# The Sandbox and Areas Reports Thread June 2008



## GAP (1 Jun 2008)

*The Sandbox and Areas Reports Thread June 2008  *             

*News only - commentary elsewhere, please.
Thanks for helping this "news only" thread system work!*

*Articles found June 1, 2008*

Afstan: Canadians back in combat/Yankee imperialism  
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Article Link

Looks like the Taliban are reverting to some of their tactics from 2006:

Operation Rolling Thunder ends successfully
Top-secret engagement [??] sees Canadian troops involved in heaviest fighting this year against Taliban militants

PASHMUL, AFGHANISTAN...

Code-named Operation Rawa Tander, Pashto for Rolling Thunder, the joint Canada and Afghan military mission was aimed at disrupting insurgent activity in one of Kandahar province's most dangerous areas, Pashmul.

Located in Zhari district, the birthplace of the Taliban movement, the area is a hornet's nest of insurgent activity. The battle-scarred region, southwest of Kandahar, has been the site of several, often bloody, battles for Canadian soldiers since 2006.

The operation, which involved multiple platoons, started before day-break on Tuesday and, by 6:15 a.m., bullets were already ripping through Pashmul, a collection of small, ancient villages and farmland. The few locals still living in the area either fled by foot or hunkered down in their compounds before the fighting started. Most are poor farmers.

Canadian and Afghan soldiers were able to sneak up on a suspect compound and take the militants by surprise. The insurgents, toting AK-47s and rocket-propelled grenade launchers, returned fire for about half an hour from a grape hut.

The battle ended a short time later after the Canadians called on U.S. military air support to drop several bombs, including Hellfire missiles, on the area.

As the week progressed, the fighting intensified, with yesterday being the most hard-fought for Canadian and Afghan forces.
More on link

Japan may send troops to Afghanistan: PM
AFP 
Article Link

TOKYO -- Japan is considering whether to send its first troops to Afghanistan on a reconstruction mission, Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda said Sunday.

Tokyo has been a major donor to Afghanistan, pledging 1.3 billion dollars since the fall of the Taliban in late 2001.

However, its pacifist constitution limits its military activities, and it does not have troops among the international forces helping Afghanistan fight the resurgent Islamic extremist movement.

"If conditions on the (Afgan) ground allow, Japan can offer its cooperation in activities on the ground. I'm always thinking of that possibility," Fukuda told reporters when asked about sending troops.

"My attitude is that we should do what we can do," he added.

His comments came one day after Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura said the government was studying widening Japan's contribution on Afghanistan, in addition to a military refuelling mission in the Indian Ocean.
More on link

Estonians Ready for Battle in Afghanistan's "Hell Land"
Article Link

Estonia's unit in Afghanistan may be small, but it's already seen plenty of action and suffered several casualties. As a new member of NATO, it feels responsible to the military alliance. 

The desert landscape shudders to explosions of mortar and rocket shells, small arms fire and grenade blasts as the Estonian troops stage final battle rehearsals before the real thing.

By mid-morning the mercury rises to 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) and the men are caked with dust and sweat as they manoeuvre and shoot, again and again.

 Gulping water from his backpack between compound clearance drills, machine-gunner Raul Pargma, 23, downplays the hardships at the start of a six-month tour in Helmand, dubbed "Hell Land" by British forces that lead the fight against Taliban insurgents in the southern Afghan province: "I like it here, I feel I'm useful for my country, NATO, my unit," he says.

It's a typically upbeat response among the newly arrived company of 105 men which will shortly deploy from Camp Bastion, the main British base in Helmand, 60 kilometers (37 miles) north to the district center of Now Zad.
More on link

 Remote-controlled bomb kills 1, injures 5 in Afghanistan
June 1, 2008 -- Updated 0516 GMT (1316 HKT) 
Article Link

KABUL, Afghanistan (CNN) -- A remote-controlled bomb targeting a mini-bus carrying Afghan army personnel went off in Kabul Sunday morning, killing a woman and wounding five others, police said.

According to the defense ministry, the woman who died was a civilian as were two of the others who were wounded. Three army personnel were also injured, the defense ministry said.

The mini-bus was headed to the defense ministry, as it does twice a day ferrying Afghan National Army personnel.

The bomb had been hidden by the side of the road in the western part of the city, Jalil said.

It was the second attack in the city since Thursday when a suicide bomber targeted a convoy of international soldiers in eastern Kabul.

Three civilians were killed in the ensuing blast. No soldier was hurt
More on link

Highway Convoy Honours Fallen Canadian Soldiers
Article Link

They came by the hundreds to honour the fallen soldiers who have given their lives in service for their country. The Red Rally expected some 504 motorcycles and 122 cars to participate.
The convoy of 83 red cars, representing the number of fallen soldiers, left Trenton Ontario, Toronto bound, while hundreds of people wearing red shirts and waving Canadian flags watched. 

The Red Rally was organized by the Red Fridays Foundation of Canada to honour Canadian soldiers who have died in Afghanistan. The Rally's organizers had expected some 504 motorcycles and 122 cars to participate. 
More on link


----------



## Armymedic (2 Jun 2008)

CTV reporting:

4 Canadian soldiers injured in Afghanistan attacks
Updated Mon. Jun. 2 2008 2:42 PM ET

The Canadian Press

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan -- Four Canadians soldiers and an Afghan interpreter have been wounded in two separate attacks west of Kandahar. 

The incidents happened within minutes of each other in the restive Zhari district, where Canadian troops successfully concluded an operation that saw a Taliban sub-commander killed. 

One soldier was wounded in a firefight, while three other soldiers and the Afghan interpreter were hurt when their vehicle struck a roadside bomb. 

One of the injured Canadians is described to be in serious condition and will likely be flown to a U.S. military hospital in Germany. 

Maj. Jay Janzen, an army spokesman, described the attacks as retaliation for the gains made by the Canadian during the week-long Operation Rolling Thunder.


----------



## MarkOttawa (2 Jun 2008)

'I Wish I Had the Taliban as My Soldiers'
_Spiegel Online_, June 2
http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,557188,00.html



> President Hamid Karzai has come under fire for not doing enough to stem corruption in Afghanistan. He speaks to SPIEGEL about the coalition forces' ties with warlords, rumors about his family's influence and why he believes dirty deals are sometimes necessary.
> 
> SPIEGEL: Mr. President, much has been written about the failures of the international community in Afghanistan. But a good part of the so-called insurgency in the south and east of your country appears to have more to do with a protest movement against a bad government and corrupt elite. It doesn't seem like much of an exaggeration to talk about a resurgence of the Taliban. Is it not true that many Afghans are only joining the Taliban because they don't consider them to be corrupt?
> 
> ...



Mark
Ottawa


----------



## GAP (3 Jun 2008)

*Articles found June 3, 2008*

Four Canadian soldiers wounded
KATHERINE O'NEILL Globe and Mail Update June 2, 2008 at 5:28 PM EDT
Article Link

Kandahar, Afghanistan — Four Canadian soldiers were wounded, one seriously, in two separate incidents that occurred within minutes of each other in the Zhari district, a volatile area southwest of Kandahar.

Around 12:15 p.m. local time, a soldier was hurt when Canadians got into a firefight with insurgents during a security operation. 

Around the same time, three soldiers and one Afghan interpreter were wounded by an improvised explosive device while on foot in a nearby area, according to the military.

The most seriously injured soldier may be airlifted to be flown to a U.S. military hospital in Landstuhl, Germany for treatment.
More on link

US General to head NATO forces in Afghanistan
Article Link 

The man who headed NATO forces in Afghanistan for the past 15 months, General Dan McNeil, has handed over command to another US General, David McKiernan. 

General McKiernan is best known for overseeing the ground attack that toppled Saddam Hussein in Iraq. 

Before stepping down, General McNeil made an appeal for more resources to be directed towards the war in Afghanistan. 
More on link

First German Quick Reaction Troops Head to Afghanistan  
Article Link

German Defense Minister Franz Josef Jung is to see off the first Bundeswehr troops to take command of the Quick Reaction Force in northern Afghanistan on July 1. 

The 200 members of the Quick Reaction Force (QRF) are the first German combat troops in Afghanistan. Some 3,500 German soldiers are already involved in the NATO peacekeeping mission in the country's north.  

Norway will hand over command of the unit at the beginning of next month. 

The QRF will be responsible for helping local Afghan authorities reconstruct the country and providing security. In conflict situations, the soldiers are prepared to act as brokers and engage in combat if necessary. Though the troops will be based in the north, they may assist allies in other regions as well.

Germany has traditionally been hesitant to engage in combat missions and Chancellor Angela Merkel's coalition government has firmly opposed sending troops to the more volatile south, where fighting has been intense. 
More on link

The Coalition “Spring Offensive” Across Afghanistan
Jun 2 at 11:11am by David
Article Link

It isn’t clear just how much of May’s combat action was coordinated among allies, but what is clear is that the offensive initiated by various coalition forces, around the same time, has the Taliban taking heavy casualties as the fighting season picks up steam.

US/British Efforts in S. Helmand

June 1st - Allied forces launch another operation in Garmser as British troops seal the right flank of BLT 1/6, allowing the American Marines to push farther down the Helmand River valley toward the Pakistani border.  The offensive, which is in the heart of the insurgency’s drug trade, is forcing Taliban fighters toward Farah Province to the west.  The joint force retook the district center, Garmser, earlier in the month, killing as many as 150 Taliban during the course of more than 100 engagements.

Australian and Dutch Forces Push Deep Into Oruzgan

May 28th - A combined ISAF/Afghan force is driving deep into Oruzgan Province to stabilize the Baluchi Pass area, a region that has claimed a number of allied lives and is a know Taliban haven.

Norway Gets into the Fight

May 23rd - Norwegian forces, with support from Germany, launch a 10-day operation in Baghdis Province, killing as many as 50 insurgents.

June 2nd - ISAF airstrikes supporting Afghan Security Forces kill 55 insurgents in Baghdis Province.

Americans Keep Up the Pressure in Nuristan

US and Afghan forces air assault into the Gowerdesh Valley to regain control of a strategic bridge.

Regaining Control of Farah Province

US and Italian soldiers are reinforced through the summer by a battalion of US Marines.  2/7 Marines started combat patrols in the province in early May.  The Marines are tasked with training the police force in a province that has had a history of lawlessness and outright Taliban control. 

Coalition forces in Farah are blocking retreating Taliban forces coming from Helmand:

May 24th - 12 Taliban are killed in Bala Buluk when a US/Afghan patrol came under fire.  The two-hour fight also left two Afghan police dead.

May 28th - NATO airstrikes kill as many as 30 Taliban in Bala Buluk.  Two Afghan policeman and one Afghan soldier are also killed.

May 29th - The coalition pressure continues to the south of Bala Buluk as they take Bakwa District back from the Taliban who have been in control almost a year.  The fighting leaves more than 100 Taliban and one American dead.

Canada Launches a Major Effort in Kandahar

May 28th - Canadian soldiers launch a weeklong offensive into Zhari, Dand and Panjwaii districts, Kandahar Province, in an effort to disrupt insurgent bomb-making facilities.  No Candiens were killed even with troops being regularly engaged by the Taliban.  19 militants were killed, including Taleb leader Mullah Tor Agha, in the operation code named, “Rolling Thunder”.
More on link

Canadians 'came to our rescue' in Afghanistan: U.S. colonel
Last Updated: Monday, June 2, 2008 
Article Link

A U.S. marine commander is praising Canadian troops who came to his battalion's assistance after a roadside bombing in southern Afghanistan.

Col. Peter Petronzio told Canadian reporters over the weekend that while his soldiers are doing a "great job" stemming the flow of insurgents in the Helmand River valley, people shouldn't view them as rescuers.

Rather, he said, it's the Canadians who should be recognized for helping his soldiers in April when a marine convoy struck a huge improvised explosive device near Forward Operating Base Wilson in the Zhari district.
More on link

Odd, white-knuckle airline like Afghanistan itself
By SCOTT TAYLOR On Target Mon. Jun 2 - 5:47 AM
Article Link

AS A frequent international traveller, it has been my experience that you can discover a lot about a country from flying aboard their national airline. This certainly was the case when I flew into Kabul aboard Ariana Afghan Airlines.

The flight originated in Istanbul, and thankfully, I had called the airport ahead of time to confirm my flight and discovered the departure time had been delayed by a full two hours. When I inquired about the new expected arrival time so I could advise the people picking me up at the Kabul airport, I was told that we would arrive more than one hour ahead of schedule. When I asked how this could be possible, the attendant shrugged and said, "They will cut out the refuelling stop in Baku, Azerbaijan."
More on link

U.S. offensive in Helmand taking pressure off the Canadians in Kandahar
Article Link

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan — U.S. marines clawed their way south along the Helmand River valley over the weekend in an ongoing push that the commander of the battle-hardened assault force hopes is easing the pressure on the Canadians in neighbouring Kandahar.

The level of fighting "has stayed fairly consistent" since they began arriving in southern Afghanistan earlier this spring, but "the last three days have probably been the most intense as we move further south," said Col. Pete Petronzio, who leads the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit.

"My marines are doing a great job."

The buoyant tone is also reflected in British ranks where a senior commander declared Sunday that the Taliban were on the run and "licking their wounds" in Helmand province, long a cauldron of militant activity.

Brig.-Gen. Gordon Messenger told the British media that insurgents had been tactically routed and intelligence estimates suggested they were now retrenching in Farah province, on the northwest border of Helmand.
More on link


----------



## MarkOttawa (3 Jun 2008)

U.S. Reports Gains Against Taliban Fighters
_NY Times_, May 3, by Carlotta Gall
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/03/world/asia/03afghan.html?_r=3&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&oref=slogin&oref=slogin&oref=slogin



> Taliban forces in southern Afghanistan are fleeing to the Pakistani border after being routed in recent operations by the United States Marines, the American commander of NATO forces in Afghanistan said on Monday.
> 
> Marines of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit have been clearing Taliban and foreign fighters from the district of Garmser, in southern Helmand Province, an important infiltration and drug trafficking route used by the Taliban to supply insurgents farther north.
> 
> ...



Mark
Ottawa


----------



## GAP (4 Jun 2008)

*Articles found June 4, 2008*

Shilo soldiers immersed in everything Afghanistan
by Capt Andrew Chang
Article Link

ZHAREY-PANJWAYI, Afghanistan — For more than two months, B Company, 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry Battle Group (B Coy, 2 PPCLI BG) has been operating in the Zharey-Panjwayi area of Kandahar, Afghanistan. In that relatively short period of time, the company has completed a large-scale operation and countless dismounted patrols.

Its area of operation is considered the birthplace and heart of the Taliban, a challenging environment in which to begin a tour. 

The first platoon of B Coy arrived in Afghanistan in mid-February. Buses made their way from CFB/ASU Shilo to 17 Wing Winnipeg in a steady stream during the following weeks. Some changes, such as going from -40°C to 25°C, were definitely welcome. Other changes, mainly saying goodbye to family and friends, were more difficult. For most of the soldiers, though, there was a feeling of exhilaration at finally being able to do what they had trained so long to do. Many B Coy personnel served in Afghanistan in 2002 and 2006, and that experience and the soldiers’ rigorous work-up training prepared them well. 

In a short span of time, B Coy has immersed itself in everything Afghan, from the people through the food to the environment. Speaking through interpreters, soldiers on foot patrol interact on a daily basis with locals, building trust and becoming aware of the Afghans’ concerns. Patrols and other operations almost always involve the local police or the Afghan National Army. Working with personnel that use different soldiering styles presents unique challenges, but it can also be very rewarding. Although initially wary of each other, Canadian and Afghan soldiers have developed a deep sense of mutual respect.

In the Zharey-Panjwayi area, members of B Coy have sampled the local chai, a warm beverage traditionally enjoyed during social gatherings and meetings with elders, or have feasted on goat, rice and flatbread during Now Ruz, Afghanistan’s New Year.Now Ruz, meaning “new day”’, takes place on the spring equinox (in 2008, March 20), symbolizing the renewal of the seasons and life. 

The weather is mainly warm and sunny, even if summer has not yet arrived. Soldiers on patrol must often endure sweating through clothing, and a fine dust that sticks to almost everything. Occasionally, the wind picks up and creates dust storms that limit visibility, and the troops must weather the odd hailstorm. Although CFB/ASU Shilo is far away, it prepared 2 PPCLI well for the extreme and varied weather of Afghanistan. 

By far, the most difficult part of the tour has been taking casualties. Two members of B Coy, Sergeant Jason Boyes and Private Terry Street, have been killed in Afghanistan. Their deaths have been felt across the battle group and back home, where everyone in western Manitoba knows each other. People who didn’t know Sgt Boyes or Pte Street probably know someone who did.
More on link

Infantry group returns from anti-Taliban sweep
Updated Sat. May. 31 2008 9:57 AM ET CTV.ca News Staff
Article Link

Canadian and Afghan soldiers have concluded an operation designed to disrupt Taliban bomb-making operations in a volatile district of Kandahar province.

Operation Rolling Thunder saw a battle group from Charlie Company, 2nd Battalion Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry sweep through Zhari district, where the Taliban have had a long-established presence.

They engaged in firefights with the Taliban, but no Canadians were injured. One Afghan National Army soldier was slightly wounded.

"The aim was to get out there and cause them to be off balance, to take them out of their regular cycles so they're not able to go around with their regular routine and plant IEDs," Maj. Fraser Auld, a battle group planner, told reporters at Kandahar airfield on Saturday.
More on link

Extreme IT: Battling dust, heat and bombs in Afghanistan and Iraq
How IT pros keep communications running in the desert and under fire
Article Link

June 4, 2008 (Computerworld) Lots of people like to describe their jobs as "being on the front lines," but there are IT professionals whose jobs really do put them on the front lines of a combat zone. You think your work life's stressful? Try getting a network restored after it's been brought down by a mortar attack — in 110-degree heat. 

That's life in Iraq and Afghanistan for the members of the U.S. military in charge of communications, networks and other IT systems. The desert environment presents its own challenges; throw in a war, and you've got a situation that taxes both the equipment and the men and women who maintain it.

For this edition of Extreme IT, we spoke with officers who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan about their jobs. Participants included Air Force Lt. Col. Don Fielden, currently deployed to Balad Air Base in Iraq, and Army Lt. Col. Patrick Dedham, just back from Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan.

Also on the phone were Army Lt. Col. David Wills and Air Force Col. Harold Bullock, both of the U.S. Central Command in Tampa, Fla., and both of whom have spent a good deal of time in the current war zones.
More on link

U.S.-led military kills dozen insurgents, detains 2 in Afghanistan   
 www.chinaview.cn  2008-06-04 15:46:33  
  Article Link

    KABUL, June 4 (Xinhua) -- The U.S.-led Coalition forces have killed over a dozen insurgents in response to an attack in Helmand province of southern Afghanistan and detained two militants in central province Ghazni, the Coalition said Wednesday. 

    While approaching Putay town of Helmand for humanitarian assistance, "a vehicle in the Coalition convoy struck an IED," the U.S.-led military said, adding "Coalition forces immediately began vehicle-recovery operations, but the convoy was ambushed by insurgents using small-arms fire. During the fighting, another Coalition vehicle struck a mine." 

    The force used precision air strikes against the insurgents after the rebels were seen entering homes in an attempt to use them as fighting positions, causing residents to flee, according to the military. 

    The Coalition forces then ensured that there were no women or children in the area before launching precision strikes, it added. 
More on link

USA Looks to Bridge FMTV Truck Orders Until 2009-2010
03-Jun-2008 20:38 EDT
Article Link

Amateurs discuss tactics, professionals discuss logistics. A military force can have all of the flashy combat vehicles it wants, but without a solid underpinning of medium and heavy trucks to handle logistics, that combat force is either dependent or hollow. That truth has been vividly illustrated in Iraq, where the priority placed on raising the Iraqi Army’s combat power has made it dependent on the mature American logistics force in theater. Discussions of “independent operational capability” for Iraqi units revolve primarily around this logistics gap. While some units are capable now, Iraq is just beginning to implement the logistics tail that will give most of its units this ability to operate independently.

The 14 variants in the Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles form the core of the USA’s new state-of-the-art medium military transport truck fleet. Which in turn forms the core of the “mature logistics capability” seen in the Iraqi theater and elsewhere. FMTV trucks are all automatic transmission, and rage from 2.5-ton cargo and van models to 5-ton cargo, tractor, van, wrecker, tanker, specialty, and dump-truck models in various 4×4 and 6×6 configurations. Some models also have attached trailers that increase their carrying capacity. Even so, the use of common engines, transmissions, drivelines, power trains, tires, cabs, et. al. create over 80% parts commonality between FMTV models. Where possible, commercial components are used for added savings.
More on link


----------



## MarkOttawa (5 Jun 2008)

ARTICLES FOUND JUNE 5

Australian defence chief says 10,000 troops required in Afghanistan
AP, June 5
http://www.macleans.ca/article.jsp?content=w060513A



> An additional 10,000 troops are required to quell a Taliban and al-Qaida insurgency in southern Afghanistan but European NATO partners appear unwilling to deploy more soldiers, Australia's defense minister said Thursday.
> 
> "At least 10,000 (more troops) would give us the critical mass necessary to do what we need to do on the military front," Joel Fitzgibbon told The Associated Press at his office in the Australian capital Canberra.
> 
> ...



