's unclear whether he will accept the job.

Yesterday he sent a brief e-mail to his wife in Coquitlam, saying he is scheduled to meet the Afghan President today.

“I'm not sure yet, if he accepted it or not,” Rangina Wesa said.

Sitting down with Mr. Karzai will mark a new chapter in Mr. Wesa's remarkable life. One of his former employers has called it “a great Canadian story,” which took him from a rural village into the senior ranks of the Communist regime, then fleeing the civil war for a comfortable life in Canada, only to throw himself back into the most dangerous province in Afghanistan, believing he must help his birthplace.

“All the time we were talking about that,” his wife said, describing her husband's concern about the situation in Kandahar. “We didn't know he would be responsible for the governor's office, but this was our feeling. I hope he can make some improvements.”

The man who still officially holds the title of Kandahar governor, Major-General Rahmatullah Raufi, said he has heard his replacement will be Afghan Canadian, and suggested that his citizenship might help him work efficiently with the foreign troops.

Mr. Wesa has recent experience in Kandahar, having served as regional director for a U.S.-funded local governance initiative from October, 2006, until August, 2007.

The outgoing governor also elaborated on his previous complaints of getting pushed out of Kandahar, saying Ahmed Wali Karzai's overwhelming political power made his job impossible.

“Always he was interfering,” Gen. Raufi said. “In one province there should be only one governor, not two governors.”

Such friction with the Karzais may be less likely for Mr. Wesa, who was described as a friend of the ruling family. Mr. Wesa was born in the village of Kohak, just outside of Kandahar city, and his father, Abdul Samad Wesa, was known for his modern outlook and ensured that his son was educated.

After attending high school in Kandahar, Mr. Wesa studied agricultural science in Kabul, Beirut and Nebraska. Later in life, he would complete a doctorate at the University of British Columbia, but after his initial schooling, he went to work at the main university in Soviet-occupied Kabul, researching farm techniques and teaching classes.

He gained prominence in Kabul academic circles and became a minister for higher education in 1989, returning to his native province in 1991 to serve as founding president of Kandahar University.

The family left Afghanistan with their three daughters in 1992, his wife said, because she required back surgery that was not available in Afghanistan. She wanted to go to India, she said, but Russian authorities, in control of Afghanistan at the time, would allow her to go only to Moscow.

It was a struggle keeping the family together during those times, she said, as the authorities did not want to let them travel together for fear they would join the millions of refugees fleeing Afghanistan.

“That was a terrible time, we were spread around the world, escaping from the country.”

Eventually the officials relented and the family stayed in Moscow for four months, then two months in Budapest where they tried for a visa to another country, she said. They had hoped to go to Germany or Denmark but were turned down, so they walked into a Swiss office that was near Germany's consulate.

The Swiss would not allow either Mr. or Ms. Wesa to work in their professions; she was a gynecologist with 14 years experience. After a few years in Switzerland, their children were also suffering academically because of their unresolved legal status.

They picked Canada mostly as a result of the warm feelings they had toward the country from Canadians they met in Afghanistan in the late 1970s, she said, and because they had a relative living in Toronto.

Ms. Wesa recalled they were asked a few questions by a Canadian official and then the woman put small Canadian-flag pins on her daughters' dresses. They gained citizenship in Canada three years after arriving on Aug. 24, 1995.

Mr. Wesa is now a research associate at UBC's Institute of Asian Research.

Their 24-year old daughter Mina is now following her mother's profession, doing a residency in gynecology. Their daughter Hila, 23, has a commerce degree and is working toward a law degree in Windsor, Ont. Their third daughter Wazhma, 21, also has a commerce degree and is working for a transportation business.

A politician in Kandahar expressed disappointment yesterday about the news of Mr. Wesa's impending arrival as governor, saying his membership in a relatively small tribe, the Mohammadzai, and his status as an expatriate will both serve to marginalize him in Kandahar's power structure.

Still, the installation of any governor is viewed as being an improvement on having an empty office in the palace at the heart of Kandahar city, where nobody has taken control of the administration since Gen. Raufi departed at the beginning of the month.


----------



## MarkOttawa (18 Dec 2008)

B.C. man accepts post as Kandahar governor
CTV, Dec. 18
http://www.ctvbc.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20081218/afghan_governor_081218/20081218/?hub=BritishColumbiaHome



> A Canadian-Afghan academic, who will become the new governor of Kandahar province this weekend, says he wants to build bridges between cultures and improve the lives of regular Afghans.
> 
> Tooryalai Wesa - who fled his home in 1991 and settled in Coquitlam, B.C. - met with Afghan President Hamid Karzai for lunch on Thursday to discuss his challenging new job...
> 
> ...



British Columbia Native Could Run Kandahar In Afghanistan
AHN, Dec. 18
http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7013456346

Mark
Ottawa


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## MarkOttawa (18 Dec 2008)

The growing storm
There is progress in Afghanistan, but the danger is increasing
Maclean's, Dec. 18, by Paul Wells
http://blog.macleans.ca/2008/12/18/the-growing-storm/



> There is progress in Afghanistan, but the danger is increasing
> ...
> Even soldiers who eagerly await the arrival of U.S. reinforcements worry about what will happen when they arrive. Many—though certainly not all—believe the level of violence will skyrocket in the short term and that the heart of the carnage will be the country’s south, including Kandahar, where most of the soldiers in the Canadian deployment are already stationed. It may be salutary violence; perhaps this war needs to get worse before it gets better. But one U.S. general put it this way.
> 
> ...



Mark
Ottawa


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## MarkOttawa (18 Dec 2008)

Afstan: The US and coming realities in Regional Command South 
_The Torch_, Dec. 18
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blogspot.com/2008/12/afstan-us-and-coming-realities-in.html

Mark
Ottawa


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## GAP (19 Dec 2008)

*Articles found December 19, 2008*

Dutch soldier killed in Afghanistan
Article Link

KABUL, Afghanistan (CNN) -- A Dutch soldier was killed Friday in southern Afghanistan, the NATO command confirmed.

The soldier died in an improved explosive device strike, according to a news release from NATO's International Security Assistance Force.

"Our sincere condolences and sympathies are with the family and friends of this brave soldier, especially during this holiday season," said ISAF spokesman Capt. Mark Windsor Royal Navy.

"This soldier's death is an irreplaceable loss to all of us who fight for the peace and stability of Afghanistan. ISAF will continue to fight for the cause for which this brave soldier gave his life."

Eighteen Dutch troops have died in the Afghan conflict, according to a CNN count of casualty figures
More on link


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## MarkOttawa (19 Dec 2008)

New Kandahar governor is Karzai's childhood friend
_Globe and Mail_, Dec. 19
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081218.wafghan19/BNStory/Afghanistan/home



> KANDAHAR, AFGHANISTAN — There's little doubt that Tooryalai Wesa, the Canadian about to take the risky job as governor of Kandahar, will have the ear of the Afghan President.
> 
> “We knew each other, our fathers knew each other, our grandfathers knew each other, we went to the same school in the same province. … We were getting together after school,” Mr. Wesa said Thursday, fondly recalling how he grew up with the family of President Hamid Karzai during more peaceful times in Kandahar almost half a century ago.
> 
> ...



Times of Change
Conference of Defence Associations media roundup, Dec. 19
http://www.cdaforumcad.ca/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1229707544/0#0

Mark 
Ottawa


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## GAP (20 Dec 2008)

*Articles found December 20, 2008*

Afghanistan's wild west
Matthieu Aikins, National Post  Published: Friday, December 19, 2008
Article Link

Everyone had told me not to go west by road, not alone, not as a foreigner. Even my travelling through cities alone was regarded, by most of the expats I spoke to, as somewhat insane. To cross the mountains of central Afghanistan by van and truck was a voyage that not even my Afghan friends in Kabul would consider. Yet as scared as I was, I couldn't pass up an opportunity to see the remote interior firsthand.