Mark
Ottawa


----------



## GAP (7 Jun 2008)

*Articles found June 7, 2008*

Intrepid Afghan interpreters risk life and limb  
KATHERINE O'NEILL From Saturday's Globe and Mail June 6, 2008 at 10:26 PM EDT
Article Link

MASUM GHAR, AFGHANISTAN — Lucky was 17 and working as a doctor's assistant at a Kabul hospital in 2001 when Afghanistan spiralled into war and he answered the call to head to the front lines.

But like hundreds of other educated, young Afghan men, both nationals and expatriates, he didn't join the country's struggling army. Instead, he put his dreams of becoming a doctor on hold and proudly signed up to be a military interpreter for the coalition forces.

“It is dangerous, but if we don't help our people, who will help them?” he said.

Like other Afghan military interpreters, who are nicknamed “terps” by soldiers, he can't use his real name or be photographed for fear insurgents will target him or his family. He goes by Lucky because Westerners have trouble pronouncing his given name.

After working for the U.S. Army, then the British, Lucky, who is tall, slender and always neatly dressed, was recruited by the Canadian military. He is currently commanding a small interpreter pool at Canada's forward operating base in Masum Ghar, about 40 kilometres southwest of Kandahar.

Like interpreters stationed with Canadians at other outposts, these unarmed men follow soldiers wherever they go, often right into harm's way.
More on link

New style at the top for military
By PETER ZIMONJIC
Article Link
  
As the leadership of the Canadian Forces changes from an outspoken and often pugnacious general to one described as a gentleman, observers are split about what lies ahead. 

Rick Hillier was never afraid to voice opinions. He argued for deployment to Kandahar to kill "scumbags" and became the face of the war. 

But Lt.-Gen. Walter Natynczyk will be taking over as Canadian Forces in Afghanistan move towards reconstruction. 

Reshaping the mission and implementing promises the government made to rebuild the forces here at home will be his challenge. 

"The Afghan mission will be (less) of a policy issue mainly because it's been agreed to by parliament," said retired colonel Alain-Michel Pellerin, of the Conference of Defence Associations. 

Steven Staples, president of the Rideau Institute, remains worried about what Natynczyk may bring to the job. 

"In his comments he said he saw the war in Iraq and in Afghanistan as exactly the same and that the solutions would be the same," said Staples. 

"The last thing Canadians want is to see a U.S.-style from Iraq transplanted onto Canada's forces in Afghanistan." 
More on link

Two Polish helicopters to start ferrying Canadians this summer: minister
 Murray Brewster, THE CANADIAN PRESS
Article Link

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan - It will be later this summer before Poland makes two Mi-17 helicopters available to transport hard-pressed Canadian troops around the battlefield in Kandahar. 

Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski says the transports will be available to help out "as soon as we complete our deployment" of reinforcements, which are going to eastern Afghanistan. 

The former Warsaw Pact adversary is one of the few European NATO members that has increased its troop commitment to the war-ravaged country, bringing its total number of boots on the ground to 1,600 soldiers. 

Eight Soviet-style helicopters are being deployed with the troops - four Mi-17 transport helicopters and four gunships to protect them. 

Polish special forces units are operating in Kandahar and will also be using the helicopters. 

"Our political will is that they should be (available) by request at the disposal of Canada," Sikorski told reporters at Kandahar Airfield on Friday. 
More on link

Natynczyk promotion to CDS popular with U.S. commanders
Matthew Fisher ,  Canwest News Service Published: Friday, June 06, 2008
Article Link

The appointment of Lt.-Gen. Walt Natynczyk to head the Canadian Armed Forces was hailed in Washington on Friday by senior U.S. army officers who worked with him four years ago in Iraq.

"Not only is he a close friend of mine but one of the finest officers I have ever met," said Lt.-Gen. Thomas Metz, who was Natynczyk's boss in Iraq when the Canadian was the deputy commander of the U.S. amy's III Corps and the U.S.-led Multi-National Corps.

"His professionalism and dedication to his country's Armed Forces is unmatched. Fearless in battle, he is a superb choice for this new duty."
More on link

Gunman kills key Afghan adviser in district pacified by Canadian troops
Article Link

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan — The senior adviser to the tribal leader in one of the few relatively peaceful districts of Kandahar province was gunned down Friday, the latest in a wave of killings and attempted assassinations of major Afghan government supporters.

Malim Akbar Khakrezwal, 55, a former mujahedeen leader and a key supporter of the leader of the Alokozai tribe in the Arghandab district, was shot and killed outside his home in the village of Lowwal, just outside Kandahar city.

His death is being seen by Afghan authorities as an attempt to destabilize the district, which Canadian troops fought a bloody campaign last fall to reclaim from Taliban militants.

Arghandab, one of the few relatively peaceful and prosperous regions in the province, is tenuously held together by a 25-year-old tribal leader who depended on Khakrezwal for support.

Neither Canadian military or civilian officials have commented on his murder.
More on link

Attacks can't slow down Afghan police officer
Doug Schmidt ,  Canwest News Service Published: Thursday, June 05, 2008
Article Link

KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan - At least four times already that day, the man under a bulky cloak had caught the eye of Amanullah, an Afghan police officer patrolling the bazaar district of Spin Boldak, a city in southern Kandahar Province near the Pakistan border, and a known gateway for insurgents mixed amongst the returning refugees.

"All the time he is watching us. I said to my assistant, let's go and check him, this man is very dangerous, maybe," Amanullah said this week, in an interview through a Pashto interpreter.

As Amanullah exited his vehicle, the man he recalls having green eyes and green clothes bolted.


Amanullah, with the Afghan national security forces, gives the thumbs up during his recovery in a Canadian-led trauma hospital at Kandahar Airfield. He has killed three suicide bombers in two separate recent instances, the last time sustaining serious injuries. But he says he'll be back on the job as soon as he's recovered.
More on link

The power of the pen
Katherine O'Neill, June 5, 2008 at 7:52 AM EDT
Article Link

Pashmul is a collection of bombed out mud compounds and grape huts. So, that's why, even after last week's Operation Rolling Thunder, which saw bombs and artillery rain down on the rural area west of Kandahar for three days, it wasn't completely obvious Canadian and Afghan soldiers had even been there.

 It's surprising that people even dwell in this dangerous place, which is a maze of winding pathways and farmers' fields, and a favoured hide-out for Taliban insurgents. Most residents are poor farmers; few can read or write. 

When the soldiers walked out of Pashmul on Friday after the fighting had finally stopped for the week, several Afghans come out of hiding to greet them. Many handed out tiny gifts to the children, emptying their pockets to give away whatever they had on them, including candy, water and pens.

One little girl in a green dress (pictured above) stopped me, and pointed to my pen. “She wants to know what that is,” an Afghan interpreter explained to me. 

She looked puzzled when I handed it to her, and the interpreter tried to tell her how to use it. As I left, I wondered what would happen to that pen. Would she find paper? Would she ever be able to use it at school, if one eventually re-opens in the battle-scarred area?
More on link

US troops have tax-free pay but British soldiers get poor deal
Michael Evans 
Article Link

Basic military pay after tax across Europe and in the United States looks remarkably similar to the salaries paid to British troops. None of the wages paid appears over-generous. 

However, the small print of the financial deals offered to combat troops makes the difference. The US military have the best arrangement. When US troops are deployed overseas to fight, their salaries are tax-free. 

British troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan have looked enviously at their American counterparts. The only way in which the Ministry of Defence has been able to try to match the Pentagon's generosity has been to ask the Treasury to fund tax-free operational bonuses, which are now paid to all Service personnel who complete six-month tours. 

Throughout Europe, taking into account the different standards of living, the British military pay compares favourably with allies. France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands all pay relatively low wages for the most junior ranks, but offer extra allowances to boost their pay packets. German troops are offered a Christmas bonus. The Spanish, like the British, offer their troops special geographical allowances when they are deployed away from home. Spain has troops serving in western Afghanistan. 

The most attractive wages appear to be paid to Australian troops. The basic pay for new soldiers is A$38,000 (£18,619), but they receive an additional annual A$10,000 to compensate for inconveniences such as working at weekends. Their annual A$48,000 is worth £23,515. 

Charles Heyman, the editor of The British Army Guide, said: “The impression is that the Americans get more allowances than our boys, as well as the tax-free salary when serving in war zones. They also get special treatment when they leave the Services from the Department of Veterans Affairs.” 

He added: “But no one who joins the Armed Forces in any country expects to be paid like lawyers or doctors. They join because they are interested in a varied career and a lot of them serve for only short periods. They see joining the military as an entry into adult life and many of them leave after three or four years. But if a government wants to retain these people, especially the middle-ranking officers and NCOs, they are going to have to pay them.” 
More on link


----------



## MarkOttawa (7 Jun 2008)

Paratroopers launch biggest battle in Afghanistan for two years
_Daily Telegraph,_ June 7
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/frontline/2085114/Paratroopers-launch-biggest-battle-in-Afghanistan-for-two-years.html



> In one of the biggest air assaults in their history, troops from the Parachute Regiment have spent the last four days deep in Taliban territory.
> 
> Breaking one of the last insurgent strongholds in southern Afghanistan, the "Battle of Qarat-e-Hazrat" in Zabul Province ended in an enemy rout.
> 
> ...



Mark
Ottawa


----------



## MarkOttawa (8 Jun 2008)

ARTICLES FOUND JUNE 8

Tracking the Coalition’s Afghan spring offensive
_The Long War Journal_, June 7, by Matt Dupree
http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2008/06/tracking_the_coaliti.php



> Following the break in weather and an alarming increase in anti-government activity, Afghan and Coalition forces launched a blazing series of offensives throughout most of the insurgency-plagued areas of Afghanistan. Around May 15, nearly a month after the Taliban announced the formal launch of their spring offensive dubbed Operation Hibrat (lesson), Coalition forces struck out in major operations of their own. The multitude of operations include remote fronts in the war such as northwestern Badghis province near the Afghan border with Turkmenistan, and southwestern Farah province and central Uruzgan province, both of which endured heavy fighting since October. Further operations have been carried out in southeastern Zabul province; Kapisa province, which is a mere 50-kilometers northeast of Kabul; and in the insurgent saturated provinces of Kandahar and Helmand.
> 
> Afghan violence soared in 2007, with well over 7,000 people being killed across the country, more than half of whom were insurgents. The toll includes more than 900 Afghan police killed in the line of duty. Coalition forces suffered as well, with 110 US troops killed, the highest level ever in Afghanistan. Britain lost 41 soldiers, Canada lost 30, and other nations lost a total of 40, according to an Associated Press count.
> 
> ...



Mark
Ottawa


----------



## GAP (9 Jun 2008)

*Articles found June 9, 2008*

A soldier's misstep leaves fiancée, family heartbroken
KATHERINE O'NEILL AND ROD MICKLEBURGH June 9, 2008
Article Link

KANDAHAR, AFGHANISTAN and VANCOUVER -- Just days before Canadian Captain Jonathan Snyder died accidentally while on patrol in southern Afghanistan, the 26-year-old was credited with saving the lives of several soldiers during a risky operation in a dangerous area of southern Afghanistan.

"Because of his heroic leadership under intense fire, there are many Canadians and Afghans that are alive to fight tomorrow," Major Robert Ritchie told reporters last night, after serving as a pallbearer during a sombre ramp ceremony under a crescent moon at Kandahar Air Field.

Capt. Snyder, a member of the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry based in Edmonton, died Saturday night after falling down a deep well during a night patrol in Zhari district of Kandahar province.

The soldier, on his second Afghan tour of duty, was engaged to be married in December to his high-school sweetheart, Megan Stewart. The couple had only recently sent out their wedding invitations. 
More on link

U.K. Military Death Toll in Afghanistan Rises to 100 (Update2)  
By Ed Johnson and Clementine Fletcher
Article Link

June 9 (Bloomberg) -- The U.K. military's death toll in Afghanistan since the 2001 invasion rose to 100 as a suicide attack in the country's south killed three soldiers. 

The men, from the Parachute Regiment's 2nd Battalion, were on foot patrol in Helmand province when they came under attack yesterday, the Ministry of Defence said. A fourth soldier is being treated for wounds received in the blast. 

``Every one of these deaths is a tragedy,'' Air Chief Marshall Sir Jock Stirrup, the chief of the defense staff, said in a statement yesterday. ``Make no mistake, the Taliban influence is waning, and through British blood, determination and grit, a window of opportunity has been opened'' to stabilize the country. 

The U.K. has about 7,800 soldiers under North Atlantic Treaty Organization command in Afghanistan fighting a Taliban-led insurgency. The Islamist regime was driven from power by a U.S.- led coalition in late 2001 after refusing to hand over al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks. 

British troops are stationed predominantly in Helmand, one of the provinces where the insurgency is at its most intense. With Dutch, American and Canadian forces they have done the bulk of the fighting, while countries such as Italy and Germany have restricted their troops to the quieter north
More on link

Top Canadian soldiers mark Dragoons' 125th year
Updated Sat. Jun. 7 2008 10:35 PM ET CTV.ca News Staff
Article Link

Outgoing Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Rick Hillier and his replacement, Lt.-Gen. Walter Natynczyk, inspected the guard on Parliament Hill at the 125th anniversary parade of the Royal Canadian Dragoons. 

Both Hillier and Natynczyk got their start with the Dragoons -- the oldest and most senior armoured regiment in Canada -- and both became well-known field commanders. 

"I will tell you it is very comforting for me, that as your Chief of Defence Staff, I depart and hand the torch to you and Gen. Walter Natynczyk. It will be held higher still," Hillier said from Ottawa. 
More on link

Afghan Tribal Leader Killed  
By CARLOTTA GALL and TAIMOOR SHAH Published: June 7, 2008
Article Link

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan — A powerful tribal leader was gunned down outside his home in the southern city of Kandahar by suspected Taliban Friday morning, Afghan officials said. Muhammad Akbar Khakrezwal, a former commander and supporter of the government, was shot by two men on a motorbike, a preferred tactic by Taliban gunmen. He died before he reached the hospital. 

Mr. Khakrezwal’s brother, the police chief of Kabul, was killed in a suicide bombing in Kandahar June 6, 2005, three years ago to the day. Both men belonged to the powerful Alokozai tribe, which has strongly opposed the Taliban. The leader of the Alokozai tribe, Mullah Naquibullah, also died after being badly wounded in a roadside bombing in March last year.
More on link

Pakistani engineer kidnapped in Afghanistan: Police
Article Link
Agence France-Presse Saturday, June 7, 2008 (Kabul)

Gunmen on Saturday kidnapped a Pakistani engineer working on a road in insurgency-hit southern Afghanistan, a police commander said.

The engineer, employed by an Afghan road construction company, was abducted after the gunmen opened fire and injured his driver as they were travelling outside the city, Kandahar police chief Sayed Agha Saqeb told an international news agency.

''A Pakistani engineer was kidnapped on the road between Kandahar city and Gereshk,'' Saqeb said, referring to a town in the neighbouring province of Helmand.

''We have launched an operation to track the kidnappers and free the Pakistani national,'' he told the news agency.

The police commander could not say who may have been responsible for the kidnapping. Taliban militants have been behind a series of such abductions as have criminal gangs.
More on link

BBC journalist among 16 killed in Afghanistan  
The Associated Press Sunday, June 8, 2008 
Article Link

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan: An Afghan journalist working for the BBC World Service was found dead in southern Afghanistan with a gunshot wound to the head Sunday, while insurgents elsewhere killed 15 others, including 11 police officers, officials said.

The British Broadcasting Corp. said Abdul Samad Rohani disappeared in the town of Lashkar Gar in Helmand Province on Saturday. His body was found Sunday in a cemetery.

Rohani was the Helmand reporter for the BBC World Service's Pashto language service, and a BBC World News editor, Jon Williams, called his death "a terrible loss."

"Rohani's courage and dedication have been a key part of the BBC's reporting from Afghanistan in recent years," Williams said in a statement from London. "His bravery - and that of his colleagues - have allowed us to tell a key story for audiences in the U.K., in Afghanistan and around the world."

The Helmand provincial police chief, Mohammad Hussein Andiwal, said officials were investigating the death and had not named any suspects.

The news industry in Afghanistan has grown rapidly since the 2001 ouster of the Taliban, and dozens of newspapers, radio stations and TV stations have opened around the country. But journalists in the country face grave danger from Taliban militants as well as local strongmen unhappy with negative news coverage.
More on link


----------



## GAP (10 Jun 2008)

*Articles found June 10, 2008*

Dam to be jewel of Afghan development project
Updated Tue. Jun. 10 2008 11:36 AM ET The Associated Press
Article Link

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan -- The Conservative government plans to make the refurbishment and expansion of a dam bordering a sapphire-coloured lake in northern Kandahar the jewel of Canada's development effort in the war-torn region, The Canadian Press has learned.

Roughly $120 million is expected to be poured into the Dahla dam, in northern Arghandab district, over the next nine years, said political and defence sources, who asked not to be named.

Other international partners, including USAID, could also contribute to the project, Afghan sources added.

The intent would be to help improve irrigation all along the Arghandab River Valley, a semi-lush concourse that weaves its way across the parched moonscape of southern Afghanistan.

Officials with the Canadian International Development Agency visited the dam in late March to inspect it.

And defence sources say consideration is being given to expanding its potential for hydro generation, something that would ease the electricity shortage throughout the province.

The dam has three generating stations right now that are barely functional.

The idea of a signature development project was one of the pillars of the Manley commission report on the future of Canada's Afghan mission.

Political sources in Ottawa say there will be another signature project, but not of the bricks and mortar kind. Rather, the Conservative government also intends to pour money into eradicating polio in Afghanistan.
More on link

RAND: Pakistan helped Taliban
Article Link

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) -- Pakistani intelligence agents and paramilitary forces have helped train Taliban insurgents and have given them information about U.S. troop movements in Afghanistan, said a report published by a U.S. think tank.

The study published Monday by the RAND Corp. also warned that the U.S. will face "crippling, long-term consequences" in Afghanistan if Taliban sanctuaries in Pakistan are not eliminated.

It echoes recent statements by U.S. generals, who have increased their warnings that militant safe havens in Pakistan are threatening efforts in Afghanistan. The study was funded by the U.S. Defense Department.

"Every successful insurgency in Afghanistan since 1979 enjoyed safe haven in neighboring countries, and the current insurgency is no different," said the report's author, Seth Jones. "Right now, the Taliban and other groups are getting help from individuals within Pakistan's government, and until that ends, the region's long-term security is in jeopardy."

Pakistan's top military spokesman rejected the findings.

The study, "Counterinsurgency in Afghanistan," found some active and former officials in Pakistan's intelligence service and the Frontier Corps -- a Pakistani paramilitary force deployed along the Afghan border -- provided direct assistance to Taliban militants and helped secure medical care for wounded fighters.

It said NATO officials have uncovered several instances of Pakistani intelligence agents providing information to Taliban fighters, even "tipping off Taliban forces about the location and movement of Afghan and coalition forces, which undermined several U.S. and NATO anti-Taliban military operations." No timeframes were given.
More on link


----------



## MarkOttawa (10 Jun 2008)

Afghanistan needs another 10 years before flying solo: Karzai
AFP, June 9
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5ga1xYjKbm1OOusnBWiK7fc73-wyw



> Afghanistan needs at least a decade to be able to handle its own security, President Hamid Karzai said Monday on a visit to peacekeeping troop contributor The Netherlands.
> 
> "Afghanistan ... will have a much better administration by 2010," he told journalists after talks with Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende in The Hague.
> 
> ...



Applying Iraq’s Lessons in an Afghan Village
_NY Times_, June 10, by Carlotta Gall
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/students/pop/articles/10embed.html



> HAZARJOFT, Afghanistan — United States marines pushed the Taliban out of this village and the surrounding district in southern Helmand Province so quickly in recent weeks that they called the operation a “catastrophic success.”
> 
> Yet, NATO troops had conducted similar operations here in 2006 and 2007, and the Taliban had returned soon after they left. The marines, drawing on lessons from Iraq, say they know what to do to keep the Taliban at bay if they are given the time.
> 
> ...



Mark 
Ottawa


----------



## geo (10 Jun 2008)

Our military badly needs repair
We can't defend Canada's sovereignty and advance its interests in the world for pennies on the dollar 
COLIN KENNY 

From Tuesday's Globe and Mail

June 10, 2008 at 7:54 AM EDT

Don't get me wrong, General Rick Hillier is for real: a man among men, an inspirational leader and a Newfoundlander to boot. He's as close as you will get to a Canadian folk hero these days.

But if you think Lieutenant-General Walter Natynczyk, who is taking over as Canada's Chief of the Defence Staff from Gen. Hillier, is going to have big boots to fill, you're only half right. He is also going to have big boots to repair.

The Hillier brand sells: a rugged, no-nonsense straight-talker who stared down politicians and led Canada out of what he called a "decade of darkness" for the Canadian Forces.

I credit Gen. Hillier with instilling new pride among Forces personnel, and for restoring respect for the Forces among Canadians generally.

He has rightly prodded the Harper government to provide at least some of the equipment those troops need to survive the conflict in Kandahar - a conflict Gen. Hillier concedes is proving to be much more dangerous than he expected.

Under Gen. Hillier, the Canadian Forces have also added warrior credentials to peacekeeper credentials. That has come at a real financial and human cost, but toughness matters in the realpolitik of international affairs.

So why, with all those positives, is our military badly in need of repair? Two reasons: Stephen Harper and Rick Hillier.

First, the General. When Gen. Hillier took over, he promised to grow and transform the Canadian Forces even as Canada played a significant role overseas in one or more places like Afghanistan. To accomplish his vision, he was going to need two things: a transformation plan and money. Unfortunately, Gen. Hillier's transformation plan was flawed. Worse, he couldn't convince Mr. Harper to give him the money he needed, let alone transform the military. 

Gen. Hillier's transformation plan superimposed a U.S.-style blueprint onto the Canadian military. Until a few years ago, the Canadian Forces had a Chief of the Defence Staff; a Deputy Chief of the Defence staff in charge of all operations, domestic and foreign; and a Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff who took care of internal issues and long-term planning. They pretty well did their jobs and stayed out of each other's way.

The new system featured a Chief of the Defence Staff, Gen. Hillier, and four commands reporting to him - in layman's terms, Canada Command, Overseas Command, Supply Command and Special Operations Command. Each built up its own sizable bureaucracy, draining the Forces of senior personnel needed for training and commanding troops. On top of that, Gen. Hillier's staff grew to more than 100 and too often micromanaged what should have been the work of the four commands.

Unfortunately, Canada's military is too small to carry an American-style command structure. Turf wars and duplication have abounded. A report brought down by three former senior officers recommended the new setup be blown up - but not until after the Olympics and Afghanistan were out of the way. 

Anyone who thinks such organizational details are not newsworthy should understand that this muddle has created major problems, and Gen. Hillier's successor is going to have to untangle them or face unsustainable financial and personnel problems.

Meanwhile, Canada's commitment in Afghanistan has been sucking the marrow out of the Forces' bones. Skilled trades have been leaving for domestic jobs; recruitment has barely kept up with attrition; Ottawa cut its commitment to increase the Forces' regulars by 15,000 to 10,000, and cut its commitment to increase the Reserves to 10,000 down to 1,000.

The Harper government has announced it will increase military spending by 1.5 per cent per year until 2011, at which point increases will rise to 2 per cent annually. Even if military costs rose at the same level as the consumer price index, military spending would probably shrink every year under this plan, in terms of spending real dollars adjusted for inflation.

But military costs increase more quickly than the CPI, primarily because of ever-advancing technology, so spending after adjustments are made for inflation will shrink even more. We need to hold defence spending at a reasonable percentage of GDP, as other countries do.

There aren't a lot of votes in defence spending, and this government, which likes to parade around in fatigues, is the latest in a string of governments to starve Canada's military. Consider this: Pierre Elliott Trudeau was considered an enemy of the military, but some of his military budgets hit 2 per cent of GDP. Our current spending is 1.2 per cent of GDP - well below most middle-sized countries with similar interests, and second-lowest in NATO.

I estimate this government's stated budget plan for defence will drop that percentage to 0.87 per cent in 10 years. The Conference of Defence Associations estimates the percentage could fall as low as 0.77 per cent in 15 years.

In this year's strategic-needs reports, all three branches of the Forces projected dire deficiencies in their capacities to operate into the future under current funding projections. Whether you are a pacifist or a warmonger or somewhere in between, you should know that you can't defend your country's sovereignty and advance its interests in this world for pennies on the dollar.

This government will point to all kinds of expenditures it has made on expensive equipment. It will tell you that 1.5 per cent and 2 per cent annual expenditure increases are reasonable. But they are not reasonable when they won't even keep up with inflation, let alone get us out of the defensive hole Canada is quickly falling into.

The government, instead, should be committing to spending 2 per cent of GDP on defence, which would create a military budget of $35-billion in 2012. Its current blueprint won't get us to that figure until 2028. That means 16 years of serious underfunding.

Anyone who thinks Gen. Hillier succeeded in getting the government to revitalize our military better do the math.


----------



## GAP (11 Jun 2008)

*Articles found June 11, 2008*

Hillier defends right of soldier's father to call Afghan war 'stupid'
Article Link

HALIFAX — Canada's top soldier is defending the right of a father whose son died in Afghanistan last weekend to criticize the overseas mission.

Gen. Rick Hillier says David Snyder should speak his mind on the war even if the comments are difficult to hear. Snyder called the war in Afghanistan "stupid" and said he was concerned about his son deploying to the region.

Jonathan Snyder, who was a member of 1st Battalion Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry based in Edmonton, fell into a deep, unmarked well Saturday while on nighttime foot patrol west of Kandahar.

Hillier says he wasn't surprised to hear the comments, despite the fact that most - if not all - other relatives of fallen soldiers have supported the mission
More on link

Pak bolstering Taliban to counter India: Study
11 Jun 2008, 0245 hrs IST, TNN
Article Link

NEW DELHI: In what would bolster the assessment of Indian security agencies, an influential US think-tank has said that elements of Pakistan's ISI and Frontier Corps are aiding Taliban and al-Qaida militants in Afghanistan and a primary goal behind this strategy was to "balance" against India. 

The recently released study has said that despite nearly eight years of fighting since 9/11, US and other international actors still need to eliminate the support base of terror groups in Pakistan. The insurgents were being helped with medical aid, sanctuaries and safe passages in and out of Afghanistan. Not only did the Taliban ship arms, ammunition and supplies into Afghanistan from Pakistan, many suicide bombers came from Afghan refugee camps and components of IEDs — used with devastating effect to kill and maim coalition troops — were smuggled across the border to be assembled in safe houses in provinces like Kandahar. 

The not-so-covert efforts to fuel the insurgency in Afghanistan are of a piece with previous policy since the 1990s when Pakistan has sought to build up strategic depth against India by supporting regimes in Kabul. This has suited Islamabad's purpose of sending in a steady stream of jihadis into Jammu and Kashmir while using camps in Afghanistan for training terrorists. 
More on link

Pakistani soldiers killed in US-led attack  
June 11 2008 at 09:43AM  By Kamran Haider
Article Link

Islamabad - At least 10 Pakistani soldiers were killed on the Pakistani side of the Afghan border as US-led forces in Afghanistan attacked militants "infiltrating" Afghanistan, a security official said on Wednesday.

The soldiers were killed at a border post in the Mohmand region, opposite Afghanistan's Kunar province, late on Tuesday.

The incident comes as concern has been rising in Kabul and among Western forces fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan about Pakistani efforts to negotiate peace pacts to end militant violence on its side of the border.

"The militants launched a cross-border attack into Afghanistan. At least 10 of our soldiers were killed in a counter-offensive by forces in Afghanistan," said a senior Pakistani security official who declined to be identified.
More on link

Ottawa doubles aid for rebuilding Afghanistan
Dahla dam key part of $600-million for high-profile projects, but report warns that violence could worsen this year
STEVEN CHASE June 11, 2008
Article Link

OTTAWA -- The Harper government is doubling the amount of aid to Afghanistan over the final three years of Canada's military deployment there - for high-profile projects such as dam building - as part of an effort to demonstrate that the costly mission which has claimed 86 Canadian lives is bearing fruit.

But even as the Conservatives unveiled $600-million more for rebuilding Afghanistan, they also issued a report warning that insurgent attacks and criminal violence there could worsen this year.

"For the rest of 2008, security conditions are expected to remain stable at best, and might grow worse in coming months in some provinces," the report by the cabinet committee on Afghanistan said.

The Tories announced that new development priorities for Afghanistan will include three "signature projects" in Kandahar province, where Canadian soldiers operate:

Refurbishing the Dahla dam and an accompanying irrigation system to water 10,000 hectares of farmland.

Building or repairing 50 schools and training up to 3,000 teachers in Kandahar.

Vaccinating children in Kandahar as part of an international effort to eradicate polio in Afghanistan by 2009.

Yesterday's announcement is another step in the Conservatives' efforts to shift the public focus on Afghanistan away from the war - which it has admitted won't be over when Canadian soldiers come home in 2011 - and toward readily achievable successes.

"Canada alone cannot control outcomes in Afghanistan, a country at war," said the report, written by a cabinet committee led by Foreign Affairs Minister David Emerson.

"There will be setbacks along with successes. But Canada can focus its military and civilian efforts where they can likely do the most good."
More on link

Change of command
 TheStar.com - comment -June 10, 2008 
Article Link

What's the biggest challenge facing Canada's new chief of defence staff, Lt.-Gen. Walter Natynczyk? It's not winning the Afghan war or buying new fighter aircraft. It is building on the wave of support for the military that outgoing chief Gen. Rick Hillier generated with his bluff honesty, intelligence and drive. Natynczyk acknowledged as much at a Senate hearing earlier this month.

Hillier spoke truth to power. He raised eyebrows but earned respect by calling the Taliban "murderers and scumbags," by reminding Canadians the military is "not the public service ... our job is to be able to kill people," by shrugging off conflict with Prime Minister Stephen Harper's staff, and by contradicting the defence minister. Unsettling as this was to some, it was also a breath of fresh air.

While Natynczyk is a less colourful figure, he brings to the job battle-tested skills and an eloquence of his own: "The further you are from the sound of the guns, the less you understand," he cautions.

He saw Cold War duty in Germany, did peacekeeping in Cyprus, commanded Canadian troops in Bosnia, and served as deputy commander of the Multi-National Corps in Iraq. As Hillier's deputy he managed sweeping change and massive reinvestment.

Like Hillier, Natynczyk has already found himself setting the record straight. When Harper rolled out the Canada First Defence Strategy last month, it was Natynczyk who clarified that Ottawa will spend $50 billion on aircraft, warships and other equipment by 2031, not $30 billion as had been suggested by the Prime Minister.

Natynczyk will have his work cut out for him in further modernizing the Canadian Forces and selling the new defence posture. He must shift Canada's 2,500 troops in Kandahar from a counter-insurgency role to training Afghans and delivering aid until their tour ends in 2011. Meanwhile, the United Nations or allies may request our support elsewhere in the world. And the 2010 Vancouver Olympics loom.
More on link


----------



## MarkOttawa (11 Jun 2008)

Afghanistan: official developments
Conference of Defence Associations round-up, 11 June 2008
http://www.cdaforumcad.ca/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1213207067

Mark
Ottawa


----------



## geo (11 Jun 2008)

Afghanistan: British troops feel their hard work is not appreciated  

Telegraph.co.uk - UK 
By Thomas Harding in Zabul province and James Kirkup 
Last Updated: 11/06/2008 

British troops in Afghanistan are angry that the hard fighting they are doing is not fully appreciated by the public.

'We are doing our part out here defeating terrorism so it does no come back to our shores' Soldiers told the Telegraph that while American troops are welcomed home as heroes, their own sacrifices often go unacknowledged. 

This view is confirmed by the Ministry of Defence's private polling, which shows 48 per cent of people in Britain support the Afghan mission. 

While the figure has risen from 42 per cent earlier this year, work is now under way across Whitehall to improve the efforts to "sell" the conflict to the British people. 

"If you have nearly 8,000 people in Afghanistan, fighting and sometimes dying, you have a responsibility to do more to explain why they are there and what they are doing," a Government source said. 

The British death toll in Afghanistan reached 100 on Sunday with the death of three members of the Parachute Regiment. 

The MoD has now confirmed that British troops killed on operations or in terrorist attacks were to receive a posthumous award. 

Paratroopers feel that the deaths of three colleagues will mean little if the campaign is not properly valued at home. 

Major Adam Wilson, A Company commander in 3 Para, said: "Death is a fact of life that out here and in The Parachute Regiment we expect to take casualties. 

"But even though we have lost 100 men we are proud of the steps we have made and we want to get on with the job in hand. 

"We are doing our part out here defeating terrorism so it does no come back to our shores but I don't think people in the UK see us having a clear mission," he said. 

If the soldiers return home and don't feel valued "that will really hurt and make the guys question why we are here". 

He added that "little things" like the 10 per cent discount offered for flights with Virgin airlines, made a huge difference to soldiers feeling valued. 

Sgt Danny Leitch, 32, who trained two of the private soldiers killed on Sunday, realised that it was hard for civilians to understand the job troops were doing in Afghanistan. 

"But people can sleep easily in their beds at night in Britain - including my wife and two children - simply because of what we are doing out here," said the paratrooper. 

"People don't appreciate what we do back home, especially compared to America where soldiers are admired across the country. The public should pause and think for a minute that this is not an easy job to do."

UN: 2.5m Afghans are unable to buy food  

Written by www.quqnoos.com 
Tuesday, 10 June 2008  

Senior UN official warns of low harvest and 'severe' food shortages 

ABOUT 2.5 million people in Afghanistan are unable to buy food because of soaring prices, a senior United Nations official has said. 

The head of Afghanistan’s UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), Tekeste Ghebray Tekie, said low rainfall and the lack of melting snow have sparked “severe food shortages” in the country. 

Tekie urged the government and the international community to pay more attention to agriculture in Afghanistan. 

“Investment in agriculture will increase job opportunities, produce the required food and even provide a potential for Afghanistan to export food to other countries,” he said yesterday (Monday). 

The FAO predicts that the this year's food harvest in Afghanistan will be “significantly lower” than last year's. 

“This year, soaring food prices are an international problem; many countries are not selling food. It has become very difficult to import food, and therefore the solution is to produce the food here in Afghanistan,” Tekie said. 

Poor rainfall has triggered drought in many districts in Balkh province, forcing more than 2,000 families to leave their homes last week for the outskirts of the province’s capital, Mazar-e-Sharif. 

Many live in make-shift tents on the edge of the city and have eaten nothing for several days. 

They say the international community and the government have been slow to respond to the emergency. 

Terkie said the FAO has come up with a plan to ensure food security in the future. 

The FAO plans to distribute wheat and fertilizer to help about 3.4 million people, produce animal feed inside the country to reduce reliance on imports, introduce seeds that produce up to four times as much crop, set up grain reserves and improve irrigation. 

The plan will be put to donor countries at the up-coming Paris conference, which Tekie said will focus on Afghanistan’s agriculture sector. 

He said not enough money had been spent on the agriculture sector so far. 

The price of food has risen dramatically in recent months, forcing many to leave their homes for fear of starvation. 



Iran 'gives £1.2bn to terrorist groups that target British troops'  

Telegraph.co.uk, United Kingdom
By Damien McElroy 
Last Updated: 11/06/2008

Iran has a secret $2.5 billion (£1.2 billion) budget for supporting terrorist groups that target British troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, it has been claimed.

The funds were allocated by the Islamic Republic's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khameni to the Revolutionary Guard Quds Force, the opposition group National Council for Resistance of Iran said. 

"The Iran government is spending $2.5 billion in this financial year through the Qods Force in Iraq," said Hossein Abedini, a NCRI representative in London. "It could even be more because the commanders do not really face budgetary constraints in this regard." 

Iran provides training and weaponry to wide range of Shia militias in Iran and munitions made in its factories have been seized in Afghanistan. Highly engineered roadside bombs that have killed hundreds of troops are exclusively made by Iranian engineers.

"Experiments in more powerful explosive devices that are capable of piercing impenetrable armour is taking up the main effort in the regime's weaponry programme," said Hossein Abedini, a representative of the group that obtained the intelligence. 

"It is not just Iraq that Iran is using as a springboard for its attacks against the West, now the weapons are going to Afghanistan too, as part of Iran's threat to the West." 

The most sophisticated versions, an armour piercing device, is described as a significant upgrade of the most lethal weapon Iran exports. 

To ensure its production is not vulnerable to attack it has spread manufacture across three secret facilities. The NCRI identified 16 training centres for insurgents and 51 secret smuggling routes across Iran's borders. 

General David Petraeus, the senior coalition commander in Iraq, has accused Iran of direct involvement in many of the worst attacks on the coalition. He said: "There should be no question about the malign, lethal involvement and activities of the Quds Force in this country." 

A spokesman for British forces in Basra said that a huge arsenal of weaponry was uncovered after operations by the Iraqi Army last month. Captain Crispin Fordham said finds included 380 roadside bombs and 1,451 rocket-propelled grenades, as well as a handful of anti-aircraft missiles. 

Mr Abedini's NCRI, which was last month cleared of terrorism by the Court of Appeal, has documented the names of 31 Iranians and Iraqis who were instrumental players in the network. 

A handful of Iraqi officials named as key figures in smuggling weapons across the border are likely to have close contacts with British commanders as a result of their position in government-backed Badr militia. Individuals named included the head of the militia in Basra. The Badr militia is an off-shoot of the Supreme Iraqi Islamic Council, the largest party in Iraq's government. 

Iran's role in Iraq's civil war is complicated by the Islamic regime's close ties to Shia muslim leaders of the post-liberation Baghdad government.


----------



## MarkOttawa (11 Jun 2008)

Pentagon Defends Deadly Air Strike on Afghan-Pak Border
VOA, June 11
http://voanews.com/english/2008-06-11-voa54.cfm



> The Pentagon is defending a deadly air strike on the Pakistan-Afghan border that killed 11 Pakistani soldiers and drew strong protests from the government in Islamabad. VOA correspondent Meredith Buel has details from Washington.
> 
> Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell says the strike by three aircraft just inside the Pakistani border with Afghanistan is justifiable.
> 
> ...



US strikes undercut efforts on Pakistan-Afghan border
AP, June 11
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5h1aBshjF1CnfJ4noaEXA_Vb8dm-gD918443G0



> Whoever was to blame, the U.S. airstrikes that may have killed friendly fighters in Pakistan have inflamed the already touchy relations between Washington and Islamabad and could set back the struggle to stem violence along the Afghan border.
> 
> The bombings fueled anti-U.S. sentiment in Pakistan and raised fresh questions about cooperative efforts to root out terror suspects in the lawless region that American military leaders believe could spawn a new major attack against this country.
> 
> ...



Mark
Ottawa


----------



## MarkOttawa (13 Jun 2008)

ARTICLES FOUND JUNE 13

Nations offer Afghanistan aid, demand accountability
Afghans sought help for its $50 billion five-year plan as donors met in Paris June 12.
_CS Monitor_, June 13



> The people and villages of troubled Afghanistan will get substantial new aid – up to $16 billion – provided Kabul and President Hamid Karzai agree to greater United Nations oversight and clampdown measures on Afghan corruption and waste, world leaders said here Thursday...
> 
> Diplomats in Paris intimated that aid will be tied to Karzai's promises – affirmed here Thursday – to work in partnership with new UN special representative Kai Eide. The point was echoed most loudly in the hallways by Europeans, who trust Mr. Eide after his reform of operations in Kosovo. But US ambassador also termed Eide a needed "traffic cop" for aid...
> 
> ...



Afghanistan Analysis: The shifting battle against the Taliban
_Daily Telegraph_, June 13
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/afghanistan/2116289/Afghanistan-analysis-The-shifting-battle-against-the-Taliban.html



> Britain's counter-insurgency campaign against the Taliban is shifting from one phase into another.
> 
> The war of pitched battles is all but over. The Taliban's leadership structures have been ravaged by covert British special forces raids; their ability to coordinate operations largely curtailed.
> 
> ...



NATO seeks to replace Marine Afghan mission
Reuters, June 13
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080613/ts_nm/afghan_nato_dc



> NATO allies have yet to come up with replacements for a key deployment of some 3,000 U.S. Marines due to leave Afghanistan later this year, alliance officials said after talks on Friday.
> 
> The Pentagon sent the Marines to Afghanistan ahead of an expected rise in violence this year, but the troops are scheduled to return home in November and the United States is not expected to offer to keep them there any longer.
> 
> ...



Berlusconi Effusive in Welcoming President
Bush, in Rome Visit, Says Italian Troops to Take On Broader Mission in Afghanistan
_Washington Post_, June 13
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/12/AR2008061203777.html


> ...
> During Thursday's news conference, Bush said [Italian PM] Berlusconi had assured him that Italy had removed "caveats" that restricted the use of Italian troops in the areas of Afghanistan with the heaviest fighting against the Taliban [emphasis added]. Italy's previous resistance to sending any of its 2,700 troops in Afghanistan to those areas has prompted complaints from NATO and the United States...



A war that badly needs a definition of victory
_Financial Times_, June 13
http://us.ft.com/ftgateway/superpage.ft?news_id=fto061220081421394556&page=1



> The question that western donors to Afghanistan might have asked themselves at this week's Paris conference was an obvious one: why are we there? In the event it was easier to write the cheques. Winning in Afghanistan is perhaps the most consistent mantra of western security policy. As long, that is, as no one defines what is meant by winning...
> 
> Afghanistan is the good war - a conflict fought in self-defence and one, unlike Iraq, blessed from the outset by the international community. No dodgy intelligence here. Barack Obama won the Democratic nomination for the coming US presidential election promising to pull out US troops from Iraq. He wants a bigger effort in Afghanistan...
> 
> ...



Mark
Ottawa


----------



## Colin Parkinson (13 Jun 2008)

Militants free prisoners from Kandahar prison
900 believed to have been freed after explosives attack
Last Updated: Friday, June 13, 2008 | 3:45 PM ET Comments7Recommend17CBC News 
Militants have attacked the main prison in the southern Afghan city of Kandahar, killing an unspecified number of police officers and setting hundreds of prisoners free, Afghan officials said Friday.

Around 10 p.m., Taliban insurgents drove a car filled with explosives up to Sarposa prison's gate and detonated it, destroying the gate and killing all police officers in the vicinity, CBC's Paul Hunter reported from Kandahar.