There were two main routes overland from Kabul to Herat, a major city near the Iranian border. The fast way was the long loop south over paved highway through Kandahar and Helmand. It was also extremely dangerous for foreigners, with Taliban checkpoints a regular occurrence. Even ordinary Afghans were at risk: while I was in Kabul, 23 civilians were pulled off a bus outside of Kandahar City and executed by the Taliban, on suspicion of working for the government.
More on link

3 Danish soldiers killed, 1 injured in Afghanistan
16 hours ago
Article Link

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Three Danish soldiers and one from the Netherlands were killed in separate incidents in Afghanistan on Friday, losing their lives just as the commitment of some countries to the fight in Afghanistan begins to wane.

In Copenhagen, the army said the three Danes were killed and a compatriot badly injured when their armored vehicle drove over a bomb or a land mine in Helmand province — the most dangerous part of Afghanistan.

"Today we lost three Danish soldiers in a tragic way," said Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen. "It is the biggest single loss for the Danish engagement in southern Afghanistan."

Denmark has about 700 troops in the NATO force in Afghanistan. Twenty-one have been killed since Denmark joined the U.S.-led coalition in Afghanistan in 2002.

In the Netherlands, Gen. Peter van Uhm said 24-year-old Sgt. Mark Weijdt was killed Friday when he stepped on an explosive device during a fire-fight with the Taliban in the southern Afghan province of Uruzgan.

"It is terrible news that casts a dark shadow over Christmas," said Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende.
More on link

Pakistan: Militants kill 3 in latest convoy attack
By RIAZ KHAN – 2 hours ago 
Article Link

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) — Militants in Pakistan launched rockets at two trucks returning from delivering fuel to U.S.-led forces in Afghanistan, killing three people along a critical and increasingly dangerous supply route, an official said Saturday.

The assailants struck the oil tankers Friday as they traveled through the famed Khyber Pass, said Fazal Mehmood, a government official in the lawless Pakistani tribal area for which the route is named.

The three Pakistanis killed in the attack included a passenger and both drivers, who were ferrying their vehicles back to Pakistan without the paramilitary escorts that often accompany the convoys on their way to Afghanistan, Mehmood said.

Up to 75 percent of the supplies for Western forces in landlocked Afghanistan goes through Pakistan. Al-Qaida and Taliban militants have stepped up attacks on the Khyber supply line in an apparent bid to hamstring U.S. and NATO forces, which toppled the hard-line Taliban regime in Afghanistan in 2001 but have been battling a resurgence by the group.

Hundreds of vehicles, including Humvees intended for the Afghan army, have been torched in recent weeks in terminals on the Pakistani side of the border, leaving several security guards dead. The convoys are often attacked in Afghanistan as well, despite armed escorts.
More on link

Dear Santa: Bring daddy back from Afghanistan
MATT HARTLEY From Saturday's Globe and Mail December 20, 2008 at 12:22 AM EST
Article Link

The postal elves who answer letters to Santa are witnessing a small but noticeable new trend this year: messages from the children of Canadian soldiers who want nothing more than for their mothers and fathers to come home from the war in Afghanistan. 

Canada Post assembles a team of volunteers to answer letters to Santa Claus every year. But the 11,000 “elves” are seeing these heartfelt pleas atop the list of more Canadian children than ever this holiday season, mixed in among the requests for video games and iPods, for Barbies and new bikes.

“We've got a lot of tough ones like that this year,” said Nicole Lemire, a 17-year veteran postal elf and Canada Post spokeswoman in Ottawa. 

It's not the first year that the children of Canadian soldiers have asked Santa to bring their moms and dads home safely so they can spend Christmas together, but “there do seem to be more of them this year,” Ms. Lemire said. 

For some of the postal elves – all of whom are either past or present Canada Post employees who volunteer to pen the responses – the innocent implorations of children seeking the safe return of a parent, or the opportunity to speak to a loved one who has died, can be too much to handle emotionally. 

“I've been doing this for years and I still get choked up all the time,” Ms. Lemire said. 

Canada Post has installed a contingency plan to handle such cases.
More on link

Czech lawmakers do not extend Afghanistan mission
By KAREL JANICEK – 20 hours ago 
Article Link

PRAGUE, Czech Republic (AP) — The lower chamber of Czech parliament has failed to extend a mandate for the deployment of the country's troops in Afghanistan, Iraq and other foreign missions for next year, meaning the soldiers will leave soon.

The mandate for as many as 415 Czech servicemen serving in the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, and for another unit of 100 elite troops with the U.S.-led operation against al-Qaida and Taliban fighters, expires by the year's end.

"I am ashamed of the vote," Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek said.

"It is a serious situation," Czech military chief of general staff Lt. Gen. Vlastimil Picek said. "It is a very bad signal for our partners," he said.

Of the 192 lawmakers present in the 200-seat house, only 99 deputies voted to extend the deployment by one more year and to increase the number of troops in Afghanistan by another 230 soldiers. The governing coalition needed 101 to win.

Seventy-five deputies voted against the move, while 18 abstained.

The Czech Republic joined NATO in 1999 along with Hungary and Poland. They were the first three post-communist countries to do so.
More on link


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## MarkOttawa (20 Dec 2008)

Harper dodges question on Afghan extension
But Prime Minister leaves no doubt deployment of troops will last until at least December 2011
_Toronto Star_, Dec. 20
http://www.thestar.com/SpecialSections/article/556627



> Prime Minister Stephen Harper has appeared to leave the door open to a longer deployment in Afghanistan than the scheduled end of mission in December 2011.
> 
> In an interview taped Thursday, to be broadcast tonight on CTV, Harper discusses the difficulties of the Afghan mission, but defends the work Canadians are doing there.
> 
> ...



U.S. to almost double troops in Afghanistan 
NBC News, Dec. 19
http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/12/19/1722037.aspx



> Secretary of Defense Robert *Gates has signed a deployment order to send a combat aviation brigade, about 3,000 troops, to Afghanistan in early 2009.
> 
> The brigade, from the 82nd Airborne* [emphasis added], will fulfill one of the critical deficits for U.S. forces in that country right now -- helicopters.
> 
> ...



Afghanistan could get 30,000 new US troops
AP, Dec. 20
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/20/AR2008122000776.html



> KABUL, Afghanistan -- The top U.S. military officer said Saturday that the Pentagon could double the number of American forces in Afghanistan by next summer to 60,000--the *largest estimate of potential reinforcements ever publicly suggested* [emphasis added].
> 
> Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said that between 20,000 and 30,000 additional U.S. troops could be sent to Afghanistan to bolster the 31,000 already there...
> 
> ...



Mark
Ottawa


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## MarkOttawa (21 Dec 2008)

ARTICLES FOUND DEC. 21

First of 8 armed Griffon helicopters arrive in Kandahar to support Canadians
CP, Dec. 20
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/081220/national/afghan_cda_griffons



> The first of eight armed CH-146 Griffon helicopters arrived at Kandahar Airfield on Saturday.
> 
> The Griffons, which have been given extra sensors and Gatling guns on top of their existing side door machine-guns and armour plating, will provide escort and protection for the larger Chinook transport helicopters.
> 
> ...



Defence chiefs plan to deploy 3,000 more troops in Helmand
_Sunday Times_, Dec. 21
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article5375669.ece



> Defence chiefs are making contingency plans to send 3,000 extra troops to southern Afghanistan next year as part of a US-led surge.
> 
> The troops, a mixture of regular infantry, engineers, artillery and special forces are needed to counter growing Taliban activity across Helmand province.
> 
> ...



US opens fire on Brown’s ‘war fatigue’
American defence chiefs believe Britain is not pulling its weight in Afghanistan and say more British troops are needed
_Sunday Times_, Dec. 21
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/iraq/article5376063.ece



> AS the United States prepares for a troop surge in Afghanistan in the new year, Robert Gates, the defence secretary, and senior commanders are concerned that the British government lacks the “political will” for the fight.
> 
> General John Craddock, the Nato commander, said last week that Britain must put more troops into Helmand province to defeat the Taliban insurgency.
> 
> ...