About 900 of the estimated 1,170 prisoners are believed to have escaped and may be roaming the streets of Kandahar City, said Hunter. About 200, mostly juveniles, were reportedly still in the facility.

Officials would not confirm the number of escaped prisoners.

Witnesses reported seeing Canadian tanks roll into the city about an hour after the incident.

Canadian Forces are in command of Kandahar and most of the roughly 2,500 Canadian troops in Afghanistan are stationed there.

The prison, the largest detention facility in Kandahar province, housed both common criminals and captured Taliban militants who had been fighting NATO troops and the Afghan government.

Officials with NATO's International Security Assistance Force said they are aware of the attack, but had no details.

http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2008/06/13/afghanistan-prison.html#socialcomments


----------



## GAP (14 Jun 2008)

*Articles found June 14, 2008*

Bomb kills 4 US troops in Afghanistan
By JASON STRAZIUSO – 1 hour ago 
Article Link

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — A roadside bomb exploded near a U.S. military vehicle on Saturday, killing four Americans in western Afghanistan in the deadliest attack against U.S. troops in the country this year, officials said.

The bomb in the western province of Farah targeted U.S. personnel helping to train Afghanistan's fledgling police force, said U.S. spokesman Lt. Col. David Johnson. One other American was wounded in the attack.

Marines from the 2nd Battalion, 7th Regiment based in Twentynine Palms, California, arrived in Afghanistan earlier this year and were sent to southern and western Afghanistan to train police. However, Johnson said he could not immediately confirm that the four personnel killed were Marines.
More on link

Pakistan's Border Badlands Are a Challenge for the Next President
Eliminating Pakistan's havens for al Qaeda and the Taliban is a goal for either McCain or Obama
By Anna Mulrine Posted June 13, 2008
Article Link

Kunar Province, Afghanistan—In the lush heart of the Kunar River basin, where valleys active with enemy forces snake toward the border with Pakistan, U.S. military units have been picking up some compelling intelligence. The insurgent groups striking U.S. outposts here seem to be having trouble paying their recruits, because of the rising cost of ammunition. This financial squeeze, U.S. officials believe, is the result of a newly paved road that makes it easier for Afghan security forces to interdict smuggled wares, driving up the cost of weapons coming from nearby Pakistan.

In this easternmost American outpost in Afghanistan, U.S. officials are anxious for such signs that they are making some headway against the Taliban fighters, who pay little attention to the porous mountain border that bisects the traditional Pashtun tribal lands. It's a border that limits the reach of American and Afghan troops and provides the Taliban and al Qaeda members a safe haven and a steady source of supplies.

This rugged territory of towering mountains and deep-rooted tribal loyalties will figure prominently on the national security to-do list of the next president. He will have to find ways to persuade Pakistani officials—some of whom are lending support to the Taliban—to go after extremists in the so-called Federally Administered Tribal Areas, where Osama bin Laden is also thought to be hiding. Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, last week said that al Qaeda leaders there are plotting new attacks on the United States and that Pakistan has not done enough to stop them. The Government Accountability Office, in a report issued in April, sharply criticized the Bush administration for failing to effectively target these sanctuaries. And a Pentagon-funded Rand study issued last week stresses the need to eliminate the insurgents' support base in Pakistan. "The failure to do so," it says, "will cripple long-term efforts to stabilize and rebuild Afghanistan."
More on link

Kabul pressured to stamp out corruption  
Nations attending Paris conference promise additional $22 billion for development projects in Afghanistan
Jun 13, 2008 04:30 AM Mitch Potter EUROPE BUREAU
Article Link

PARIS–Rallying to the struggle for Afghanistan, international donors exceeded expectations yesterday with aid pledges of nearly $22 billion in a collective gesture representing a new emphasis on development over military action.

With many of the more than 80 countries and international organizations on hand in Paris padding their promises with previously announced contributions, confusion abounded over the true heft of commitments as the day-long donors conference unfolded. 

But in the end, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner pegged the final tally at $21.9 billion – a figure hailed by some of Afghanistan's most dedicated aid overseers as above and beyond their best hopes.

"This is just an unbelievable result – very supportive of Afghanistan, very supportive of better co-ordination and aid effectiveness," said Chris Alexander, the former Canadian ambassador to Afghanistan, who has prolonged his stay in Kabul to work as special representative for the UN commissioner.
More on link

Afghan mothers-to-be face dangerous journey
They travel at night on back roads from rural areas to get ultrasounds and other medical attention 
KATHERINE O'NEILL From Friday's Globe and Mail June 13, 2008 at 4:10 AM EDT
Article Link

KANDAHAR CITY, AFGHANISTAN — Only when Shala lifts up her shapeless, lavender-coloured burka, can you tell that the 32-year-old Afghan woman is with child.

Almost four months pregnant, the mother of three has made the dangerous journey to Kandahar city from her home in rural Panjwai district to get an ultrasound.

Shala and her husband travelled part of the 50-kilometre distance by donkey and avoided all major roads for fear of hitting a homemade bomb. They also left at night and wore old clothes to avoid attracting attention from Taliban insurgents warring with Canadian soldiers.

Since the repressive Taliban regime was toppled in late 2001, Afghanistan, which has one of the highest infant and maternal mortality rates in the world, has vastly improved health-care services for mothers and their babies.
More on link

Britain sends 200 extra troops to Afghanistan
By James Kirkup  Last Updated: 7:43AM BST 14/06/2008
More British troops are to be sent to Afghanistan, the Government will announce next week. 
Article Link

The Daily Telegraph has learned that reinforcements are being deployed as British forces face fierce resistance from the Taliban and doubts grow about the West's strategy in Afghanistan. 

Five men from the Parachute Regiment have been killed in Afghanistan this week, taking the British death toll in the country to 102. 

Britain has 7,800 troops in Afghanistan and Des Browne, the defence secretary, will tell MPs on Monday that at least 200 more are being deployed
More on link

Militants kill five Pakistan tribesmen: official
Article Link

MIRANSHAH, Pakistan (AFP) — Taliban militants have shot dead five Pakistani tribesmen they suspected were spying for foreign forces in neighbouring Afghanistan, a local official said Friday.

The victims were staying in a house in Dattakhel town in troubled North Waziristan tribal district when the Taliban attacked them late Thursday, the official, who did not wish to be identified, told AFP.

One of them was a contractor who supplied food to US-led troops based in Afghanistan, the official added.

"We believe they were killed because Taliban suspected them of spying for the coalition forces in Afghanistan," he said.

North Waziristan has been singled out by US officials as the international headquarters for Osama bin Laden's resurgent Al-Qaeda network, allied with local pro-Taliban militants.
More on link


----------



## geo (14 Jun 2008)

Lieutenant Colonel shot by Taliban is most senior Afghanistan casualty  

Telegraph.co.uk, United Kingdom 
By John Bingham 
Last Updated: 13/06/2008 

A battalion commander has been shot in the leg during an operation in Afghanistan, becoming the most senior British officer injured in action in the country.

A battalion commander has been shot in the leg during an operation in Afghanistan, becoming the most senior British officer injured in action in the country. Lieutenant Colonel David Richmond, Commanding Officer of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, 5th Battalion the Royal Regiment of Scotland, was leading an operation near Musa Qaleh in Helmand Province on Thursday when he was hit by a Taliban bullet. 

It is understood that the 41-year-old was caught "out in the open" during an engagement with enemy forces. He was airlfted straight to a field hospital. 

The Ministry of Defence refused to comment on how serious his injury is. 

But despite receiving treatment in Afghanistan, he is due to be flown back to Britain for further medical attention at Selly Oak Hospital in Birmingham. 

He is the most senior army officer to be counted among casaulty lists in Afghanistan. 

Two years ago Wing Commander John Coxen of the RAF - whose rank was equivalent to Lieutenant Colonel in the Army - was among five service personnel killed when a Lynx helicopter crashed in Iraq. 

The most senior British officer to have died during the current war in Afghanistan was Major Alexis Roberts, of 2nd Battalion, The Royal Gurkha Rifles, who was killed by a roadside bomb in October last year. 

Maj Adam Fairrie of 5 Scots said: "The Commanding Officer has received the very best medical care following him sustaining a gunshot wound to the leg. 

"He will be returning to Selly Oak in due course. 

"His thoughts are very much with the families of the members of the Parachute Regiment who died in other incidents this week, and also with his Battalion who, along with all the coalition, are continuing to make progress in Afghanistan." 



Britain sends 200 extra troops to Afghanistan  

Telegraph.co.uk, United Kingdom 
By James Kirkup 
Last Updated: 14/06/2008 

More British troops are to be sent to Afghanistan, the Government will announce next week. The Daily Telegraph has learned that reinforcements are being deployed as British forces face fierce resistance from the Taliban and doubts grow about the West's strategy in Afghanistan. 

Five men from the Parachute Regiment have been killed in Afghanistan this week, taking the British death toll in the country to 102. 

Britain has 7,800 troops in Afghanistan and Des Browne, the defence secretary, will tell MPs on Monday that at least 200 more are being deployed. 

The increase will take British numbers in Afghanistan above 8,000 for the first time. 

The reinforcement may add to fears that Britain is being sucked into an unwinnable fight in southern Afghanistan. 

Earlier this week, the Daily Telegraph revealed that British diplomats have warned Gordon Brown in confidential briefing documents that the Afghan drug trade and the corruption of the country's government will prolong the insurgency against UK forces. 

Ministers reject suggestions that the British mission lacks a clear strategy, and many British troops in Afghanistan are frustrated that their tactical victories over the Taliban are not fully appreciated in the UK. 

Mr Browne is expected to tell MPs on Monday that progress is being made in Afghanistan, with 

But he is unlikely to be able to give any indication about when British numbers in the country will start to decline, and there are signs that the mission could last for many years to come. 

Last month, Britain agreed to take on full command of NATO troops in southern Afghanistan for a 12 month period starting next November. 

Previously, command of the region rotated between NATO members every nine months. 

The 200-man reinforcement to be announced next week is smaller than that first recommended by an MoD review of British force levels in Afghanistan. 

At a cabinet sub-committee meeting in March, ministers had agreed to send as many as 450 extra troops. 

Patrick Mercer, a Conservative MP and former Army commander, said that ministers are only starting to realise the scale of the military challenge in Afghanistan. 

He said: "I think you have got to take a gentle glance at British history and Soviet history with the Afghans to know that when they start fighting, they fight. 

"I think there has been a corporate intake of breath at the Ministry of Defence which has been used, since the Korean War, to relatively bloodless fights. 

"Now we are going back to the battles our fathers and grandfathers experienced."



Canada won't leave until Afghan work done, says parliamentarian

Canada.com, Canada 
Peter O'Neil 
Canwest News Service 
Published: Thursday, June 12, 2008 
PARIS 

Canada, one of numerous countries pledging money at a conference here aimed at ramping up western government and public support for the Afghanistan mission, won't follow through on its promise to end its military role in Kandahar in 2011, an Afghan parliamentarian predicted Thursday. 

Dr. Zalmai, chairman of a National Assembly committee responsible for dealing with corruption complaints, said he's confident Canada won't withdraw its 2,500 troops from Kandahar until the international community decides Afghanistan is ready. 

``We are with the people of Canada, we appreciate their sacrificing, their help, their contributing to the reconstruction of Afghanistan,'' said Zalmai, who goes by only one name. 

``As a parliamentarian I'm sure Canada will remain with us. They will never leave the Afghan people,'' he said. 

His comments, made prior to Foreign Affairs Minister David Emerson's presentation to the conference, echo those of two members of a Senate committee that tabled a report Wednesday assessing Canada's progress in Afghanistan. 

Liberal Senator Colin Kenny, chairman of the Senate's national security and defence committee, and Conservative Senator Michael Meighen both said they doubted Canada will be able to pull out its troops by then. 

One analyst said the Canadian government and Parliament are erring by setting a strict departure time. 

Thomas Ruttig, former senior official to both the European Union and the United Nations on Afghanistan matters, said departure times help the Taliban intimidate Afghans who are tempted to co-operate with western soldiers and aid workers. 

``Of course the Taliban go around saying, `we have all the time in the world, we'll just wait until all these guys are gone,''' Ruttig told Canwest News Service. 

The daylong conference opened Thursday with speeches by French President Nicolas Sarkozy, Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai, and United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon. 

Ban praised Karzai's government for promising to stamp out corruption, but said action has to be put behind those words with prosecutions against high- level offenders in government. 

``I applaud Afghanistan for signing the United Nations Convention Against Corruption, and I urge the government to take active measures to ensure that it is implemented,'' Ban said. 

Karzai, meanwhile, painted a rosy picture of his country's achievements and future objectives in areas such as economic growth, democratic development and human rights. 

He called for a long-term international commitment to his country and said Afghanistan's needs include an emphasis on dam rehabilitation and agriculture. 

Emerson is expected to share details about Canada's recent announcement that it will increase development and reconstruction aid to Afghanistan from $1.3 billion to $1.9 billion over the 10-year period ending in 2011, when Canada has said it will end its ``military presence'' in Kandahar province. 

Canada, one of the world's largest aid donors to Afghanistan, will target the money towards three ``signature'' projects - the rehabilitation of a dam in order to create jobs and boost the agriculture economy in Afghanistan, the construction or renovation of 50 schools, and an expansion of a polio immunization program. 

The United States, France, Germany, Japan and the World Bank also pledged billions of dollars more in reconstruction aid to Afghanistan in combined contributions. 

- with a file from Agence France Presse



Prince Charles was 'worried' during Harry's Afghanistan service  

Telegraph.co.uk, United Kingdom 
By John Bingham 
Last Updated: 13/06/2008 

The Prince of Wales spoke openly on Friday of the "worrying" times he endured when his son Prince Harry was fighting in Afghanistan. Speaking to soldiers who served in Helmand Province and their families, he told of his experiences as one of those "left behind" . 

Charles - who is Colonel-in-Chief of the Parachute Regiment which this week lost five of its members in just four days - made his comments as he presented campaign medals to 176 members of 3 Regiment, Army Air Corps at RAF Wattisham in Suffolk. 

The squadron provided air cover in Apache helicopters to ground troops in Helmand Province - a role which would have brought some of them unwittingly into contact with Harry during his time working as a Forward Air Controller earlier this year.

Drawing from his own experiences Charles told them: "I know as a parent just what it's like being left behind, worrying what is happening to your son or daughter. 

"I do understand something of what families are putting up with, day-in, day-out." 

Harry, 23, flew to Helmand Province secretly in December ahead of what was to be a four-month delpoyment but was forced to return to Britain after just over 10 weeks at the end of February when foreign websites broke a media blackout agreement. 

"I can speak with a little more understanding of this after my youngest son spent some time out in Afghanistan," Charles said. 

"I think some of you may have been out there when he was out there. 

"Some of you may have been controlled by him when you were flying around in Apaches. 

"I have heard some interesting stories from people who have been controlled by him. I hope he did the right thing. I am sure he did." 

After serving alongside a company of Gurkhas at Garmsir in the south of Helmand, Harry spent time as a Spartan armoured vehicle troop leader patrolling deserts surrounding the former Taliban stronghold of Musa Qaleh enduring freezing night-time temperartures. 

"I understand that you've had to endure varying kinds of weather conditions - boiling heat, freezing cold, day in, day out," Charles told the soldiers. 

"We are incredibly lucky that there are so many people like you, at a very young age frequently, who are prepared to do this. 

"I often wonder how many people in this country realise just what it can take to be out there for six months." 

He added: "You are an immense credit to this country, you really are."



US prison plans lead to tension in Afghanistan

guardian.co.uk, UK 
McClatchy newspapers 
Friday June 13 2008 

News that the US plans to spend $60m to build a 40-acre detention facility at its main military base in Bargram north of Kabul to replace an existing prison at the same site has set off speculation that Washington intends to create a new version of its controversial jail at Guantánamo Bay naval base in Cuba, where hundreds of detainees have been held since 2001. 

Pentagon officials hotly deny the idea, while confirming plans to replace the existing facility. 

"This is not going to be Guantánamo II," said Lieutenant Colonel Rumi Nielson-Green, a spokeswoman for Combined Joint Task Force 101, based at Bagram. 

"That is absolutely false." Last month, published reports revealed the Pentagon's plans to replace the current jail, which was originally built during the Soviet occupation of the country in the late 1970s. 

"There will be a great deal of improvement in the quality of life (for detainees)" in the new facility, Nielson-Green said. "There will be a lot more floor space and much more room for communal activities, which is part of their culture." 

She added that the new prison would include educational and recreational facilities, as well as areas where detainees can meet their families. 

The current jail, which houses about 625 prisoners, conjures up images of arrest, torture and humiliation for many Afghans. In 2002, two detainees were killed there after being repeatedly struck by their American guards. 

And over the years, there have been numerous allegations of abuse at the facility, with prisoners claiming to have been sexually humiliated, beaten, stripped naked and thrown down stairs during their interrogations. 

Nielson-Green denies that detainees at Bagram have been ill-treated. 

"(They) are not being mistreated and abused," she insisted. "We adhere to all international agreements, including the Geneva Convention." 

But there are serious health risks to both detainees and American military personnel who work at the Bagram prison, because of their exposure to heavy metals from the aircraft-repair machinery and asbestos, according to other Pentagon officials. 

"It's just not suitable," said an unnamed Pentagon official quoted recently in the New York Times. "At some point, you have to say, 'That's it. This place was not made to keep people there indefinitely.'" 

Until September 2004, Bagram served largely as a way station for prisoners being shipped on to Guantánamo. Since then, however, those transfers have largely stopped and the prison's population has been climbing ever since. 

US officials deny allegations that children as young as 9 have been imprisoned at the facility. 

Earlier this month, the Afghan Human Rights Organisation released a report alleging that children aged between 9 and 13 were being held at Bagram. 

And last month, the US appeared to acknowledge that it might inadvertently be holding youngsters at the facility in a report to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child. 

"That is absolutely false," said military spokeswoman Nielson-Green. "We have no children at Bagram." Meanwhile, plans for the new prison apparently came as a complete surprise to Afghan officials with the nation's ministry of justice. 

"We know nothing about a new prison being built at Bagram," said one ministry official who declined to be named because he is not authorised to speak to the press. 

"There has been no agreement with the ministry of justice. We cannot speak about this." Members of the Afghan parliament also pleaded ignorance of the plans. 

"This issue has not been referred to parliament," said Shukria Barakzai, a member of the lower house. She insisted that parliamentary action would be required before construction can start. 

"According to the laws of Afghanistan, the land cannot be given away," she said. "No country has a right to make a prison here. And not a single criminal should be handed over to foreigners. This prison at Bagram not only violates the constitution, it calls into question the legitimacy of the present government." 

President Hamid Karzai refused to comment on the issue. 

But others say plans for the new prison have become an issue between Washington and Kabul. 

"The government will not say this formally, but this issue has been raised between high-ranking authorities of Afghanistan and the United States," said Fazel Rahman Oria, editor of Erada Daily newspaper. 

"It shows the climate of distrust between the two countries." Oria also speculated that building a massive detention facility could deepen growing resentment of the foreign military presence in the country. 

"There will be a negative social and psychological impact," he said. "On the one hand, it will damage the relationship between the people and the government of Afghanistan, which is bad enough already. It will provide ammunition to the opposition, who will tell the people, 'Yes, your resistance is justified. America is here forever, the Afghan government is a puppet.'" Some, however, seem resigned to America's plans. 

"We have all accepted that one day we, or one of our relatives, will be killed or imprisoned," said Sher Ahmad, a taxi driver who said he fought against the Soviets in the 1980s. 

"If our detainees are sent to Guantánamo, we cannot see them for years. At least if they are here, we have some contact. And one day these Americans will leave, and we will get the building."


----------



## GAP (15 Jun 2008)

*Articles found June 15, 2008*

Taliban prison break 'a small splash'
General says freed insurgents won't increase troops' risk
Stephane Massinon and Doug Schmidt, Canwest News Service and Calgary Herald
Published: Sunday, June 15, 2008
Article Link

Canada's top soldier downplayed a spectacular, commando-style prison break in Afghanistan on Saturday, where hundreds of captured Taliban insurgents were set free.

Outgoing Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Rick Hillier, in Calgary for a Military Families Fund fundraiser, said soldiers weren't at higher risk after the escape of an estimated 800 prisoners -- among them Taliban.

"What I would emphasize is it's a small splash in the pond," Hillier said Sunday evening. "We understand the Taliban are not 10 feet tall, but they are capable. At times, they can pull off an operation like this."
More on link

Four U.S. Marines killed in Afghanistan
Article Link

 A roadside bomb killed four U.S. Marines in Afghanistan Saturday, the U.S. military said.

It is the deadliest single attack against American troops this year in Afghanistan, according to military figures compiled by CNN.

Another service member was seriously wounded in the attack, which happened during a combat operation in the Farah province of southwestern Afghanistan, the military said.

The Marines, from the 2nd Battalion, 7th Regiment, are part of Combined Joint Task Force Phoenix that has the mission to train and mentor the Afghan National Army and Afghan National Police. 

The attack comes during an eruption of violence in southern Afghanistan.

Hundreds of Taliban fighters captured over the past six years escaped to freedom late Friday after militants attacked the main prison in Afghanistan's Kandahar province where they were being held, provincial authorities said.