Britain has lost the stomach for a fight
_Sunday Times_, Dec. 21, by Michael Portillo 
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/guest_contributors/article5375770.ece



> ...
> The extent of Britain’s fiasco has been masked by the media’s relief that we are at last leaving Iraq. Those who have been urging Britain to quit are not in a strong position to criticise the government’s lack of staying power. Reporting of Basra has mainly focused on British casualties and the prospect for withdrawal. The British media and public have shown scant regard for our failure to protect Iraqis, so the British nation, not just its government, has attracted distrust. We should reflect on what sort of country we have become. We may enjoy patronising Americans but they demonstrate a fibre that we now lack.
> 
> The United States will have drawn its conclusions about our reliability in future and British policy-makers, too, will need to recognise that we lack the troops, wealth and stomach for anything more than the briefest conflict. How long will we remain in Afghanistan? There, in contrast to our past two years in Basra, our forces engage the enemy robustly. But as a result the attrition rate is high. We look, rightly, for more help from Nato allies such as Germany, although humility should temper that criticism, given our own performance in Iraq...



Mark
Ottawa


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## GAP (22 Dec 2008)

*Articles found December 22, 2008*

NATO to engage Afghan tribes in Taliban fight
Mon Dec 22, 2008 7:16am EST By Golnar Motevalli
Article Link

KABUL, Dec 22 (Reuters) - While U.S. forces prepare to send up to 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan, behind the scenes Afghan government officials are working to engage tribal elders as a way of undermining the growing influence of Taliban insurgents.

Engaging with leaders in rural areas of Afghanistan is part of a new NATO and U.S. strategy in Afghanistan; to promote traditional methods of local rule and undercut the lawlessness that feeds in the strengthening Taliban insurgency.

"The only way you can bring peace and stability to this country is to revive the traditional rule of people within the community in governance and security," Barna Karimi, deputy minister for policy at the Interdependent Directorate of Local Governance (IDLG) said.

The IDLG is an Afghan government department which leads community outreach to elders in rural areas of Afghanistan where their word is respected and often determines local law.

Using shuras -- meetings of tribal leaders -- the IDLG wants power-brokers in remote areas to cherry-pick civilians for jobs in the Afghan National Army and Afghan National Police.

"This shura will sign a memorandum of understanding on how the government should work and how the community should help the government not to shelter insurgents in their houses, not to feed them, not to house them, not to help them," Karimi said.

The commander of NATO and U.S. troops in Afghanistan, U.S. General David McKiernan recommended the plan in Washington last month as a way of improving government effectiveness at a local level in a country which has little history of central rule.
More on link

Suspected US drone attack in Pakistan kills at least seven Taliban
Monday's attack came amid discussion of doubling the US forces in Afghanistan by mid-2009.
By Jonathan Adams posted December 22, 2008 at 9:30 am EST
Article Link

Suspected US attacks by unmanned drones killed at least seven (some reports claim eight) suspected Taliban members in the tribal areas of northwest Pakistan on Monday morning, according to Pakistani officials. 

It's the latest in a series of such air attacks. US officials, citing policy, have refused to comment on most of the strikes.

The attacks are believed to be carried out by "Predator" unmanned aerial vehicles, remotely controlled from CIA. headquarters in the US, targeting Al Qaeda terrorists and Taliban militants from Afghanistan who are hiding out across the border in tight-knit tribal communities. 

Pakistan has condemned the attacks as a violation of its sovereignty, and warned that they are counterproductive.

The airstrike came after a US commander on Saturday said Washington will deploy up to 30,000 additional US troops to Afghanistan by the middle of next year, in a mirror of the "surge" strategy that proved effective in Iraq.
More on link

'I had no idea women were treated like this'
The first in a series of 10 remarkable Canadians, Lauryn Oates recounts her first foray into activism at the age of 14 and her relentless 12-year fight for Afghan women's rights
JANE ARMSTRONG  December 22, 2008
Article Link

VANCOUVER -- Lauryn Oates was 14 when she first heard the word "Taliban." A bewildering photo in a local newspaper - of an Afghan woman covered from head to toe - caught her attention. The Grade 9 student was stunned to read that women under the Taliban had lost nearly all their freedom, including the right to show their faces in public.

That was 12 years ago, long before the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on New York and Washington and before Osama bin Laden became a household name. 

Ms. Oates has been an activist for Afghan women ever since.

Now 26, she remembers how the newspaper story, which outlined a series of Taliban edicts against women, shattered her sheltered world.
More on link

Canada 'not onboard' with U.S. plan to arm Afghan militias: MacKay
By MURRAY BREWSTER, The Canadian Press
Article Link
  
OTTAWA — Washington’s plan to arm local tribes to take on the Taliban in untamed districts of Afghanistan is possibly “counter-productive” and not something Canada supports, says Defence Minister Peter MacKay.

The proposal, which the U.S. military will experiment with as up to 30,000 additional American troops surge into the country next year, has been routinely discussed by NATO defence ministers, most recently at meeting in Cornwallis, N.S.

“The tribal militia idea that has been around for some time now is controversial; we are not onboard with that,” MacKay said in a recent year-end interview with The Canadian Press.

“Our preference is to continue with this more formal training process that leads to a more reliable, more professional soldier and Afghan national security force.”

Hands-on, in-the-field training of Afghan soldiers and police to handle the fragile country’s security is the cornerstone of Ottawa’s strategy to withdraw Canadian troops from Kandahar by 2011.

Although the matter of arming tribal militia was debated at a Nov. 19 meeting of countries leading the fight in south Afghanistan, MacKay said there was “no agreement around the table.”
More on link

B.C. agricultural expert sworn in as governor of Kandahar
Last Updated: Saturday, December 20, 2008 | 8:55 AM ET CBC News 
Article Link

An Afghan-Canadian resident of British Columbia has been sworn in as the governor of Afghanistan's Kandahar province

Tooryalai Wesa officially assumed the role during a ceremony in Kandahar City on Saturday.

Wesa, 58, has lived with his wife and three children in Coquitlam, in B.C.'s Lower Mainland, for the past 13 years. He is an agricultural expert at the University of British Columbia.

Wesa becomes the third governor of the troubled province in less than a year.

Earlier in the week, he said his top priority will be to improve security in the province by keeping a balance between the region's different tribes.

He also said Afghan President Hamid Karzai sees him as an important liaison with the Canadian military.

The governor of Kandahar is generally considered Canada's biggest ally in the volatile southern province where the bulk of the roughly 2,700 Canadian troops are stationed.
More on link

Taliban Kill 2 Afghans They Accuse of Spying   
By VOA News 21 December 2008
Article Link

Pakistani police say Taliban militants have killed two Afghan nationals for allegedly acting as spies for U.S. forces in Afghanistan.

Police say they found the bullet-ridden bodies of two brothers Sunday in a village located in Pakistan's lawless tribal region of North Waziristan.

Police say a note found with the bodies said the two men were spies from the neighboring Afghan province of Khost. 

U.S.-led forces toppled the hard-line Taliban regime in Afghanistan in 2001. Many militants fled to Pakistan after the attack and continue to stage attacks across the border.
More on link


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## GAP (22 Dec 2008)

Pentagon to Send U.S. Aviation Brigade to Afghanistan (Update1)  
By Tony Capaccio Dec. 22 (Bloomberg) -
Article Link

The U.S. Defense Department said it will send an aviation brigade from the 82nd Airborne Division to Afghanistan by June. 

The 2,800-person unit is separate from four ground combat brigades that U.S. commanders said they need in Afghanistan, Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said today in Washington. 

The 3,500-person 3rd Brigade Combat Team transferring in January from Fort Drum, New York, will be the start of that buildup. The aviation brigade from Fort Bragg, North Carolina, will provide helicopter reconnaissance and other support for the combat teams and NATO forces, Whitman said. 