Around 100 militants attacked coalition troops in Uruzgan province in southern Afghanistan early Friday, a strike that one U.S. general called the largest militant attack this year against troops. Fighting in that same region of Uruzgan also left 17 militants dead Thursday night.
More on link

American-led war on terror cannot be allowed to spread into Pakistan's Pashtun tribal area
By ERIC MARGOLIS, TORONTO SUN 
Article Link

The killing of 11 Pakistani soldiers by U.S. air and artillery strikes last week shows just how quickly the American-led war in Afghanistan is spreading into neighbouring Pakistan. 

Pakistan's military branded the air attack "unprovoked and cowardly." There was outrage across Pakistan. However, the unstable government in Islamabad, which depends on large infusions of U.S. aid, later softened its protests. 

The U.S., which used a B-1 heavy bomber and F-15 strike aircraft in the attacks, called its action, "self-defence." 

This latest U.S. attack on Pakistan could not come at a worse time. Supreme Court justices ousted by the Pervez Musharraf dictatorship staged national protests this week, underscoring the illegality of Musharraf's continuing presidency and its unseemly support by the U.S., Britain, Canada and France. Asif Zardari, head of the ruling Pakistan People's Party, shamefully joined Musharraf in opposing restoration of the justice system out of fear the reinstated judges would reopen long-festering corruption charges against him 

Attacks by U.S. aircraft, Predator hunter-killer drones, U.S. Special Forces and CIA teams have been rising steadily inside Pakistan's autonomous Pashtun tribal area known by the acronym, FATA. The Pashtun, who make up half Afghanistan's population and 15% of Pakistan's, straddle the border, which they reject as a leftover of Imperial Britain's divide and rule policies. 

Instead of intimidating the pro-Taliban Pakistani Pashtun, U.S. air and artillery strikes have ignited a firestorm of anti-western fury among FATA's warlike tribesmen and increased their support for the Taliban. 

The U.S. is emulating Britain's colonial divide and rule tactics by offering up to $500,000 to local Pashtun tribal leaders to get them to fight pro-Taliban elements, causing more chaos in the already turbulent region, and stoking tribal rivalries. The U.S. is using this same tactic in Iraq and Afghanistan. 
More on link

15 killed in hunt for escaped inmates
By JASON STRAZIUSO – 5 hours ago 
Article Link

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — U.S.-led coalition and Afghan forces killed more than 15 insurgents during a hunt for inmates who fled prison after a sophisticated Taliban attack that set hundreds free, while Afghan forces recaptured 20 prisoners, officials said Sunday.

The U.S. said it couldn't immediately confirm that any of the 15 killed were escaped prisoners. Five militants were also captured during the Saturday operation, it said.

The provincial police chief of Kandahar province has said 870 prisoners — including some 400 Taliban militants — escaped from the Kandahar prison during a coordinated assault on the facility by dozens of insurgents late Friday.

The chief, Sayed Agha Saqib, said Sunday that Afghan police and army soldiers have recaptured 20 prisoners, including seven former Taliban inmates.

The coalition said the 15 insurgents it killed were in a farming compound in Kandahar province and that the combined forces used air strikes to destroy it after insurgents fired at them.
More on link

How Taliban sprang 450 terrorists from Kandahar's Sarposa prison in Afghanistan
By Tom Coghlan in southern Afghanistan and Colin Freeman 
Last Updated: 1:23AM BST 15/06/2008
With the latest outrage, the insurgency has shown that its ability to stage 'spectaculars' is undiminished by setbacks in the field 
Article Link

Overlooking the dusty road into one of Afghanistan's most lawless cities, the newly-painted guard towers of ­Kandahar's Sarposa prison are supposed to be a reminder to local people of how justice has finally come to town. 

In recent years, coalition ­officials have spent millions turning the 60-year-old building into a showcase facility for Afghanistan's new government, issuing guards with crisp new uniforms and giving them lessons on how to treat their charges humanely. 

Rather less attention, however, seems to have been spent on the jail's most basic function – security. 
More on link


----------



## MarkOttawa (15 Jun 2008)

Karzai: I'll send troops to Pakistan
AP, June 15
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080615.wkarzai0615/BNStory/International/home



> Afghan President Hamid Karzai threatened Sunday to send Afghan troops across the border to fight militants in Pakistan, a forceful warning to insurgents and the Pakistani government that his country is fed up with cross-border attacks.
> 
> Mr. Karzai said Afghanistan has the right to self defence, and because militants cross over from Pakistan “to come and kill Afghan and kill coalition troops, it exactly gives us the right to do the same.”
> 
> ...



A Sober Assessment of Afghanistan
Outgoing U.S. Commander Cites 50% Spike in Attacks in East
_Washington Post_, June 15
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/14/AR2008061401639.html



> The outgoing top U.S. military commander in Afghanistan said Friday that attacks increased 50 percent in April in the country's eastern region, where U.S. troops primarily operate, as a spreading Taliban insurgency across the border in Pakistan fueled a surge in violence.
> 
> In a sober assessment, Gen. Dan K. McNeill, who departed June 3 after 16 months commanding NATO's International Security Assistance Force, or ISAF, said that although record levels of foreign and Afghan troops have constrained repeated Taliban offensives, stabilizing Afghanistan will be impossible without a more robust military campaign against insurgent havens in Pakistan.
> 
> ...



A bloody risky way to beat the Taliban
The deaths of five paras last week were not in vain - a new British strategy is starting to stabilise Afghanistan
_Sunday Times_, June 15
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article4136791.ece


> ...
> Whatever grinding progress is now being made in Helmand – and there are real grounds for being optimistic – it is hard to argue that its people have been made better off as a result of the war that erupted when British troops first arrived in the province in the summer of 2006.
> 
> With thinking derived from the counter-insurgency campaign in Malaya in the 1950s, a careful and modest British plan was in place in 2006 to secure a development zone in the centre of the province to create an “ink-spot” of security within which development – rebuilding schools, roads, hospitals, etc – could take place and from which government influence could spread.
> ...



Mark
Ottawa


----------



## GAP (16 Jun 2008)

*Articles found June 16, 2008*

Freed Taliban infiltrate rural areas
KATHERINE O'NEILL From Monday's Globe and Mail June 15, 2008 at 10:00 PM EDT
Article Link

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan — About 400 Taliban militants freed during a spectacular prison break in Kandahar have flooded into nearby restive rural areas patrolled by Canadian troops, and even as far east as Pakistan, according to a senior insurgent commander.

The 40-year-old Taliban leader told The Globe and Mail by telephone Sunday that a small fleet of motorbikes and cars was waiting for the prisoners Friday after about 30 insurgents used suicide attacks, rocket-propelled grenades and guns to break into the Sarpoza Provincial Prison about 9:30 p.m. after blowing open the front gates.

Most of the Taliban prisoners were first taken to villages in the turbulent Panjwai district and given money, the commander said. From there they scattered in different directions, including nearby Helmand province, Kabul and Pakistan. "Many of them have gone to their homes."

Locals living in the Panjwai district, a rural area west of Kandahar that Canadian troops have fought hard to keep out of insurgent hands, confirmed seeing numerous former Taliban prisoners in their villages.
More on link

US general questions Pakistani forces’ loyalty
* Criticises lack of Pakistani pressure on militants
By Khalid Hasan
Article Link

WASHINGTON: Gen Dan K McNeill, the outgoing US commander in Afghanistan, on Sunday declined to endorse a US-funded programme to train and equip Pakistan Frontier Corps, questioning the effectiveness and loyalty of the force. 
The Washington Post quoted McNeill as saying, “It takes well-trained, well-equipped and disciplined forces to take this thing on. The Pakistanis, in using the Frontier Corps as a military entity to take on the insurgency, will find some challenges.”
McNeill referred to two instances in which the guards have shot and killed US soldiers, saying he would be “forever scarred” by what he described as the “assassination” of Maj Larry J Bauguess Jr of the 82nd Airborne Division after a border meeting last spring. Another soldier was shot in the neck and killed by a Frontier Corps guard in 2002, he recalled.
McNeill said that there was a threat of co-operation between home-grown insurgents and outside extremist groups. “The greatest risk is the possibility of collusion between the insurgents who are indigenous to that region and the more intractable, the more extreme terrorists who are taking up residence there in the North-West Frontier,” the former commander said.

Criticism:
McNeill criticised Pakistani efforts to crack down on that threat, and described the political situation in Islamabad as “dysfunctional”. He also criticised efforts by the Pakistani government’s peace negotiation with insurgents on the frontier, saying past agreements had led to increased attacks across the border in Afghanistan.
“What’s missing is action to keep pressure on the insurgents.” For four months, Pakistan’s army chief, the report claimed, has failed to agree to attend a meeting that Afghanistan, Pakistan and the United States have held in recent years on border problems.
He alleged that the Taliban are “resurgent in the region”, particularly in sanctuaries in Pakistan, and “it’s going to be difficult to take on this insurgent group in the broader sort of way”.
More on link

Karzai Threatens to Send Soldiers Into Pakistan  
By CARLOTTA GALL Published: June 16, 2008
Article Link

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan threatened on Sunday to send soldiers into Pakistan to fight militant groups operating in the border areas to attack Afghanistan. His comments, made at a news conference in Kabul, Afghanistan, are likely to worsen tensions between the countries, just days after American forces in Afghanistan killed 11 Pakistani soldiers on the border while pursuing militants. 
More on link

U.S. soldiers rarely disciplined for detainee abuse at Afghanistan prison
By TOM LASSETER McClatchy Newspapers
Article Link

Second of two parts.

KABUL, Afghanistan — American soldiers herded the detainees into holding pens of razor-sharp concertina wire.

The guards kicked, kneed and punched many of the men until they collapsed in pain. U.S. troops shackled and dragged other detainees to small isolation rooms, then hung them by their wrists from chains dangling from the wire mesh ceiling.

Former guards and detainees whom McClatchy interviewed said Bagram was a center of systematic brutality for at least 20 months, starting in late 2001. Yet the soldiers responsible have escaped serious punishment.

The public outcry in the U.S. and abroad has focused on detainee abuse at the U.S. naval base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq, but sadistic violence first appeared at Bagram, north of Kabul, and at a similar U.S. internment camp at Kandahar Airfield in southern Afghanistan.

Nazar Chaman Gul, an Afghan who was held at Bagram for more than three months in 2003, said he was beaten about every five days. U.S. soldiers would walk into the pen where he slept on the floor and ram their combat boots into his back and stomach, Gul said. "Two or three of them would come in suddenly, tie my hands and beat me," he said.

When the kicking started, Gul said, he’d cry out, "I am not a terrorist," then beg God for mercy. Mercy was slow in coming. He was shipped to Guantanamo around the late summer of 2003 and imprisoned there for more than three years.

According to Afghan officials and a review of his case, Gul wasn’t a member of al Qaeda or of the extremist Taliban government that ran Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001. At the time he was detained, he was working as a fuel depot guard for the U.S.-backed Afghan government.
More on link

'Our soldiers are our best citizens': MacKay
Minister says defence poses unique challenges
Donna Jacobs, The Ottawa Citizen Published: Monday, June 16, 2008
Article Link

'For too long," says Defence Minister Peter MacKay, Canada treated its soldiers returning from raw combat duty with the attitude of "suck it up, soldier."

To seek help to heal the scars of war has long been tantamount to weakness: "Go back another generation or two," he says. "People got off the train or the boat and they were on their own.

"We've tried to change that," he says.

Retiring Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Rick Hillier and the current military leadership "deserve a lot of credit," along with several parliamentary committees.

But, he says, military tradition, which is necessarily strong, "also makes it difficult to change a mindset and an attitude."

In the past few years, the Canadian Forces has doubled the number of mental health professionals to 400. They include a team at the Canadian Forces base in Kandahar, Afghanistan, so a soldier starts to recover, says Mr. MacKay, "in the earliest stage."

He says he works very closely with (Veterans Affairs Minister) Greg Thompson to provide support for the soldiers who come home injured or suffering from post-traumatic stress.
More on link

Publicly available document stamped 'secret' by military
David ******** ,  Canwest News Service Published: Sunday, June 15, 2008
Article Link

The Canadian Forces' counter-insurgency manual, already widely distributed among military units as well as to some members of the public and with at least one draft version available on the Internet, is now deemed to be secret by the Defence Department.

The department is remaining silent on why it considers the document, which does not discuss specific tactical information, to now be out of bounds for the public.

Last year the Canadian Forces distributed the manual, which is not classified as secret, to those members of the public who asked for it under the Access to Information law. The NDP also obtained a draft version of the manual last year and that is available to be downloaded on at least one website.
More on link

Don't look, don't tell, troops told
 Jun 16, 2008 04:30 AM Rick Westhead Staff Reporter
Article Link

Canadian soldiers serving in Afghanistan have been ordered by commanding officers "to ignore" incidents of sexual assault among the civilian population, says a military chaplain who counsels troops returning home with post-traumatic stress disorder.

The chaplain, Jean Johns, says she recently counselled a Canadian soldier who said he witnessed a boy being raped by an Afghan soldier, then wrote a report on the allegation for her brigade chaplain.

In her March report, which she says should have been advanced "up the chain of command," Johns says the corporal told her that Canadian troops have been ordered by commanding officers "to ignore" incidents of sexual assault. Johns hasn't received a reply to the report.
More on link


----------



## GAP (17 Jun 2008)

*Articles found June 17, 2008*

Canada plans counterattack as Taliban seize villages
Militants pounce on post-jailbreak chaos, forcing hundreds to flee Kandahar district 
GRAEME SMITH From Tuesday's Globe and Mail June 17, 2008 at 2:41 AM EDT
Article Link

The Taliban have seized a dozen villages in a key district of Kandahar, using the chaos after a recent jailbreak as cover for a co-ordinated sweep by hundreds of heavily armed fighters.

Canadian commanders met with their Afghan allies in an emergency session late yesterday afternoon at an ornate hall in downtown Kandahar, planning a counterattack that promises to transform the lush fields and orchards of Arghandab district into a battleground in the coming days.

Taliban fighters were rumoured to be taunting their opponents by taking leisurely swims in the Arghandab River, and bringing truckloads of ammunition into the district in preparation for a bloody defence of their newly conquered territory after their largest attack of the year. Local officials also described the Taliban conducting patrols, rigging land mines on the roads, destroying irrigation wells and warning villagers to evacuate.

Many residents took the insurgents' advice, as wildly conflicting reports described 800 to 8,000 people fleeing the district.
More on link

Sarkozy Focuses on Afghan Reconstruction to Sell War to France 
By Celestine Bohlen
Article Link

June 17 (Bloomberg) -- As a fresh battalion of 700 French soldiers sets off this summer for the mountains of eastern Afghanistan, President Nicolas Sarkozy is seeking a more- coherent course for a six-and-a-half year conflict that has no end in sight. 

In Europe, where committing troops to the war has been a hard sell in recent years, continued involvement hinges on a comprehensive plan for the country's reconstruction, which was the focus of an international conference in Paris last week. 

European leaders ``want a new strategy that's more saleable at home,'' says Daniel Korski, author of ``Afghanistan: Europe's Forgotten War'' and a senior fellow at the London-based European Council on Foreign Relations. ``It is part of an outreach to the domestic audience that there's more to this than the military component.'' 

When the war was launched in 2001 in response to the attacks of Sept. 11, the fight against al-Qaeda and its Taliban allies had broad support in both the U.S. and Europe. This was in stark contrast to the more divisive, costlier and deadlier Iraq war that began two years later. 

Since then, Afghanistan has increasingly been caught in a spiral of violence and corruption, fueled by a booming opium trade that has put local officials in thrall to a criminal narcotics racket. 
More on link

Obama plans pre-election trip to Iraq, Afghanistan
Article Link

WASHINGTON (AFP) — Democrat Barack Obama, bidding to shut down scornful attacks on his White House credentials by Republican rival John McCain, said Monday he plans a pre-election trip to Iraq and Afghanistan.

Senator Obama, newly endorsed by former vice president Al Gore, also went after McCain on the economy as the candidates intensified a war of words on the long march to November's vote.

"We'll make an announcement about that but as I've said, I'm interested in visiting Iraq and Afghanistan before the election," said Obama, who has been vilified by McCain for visiting Iraq only once, in January 2006.

Senator McCain, who has been to Iraq eight times, said he had no doubt that a US military "surge" in Iraq was working and that Obama's plans to pull most combat troops out of the nation would trigger "chaos and genocide."

"I am convinced that we are on the path to victory. And that victory means Americans come home, but they come home with honor in victory, not in defeat," he told reporters in Virginia.
More on link

Taliban Commander Is Face of Rising Threat  
By CARLOTTA GALL Published: June 17, 2008
Article Link

KABUL, Afghanistan — The attack was little reported at the time. A suicide bombing on March 3 killed two NATO soldiers and two Afghan civilians and wounded 19 others in an American military base. 

It was only weeks later, when Taliban militants put out a propaganda DVD, that the implications of the attack became clear. The DVD shows an enormous explosion, with shock waves rippling out far beyond the base. As a thick cloud of dust rises, the face of Maulavi Jalaluddin Haqqani, a Taliban commander who presents one of the biggest threats to NATO and United States forces, appears. He taunts his opponents and derides rumors of his demise. 

“Now as you see I am still alive,” he says. 

The deadly attack demonstrates the persistence of the Afghan insurgency and the way former mujahedeen leaders, like Maulavi Haqqani, combine tactics and forces with Al Qaeda and other foreign terrorist groups. 
More on link

THE QUIET CANADIAN
Canada's new top soldier says he'll keep low profile
Mia Rabson ,  Winnipeg Free Press Published: Monday, June 16, 2008
Article Link

OTTAWA - Lt. Gen. Walter Natynczyk has no intention of becoming the face of Canada's military effort in Afghanistan.

The man who's soon to become this country's top soldier says he's fully behind it, and knows the stories from Afghanistan have to be told. He just won't be the one to do it.

"People don't want to hear from me," Natynczyk said in the first in-depth interview he has given since June 6, when he was announced as the next Chief of the Defence Staff.

"They want to hear from a private, . . . from a lieutenant, from a captain, because those are the people who have seen first-hand what is happening."

The 50-year-old who is set to replace Gen. Rick Hillier on July 2 has a goofy grin, a quick wit and a larger-than-life personality that puts people at ease.

"I want to be thought of by our people as an experienced commander who has been there, understood those risks, felt fear as all of us do, and ensure our people have the confidence and the equipment to be successful," he said.

Current operations, rebuilding the military, and caring for the military family are his three main priorities.

"We are re-learning lessons that we knew way back in the '50s and the '60s, when we had folks coming back from conflict," said Natynczyk.
More on link

Defending freedom to abuse
Police rape of Afghan boys ignored
Don Martin, National Post  Published: Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Article Link

OTTAWA -Canadian soldiers in the main guard tower at forward operating base Wilson last summer winced when I asked about the sudden lineup of teenage boys along the mud walls of the neighbouring Afghan market.

"Wait a few minutes. You'll see," said one, his lip curling. "It's disgusting."

Sure enough, a handful of uniformed Afghan police officers emerged from their rundown detachment, walked through the barricades and started chatting up the dozen or so teens, some looking decidedly pre-teen.

A few minutes after they returned, the selected kids were waved through the main gates and went straight inside the police station. An hour later, when I left the observation post, the boys were still inside.

This evening ritual is often derided by soldiers as man-love Thursdays.

Afghan officials insist the notion of men and boys getting together the night before the Muslim holy day for sex is a myth. And, sure, it's theoretically possible the cops were merely good-deed-doers giving these teens reading lessons.

But Canadian soldiers insisted we had just witnessed the regular Thursday evening negotiation for sex between Afghan men and boys, apparently for gifts or money.

It raises the disquieting question of how much responsibility Canadian soldiers shoulder, being military guests and all, to stop Afghan activity that would result in rape or child prostitution charges back home.
More on link


----------



## Sigger (17 Jun 2008)

Canadians could be target in feared Taliban attack
Last Updated: Tuesday, June 17, 2008 | 9:56 AM ET 
Article Link

Afghan troops flown in to reinforce NATO in Kandahar

A Canadian soldier stands on alert at a roadside checkpoint in Arghandab district on Tuesday. (Allauddin Khan/Associated Press)As the Taliban appeared to prepare for a full-scale attack on Kandahar city in southern Afghanistan on Tuesday, officials said the Canadian military is among the feared targets.

Ahmad Wali Karzai, president of the Kandahar provincial council, told CBC News that intelligence gathered suggests that Canada's provincial reconstruction team could come under attack.

Karzai, who is the brother of Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai, said the Afghan governor's palace, the Afghan police headquarters and his own home are also targets.

"But keep in mind that Canadian Forces themselves have not confirmed any of this," the CBC's Paul Hunter said, reporting from Kandahar Airfield.

Heavily armed Taliban fighters appeared to be mobilizing on Tuesday, bombing bridges and planting landmines in the villages in the Arghandab region, about 15 kilometres northwest of Kandahar.

It's unclear how many Taliban fighters have moved into the region, as the Taliban has been known to inflate its numbers. Still, estimates suggest there could be 650 militant fighters surrounding Kandahar City, Hunter said.

"We've occupied most of the area, and it's a good place for fighting," Mullah Ahmedullah, a Taliban commander, told the Associated Press. "Now we are waiting for the NATO and Afghan forces."