The U.S. has 31,000 troops in Afghanistan, including 14,000 that are part of the 51,000-member North Atlantic Treaty Organization force there. 

The aviation brigade consists of 89 helicopters, the Army said in a statement, including 18 AH-64 Longbow-version Apache choppers capable of firing Hellfire anti-armor missiles, 24 OH- 58D Kiowa Warrior reconnaissance choppers, and 30 UH-60 Black Hawks for transportation. 
More on link


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## MarkOttawa (22 Dec 2008)

Security squabble halts lorries serving forces across Khyber Pass
_The Times_, Dec. 22
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article5380214.ece



> A dispute over who should pay to protect Nato and US military supplies crossing Pakistan is hampering efforts to secure the main lifeline for foreign troops in Afghanistan.
> 
> Pakistan's Government, recently bailed out by the IMF, wants the shipping companies carrying the supplies to pay for the extra security on the main route from the port of Karachi via the Khyber Pass to Afghanistan.
> 
> ...



British troops suffer four times as many fatalities as Americans
British forces have suffered four times as many fatalities in Afghanistan in the past seven weeks as our American allies
_Daily Telegraph_, Dec. 22
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/onthefrontline/3885755/British-troops-suffer-four-times-as-many-fatalities-as-Americans.html



> The statistic was emphasised when a Royal Marine was killed by an explosion in Helmand province on Sunday.
> 
> Despite contributing more than 8,000 troops to the total foreign force of about 50,000, the British have suffered 14 deaths since Nov 1. The US has lost three soldiers from its deployment of 31,000.
> 
> ...



Sharing the burden of Afghanistan
'Old Europe' should match America's courage to be taken seriously 
_Daily Telegraph_, Dec, 22, leader
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/telegraph-view/3885126/Telegraph-View-Sharing-the-burden-of-Afghanistan.html



> In October 2006, Tony Blair gave a categoric undertaking to British troops in Afghanistan: "If the commanders on the ground want more equipment – armoured vehicles, for example, more helicopters – that will be provided." Today we report that, since November 1, British forces in Afghanistan have sustained more than four times the number of fatalities as the Americans, despite having a quarter of the number of troops there. Commanders say that one of the main reasons for this unacceptably high casualty rate is the continuing shortage of helicopters, leaving soldiers vulnerable to roadside bombs. So much for Mr Blair's promise.
> 
> It is not only inadequate kit that is to blame. The disproportionate British losses are also a direct consequence of the timidity of too many of our Nato allies. They have shown a dispiriting reluctance to commit troops to front-line action, leaving Britain and one or two others to shoulder the burden alongside the United States. It is against this unsatisfactory backdrop that the American decision to mount a significant troop surge next year must be viewed. Admiral Mike Mullen, the chairman of the US joint chiefs of staff, announced at the weekend that up to 30,000 American soldiers will be deployed in the surge, far more than originally thought. A large proportion of them will be sent to Helmand province, where British operations against the Taliban have been at their most intense.
> 
> ...



Under US orders
British troops are stuck in Afghanistan until Barack Obama recognises the war is unwinnable
_The Guardian_, Dec. 22, by Max Hastings



> The Guardian last week vividly described the shambles of Afghanistan. Simon Jenkins argued on these pages for recognition of failure. I share his analysis of the west's predicament. But I find it impossible to believe the British government will precipitate a crisis in Anglo-American relations by pulling out of the war.
> 
> In the new year, President Barack Obama will arrive in Europe on a wave of public euphoria. One almost inevitable consequence is that the British government will commit more troops to a campaign that is going nowhere, because we are too deeply committed to do anything else.
> 
> ...



Mark
Ottawa


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## GAP (23 Dec 2008)

*Articles found December 23, 2008*

Pentagon gives Canadian firm contract for 3 helicopters, crews in Afghanistan
18 hours ago
Article Link

MONTREAL — The United States government has hired a Canadian company to provide three Bell 212 helicopters and crews to ferry supplies and personnel in Afghanistan.

Canadian Helicopters Income Fund (TSX: CHL.UN) said Monday that contract could be worth up to US$120 million over five years.

The helicopters will be used to move supplies and personnel in Afghanistan, where the United States, Canada and other NATO members have been fighting the Taliban.

Canadian Helicopters is the largest helicopter transportation services company operating in Canada and one of the largest in the world, serving primarily the resource industries.

The Obama administration is expected to increase the U.S. government's military presence in Afghanistan soon after officially coming to power in January.

Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, said on the weekend that the United States would send an additional 20,000 to 30,000 troops to Afghanistan by summer.

Canadian Helicopters said Monday its contract with the Pentagon begins with a one-year base period beginning in the first quarter of 2009. The Pentagon also options for four one-year extensions.
More on link

Injured veterans born anew
For former soldiers who have returned to Canada as parents, the mission is on the home front
SIRI AGRELL sagrell@globeandmail.com December 23, 2008
Article Link

When Jonathan Klodt saw a man in a wheelchair in Shoppers Drug Mart recently, the two-year-old tried to climb in his lap.

"It makes me chuckle," said his mother, Deena Schreyer. "He associates them with his dad."

Jonathan was not yet born when his father, Corporal Chris Klodt, was shot in the spine in the Pashmul region of Afghanistan on July 7, 2006, and paralyzed from the chest down.

Jonathan arrived exactly two months later, with his father watching from the first of many wheelchairs.
More on link

Taliban 'narco-terrorist' begs for mercy, gets life sentence  
Article Link

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A distraught, sobbing Afghan Taliban member begged the court for mercy, but got none as an unmoved federal judge here Monday handed down maximum life sentences for convictions on drug trafficking and narco-terrorism charges

Khan Mohammed, 38, of Nangarhar Province became the first person convicted and sentenced in the United States under a 2006 law that increased the penalty for a defendant found to be involved with terrorism and distributing illegal drugs.

Mohammed, who had been extradited from Afghanistan, was convicted by a jury in May of plotting a rocket attack on U.S. military forces and Afghan civilians at Jalalabad Airfield. 

He also was found guilty of distributing between $1 million and $3 million worth of heroin into the United States "to kill Americans as part of a jihad."

Mohammed's court-appointed lawyer, conceding that "what he did was wrong," urged U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly to be lenient and sentence his client to only 20 years in prison.

Then the full-bearded Mohammed, dressed in an orange jailhouse jumpsuit, addressed the judge. With tears streaming down his face, and choking back his words, he begged for only one or two years.
More on link

Seoul denies considering troop deployment to Afghanistan  
South Asia News Dec 23, 2008, 9:55 GMT  Article Link

Seoul - Seoul is not considering whether to deploy its special civilian-military unit to Afghanistan, as reportedly requested by US officials, a government spokesman said Tuesday.. 

'Since we have not yet received any official request from the US, we are not yet even in a position to consider this issue of whether to redeploy our troops or not,' Foreign Ministry spokesman Moon Tae-Young told reporters. 

Local media quoted military sources saying the incoming US administration hopes for elite military forces capable of self-defense and training, like Seoul's Zaytun force, to be deployed in Afghanistan. 

The Zaytun contingent completed its four-year mission in Iraq and returned home last week. The force was praised as a success in providing vocational training to local residents and providing medical services. 
More on link


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## MarkOttawa (23 Dec 2008)

Comparisons to Iraq highlight re-enegized Afghan war in 2009
CP, Dec. 22, by Murray Brewster
http://www.macleans.ca/article.jsp?content=n122261A



> Canada's mission in Afghanistan was originally due to end in February 2009 but instead will grow in scope and cost in the coming year because of a political compromise arranged last spring by the Harper government.
> 
> With 103 soldiers dead, hundreds more wounded and an estimated price tag of $18.3 billion, the country appears resigned to a long, costly fight in a war that for some has come to resemble the bloody stalemate in Iraq.
> 
> ...



Agencies prep Obama for 'tourniquet' on Afghanistan
Many military leaders seek a new strategy to deal with the growing violence and advances by the Taliban and other extremists.
_LA Times_, Dec. 23
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-usafghan23-2008dec23,0,3844919.story



> The Pentagon and U.S. national security officials are transmitting a battery of new information about the Afghanistan war to President-elect Barack Obama's transition team in hopes that the incoming administration will act quickly to prevent U.S. fortunes there from eroding further.
> 
> The effort underscores a sense of urgency about addressing an increasingly dangerous situation in Afghanistan. Many military leaders think a broad strategic shift is needed to reverse the growing violence and to turn back troubling advances by the Taliban and other extremists.
> 
> ...



Mark
Ottawa


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## MarkOttawa (23 Dec 2008)

A surge of Special Forces for Afghanistan likely
Defense officials say it will fill urgent gaps but Special Forces officers are skeptical.
_CS Monitor_, Dec. 23
http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/1223/p01s01-usfp.htm



> The Pentagon is likely to send up to 20 Special Forces teams to Afghanistan this spring, part of a new long-term strategy to boost the Afghan security forces' ability to counter the insurgency there themselves.
> 
> The "surge" of elite Special Forces units would represent a multiyear effort aimed at strengthening the Afghan National Army and police units that the US sees as key to building up Afghanistan's security independence, say defense officials who asked to remain anonymous because the controversial decision has not yet been announced. The US already plans to send thousands of additional conventional forces to Afghanistan sometime next year. But it is hamstrung by limited availability since so many of those forces are still in Iraq.
> 
> ...



Mark
Ottawa


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## GAP (24 Dec 2008)

*Articles found December 24, 2008*

Canadian soldiers keep holiday traditions alive
'Brings Us Back'
Darah Hansen, Canwest News Service  Published: Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Article Link

Every morning for the past nine days, Captain Roy Laudenorio has risen long before the sun and headed to church.

The days between Dec. 16 and Dec. 24 are an important part of Christmas celebrations for the hundreds of Filipinos who make up a large portion of the civilian work force living alongside the military forces at Kandahar Airfield.

Each morning, dozens of the most dedicated worshippers gather at 4 a. m. at the small base chapel to take part in a special Mass known as Missa de Gallo, or "Rooster Mass" because of its early start.

It is one of several Christmas services being held at the church as soldiers and civilians alike do the best they can to celebrate the season in a war zone. Capt. Laudenorio, a battlefield padre serving in Kandahar with the Canadian Forces, has been leading the morning Mass.

It is important to maintain tradition, he said, especially for those who are far away from loved ones and friends.

"It's sad for many of us, but it's also reassuring because we are here with a different kind of family, our military family," he said.
More on link

Officer spends Christmas in Kandahar, Afghanistan
Published: December 23, 2008 11:00 PM 
Article Link

 FOR YEARS a member of the Terrace RCMP detachment, including time spent as a dogmaster and time with the region’s RCMP emergency response team, Corporal Lothar Bretfeld is now serving in Afghanistan.

Below find excerpts from several emails he has sent.

I am presently serving as a Police Mentor (Advisor) with the RCMP in Afghanistan, Kandahar Province, Zhari District, at the Canadian Forces Forward Operating Base (FOB) “WILSON.”

I will be spending Christmas at the forward operating base and will attempt to contact family members at that time, technology permitting.

One has to understand that this is a very remote area, and rather in the desert.


Due to the fact that this area is still very volatile, the Canadian Forces supply a force protection for the police mentors so we can fulfill our duties.

Our duties consist in mentoring, advising and teaching various police techniques and procedures. 

We also try to instil the “moral right” as in the Canadian policing system.

The RCMP tour of duty is one year and I have been on the ground since July 3, 2008.
More on link

Air strikes, night raids a 'last resort' in Afghanistan
Updated Tue. Dec. 23 2008 4:52 PM ET CTV.ca News
Article Link

Brig.-Gen. Denis Thompson, the head of Canadian and NATO forces in Kandahar, is taking issue with an independent report alleging air strikes and nighttime raids in Afghanistan may be stoking a backlash among civilians. 

The report by the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission -- entitled "From Hope to Fear" -- says violent house raids and air strikes on civilians could undo seven years of NATO and government efforts to win the hearts and minds of the Afghan civilians. 

Thompson says he welcomes the report but also noted that coalition soldiers only conduct such strikes as a "last resort." 

"Every precaution is taken to ensure there is a high degree of certainty regarding targets ... Task Force Kandahar troops -- both U.S. and Canadian -- take extraordinary efforts to minimize collateral damage and to avoid harm to innocent civilians," he said
More on link

Christmas A Tough Time For Canadian Soldier
Away From Home
Ethan Baron, Canwest News Service   Published: Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Article Link

SANGASAR, AFGHANISTAN - Master Corporal Kelly Harding will not be home for Christmas.

But from thousands of kilo-metres away in Afghanistan, she will be taking comfort in the fact that her 16-year-old daughter, Jessica, and her parents will be celebrating together in Parksville, B. C.

"I wish I could be there," says Master Cpl. Harding, a combat-zone medic who accompanies infantry troops into the Taliban heartland.

"It'll probably be a tough go. Hopefully, I'm somewhere close to a phone."

Master Cpl. Harding, 36, is posted at Canada's main base in the violent Zhari district. Her work takes her -- heavily burdened with medical supplies and an assault rifle -- on long marches through fields and villages.

Sometimes the operations last a few hours. Sometimes they go for days, and she subsists on packaged rations, sleeps in the dirt and thinks about her family
More on link

Spying in Afghanistan is world's riskiest job
24 Dec 2008, 1357 hrs IST, AGENCIES  Article Link

ISLAMABAD: Anwar Saeed's life was at risk either way, whether fighting with the Taliban and Al Qaeda in Pakistan's restive tribal region or spying  
on them for US forces in Afghanistan. 

But he opted for the second option. The promise of $6,000 from US intelligence agents was enough for him to buy better health services for his ageing parents, and perhaps a chance to be self-employed in some big city - where he could vanish to with his family and be anonymous among millions of people. 

The gamble did not pay off and Saeed, 21, was caught before he could guide a Hellfire missile fired from a US pilotless aircraft to the hideouts of two important Taliban commanders in Khaisor and Sholam areas of South Waziristan. 

"He was one of us but some of his moves made him a suspect," said a local Taliban fighter, who requested to be identified only by his alias Mohammed Zia. "We took him to our headquarters, seized his Kalashnikov, and showed him the knives we wanted to use to cut his throat, and he told us everything." 
According to Zia, the "traitor" had planted two microchips that identified the places for US drones in two different villages where two Taliban commanders were supposed to be on a night in October. 
More on link


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## GAP (25 Dec 2008)

*Articles found Dec 25, 2008*

 DINING IN ZHARI
Army cooks at Canada's forward-operating base in the Zhari district of Afghanistan are serving meals that would satisfy the pickiest palate
Ethan Baron , Canwest News Service Published: Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Article Link

PASAB, Afghanistan - One of the globe's worst war zones is an unlikely place to find top-notch cuisine.

But at Canada's forward-operating base in the blood-soaked Zhari district of Afghanistan, army cooks are serving up meals that would satisfy even the pickiest palate.
It is steak-and-seafood night at the Zhari base. Rage Against the Machine's Killing in the Name is blasting from a boom box inside the serving tent, as soldiers line up outside. From the patio's dual barbecues, smoke carries the aroma of grilling rib-eyes, and from the stove inside the tent wafts the redolence of lightly curried shrimp - bathed in clarified butter the cooks have tended with care all afternoon.

On the second of the appointed dinner hour, the troops file into the tent, holding out paper plates as soldier-volunteers dole out large helpings of meat, shrimp, pasta alfredo, sauteed mushrooms and baked potatoes.

When a Taliban rocket explodes two kilometres away, a few soldiers look up, briefly. Most keep their eyes on the serving trays, staring at the steak and shrimp and keeping a firm grasp on their plates.