More on link


----------



## MarkOttawa (17 Jun 2008)

More troops sent to fight Taliban
_The Guardian_, June 17
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/jun/17/military.afghanistan



> More British troops are to be deployed to southern Afghanistan to give the soldiers there better protection, to step up training of the local security forces and to increase development projects. The move, which is likely to coincide with a cut in the number of British troops in Iraq, will bring the total in Afghanistan next spring to more than 8,000. There are 7,800 there now.
> 
> The move, set out to MPs by the defence secretary, Des Browne, *involves up to 600 troops earmarked for priority tasks, including manning new armoured vehicles and flying Chinook and Apache helicopters. Tornado aircraft will replace Harrier jets whose airframes and crews are showing the strain of nearly four years of engagement in difficult operations*  [emphasis added}.
> 
> Browne said: "It does not mean our mission is expanding. It means we are taking the steps necessary to take our mission forward as effectively as we can." He said the Taliban leadership had reduced "their ambition from insurgency to terrorism", referring to roadside bombs and suicide attacks which killed three British paratroopers last week. But the Taliban's new tactics posed a "different, but very serious challenge" to British troops...


 
More: 

Defence Secretary announces Afghan troop increase
UK MoD, June 16
http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/DefenceNews/DefencePolicyAndBusiness/DefenceSecretaryAnnouncesAfghanTroopIncrease.htm

Afghanistan: jailbreaks and drug bust
Conference of Defence Associations summary, June 17
http://www.cdaforumcad.ca/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1213713379/

Mark 
Ottawa


----------



## The Bread Guy (18 Jun 2008)

> Text of a statement released Tuesday by Lt.-Col. Dave Corbould, commanding officer of the battle group of 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, on the situation in the Arghandab district and Kandahar city (Courtesy of Canadian Press/Canoe Network):  "As most of you are aware, The government of Afghanistan and ISAF have recently augmented forces deployed in Kandahar city and the Arghandab area in response to Insurgent claims and public fears of increased violence.
> 
> This show of force, which includes Canadian soldiers, involves increased security patrolling and checkpoints throughout the provincial capital and the Arghandab district to ensure stability and public safety.
> 
> ...






> "ISAF bolster ANSF in Kandahar City," ISAF news release #2008-262, 18 Jun 08:   "To further support the resident Afghan National Security Forces in Kandahar City – consisting of the Afghan National Army, Afghan National Police and Afghan National Border Police, ISAF forces in the area redeployed yesterday to bolster the already present security stance.
> 
> “Together, ANSF combined with ISAF continue to increase security in and around Kandahar City. Together we continue to track down escaped prisoners from Sarpoza prison and are capable of dealing with threats posed by these escapees and insurgents”, says Major General Marc Lessard, Regional Command South Commander. “ISAF is committed to assisting ANSF in maintaining a safe and secure environment and will take the necessary actions to achieve our mandate for the overall wellbeing of Afghan population,” furthered Major General Lessard.
> 
> ...





> "Joint Combined Operation patrols western side of Arghandab River," ISAF statement #2008-268, 18 Jun 08:  "As of 6:00 this morning, a joint combined force from the Afghan National Army and ISAF started patrolling the western side of the Arghandab River searching for small groups of insurgents.
> 
> This clearing operation is a response to a direct Taliban threat to the people of Arghandab district, where insurgents have forced hundreds of innocent Afghans to flee their homes. The joint combined forces been going on without major incidents so far. The operation is expected to be completed within the next three days.
> 
> ...


----------



## GAP (19 Jun 2008)

*Articles found June 19, 2008*

First British woman and three soldiers killed in Afghanistan bomb blast
By Nick Allen, Caroline Gammell and Tom Coghlan in Kabul Last Updated: 6:11AM BST 19/06/2008 
Article Link

The identity of the soldier was confirmed by her father, Des Feely. 

He said: “It is truly devastating ... an absolute massive shock. Ever since she was a schoolgirl it was her dream to be a soldier. I cannot believe she will not come home. 

“She was due to fly back next month. But now she’ll be coming back to be buried with military honours at the church in nearby Wetheral where she was married two years ago.” 
More on link

US: 4 helicopter engines worth $13M missing
Article Link

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — The U.S. military says four helicopter engines worth $13 million are missing in the Afghanistan-Pakistan region.

U.S. spokeswoman Lt. Col. Rumi Nielson-Green says the helicopters were being shipped overland from the U.S. base in Bagram to a seaport for shipment back to Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

She says the parts went missing sometime before the 101st Airborne's arrival in Afghanistan in April.

Nielson-Green says the parts were being shipped by a Pakistani trucking company, but it is not clear where they disappeared.

The U.S. is not disclosing what kind of engines they were.
More on link

Afghanistan: Taliban 'pushed back in Kandahar'
Peter Walker and agencies guardian.co.uk, Thursday June 19 2008 
Article Link

Taliban fighters who were occupying villages near the southern Afghan city of Kandahar have been forced to retreat, Afghan defence officials claimed today.

General Mohammad Zahir Azimi, a spokesman for the Afghan defence ministry, said the country's army was now in control of the villages and had killed 56 militants. Earlier, Kandahar's governor said "hundreds" of Taliban were killed or wounded.

Nato gave a more cautious assessment of the situation and did not confirm the death toll. One spokesman said most of the Taliban forces had not fought back.

Officials said the villages were overrun on Monday, three days after Taliban fighters raided Kandahar's main prison and freed around 400 militants.

Yesterday morning, more than 1,000 Afghan and Canadian Nato forces responded with a major offensive that included air strikes, amid fears the Taliban was regaining power in its former stronghold. Yesterday, Afghan officials said 20 Taliban fighters had been killed.

Azimi said the fleeing militants had planted hundreds of land mines in the area before they left.
More on link

Canadian soldiers' high-tech gear helps in battle, creates burden
Article Link

VANCOUVER — Canada is among countries evolving their armies into forces of futuristic soldiers, with laser-sighted rifles, GPS-equipped units directed via computer and equipment that lets them see and kill the enemy in all conditions, day or night.

But before conjuring images of invincible Star Wars troopers, consider some not-so-fun facts.

The average Canadian foot soldier on patrol in Afghanistan today is toting more than two-dozen extra batteries on his already overloaded body to power all the electronics he must carry.

During Operation Medusa in the fall of 2006, an offensive against the Taliban, one infantry company alone burned through 17,500 AA batteries in two weeks.

And those cool night-vision goggles that clip to every soldier's helmet? They give the soldier an edge in combat but sometimes also a pain the neck as they dangle in front of his eyes - that is, if they don't cause a poorly strapped-on helmet to flip right off his head.

That's the kind of reality check Doug Palmer will provide for anyone too much in awe of the possibilities of high-tech warfare.

Palmer, a former infantry officer with 35 years in the Canadian Armed Forces, now works in the army's Directorate of Land Requirements unit that develops equipment for foot soldiers - everything from boots to helmets and all the gee-whiz stuff such as visors with jet fighter-style heads-up displays and holographic gun sights.

He is closely involved with the directorate's Integrated Soldier System Project, which aims to create that futuristic warrior before the end of the next decade.

The federal Treasury Board is to decide this month whether to approve release of the first slice of money to fund the $310-million program, which would involve defining what the system's initial capability should be and testing the solutions with Canadian soldiers.
More on link

Canada looks to cut 'friendly fire' with new tracking gear
David ******** ,  Canwest News Service Published: Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Article Link

The Canadian military plans to ship a newly developed sensor and communications system to Afghanistan as part of its efforts to reduce friendly fire incidents.

The equipment will be used to determine the location of all aircraft operating in the area where Canadian troops are active and cut back on the likelihood of the type of incident that happened in September 2006. 

In that case, a U.S. aircraft mistook Canadian soldiers for insurgents and attacked their camp, killing one and wounding many more. 

The systems, one mounted on a tracked armored vehicle, the other on a wheeled Bison armored vehicle, are the result of a $28 million program that was designed to upgrade existing equipment called ADATS - the air defence anti-tank system. 

The new gear will allow Canadian commanders on the ground to view information collected from different sources including AWACS surveillance aircraft, forward observers on the ground and aerial drones.

The military plans to ship the two vehicles, one an air defence command post, the other an airspace co-ordination centre, to Afghanistan by the end of the year. 
More on link

2 ISAF soldiers die, 10 wounded in E. Afghanistan    
www.chinaview.cn  2008-06-19 02:30:31  
  Article Link

    KABUL, June 18 (Xinhua) -- Two soldiers of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) were killed and 10 soldiers injured while patrolling in Paktika province of eastern Afghanistan Wednesday, the ISAF said in a statement. 

    The NATO-led military did not give details or release nationalities of the casualties. 

    Attacks on international troops have been on the rise in Afghanistan in the past weeks as the Taliban-led anti-government militants continue to demonstrate their strength through guerrilla-style bombings and ambushes. 
More on link


----------



## GAP (20 Jun 2008)

*Articles found June 20, 2008*

Soldiers' deaths in Afghanistan blamed on vehicles
By Thomas Harding and John Bingham  Last Updated: 8:57AM BST 20/06/2008
Article Link

Campaigners and analysts are calling on the Ministry of Defence to withdraw Snatch Land Rover completely after the latest fatalities which took the British toll in the country to 106.

Critics say the vehicle, designed for riot control in Northern Ireland, is now unsuitable for action in Helmand Province because it offers so little protection against mines.

But ministers insist that other vehicles would not have been appropriate for the task the four were involved in and indicated that the vehicle would continue to be used.

Campaigners say Cpl Sarah Bryant, 26, of the Intelligence Corps - the first British woman to be killed in the war there - and special forces soldiers Cpl Sean Robert Reeve, 28, L/cpl Richard Larkin, 39, and Paul Stout, 31, would still be alive if they had been in an armoured vehicle. 

They were taking part in a patrol near Lashkar Gah, the capital of Helmand province when the blast went off on Tuesday.
More on link

Suicide bomber kills 6 in Afghanistan
Article Link

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan (AP) — A suicide bomber attacked a NATO convoy as it passed through a town in southern Afghanistan Friday, killing five civilians and one soldier from the U.S.-led coalition, officials said.

Mohammad Hussein Andiwal, the police chief of Helmand province, said the lone bomber, who was on foot, struck as the convoy was passing through a market area in the town of Gereshk on Friday morning.

Andiwal initially said 10 civilians has been killed, but later said that city officials on the scene had given him mistaken information. He said the five civilian victims included two children. Four more civilians were wounded, he said.

Lt. Col. Paul Fanning, a spokesman for the U.S.-led force in Afghanistan, said one of its troops also was killed. He declined to release the victim's nationality.

The blast came a day after a shooting incident in which two soldiers from the separate U.S.-led coalition were fatally wounded in Helmand. The coalition said a third soldier was wounded.
More on link

Terrorists will target Afghan pipeline, expert says
Norma Greenaway ,  Canwest News Service Published: Thursday, June 19, 2008
Article Link

OTTAWA - A planned natural gas pipeline cutting through strife-torn Afghanistan is almost certain to become a target of terrorist attacks and will have big implications for Canadian troops stationed in the volatile province of Kandahar, says the author of a report exploring what he calls "the new great energy game" in the region.

Energy economist John Foster says he is stunned by the near silence of the federal Conservative government and parliamentary lawmakers around the planned deal, which was formalized at the end of April by Afghanistan and three of its neighbouring countries.

"Government efforts to convince Canadians to stay in Afghanistan have been enormous," Foster said in the report.

"But the impact of a proposed multi-billion dollar pipeline in areas of Afghanistan under Canadian purview has never been seriously debated."

The report was prepared for the left-leaning Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives and released Thursday.

In an interview, Foster said the pipeline is likely to become a "massive terrorist target" because its route goes through Kandahar, the heart of the insurgency.

"I believe that Canada could be unwittingly drawn into defending this pipeline," said Foster, a former economist with the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank.
More on link

Routed Taliban flee territory north of Kandahar  
GRAEME SMITH From Friday's Globe and Mail June 19, 2008 at 8:45 PM EDT
Article Link

KANDAHAR, AFGHANISTAN — The Taliban's swift retreat from their newly conquered territory north of Kandahar city left Afghan officials triumphant on Thursday, but a Canadian commander warned that the insurgents are capable of more spectacular attacks in the coming months.

Brigadier-General Denis Thompson, the top Canadian commander in Afghanistan, said Afghan forces and foreign troops pushed deep into the Arghandab valley on Wednesday night. A few hours after dawn Thursday morning, a Taliban spokesman confirmed by telephone that most insurgents were pulling out of the district.

“There is no doubt in my mind, however, that further insurgent attacks will take place in the months ahead,” Gen. Thompson said.

In the past week, Taliban insurgents launched a spectacular attack on Sarpoza jail on the western outskirts of Kandahar city, freeing nearly all the prisoners, and briefly seized control of a dozen villages in Arghandab district, a strategic valley with no major Taliban presence until recently.
More on link


----------



## GAP (21 Jun 2008)

*Articles found June 21, 2008*

When the smoke cleared in the Arghandab valley
GRAEME SMITH  From Saturday's Globe and Mail June 21, 2008 at 12:17 AM EDT
Article Link

MANARA, AFGHANISTAN — A stench of death wafted up from piles of bodies, festering in the summer heat of the Arghandab valley. Afghan soldiers held cloths over their faces, pointed to a charred blast site nearby, and described the corpses as the bombed remnants of an invading Taliban force much larger than the Canadian military has estimated.

Kandahar Governor Asadullah Khalid brought a group of local journalists, and one foreign reporter, to the heaped carnage in the village of Manara, about 10 kilometres north of Kandahar city, as part of a broader struggle to define the week of chaos in this province.

After days of responding to emergencies, first to a Taliban raid that freed hundreds of prisoners from a city jail on June 13, and then a short-lived sweep by armed insurgents into a dozen villages north of the city, top officials finally had a moment of relative quiet to reflect on what happened – and to argue over their wildly differing interpretations.
More on link

4 men charged with selling banned ammunition
June 20, 2008
Article Link

FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. - Months after landing a $300 million Pentagon contract to supply munitions to Afghanistan security forces, a 22-year-old Miami Beach, Fla., businessman sent three e-mails asking whether the U.S. government would accept ammunition manufactured in China, prosecutors said.

Each time, they said, the answer came back no.

But that did not stop Efraim Diveroli, president of AEY Inc., and three associates from conspiring to remove "Made in China" labels from crates of aged ammunition and trying to pass them off as Albanian, federal prosecutors allege in a 71-count indictment unsealed Friday.

Diveroli appeared in Miami federal court Friday on charges of conspiracy, fraud and false statements related to ammunition worth more than $10 million.

Prosecutors also charged AEY's vice president David Packouz, 26, of Miami; the firm's Albanian agent Alexander Podrizki, 26, of Miami Beach, and business associate Ralph Merrill, 65, of Bountiful, Utah.

If convicted, the men could face 10-year prison sentences.

Diveroli's attorney, Howard Srebnick, said in an e-mail that his client "did not acquire the Chinese-made ammo, 'directly or indirectly,' from ANY Communist Chinese military company" but purchased it from the Albanian government.
More on link

In photos: 'Afghanistan Kandahar Push'
By James Wray Jun 20, 2008, 18:52 GMT 
Article Link

French soldiers of NATO's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) patrol Arghandab district after NATO and Afghan military forces have driven out hundreds of Taliban militants from around the restive Kandahar, Afghanistan 20 June 2008. At least 57 Taliban insurgents were killed and dozens more were wounded as NATO and Afghan forces drove out militants who had recently infiltrated several villages in the southern province of Kandahar, officials said 19 June 2008. 
More Photos on link

5 foreign soldiers killed in Afghanistan
Last Updated: Saturday, June 21, 2008 
Article Link 

Five soldiers from the U.S.-led international force in Afghanistan have been killed in two separate attacks.

Four soldiers were killed when insurgents opened fire on their convoy following a roadside blast on the west side of Kandahar city around 8 a.m. local time Saturday, officials said.

Two other soldiers were seriously injured in the attack.

Military officials did not reveal their nationalities, but CBC News has been told that no Canadians were among the casualties.

Elsewhere, a Polish soldier was killed and four others wounded when an improvised explosive device went off in the southeastern province of Paktika shortly after midnight.

The bombings cap a deadly week in Afghanistan, particularly regions north of Kandahar city, the former seat of government for the Taliban.

Coalition forces and Afghan troops backed by warplanes on Wednesday attacked up to 400 Taliban militants who had seized Arghandab, a strategic valley located within striking distance of Kandahar.
More on link


----------



## GAP (22 Jun 2008)

*Articles found June 22, 2008*

Modern times come to Kandahar
 Jun 22, 2008 04:30 AM Rosie DiManno Columnist
Article Link

In the jumble of Kandahar city's bazaar kiosks and open-front stalls, it is now just as easy to find pornographic videos as Osama bin Laden's call-to-jihad tapes.

Supply-and-demand does that.

Rooftops of mud-brick buildings are barnacled with satellite dishes, the ultra-modern superimposed on the primitive, many residents glued to their TV sets – whether retrieved from Taliban trash heaps or purchased in more recent times – following the prime-time domestic dramas of Bollywood soap operas.

First thing the Taliban did when they came to power in Kandahar was toss TV sets out the window or lynch them, symbolically, from mulberry trees. 

The zealots knew well what they were about, the necessity of removing these apostate appliances from Afghan households so devout Muslims would have no distractions from the outside world, remain instead forever locked in to the idiot box of fundamentalist Islam.

But Kandahar city is no longer the grim, joyless southern capital that the Taliban abandoned in 2001, fleeing their spiritual seat of government as coalition bombs rained down, only the most fanatical choosing to stay and die where they huddled.

The metropolis of a half-million people wouldn't be recognizable to the Taliban leadership that took refuge in neighbouring Pakistan. The pious Mullah Omar & Co. would be aghast.
More on link


*Reported on CTV NewsNet that 3 Canadians injured in a rollover not related to combat*....link not available at this time....



Pakistan rebels kill four Afghans in rocket strikes
Article Link

KHOST, Afghanistan (AFP) — Four civilians including two children were killed Sunday when militants from inside Pakistan fired rockets at NATO bases in eastern Afghanistan, the alliance force and police said.

Some 20 rockets slammed the area in two separate incidents, with five of them coming from inside Pakistan, NATO's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said in a statement.

Afghanistan's defence ministry said in a statement 13 rockets were fired from across the border on NATO and Afghan army bases in Khost.

ISAF in a statement said the military "responded in self-defence" with artillery fire on the launch site, which it said was "located about 300 meters (985 feet) inside Pakistan."

The force also responded by artillery and an airstrike to an earlier rocket barrage fired from a location inside Afghanistan.

Islamabad was notified about the rebel attack on its bases, ISAF said.
More on link

Hillier: Defence plan ‘excellent’
Framework has smart tradeoffs, outgoing chief says
By CATHY VON KINTZEL Truro Bureau Sun. Jun 22 - 5:29 AM
Article Link

NEW GLASGOW — Canada’s top soldier says the government’s new $490-billion defence plan lays out the "major muscle movements" needed to build a more capable Armed Forces in the long term.

"I think it’s excellent," Gen. Rick Hillier said Saturday during a two-day visit to Pictou County.

"It’s the first time in my memory that we’ve actually had a long-term framework . . . that we need to have to be a capable Armed Forces," the outgoing chief of Canada’s defence staff told reporters.

"So, for the first time, we know that we are going to maintain a navy that’s combat capable and an air force that can do the job we need it to do at home and around the world, and an army that’s capable of conducting the operations that we need, whether it’s a flood or whether it’s in a place like Afghanistan."

It includes annual spending increases that will boost the defence budget from $18 billion to $30 billion by 2027-28 and outlines new equipment purchases, including airplanes, tanks, ships, trucks and helicopters.

Gen. Hillier said "there’s never enough money for everything you want to have or believe that you need to have." But the plan into which he had input and which was developed over 2 1/2 years involves "intelligent tradeoffs."

He also said it’ll be reviewed every three to four years and may change but "that’s just a natural good thing in my view."
More on link


----------



## GAP (23 Jun 2008)

*Articles found June 23, 2008*

No turning back now
NATO troops more powerful and popular than Taliban
Calgary Herald Published: Monday, June 23, 2008
Article Link

Canadians watching military developments around Kandahar City should be in no doubt about one thing. The 300 petrified families from villages surrounding the city who took refuge there when their homes were occupied by the Taliban, hate the Taliban. The last thing they want to see right now is foreign troops going home.

That NATO troops have the backing of ordinary Afghans is a good thing for Canadians to keep in mind. Much has been written of the sadistic caricature of Islamic law that was Taliban rule before 2002 and it needs no repetition here. Suffice it to say the Afghan people have had their fill: By helping them help themselves, this country is doing a good thing. Yet, a Taliban remnant has survived. How can one account for its persistence?

What is the significance of their recent offensive, even though it appears to have been thoroughly countered by Canadian and allied forces? In April, Afghan President Hamid Karzai survived an attempted assassination, while last week 390 insurgents were among more than 800 prisoners sprung from Kandahar's Sarpoza Prison, a spectacular operation that severely embarrassed Karzai's government. This latest fighting near Kandahar may have been a defeat, but does the Taliban have the staying power to outlast allied forces and eventually return to power in Afghanistan?
More on link

100 2RCR soldiers train for Afghanistan mission
 June 23rd, 2008 By MICHAEL STAPLES
Article Link

The commander of Golf Company says his personnel are just about ready for six months of combat duty in Afghanistan.