"I love the food," says Master-Cpl. Kelly Harding, a field medic. "They put a lot of energy, time, and actually personality into the food they cook. They love doing their job, which shows in the food that comes out. The lasagna I had the other night was phenomenal."

Inside the dining tent, the salad bar is bursting with the vibrant colours of fresh fruits and vegetables - Greek salad, green salad, broccoli salad, a tray full of cherry tomatoes, carrot sticks, celery, red and yellow bell pepper, a platter of watermelon and pineapple slices. Troops grab Styrofoam bowls and load up, then lay assault rifles and machine-guns down at the ends of the tables before digging in.
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 Christmas for troops in Afghanistan: turkey patties, grape juice and calls home
By NANCY A. YOUSSEF McClatchy Newspapers 
Article Link

There was little hint of Christmas day when the sun rose over this barren military base.

The Marines had their missions lined up: to protect trucks carrying wheat seeds to farmers from a Taliban attack; to link up with the Afghan police to track a Taliban leader believed to be hiding in the nearby mountains; and to continue building new facilities to provide creature comforts on this base, part of U.S. military push into new parts of Afghanistan.

But as the day wore on, platoon leaders tacked on a new mission - to make sure every Marine had the chance to call home.

"It's important for the morale of my boys," explained Lt. Phil Gilreath, 23, of Kingwood, Texas, a platoon commander.

Marines are used to being away from home on Christmas. About 40 percent of those stationed here have been to Iraq or Afghanistan before or have missed the holiday due to training.

The Marines, the 3rd Battalion 8th Marine Regiment based out of Camp Lejeune, N.C., are stationed in Farah province, one of Afghanistan's most difficult regions, an area where Taliban forces not only fight but also sell opium poppy to finance their operations.

In the days leading up to Christmas, some Marines put up small Christmas trees or lined their cold tents with holiday lights. Others spent their evenings watching Christmas movies on their laptops. Some stared at care packages, waiting until Thursday to open them.

In the chow tent, someone lined the electrical cords powering the fluorescent lights with candy canes. During Christmas breakfast, the New York Giants were playing the Carolina Panthers on one of the few televisions on base. One by one, troops walked in and wished the others a Merry Christmas. One quipped: "Honestly, it was nice to not go Christmas shopping this year."
More on link

Two NATO soldiers slain in Afghanistan
Published: Dec. 25, 2008 
Article Link

KABUL, Afghanistan, Dec. 25 (UPI) -- Two NATO soldiers have been slain in Afghanistan, military officials said Thursday.

Capt. Mark Windsor, a spokesman for the International Security Assistance Force in Kabul, told CNN one unidentified soldier died in combat in southern Afghanistan, while another was killed in the eastern part of the country Wednesday.

"This is a terrible loss for those families and the friends of those fallen soldiers," Windsor said. "These soldiers came to Afghanistan to bring peace, security, and stability to this country and the people of Afghanistan."

ISAF policy prohibits releasing the nationalities of any casualties prior to the home countries doing so, CNN said. 
More on link

Int'l troops pass peaceful Christmas Day in Afghanistan 
 www.chinaview.cn  2008-12-25 22:30:45  
  Article Link

    KABUL, Dec. 25 (Xinhua) -- Both the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and the U.S.-led Coalition forces based in Afghanistan passed a peaceful Christmas Day on Thursday in the conservative post-Taliban nation as no major violent incidents has been reported. 

    Based in Bagram, 50 km north of Afghan capital Kabul, the Headquarters of U.S. army in the post-Taliban nation celebrated the festival amid tight security. 

    The casualties that the international troops have received were the killing of two soldiers including Briton in the restive Helmand province on the eve of Christmas Day on Wednesday while the other one lost his life in the eastern part of Afghanistan. 

    The soldier, who took part in a combat operation near Helmand's provincial capital Lashkar Gah, according to British sources, was killed during a gun battle with the insurgents. 
More on link

 British soldier, four road workers killed in Afghanistan
14 hours ago
Article Link

KABUL (AFP) — A British soldier was shot dead in Afghanistan on Christmas Eve, the same day a US soldier died in a separate attack, officials said Thursday as international mortar fire killed four road workers.

The Royal Marine, whose identity was not released, was killed Wednesday while trying to drive "enemy forces" from a compound in the southern province of Helmand, the British defence ministry said in a statement.

"The death of this Royal Marine is a tragic loss and coming so close to Christmas, this is particularly poignant," said the British military's spokeswoman in Helmand, Commander Paula Rowe.

His death had already been announced by the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), under which the British troops are serving alongside those of nearly 40 other nations, but ISAF gave no details about the incident.

ISAF said Wednesday that another of its soldiers was killed in an attack in eastern Afghanistan. The US military confirmed Thursday the trooper was a US national.
More on link

 Kandahar kids get Canadian Christmas gifts
Soldiers hand out toys, warm clothing outside NATO base in southern Afghanistan
Last Updated: Wednesday, December 24, 2008 | 4:02 PM ET CBC News 
Article Link

Canadian soldiers outside Kandahar Air Field in southern Afghanistan faced a rowdy crowd of local civilians Wednesday but the encounter had a happy outcome.

Dozens of Afghan children walked away from the meeting with soldiers carrying stuffed toys, new clothes and other Christmas gifts from Canada's Armed Forces.

Two military trucks pulled up just outside the main base at the airfield and soldiers were immediately surrounded by boys and girls of all ages. Troops handed down purple, white and lime-green teddy bears, bars of soap, sweaters and scarves.

Despite the bright winter sunshine, the warm clothing is essential, according to Canadian troops involved in the exercise.

"It gets cold around here at night this time of year," said Cpl. Lisa Parianos, adding with a smile, " We tried to get it out in an orderly fashion but didn't work out so well."

Parianos was one of several Canadian Forces soldiers giving away the toys and clothing. In charge was Chief Warrant Officer Mike Hayes, who said the decision to give away surplus school supplies and toys was made earlier this week.

"We knew we had a lot of [leftover] stuff and we knew this was a good time to hand them out, so we brought them out on Christmas Eve," said Hayes, who serves as a liaison between the military and local people.
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## GAP (26 Dec 2008)

*Articles found December 26, 2008*

Spain PM says no more troops for Afghanistan  
The Associated Press Friday, December 26, 2008 
Article Link

MADRID, Spain: Spain's prime minister says he has no plans to expand his country's contingent of peacekeepers in Afghanistan.

Within days, the government will eliminate a 3,000-person limit on the number of Spanish soldiers who can be stationed abroad.

This has led to speculation that the 800-strong Spanish contingent in western Afghanistan might be increased, if U.S. president-elect Barack Obama requests it.

But Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero told a news conference Friday he has no such plans.

He said Spain has carefully measured what it "should and can" contribute to the allied operation in Afghanistan and "the government's position is not in favor of increasing Spanish troops in Afghanistan."
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VIAGRA IS STIFF RESISTANCE TO TERROR
By ANDY GELLER Last updated: 3:03 am December 26, 2008 
Article Link

The CIA is taking a hard line against terrorism - bribing Afghan tribal chiefs with Viagra, it was reported yesterday. 

While the spy agency has a long history of buying information with cash, the growing Taliban insurgency has mandated that it rise to the occasion with creative methods to gain support in some of the country's rough neighborhoods, The Washington Post reported. 

In one case, the newspaper said, a CIA officer visited an Afghan chieftain who looked older than his 60-odd years and had four younger wives, the maximum allowed by the Koran. 

The officer saw an opportunity and reached into his bag for a small gift - four Viagra pills. 

"Take one of these. You'll love it," the officer said, according to the newspaper. 

The turn-on worked. 

The officer returned four days later to an enthusiastic reception. 

The chief offered up a bonanza of information about Taliban movements and supply routes - and came on strong with a request for more pills. 

"He came up to us beaming," the officer said. "He said, 'You are a great man.' 

"And after that, we could do whatever we wanted in his area."
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## GAP (29 Dec 2008)

*Articles found December 29, 2008*

US: 14 students die in bombing at Afghan school
By AMIR SHAH and JASON STRAZIUSO – 20 hours ago 
Article Link

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — A suicide bomber tried to attack a meeting of tribal elders and blew himself up near an Afghan primary school on Sunday, killing 14 children and wounding 58 people, the U.S. military said.

The suicide blast went off near the entrance to a police and army post, said Yacoub Khan, the deputy police chief of the eastern province of Khost. U.S. troops are also stationed inside the outpost, but no troops were wounded or killed in the attack.

The U.S. military said that 16 people were killed, including 14 students, an Afghan soldier and another person, who was likely an Afghan security guard that Afghan officials said was killed.

Dr. Abdul Rahman, a doctor at a hospital near the blast, said the children were aged 8 to 10.

Photos of the bombing's aftermath showed bloodied text books lying on the ground beside small pairs of shoes. The U.S. military also released images of the blast caught on a security camera.

U.S. Gen. David McKiernan, the top NATO commander in Afghanistan, said he believes the militant network run by warlord Siraj Haqqani was responsible for the attack.

"The brutality and disregard for human life by terrorists is sickening, as I continue to witness innocent men, women and children being killed and maimed in the pursuit of this pointless insurgency," McKiernan said in a statement.
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Building starts for extra US troops in Afghan south
Sun Dec 28, 2008 12:54pm EST By Golnar Motevalli
Article Link

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan, Dec 28 (Reuters) - Construction work has begun to accommodate an influx of U.S. troops in southern Afghanistan, where NATO-led forces are facing the toughest fight against the Taliban, an alliance commander said on Sunday.

Up to 30,000 extra U.S. troops have been earmarked for Afghanistan starting in the spring and the commander of NATO forces in southern Afghanistan, Major General Mart de Kruif, said his region was most in need of new fighters.

"It would surprise me if the bulk of the forces wouldn't go to RC-South ... the military main effort throughout all of Afghanistan is in the south ... it is in Helmand and Kandahar," De Kruif, who leads 18,000 mainly British, Dutch and Canadian soldiers told reporters at Kandahar airfield.
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Suicide Attack Near Afghan School Kills 7, Wounds 36   
By VOA News 28 December 2008
Article Link  

Afghan officials say a suicide bomber blew himself up near a primary school in the southeastern province of Khost Sunday, killing at least seven people and wounding 36.

Police say the dead included four children and two security personnel.

Authorities say the bomber was attempting to attack a meeting of officials in the nearby district headquarters and detonated his bomb prematurely when he was challenged.  Officials say U.S. troops were in the building, but were not injured.

In another act of violence, officials say a roadside bomb Saturday killed two Canadian soldiers and two Afghans working with the NATO-led force. 
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## GAP (30 Dec 2008)

*Articles found December 30, 2008*

Bulgaria to increase forces in Afghanistan next year   
 www.chinaview.cn  2008-12-30 02:50:23
  Article Link

    SOFIA, Dec. 29 (Xinhua) -- Bulgaria is going to increase its contingent in the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan next year, local Sofia News Agency reported on Monday, citing the chief of staff of the Bulgarian Army, General Zlatan Stoykov. 

    According to the general, NATO had asked Bulgaria to increase its troops in Afghanistan. The scope of the surge in Bulgarian forces in the central Asian country, however, remained unclear as Stoykov's General Staff was first going to craft an expert opinion, which was then going to be presented to relevant national institutions. Bulgaria currently has 460 troops in Afghanistan. 

    Stoykov and Bulgaria's Defense Minister Nikolay Tsonev on Sunday visited the Butmir base of the Bulgarian unit at EUFOR ALTHEA in Bosnia and Herzegovina, where they met with the Bulgarian soldiers in service. 

    A total of 116 Bulgarian troops are stationed in Bosnia's capital Sarajevo guarding several checkpoints.
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US eyes alternate supply lines into Afghanistan: official
1 hour ago
Article Link

WASHINGTON (AFP) — Alternate routes are being studied to supply international troops in Afghanistan, after Pakistan temporarily shut down the traditional supply line, a US military official said Tuesday.

With NATO reinforcements expected soon, potential alternatives could include "neighboring countries in the north," according to the official who asked not to be named.

"Not only because of the attacks (at the Khyber Pass) but also because we are expecting an increase of troop numbers and equipment" in the coming months which means there will be a greater need for supplies, the official said.

Supplies can be ferried in by air but "it is more expensive," the official added.

Earlier Pakistan cut off supplies to NATO and US forces in Afghanistan via the Khyber Pass for now as its security forces launched a major operation against militants there, officials said.

The offensive followed spectacular raids by suspected Taliban militants on foreign military supply depots in northwest Pakistan earlier this month in which hundreds of NATO and US-led coalition vehicles were destroyed
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Wounded soldier credits mates for survival  
Tue, December 30, 2008 
Article Link

AFGHANISTAN: Travis Snyder is home in Wyoming, recovering from a bomb blast Nov. 21 near Kandahar 
By SHAWN JEFFORDS, SUN MEDIA 

WYOMING -- Pain has come as a relief to Travis Snyder. 

The Wyoming man looks down at his right arm. It's lined with deep scars on either side. His elbow is gone. 

It feels like a "noodle." Snyder can't move it, but he sure can feel it these days. Numbness has given way to pain. 

That's a good sign. 

"I was beginning to get worried," he said, sitting at the kitchen table at his family's home, moving his thumb and two index fingers. "Losing my arm's not an option." 

That Snyder, 32, is alive at all is a testament to training scenarios drilled into his fellow soldier's heads. The men he commands are good, he said, so good they saved his life after a roadside bomb exploded beneath a LAV 3 he was riding in. 

The improvised explosive device, packed by the Taliban and buried beneath a paved road, was so powerful it flipped the 22-tonne vehicle. Snyder, a master corporal, and eight other Canadian soldiers were wounded in the attack in Afghanistan on Nov. 21. 
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‘Half of Pakistanis believe US missile strikes ineffective’
* Gallup poll shows majority believe US presence in Afghanistan ‘threat’ to Pakistan
Daily Times Monitor 
Article Link

LAHORE: Amid a surge in suspected US missile strikes in the Tribal Areas, a poll conducted by a US-based economic and socioeconomic research organisation shows that nearly half of the Pakistanis questioned (48 percent) do not believe the US missile strikes are effective, while just 5 percent say they are effective – with the remaining refusing to express an opinion. 

Gallup had asked Pakistanis if they believe the US missile strikes are an effective way of flushing out the Taliban. 

In June, even before the US intensified its attacks, several Pakistanis viewed the US military presence in Afghanistan and Asia as threats to their country. As strikes continued, a majority of Pakistanis came to embrace this view. 
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Soldier alleges military pattern of Christian bias
By JOHN HANNA – 18 hours ago 
Article Link

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — An atheist soldier suing over prayers at military formations claims a larger pattern of religious discrimination exists in the military, citing attempts to convert Muslims in Iraq and Afghanistan and an evangelical bias in a suicide prevention manual.

The expanded lawsuit filed Monday by Spc. Dustin Chalker and the Military Religious Freedom Foundation in U.S. District Court in Kansas City also claims the military doesn't take complaints of religious discrimination seriously enough.

The Defense Department has identified fewer than 50 complaints about alleged violations of religious freedoms during the past three years, with 1.4 million personnel in uniform, spokeswoman Eileen Lainez said.

She declined to comment on a pending lawsuit but noted that the military has policies against endorsing any religious view.

The revised lawsuit criticizes the Army's 2008 manual on suicide prevention, quoting it as promoting "religiosity" as a necessary part of prevention and describing "connectivity to the divine" as "fundamental."