Maj. Joe Hartson will lead approximately 100 members of The Second Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment (2RCR) from Canadian Forces Base Gagetown, to the central Asian country in late August.

He said he has confidence in his group's ability to perform well.

Golf Company will be providing security for the ongoing work done by the Kandahar provincial reconstruction teams (KPRT), based in Kandahar City.

"The PRTs are a unique challenge and we look forward to working with all of the other partners in this," Hartson said. "It should be an interesting time."

The deployment comes almost a year after nearly 600 soldiers from 2RCR returned to Gagetown following six months of combat duty in the volatile southern region of the country.

Eighteen soldiers from the 2RCR battle group, including five from the battalion, died during the six-month tour.

The 250-strong Kandahar provincial reconstruction teams, which operate from Camp Nathan Smith in downtown Kandahar City, carry out a range of initiatives such as police training and strengthening local governance.
More on link

Long, winding road for interview with Khalid
By SCOTT TAYLOR On Target Mon. Jun 23 - 6:06 AM
Article Link

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan — IT WAS CERTAINLY A long trip to reach the governor’s residence in Kandahar.

There was the two-day transit into Kabul via Istanbul, and then a delay-plagued Afghan Airlines flight south to Kandahar. At the civilian side of the airport, I changed into local attire — complete with turban, payraan tumbaan (long shirt and pants) and beard — and rendezvoused with armed guards. 

By sheer happenstance, the guest house where I was staying in downtown Kandahar was just two buildings from the governor’s residence, and from the rooftop I could see inside his walled garden. But despite the proximity and a prearranged interview, I was advised that Governor Asadullah Khalid had changed his plans and was travelling outside Afghanistan. 

Meeting with Khalid had been one of the primary objectives of my most recent trip. In Afghanistan’s political structure, he is the face in Kandahar of President Hamid Karzai’s regime. The residents view the Canadian soldiers’ presence as directly contributing to Khalid’s authority, and in April, then Canadian foreign affairs minister Maxime Bernier publicly labelled him corrupt and demanded he be replaced.

Although Bernier himself was subsequently replaced as a result of an unrelated scandal, I still felt it was important to shed some light on Khalid because he is so central to the role our soldiers are playing in Afghanistan.

My disappointment in failing to meet him face to face must have been evident, and his staff provided me with the only possible solution: After travelling 12,000 kilometres to reach the gates of his mansion, I ended up interviewing him by phoning his hotel room in Washington.
More on link

Routing of Fighters Brings Anxious Calm to Kandahar
Despite Swift Action, Confidence in NATO, Afghan Forces Waning
By Candace Rondeaux Washington Post Foreign Service Monday, June 23, 2008; Page A08 
Article Link

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan, June 22 -- A tense quiet has settled here in Afghanistan's second-largest city, a little more than a week after hundreds of Taliban fighters mounted a dramatic prison break, then briefly took control of several villages in the area. 

One of the city's main traffic circles, Chowk-e Shahidan, was nearly empty, except for a cluster of armored vehicles manned by Afghan and Canadian soldiers. Just a few shoppers roamed nearby Herat Bazaar, Kandahar's largest market, and a couple of dusty green pickup trucks full of Afghan police ranged the empty streets, past carts brimming with mangoes. 

At Sarposa Prison, a few miles from Herat Bazaar, Afghan police and soldiers cleared debris from the suicide bomb attack on June 13 that blew apart the walls at the main gate. The carcasses of two dozen cars and minivans still littered the area just outside the entrance, where at least 20 Afghan soldiers and police officers were killed in the explosion and a hail of rocket and gunfire. Afghan officials say many of the 350 to 400 Taliban fighters freed in the attack remain at large. 

In the lush fruit-growing district of Arghandab, about 12 miles northwest of Kandahar, NATO and Afghan troops patrol the villages that fell under Taliban control when insurgents launched an offensive there last Monday after the prison attack. The troops have largely rid the district of insurgents, but hundreds of residents remain with relatives and friends in Kandahar while soldiers remove mines laid by the insurgents.
More on link

US troops kill scores of Taliban in Afghanistan
Article Link

KABUL (AFP) — US-led troops killed 55 militants including three senior commanders after rebels ambushed a patrol with rockets near the eastern Afghan-Pakistani border, the coalition said on Monday.

A civilian father and son were killed by coalition forces elsewhere in eastern Afghanistan while several Taliban died in air strikes in the insurgency-hit south, officials said.

The bloodshed comes amid the deadliest phase of an insurgency launched by the Islamist Taliban after their ouster by US-led forces in late 2001, with seven foreign soldiers killed over the weekend.

A coalition spokesman said three days of fighting erupted in the Zerok district of eastern Paktika province on Friday after an insurgent attack on a patrol.

"The coalition patrol received rocket-propelled grenade and small-arms fire from extremist forces. The coalition responded with a combination of small-arms fire and air support," a coalition statement said.

Around 55 militants were killed, 25 wounded and three captured, it said. "Three key extremist leaders" were among the dead while patrols were bringing in details of further militant casualties, it added.
More on link


----------



## GAP (23 Jun 2008)

FACTBOX-Security developments in Afghanistan
Mon Jun 23, 2008 7:33am EDT
Article Link

June 23 (Reuters) - Following are security developments in Afghanistan at 1130 GMT on Monday:

HELMAND - U.S.led coalition and Afghan troops killed several Taliban insurgents in an air and ground assault in Sangin district of southern Afghanistan on Sunday, a U.S. military statement said on Monday.

PAKTIKA - U.S.led coalition air strikes killed around 55 militants and wounded another 25 following an abortive insurgents ambush in the Zerok and Urgun districts of eastern Afghanistan on Friday, a statement from U.S.-led forces said on Monday.

HELMAND - Several militants were killed during U.S.led coalition operation in the southern Afghan province of Helmand of Sunday, U.S. military said in a statement on Monday. (Compiled by Hamid Shalizi, editing by Sanjeev Miglani) 
More on link

Pakistan desires improved relations with Canada in various fields: PM         
Article Link

ISLAMABAD, Jun 23 (APP): Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani on Monday expressed strong desire of his government to work closely with Canada to strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries. Pakistan wants to further improve its cordial relations with Canada in all fields including economic, defence, trade and investment areas, the Prime Minister said while talking to David B Collin, the outgoing High Commissioner of Canada, who called on him here at the PM House this morning. 

The Prime Minister said during the recent elections the people have voted for moderate and democratic forces in the country. 

He said that broad-based governments representing these forces have been formed in the country including NWFP and Baluchistan. 

The Prime Minister appreciated the valuable contributions made by the High Commissioner in strengthening relations between the two countries during his assignment in Pakistan. 

He wished him well in his next assignment. He also appreciated the useful work done by the Canadian observers in monitoring the elections in Pakistan. 

Talking about Afghanistan, the Prime Minister said that Pakistan wants a stable and peaceful Afghanistan as it will help promote economic development in the region and also pave the way for increased regional cooperation. 

Pakistan also wants early repatriation of Afghan refugees to their country with dignity and honour, he added. 
More on link

Kids share in father's Afghan mission
Lemonade stand fundraiser channels family's emotions to support school construction
The StarPhoenix Published: Monday, June 23, 2008 Wendy Gillis
Article Link

The Cabana-Boucher family of Saskatoon had to adjust to life without their husband and father, but they have decided to pass the time he's away by finding creative ways to help him on his mission.

In other words, they've turned lemons into lemonade.

Master Warrant Officer Albert Boucher is currently serving in Afghanistan, providing security for convoys traveling outside of a Canadian base. He has been away from his family since July 2007.

The family house on Seventh Street is not exactly empty without him -- he and his wife Michelle have seven children: Sean, Maria, Emma, Tessa, Seamus, Hannah and Callum -- but the family has really felt the effect of Albert's absence.

"I really miss my dad because he's really nice. He gives me lots of Lego," said six-year-old Callum.

If the anxiety of a loved one in a war zone isn't difficult enough, the family knew Cpl. Shane Keating, the Saskatoon man killed in September 2006 while serving in Afghanistan. He was a friend of Albert's.
More on link


----------



## GAP (24 Jun 2008)

*Articles found June 24, 2008*

US military chief wants three more brigades to fight Taliban
Article Link

WASHINGTON (AFP) — The chief of the US military, Admiral Michael Mullen, said Monday he needed three more brigades in Afghanistan to battle Taliban fighters and train Afghan forces.

"We are short of forces there," Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said during a meeting of military officers.

"I need at least an additional three brigades, one of them a training brigade," Mullen said. A brigade is about 3,500 soldiers.

The United States has urged NATO allies for months to deploy reinforcements to the strife-torn nation, where 70,000 soldiers are fighting under separate US and NATO commands.

"Violence is up this year by every single measure," Mullen said.

The month of June is already the bloodiest of the year for international forces with 32 soldiers killed so far.

The United States deployed 3,500 marines this spring and several NATO countries have pledged to send more troops.
More on link

Panel: U.S. envoy tied to coverup in Afghan arms deal
June 24, 2008 
Article Link

WASHINGTON — The U.S. ambassador to Albania allegedly approved removing evidence of the illegal Chinese origins of ammunition being shipped from Albania to Afghanistan by a U.S. defense contractor, Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.), chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, said Monday. 

A federal grand jury on Friday indicted Efraim Diveroli, president of AEY Inc., the U.S. company involved, on 71 counts, including conspiracy to defraud the government on a $298 million U.S. Army contract to provide various types of ammunition to the government of Afghanistan.

The contract "prohibited delivery of ammunition acquired, directly or indirectly, from a Communist Chinese military contract," according to the South Florida U.S. attorney's office. 
More on link

Gun battle kills 12 Taliban fighters in Afghanistan    
www.chinaview.cn  2008-06-24 16:04:56    
  Article Link

    KABUL, June 24 (Xinhua) -- Gun battle that erupted between police and Taliban fighters in Afghanistan's eastern Paktia province in the wee hours of Tuesday left 12 insurgents dead, spokesman of the provincial administration Rohullah Samon said. 

    "It was almost after midnight when armed militants raided a police checkpoint in Syed Karam district and police returned fire killing 12 enemies," Samon told Xinhua. 

    Samon also added that three shops nearby were destroyed in the battle that lasted for a while. 

    The militants, he added, had used small arms and rocket-propelled grenades while the police called in air power and inflicted casualties on them. 

    However, he did not say if there were any casualties on police or civilians. 

    Taliban operatives fighting Afghan and international troops have yet to make comments. 

    Attacks on international and Afghan troops are on the rise during the past weeks, especially in southern and eastern Afghanistan, where the Taliban rebels continue to demonstrate their strength through suicide and roadside bombings. 
More on link

Corruption hurts troops: MacKay
By: Aldo Santin Updated: June 23 at 08:51 PM CDT 
Article Link

The Afghan government of Hamid Karzai must deal with the corruption that threatens to undermine the good work being done by Canadian soldiers over there, Defence Minister Peter MacKay told the Free Press tonight. 

MacKay, who spoke during a break at a fundraising dinner for the Manitoba PC Party, said corruption, particularly in the southern region of Kandahar, is like a cancer that must be eradicated.

"The Afghan government must address those issues that can be like a cancer," MacKay said.

MacKay said that Canada is playing an "enabling" role in Afghanistan, assisting the government, its military and its administration in the pivotal task of rebuilding the country and defeating the Taliban.

Canada and its 40 allies there will continue to press the government of Hamid Karzai to deal with issues that undermine the allied effort, MacKay said, but added cleaning up the country is only a task that the Karzai government can carry out.

MacKay said he expects incoming Chief of Defence Staff Lt. Gen. Walter Natynczyk will continue to build on the successes of his predecessor, Gen. Rick Hillier, in Afghanistan and with the Canadian Armed Forces.

MacKay said Natynczyk, a Winnipeg native and the current vice-chief of defence, possessed all the attributes that made his appointment an easy decision.

MacKay said that Natynczyk worked closely with Hillier and was deeply involved in most of the recent procurement decisions for the armed forces.
More on link


----------



## GAP (24 Jun 2008)

Germany to send 1,000 more troops to Afghanistan
Article Link

BERLIN (AFP) — Germany plans to increase its military contingent in northern Afghanistan by up to 1,000 soldiers, Defence Minister Franz Josef Jung said Tuesday.

The announcement follows months of pressure from Germany's NATO allies to step up its troop presence in Afghanistan and deploy soldiers in the south to help US, British and Canadian forces fight a tenacious Taliban insurgency.

But Jung confirmed the reinforcements would instead shore up reconstruction efforts in the more stable north, where the majority of Germany's 3,500 soldiers in Afghanistan are deployed.

His announcement comes as Germany prepares to take command of NATO's quick reaction force in the north in July, but the ministry has also come under pressure from German commanders urgently demanding more men after a string of attacks on soldiers and their Afghan helpers.

Jung told a press conference that extending the army's mandate to allow it to contribute up to 4,500 troops to the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), would give the German contingent "a little more flexibility" without necessarily deploying the maximum number of soldiers.

The Bundeswehr's current parliamentary mandate expires in mid-October.
More on link


----------



## GAP (24 Jun 2008)

Supply convoy attacked south of Kabul
By: Rahim Faiez  Updated: June 24 at 02:24 PM CDT 
Article Link

Print Article E-mail Article KABUL, Afghanistan -- Militants torched a convoy carrying military supplies just south of the Afghan capital Tuesday and killed two NATO troops in the turbulent south and east. 

The attacks demonstrated the limited gains from the costly six-year effort to stabilize and bring security to Afghanistan, which is drawing in ever-larger numbers of NATO troops.

German defence officials said Tuesday they plan to increase the number of their troops in Afghanistan by 1,000 this fall, pushing their continent to 4,500. There are now around 60,000 foreign troops in the country.

The top U.S. general in Afghanistan said Tuesday that insurgent attacks have increased 40 per cent this year over 2007 in the east of the country. In Washington, Maj.-Gen. Jeffrey Schloesser said there have been 40 deaths among uniformed and civilian coalition members in the east since the start of April.

Schloesser told reporters troops are tracking "a syndicate" of militants including Taliban, al-Qaida, Pakistanis and Afghans who move back and forth over the Afghan-Pakistani border.

He said fighters are attacking civic centres and schools -- killing teachers, students, road crews and others working to improve life in Afghanistan. Still, he said coalition forces are making good progress in training the Aghan army.

Afghan officials said an unknown number of men riding motorcycles and armed with guns and rockets attacked the convoy near Saydabad, a town in Wardak province 65 kilometres from Kabul.

The local mayor, Fazel Muslim, said more than 40 trucks carrying food, water and fuel were damaged, most of them burned. The attackers fled when Afghan and foreign security forces, including aircraft, reached the scene, Muslim said.
More on link


----------



## GAP (25 Jun 2008)

*Articles found June 25, 2008*

British soldier killed by explosion in Afghanistan
Article Link

KABUL (AFP) — A British soldier has been killed in an explosion while checking for mines in troubled southern Afghanistan, military authorities confirmed Wednesday.

The soldier died Tuesday in Helmand province, where the majority of Britain's 7,800 troops in Afghanistan are based.

The International Security Assistance Force troops were on patrol in Nahri Sarraj district of Helmand when a blast struck their convoy, the NATO military alliance said a statement.

"One ISAF soldier died from an explosion during a patrol in Nahri Sarraj district," it said.

Britain's Ministry of Defence confirmed the death.

"The soldier from 4th Battalion the Parachute Regiment, attached to 2nd Battalion the Parachute Regiment, was dismounted from his vehicle checking for mines in the Upper Sangin Valley when he was killed by a suspected IED (improvised explosive device)," the Ministry of Defence in London said.

"No one else was injured."
More on link

AFGHANISTAN: Clashes’ zone near Kandahar to get emergency relief aid  
Article Link

KANDAHAR, 24 June 2008 (IRIN) - The government of Afghanistan and UN agencies have agreed to distribute emergency humanitarian relief immediately to thousands of Battle-Affected Persons (BAPs) in Arghandab District, Kandahar Province. 

“Seven thousand families have been verified as in need of assistance,” said Salvatore Lombardo, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) representative in Afghanistan, adding that the number may increase as verification continues in the coming days. 

Two thousand families are expected to receive food and non-food aid in the initial phase which will start on 25 June, aid agencies said. The UN World Food Programme (WFP) in Kabul said on 24 June that 234 tonnes of mixed food items have been delivered to Arghandab District and would be distributed on 25 June. 

Thousands of civilians abandoned their homes in the district after scores of Taliban fighters reportedly raided several villages and prepared to fight Afghan and international forces on 16-17 June, planting landmines and destroying bridges. The insurgents were driven back by Afghan army and NATO-led forces on 19 June. 
More on link

Canadian wheat helping to feed poor Afghans
Doug Schmidt, Canwest News Service Published: Monday, June 23, 2008
Article Link

KANDAHAR CITY, Afghanistan -- Bakht Bibi stares a visitor straight in the eye -- highly unusual when it's a foreign male meeting an Afghan woman in conservative Kandahar -- and describes "the pain in my heart."

"Our family has had days when we ate nothing," says the female head of a household of 10. She has had to beg and borrow to feed her family, and even when there's food, meals can consist of half a loaf of bread shared by all.

"It's very difficult in Kandahar. The prices are very, very high -- people are greatly affected by this," Bibi says through a Pashto interpreter
More on link

Canadian soldiers track border-crossing insurgents
Updated Tue. Jun. 24 2008 10:24 PM ET CTV.ca News Staff
Article Link

Canadian soldiers have quietly walked across the Afghanistan-Pakistan border in a mountainous region dense with insurgents, to collect information from the Pakistani Army about suicide bombers and weapon smuggling. 

Thousands of people cross between the two countries every day at the border community of Spin Boldak. Many often go unchecked and undetected. 

The area is a critical trade route for the Taliban. According to intelligence officials, militants get sanctuary and training in Pakistan, and then cross into Afghanistan to attack NATO forces. 

There has been a 40 per cent jump in the number of insurgent attacks in eastern Afghanistan this year, according to the U.S. military, and NATO countries are pressuring Pakistan to tighten the border. 

Pakistan has assured NATO that it's tightening its grip on the area and may even build fences and lay mines at the most critical points. 

U.S. Maj.-Gen. Jeffrey Schloesser told reporters in Washington on Tuesday there have been 40 deaths among uniformed and civilian coalition members in eastern Afghanistan since April. 

He said the military is tracking insurgents, some of them Taliban members, who frequently move between Pakistan and Afghanistan. 

This week, Afghan police captured two men from Pakistan who they accused of being would-be suicide bombers.
More on link


----------



## GAP (26 Jun 2008)

*Articles found June 26, 2008*

Helicopter crashes in Afghanistan, no injured-U.S.
Thu Jun 26, 2008 1:07am EDT 
Article Link

KABUL, June 26 (Reuters) - A helicopter belonging to U.S.-led coalition forces crashed in Afghanistan, but there were no injuries to the soldiers on board and the cause of the crash is under investigation, the U.S. military said on Thursday.

However, a Taliban spokesman said insurgents had shot down the aircraft and killed everyone on board. The incident happened in the northeastern province of Kunar, which borders Pakistan, on Wednesday.

"No coalition forces soldiers were seriously injured and all have been returned safely from the incident," the U.S. military said in a statement. "The aircraft has been secured."

A resident of the Wata Pur district said he saw flames and black smoke coming out of a helicopter as it was landing.

The 64,000 international troops in Afghanistan are heavily reliant on aircraft to transport troops and supplies around the rugged mountainous country.

The Taliban often take pot shots at helicopters, but so far the militants are not believed to have obtained surface-to-air missiles which could alter the balance of the war dramatically.

Many historians believe it was the Afghan mujahideen's acquisitions of such missiles that tipped the war against the Soviet occupation in their favour in the 1980s.
More on link


700 militants arrested this year, Saudis say
Ian Black, Middle East editor The Guardian, Thursday June 26, 2008 
Article Link

Saudi Arabia has arrested 700 militants in the past six months on suspicion of planning attacks on the country's oil industry and other targets, the interior ministry said yesterday.

The figure suggests the Saudi security forces still face a significant threat from al-Qaida despite the perception, at least in the west, that the organisation has been effectively beaten, or has at least peaked, in the country of Osama bin Laden's birth. General Michael Hayden, the director of the CIA, said in an interview last month that al-Qaida had suffered "near strategic defeat" in Saudi Arabia and Iraq.

Saudi security forces carried out several operations and arrested 701 people of various nationalities, said the ministry spokesman, General Mansour al-Turki. Of those, 520 - divided into five cells - were still being held for involvement in the organisational and ideological plans of the "deviant ideology" - the Saudi official term for al-Qaida. The others were released for lack of evidence.

The televised statement said that those arrested had planned to revive "criminal activities" and that their leaders were based abroad. The detainees included some of Asian and African nationality. Some had planned to use car bombs to attack an oil installation and a security target in coordination with Bin Laden's Egyptian deputy, Ayman al-Zawahiri, who would send fighters from Iraq, Afghanistan and North Africa to support them.
More on link

Canada hopes investment brings order to anarchic Kandahar
Doug Schmidt ,  Canwest News Service Published: Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Article Link

KANDAHAR CITY, Afghanistan - Left unmentioned in Ottawa's recent unveiling of a host of grand Canadian signature and priority projects for Afghanistan was a $22-million program about to be launched that is aimed at turning anarchic Kandahar City into a properly functioning "citizen friendly" model municipality.