The lawsuit cites comments from a chaplain and a second soldier in Christian missionary publications about attempts to convert Muslims in Iraq and Afghanistan, including the two soldiers' desire to distribute Bibles.
More on link


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## GAP (31 Dec 2008)

*Articles found December 31, 2008*

Canadians honour soldiers along Highway of Heroes
Updated: Tue Dec. 30 2008 6:20:52 PM CTV.ca News Staff
Article Link

The bodies of three Canadian soldiers killed in Afghanistan were transported along the Highway of Heroes on Tuesday, as mourners looked on from overpasses and waved Canadian flags. 

Among those paying their respects was Jim Honey, the father of a soldier who was travelling with Pte. Michael Bruce Freeman when he was killed in a roadside-bomb blast. 

"It's hard every time," he told CTV Toronto. "You never get used to it, I don't think." 

Freeman, of Peterborough, Ont., died last Friday. He had been conducting a routine security patrol in the Zhari District of Kandahar Province. 

The procession along the Highway of Heroes also included the bodies of Warrant Officer Gaetan Joseph Roberge and Sgt. Gregory John Kruse, who were killed in a bomb blast on Saturday. 

They had been patrolling an area 24 kilometres west of Kandahar city. 

Before the remains of the fallen soldiers were taken along the highway, mourners had gathered for their arrival at CFP Trenton in eastern Ontario. 

"I'm not supporting the war, but I am supporting the troops," Trenton resident April Bishop, 52, told The Canadian Press. "I'm supporting the families." 
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NATO and Russia discuss equipment move to Afghanistan
Wed Dec 31, 2008 1:49pm GMT 
Article Link

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - NATO and Russia are discussing whether to allow the military alliance to move its equipment through Russian airspace to Afghanistan, the pact's spokesman said on Wednesday.

"Talks are underway for NATO-wide air transit for military equipment," said James Appathurai.

So far, Russia has allowed only some individual NATO member states to ship weapons and equipment through its land to Afghanistan, where the alliance is fighting resurgent Taliban.
End

US Forces Killed 11 Taliban Insurgents in Afghanistan
31.12.08 14:26 
Article Link

Afghanistan, Kabul, January. 1 / Trend News, A. Hakimi/   US led forces assisted ANA launched operation targeted militants commander in northeast of Kabul 

This operation targeted insurgent's commander near the Afghan capital.

U.S.-led coalition forces killed 11 insurgents during an operation just outside the Afghan capital, the coalition forces press release said on Wednesday Dec 31, 2008. 

The coalition troops said its forces targeted a commander wanted for trafficking weapons and fighters throughout the region. 

According to coalition forces, their troops killed two militants with gunfire and nine others with airstrikes during the operation in Sorobi district.

Sorobi is located about 70 kilo meters form Kabul.

Meanwhile, Afghan government expressed concern on intensifying new style of violation like road side bombing and suicide attack in which civilians suffer more than others.

Desertion of police and joining Taliban is the start of a new film in Afghanistan
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French defence minister visits troops in Afghanistan
5 hours ago
Article Link

KABUL (AFP) — French Defence Minister Herve Morin arrived in Kabul Wednesday for a New Year visit with French soldiers in the multinational, NATO-led force helping Afghanistan fight an extremist insurgency.

Morin was due to meet Afghan President Hamid Karzai later Wednesday, said an AFP reporter travelling with the minister, and would visit a French-funded mother-and-children's hospital in the capital.

He will also take part in a military outreach operation with Afghan civilians and join French troops at one of their forward operating bases for the New Year's Eve celebration.

On Thursday Morin is due to fly to a large military base outside the southern city of Kandahar, where France has stationed six Mirage 2000 fighter jets to support US and NATO-led troops on the ground.
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SKorea considers expanding rebuilding role in Afghanistan: report
12 hours ago
Article Link

SEOUL (AFP) — South Korea will send a team to Afghanistan in January to see if it can do more to help rebuild the war-ravaged country, a report said Wednesday.

"A fact-finding team led by a senior foreign ministry official will visit Afghanistan in mid-January," Yonhap news agency quoted an unidentified ministry official as saying.

The incoming US government of president elect Barack Obama is likely to ask Seoul to expand its role in Afghanistan, Yonhap said.

A ministry spokesperson could not confirm the report.

The delegation will inspect the situation in Afghanistan, including the activities of a South Korean team of medical staff and vocational training experts already there, Yonhap said.

"This has nothing to do with anything like a feasibility study to send troops back there," the official was quoted as saying.

A local media report said last week that Washington has unofficially asked Seoul to send troops back to Afghanistan.
More on link


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## George Wallace (2 Jan 2009)

Reproduced under the Fair Dealings provisions of the Copyright Act:  Article LINK

*'Cowards' killed heroes*

*By JOE WARMINGTON
*

As three hearses pass by all I can think of is who murdered these fine Canadians? 

What are their names? And will they ever face justice? 

When they detonated that improvised explosive device did they know Pte. Michael Freeman was from Peterborough and was beloved there? 

Did they know W/O Gaetan Roberge was from Sudbury and was known as the kind of guy who would do anything for anybody -- including the Afghan people whom he gave his life to help? 

Did they know New Brunswick native Sgt. Gregory Kruse was a father of three young girls -- twin six-year-olds named Megan and Victoria and an 11-year-old, Kari? 

In the latest blast, there was an Afghani interpreter and police officer also killed. No one seems to know either of their names. But they had names and were brave and serving with our Canadians. 

IEDs, roadside bombs or landmines are easy, effective and deadly. But they are another thing. They are instruments of murder. And those who use them successfully are murderers. 

Specifically, in some of these cases, these murderers may have been playing both sides. 

"The enemy is all around," said newly widowed Jill Kruse. 

One of the things she stressed to me this week is how caring the Canadians have been over there -- and all of the work they have done. All of that good can be taken away in a flash by someone who sees them as an occupying force. 

"I just call them cowards," she said of those who would use IEDs. "It is not a fair fight. It is not traditional warfare." 

Standing on Grenville St. last night with Toronto EMS paramedics Gary McAuley and Joe Moyer and citizens like Ron Jardine or visitors like Julie Harvey of New York and watching these hearses come home, one can't help but swell up with pride to go with the tears. 

And when a wounded soldier on crutches, whose name tag read "Brennan" gets out of a limousine to thank those who came out and was met with spontaneous applause -- it brings patriotism to a level not often seen or felt in Canada. 

"We are not allowed to do this in America," comments Harvey, holding her tiny three-year-old granddaughter, Makela. 

"I know this is not nice, but it is nice that people can pay their respects like this. We are in tears." 

The Highway of Heroes movement has definitely helped with the harsh realities of grief. Families appreciate it -- last night some were yelling "thank you" out of limousine windows. 

But the funeral trek to the Centre for Forensic Sciences for post mortems should not become something palatable. 

It should always be a reminder of just how final and wicked war can be and of the ultimate sacrifice. 

And it must not stop us from our duty to ask questions to make sure we don't just keep repeating this scene. 

For security reasons, one of the aspects of this war that concerns me is I don't hear enough stories of people facing prosecution. 

"No matter which way you look at it, murder is murder," former Toronto Police homicide squad Det. Mark Mendelson tells me. "And each murder has its own signature, its own pattern and its own forensics." 

Murders can be solved. The Afghanistan people have to help us solve these murders to prevent more. We are there to help them. Yet you hear of few arrests -- and certainly no names attached to these killers. 

My suggestion to the Canadian government is to not only beef up the helicopter program, but also strengthen the investigation and intelligence operations. Lean on the locals more for information of who is doing this and be aggressive in trying to find all bomb-making lairs. 

They also need to double or triple the money to be paid to informants. 

To simply say a Canadian was killed by a roadside bomb but have no face to who did it, is not enough. These families are entitled to justice. "I will get justice," said Jill Kruse. "Justice will come when we overcome the enemies." 

Meanwhile there's probably nothing more surreal than the scene of three black hearses edging along Toronto streets. 

It has happened three times this month. That's nine hearses with nine soldiers inside who had names. 

Outrageously, so far, their murderers don't.


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