The population of Afghanistan's second-largest city has grown fourfold in the past five years, to an estimated 800,000 residents, but the sprawling metropolis boasts fewer municipal employees - about 70 total - than your average Canadian small town. There's no city planner, at least two-thirds of property owners don't pay any taxes (the population figure is a best-guess), and a mere handful of municipal dump trucks pulls double duty as the garbage truck fleet.

"The biggest thing I need is to clean up this city," says Kandahar City's respected, and by all accounts corruption-proof, Mayor Ghulam Haider Hamidi. "When I came here 16 months ago, the city's trash had built up (in the streets) over the last 25 or 30 years."
More on link

Advice on Afghanistan
Last Updated: Wednesday, June 25, 2008 | 2:49 PM ET CBC News Interview Ahmed Rashid
Article Link

CBC's Around the World host Harry Forestell had an opportunity recently to sit down with Ahmed Rashid, a Pakistani journalist based in Lahore who writes for several newspapers including the Daily Telegraph and The Washington Post.

Rashid has written extensively on Islamic extremism in the region and is on tour promoting his newly released book, Descent into Chaos: The United States and the Failure of Nation Building in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Central Asia.

Forestell interviewed him in Toronto.

Forestell: Canadian troops are risking their lives every day in Afghanistan, fighting militants, in an effort to bring stability to that country. And yet time and time again, we hear about Pakistan's failure to control those same insurgents within its own borders. Why isn't Pakistan helping more?

Rashid: I think the military in Pakistan has had a strategic policy since 2001, to give sanctuary to the Afghan Taliban leadership. Much of that is taking place in Quetta, the town in Baluchistan, exactly opposite Kandahar, where the Canadians are based.

I think one of the mistakes the Canadians made when they deployed in Afghanistan was to take at American face value the assurance that Kandahar would be absolutely peaceful and that these militants wouldn't come across the border.

In fact, the Americans, under Canadian insistence, went to President [Pervez] Musharraf and said, 'Make sure that the Canadians are not upset and nothing happens.' The Pakistanis didn't listen.

What we've had since 2005: the big offensive in Arghandab in 2006 when up to 1,500 Taliban were killed and layers upon layers of Taliban coming in from across the border fighting Canadian troops.

Forestell: The U.S. and others 
More on link

Good news follows bad in Afghanistan
Timothy Giannuzzi, For The Calgary Herald Published: Thursday, June 26, 2008
Article Link

A spot of good news can work wonders when you're in a tight spot. The NATO-led International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan just received a bit which ought to put the spring back in its step after a particularly difficult couple of weeks: Germany has agreed to beef up its military contingent in Afghanistan by 1,000 troops.

The German announcement comes less than two weeks after more than 60 countries pledged $20 billion in foreign aid to the struggling Afghan government over the next several years, so the situation in Afghanistan has rarely looked brighter. Germany's decision might even mark early signs of a European rethink of defence and the projection of military force abroad, which could have profound implications for the ISAF and future missions. Just don't hold your breath.

German Minister of Defence Franz Josef Jung made the announcement on Tuesday, after what have been some rather heated talks with other NATO countries (Canada, the United States, Britain and the Netherlands) concerned that large continental European nations are not pulling their weight in the ISAF. Of the mainlanders, only the Dutch and the Danish have sizable military forces which are not restricted in some way from engaging in combat.
More on link

Simcoe Store Sending Unexpected Support to Troops
Article Link

There have been dozens of ways for you to support our men and women overseas - sport a yellow ribbon, send them care packages, good Canadian coffee, but one local company is doing something very different...

The Paulmac's Pet Food store in Simcoe is collecting donations of tooneys to send flea collars to our soldiers in Afghanistan. The flea collars are to be worn around the ankles of Canadian soldiers set to deploy in September. According to Caroline Pettersen at Paulmac's sand flies, like fleas, can bite and cause infection - and these flee collars will keep the pests away.
More on link


----------



## GAP (26 Jun 2008)

Afghanistan sacks police chief over jail break
Reuters Published: Thursday, June 26, 2008
Article Link

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan - The Afghan government sacked the police chief of Kandahar on Thursday for negligence after some 400 Taliban prisoners and 700 criminals escaped this month in one of the biggest jail breaks in history.

The Taliban scored an important tactical and propaganda win when a suicide bomber in a fuel truck smashed into the gates of Kandahar prison on June 13 and militants stormed the building, setting their comrades free.

The prison break was a major embarrassment for the Afghan government as it showed Taliban insurgents were able to mount a large operation in the heart of the country's second city. Afghan authorities ordered an immediate investigation.

"The investigation shows some officials neglected their duties, therefore the government of Afghanistan has decided to sack General Sayed Aqa Saqeb, the provincial police chief of Kandahar," the Interior Ministry said in a statement.

The head of the intelligence agency and the head of police criminal investigations were also removed from their posts and the cases of all three were forwarded to the attorney general's office for further investigation, the ministry said.

Several other officials will also lose their jobs.

"The government of Afghanistan will never allow anyone to play with the security of the Afghan people," the ministry said.

Three days after the jailbreak, more than 200 Taliban insurgents seized some seven villages close to Kandahar, forcing the Afghan army to fly in hundreds of reinforcements and mount a major operation to drive them out.

Afghan security forces backed by around 64,000 foreign troops  (?? my emphasis)are struggling to contain the Taliban insurgency centered in the mainly ethnic Pashtun south and east of the country.

While the Taliban are routinely routed in any direct fight with Afghan and international forces, the insurgent campaign of hit-and-run attacks, backed by suicide and roadside bombs is aimed at wearing down Afghan support for the Kabul government and forcing Western public opinion to demand troops be brought home.
end of article


----------



## GAP (27 Jun 2008)

*Articles found June 27, 2008*

Militant Attack in Afghanistan Kills 3 Foreign Soldiers, 1 Afghan  
By VOA News 26 June 2008
   Article Link

A militant attack in Afghanistan has killed three soldiers from the U.S.-led coalition and their Afghan interpreter. 

The coalition says the four died in a powerful blast in Wardak province Thursday. 

June has been an especially deadly month for soldiers battling Taliban militants. At least seven foreign forces and two Afghan soldiers were killed in the past four days alone.

The coalition says several Taliban insurgents were killed Thursday in the southern provinces of Kandahar and Zabul. Twenty-two others were killed Wednesday in Paktika province

U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates says a 40 percent rise in attacks by insurgents in eastern Afghanistan this year is a matter of real concern. He says one reason for the increase is that more fighters have been able to cross the border without facing sufficient pressure from Pakistani troops.
More on link

Congress Approves $162 Billion for Iraq, Afghanistan Wars  
By Nicholas Johnston and Catherine Dodge June 27 (Bloomberg)
Article Link

 -- Congress gave final approval to legislation providing $162 billion for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan along with funding for veterans and unemployment benefits sought by Democrats. 

The Senate voted 92-6 last night to approve the spending bill, which was passed by the House of Representatives last week. It next goes to President George W. Bush who has said he will sign it. 

The legislation allocates money for the wars until mid- 2009, when Bush's successor will be in office, and ends the 18- month legislative battle in which Bush resisted Democratic efforts to tie war funding to demands for troop withdrawals. 

``Congress has given the president everything he's asked for'' on the war, said Mackenzie Eaglen, senior policy analyst for national security at the Heritage Foundation in Washington, a policy group with close ties to the Republican Party. 
More on link

Taliban closes in on Peshawar
Maya Mirchandani Thursday, June 26, 2008 (Peshawar)
Article Link

Peshawar isn't under siege yet but it is within striking distance of the Taliban. They have extended their civil war to the outskirts of the Northwest Frontier Province's capital city. 

Peshawar is along a key supply route for NATO forces in Afghanistan. It's also a major base for the Pakistan Army that has been fighting Taliban forces in the Pak-Afghan border areas. 

The Taliban has reached the Jemrud Road - which runs on the outskirts of Peshawar- it is a major artery that connects to the Khyber Pass. 

Last week, Taliban militants entered Peshawar and kidnapped 16 members of a local Christian community but they were later released. 

There are reports that another 22 people have been killed and five girls' schools were burned down in Swat. 

Reports say that the militants call themselves the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan - lead by Baitullah Mehsud, the man believed to be behind many major suicide blasts in Pakistan last year and also Benazir Bhutto's assassination.

His group has established a parallel government in parts of the NWFP. 

After years of a military campaign, the new democratic government in Pakistan signed a peace deal with militant leaders. They claim it has brought peace to the areas but as the Taliban closes in, it is clear that this is a fragile peace that's already falling apart.
More on link

Afghanistan Fires Police Chief for Kandahar Prison Break  
By VOA News 26 June 2008
   Article Link

US soldiers in armored vehicles patrol in Arghandab district of Kandahar province, 26 Jun 2008 
Afghanistan says it has fired the police chief of the southern province of Kandahar for negligence related to a massive jailbreak earlier this month.

The Interior Ministry said Thursday the deputy police chief and the criminal investigation director also were fired for the incident. 

The cases have been sent to the provincial attorney general's office for further investigation. Several other officials are expected to lose their jobs.

More than 1,000 prisoners, including about 400 Taliban militants, escaped Kandahar's main prison after a suicide bomber blew open the gates. 
More on link

Cadets Chat With Troops In Afghanistan - VIDEO
Posted By Gord Young Posted 16 hours ago
   Article Link

22 Wing/Canadian Forces Base North Bay hosted a video teleconference Thursday with Cpt. Gareth Carter and Master Cpl. Stacy Melrose, who are currently posted in Afghanistan. Local cadets, members of 22 Wing and family members participated in the interactive event.
More on link

SUCKERFACTORY
June 26th, 2008 
Article Link

One hour after two rockets landed somewhere in KAF Kandahar; after an hour in the relative comfort of the two-foot thick concrete walls of a bunker the “All Clear” siren wailed, and a group of Canadian performers returned to the stage to fire back its reply.

The group of singers and musicians ranging from Country artists (Diane Chase, Duane Steele and Ginette Genereux) to Cape Breton fiddlers (Troy Macgillivray and Kimberley Frazier), Comedians (Pete Zedlacher and Kenny Shaw), one Canadian Blues legend (Matt Minglewood) and one Rock Band (SUCKERFACTORY) were on a tour of war-torn Afghanistan to help bolster the morale of NATO troops stationed there. T.Z. Wade of the rock band, “SUCKERFACTORY” has now performed on five such Show Tours. “I was part of a tour in ‘05 that visited Kabul, and I was amazed to see that although there are aspects of Afghanistan that feel like a lot of progress has been made, there were ways in which it seemed more dangerous.” Certainly most would consider a Rocket attack during one’s performance something beyond dangerous - the 401 is “dangerous” but, “It didn’t really hit home that it had been risky until we were on our way back home. Due to security issues no one is allowed any information about where the rounds actually land, however on the Airbus ride home there were whispers that it was in fact a very good shot, although again due to security we can’t say where they hit.” 
More on link

Ex-Taliban fighter tells of training, cash, orders from Pakistani military
Article Link

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan — A former Taliban fighter has provided a gripping first-hand account of being secretly trained by members of the Pakistani military, paid $500 a month and ordered to kill foreigners in Afghanistan.

Mullah Mohammed Zaher offered a vivid description of a bomb-making apprenticeship at a Pakistani army compound where he says he learned to blow up NATO convoys.

He's one of three former Taliban fighters introduced to The Canadian Press by an Afghan government agency that works at getting rebels to renounce the insurgency.

Zaher insists he was neither forced to go public with his story nor coached by Afghan officials, whose routine response to terrorism on their soil is to blame neighbouring Pakistan.

Pakistan officially sides with the West against the insurgents and vigorously denies mounting accusations that it is a two-faced participant in the war on terror.

A report produced for the Pentagon and released this month by the Rand Corp., a U.S. think-tank, claims individuals in the Pakistani government are involved in helping the insurgents.

An illiterate, career warrior, Zaher has not seen the 177-page report. But he made a series of claims in a 90-minute interview that supported its broad conclusions - and offered a deluge of new details.
More on link

Great progress made in Afghanistan: colonel
Ryan Cormier, edmontonjournal.com Published: Thursday, June 26
Article Link

EDMONTON - Canadians are too accustomed to outdated definitions of military success to see progress in Afghanistan, says the soldier who next year will take over command of our troops in that country.

"There has been tremendous progress, it's just whether or not they're seeing it," Col. Jon Vance said today.

"Canadians, I believe, are still accustomed to the World War Two-style of success. Lines on a map, going from here to there. Those kind of successes don't exist in our new way of war.

"I wish they did, it would be easier, more linear and probably more understandable."

Vance was to sign over command of 1 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group tonight. The Edmonton-based soldier will be promoted sometime this year before he takes leadership of Joint Task Force Afghanistan in February 2009 from Brig.-Gen. Dennis Thompson.

Vance pointed to the rejuvenation of the southern city of Bazaer-E-Panjwaii as an overlooked success. "Those are big successes in a counter-insurgency, but they don't resonate with Canadians."
More on link

Article Link
Canadian military silent on Afghan civilian deaths: UN investigator
Last Updated: Thursday, June 26, 2008 | 11:27 PM ET CBC News 
The Canadian military is being criticized by a UN investigator for a lack of accountability for civilian deaths in Afghanistan, where more than 200 civilians have been killed by international military forces this year, a recent report suggests.

The United Nation's special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, Philip Alston, told CBC News that senior Canadian officers, among those from other NATO countries operating in Afghanistan, have refused to provide him with information about civilian casualties when asked.

"They said, 'We don't have the information; we can't give it to you. We promise you that we look at individual cases and we do it really very conscientiously.' Good, so give me the results. 'Well we don't have them,'" Alston said.

In May, Alston estimated more than 200 civilians had been killed by foreign forces during the first four months of the year, often in joint operations with Afghan security forces. He said secrecy and a dearth of public information regarding the casualties was jeopardizing support for the mission.
More on link


----------



## GAP (29 Jun 2008)

*Articles found June 29, 2008*

Canada backing tough new top cop in troubled Afghan district
Doug Schmidt, Canwest News Service Published: Saturday, June 28, 2008
Article Link

DAND DISTRICT, Afghanistan -- There's a tough new sheriff in Dand district, a dusty scattering of mud-walled villages at Kandahar City's doorstep where visitors are told the bad guys roam freely.

Like other lawless areas in Afghanistan's turbulent south, it's the kind of place where even the cops can be crooked. Asked about the state of policing in his adopted neighbourhood, district police chief Fida Mohammed motions up the road toward a checkpoint of armed men in Afghan National Police uniforms next to machine-gun mounted pickups with ANP markings and he shrugs.

"They are criminals," the newly appointed Mohammed says angrily.
More on link

In Courts, Afghanistan Air Base May Become Next Guantanamo
By Del Quentin Wilber Washington Post Staff Writer Sunday, June 29, 2008; Page A14 
Article Link

Jawed Ahmad, a driver and assistant for reporters of a Canadian television network in Afghanistan, knew the roads to avoid, how to get interviews and which stories to pitch. Reporters trusted him, his bosses say. 

Then, one day about seven months ago, the 22-year-old CTV News contractor vanished. Weeks later, reporters would learn from Ahmad's family that he had been arrested by U.S. troops, locked up in the U.S. military prison at Bagram air base and accused of being an enemy combatant. 

Lawyers representing Ahmad filed a federal lawsuit early this month challenging his detention on grounds similar to those cited in successful lawsuits on behalf of captives at the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The lawyers are hoping to turn Ahmad's case and a handful of others into the next legal battleground over the rights of terrorism suspects apprehended on foreign soil. More lawsuits are expected on behalf of Bagram detainees in coming months, the lawyers said. 
More on link

No Afghan peace while Taliban have sanctuary - NATO
Sun Jun 29, 2008 6:56am EDT By Hamid Shalizi
Article Link

KABUL, June 29 (Reuters) - Afghanistan will not be secure as long as insurgents are allowed to operate freely in sanctuaries on the Pakistan side of the border, a NATO spokesman said on Sunday.

With international forces in Afghanistan struggling against what the U.S. Pentagon describes as a "resilient insurgency", Pakistan is coming under increasing pressure to stop militants operating out of remote enclaves in ethnic Pashtun border lands.

"We know that as long as the insurgents operate safely on the Pakistan side of the border, then there can not be security in Afghanistan," NATO spokesman Mark Laity told a regular news conference in Kabul.

Pakistani forces launched an offensive in the Khyber region on Saturday to clear militants from the approaches to the city of Peshawar.

But the militants being attacked are from a faction that does not have a reputation for crossing into Afghanistan to fight Western troops backing the government of President Hamid Karzai.
More on link

Pakistani forces take control of area in Khyber
By RIAZ KHAN 
Article Link

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) — Paramilitary troops returned Sunday to posts they had been forced to abandon and Pakistani forces widened their offensive against militants operating in a volatile tribal area along the Afghan border, an official said.

The government launched the operation Saturday because the militants in the Khyber region presented an "immediate problem," Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said. The militants began threatening the nearby city of Peshawar and ambushing supply convoys bound for U.S.-led coalition troops in Afghanistan.

The military operation appears to be a shift in strategy by Pakistan's new government, backing its calls for peace deals in the tribal areas with the threat of forceful action against militants who get out of line.

The United States has criticized the move for peace deals, saying it gives militants the freedom to regroup for attacks on U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan.

Speaking to reporters in Lahore, Gilani defended the peace deals, but warned that authorities will resort to force "if (the groups) backtrack from their agreements and damage state property."

Troops from the paramilitary Frontier Corps, backed by tanks and armored personnel carriers, quickly cleared militants out of the Bara region, said Muhammad Siddiq Khan, a local official.
More on link


British soldier dies in Afghanistan when vehicle overturns
The Associated PressPublished: June 29, 2008
Article Link

LONDON: Officials say a British soldier has been killed in Afghanistan when his vehicle overturned.

Britain's Defense Ministry says the soldier was on patrol in Helmand Province when the incident occurred.

Sunday's announcement comes after another soldier was killed in Lashkar Gar when his patrol vehicle hit a land mine. Since British troops entered Afghanistan in 2001, 110 of the country's soldiers have died.

June has been a deadly month for British troops with 13 soldiers killed.
More on link

Germany takes over Quick Reaction Force in Afghanistan - Feature  
Article Link

New Delhi/Kabul - When the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) deployed in Afghanistan in early 2002, some 850 German troops were in its ranks. That number has increased more than fourfold. Confined at first to Kabul, the Germans' mission was widened to the northern part of the country, where they took command in 2006. Last year Germany sent Tornado jets to the NATO-led ISAF. A few days ago the German Defence Ministry announced it was raising the ceiling on its troop deployments in Afghanistan from 3,500 to 4,500. And the next escalation is due on Monday as Germany takes over the Quick Reaction Force in the north. 

Not only Germany's involvement in Afghanistan has expanded greatly, but also that of the ISAF as a whole. With just 5,000 personnel in the beginning, the ISAF today comprises more than 52,000 men and women from 40 countries. Another 13,000 troops in Afghanistan belong to the US-led coalition. 

The ISAF, whose initial United Nations mandate called for securing the capital Kabul and surrounding areas, has been deployed countrywide since October 2006. Though its role was once peacekeeping, the ISAF has become a combat force, suffering many dead and wounded. But victory in Afghanistan remains elusive despite the steady increase in commitment, both military and civilian, by the international community. 

It is true when NATO officials say that the Taliban, having taken heavy casualties, largely try to avoid fighting head-on the superior forces arrayed against them. This does not mean that the country has become more secure, however; quite the contrary. There were some 160 suicide bombings last year, compared with just two in 2003, the first year of suicide attacks following the overthrow of the Taliban regime. 
More on link

Top soldier says progress being made
Posted By BY THE CANADIAN PRESS   
Article Link

Canada's next top soldier says progress is being made in Afghanistan but it's being overshadowed by death and tragedy. 

Public perception and reality are different animals in the war-ravaged country occupied by about 2,500 Canadian soldiers, Col. Jon Vance said Thursday. 

"The Canadian public deserves to see progress," Vance said. "And there has been. There's been tremendous progress." 

Since Canada's military entered Afghanistan in 2002, about 10,000 soldiers have rotated through Kandahar. More than 80 have been killed. 

"There are lots of people who find it convenient to use a dead soldier as a launching pad to question lots of things," Vance said. 

He described the so-called repatriation ceremony -when the body of the dead soldier is taken off the plane upon its return to Canada -- as an "iconic image" in the eyes of Canadians. 

"We don't have the same iconic image for Canadians to see a success." 

Yet Vance said it's obvious soldiers are making a difference to those who stroll into vibrant Afghan communities once frozen by intimidation and fear. 

He said progress will continue in the form of 
More on link


----------



## GAP (30 Jun 2008)

*Articles found June 30, 2008*

Chance to kill, vengeance, money: why Taliban fighters took up arms
Article Link

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan — For some Taliban fighters, killing foreign soldiers was nothing more than a steady job that offered cold, hard cash.

For Mullah Janan, it was all about hot-blooded revenge.

The bushy-bearded farmer with the towering turban and vacant stare was among three former Afghan insurgents who spoke with The Canadian Press about why they took up arms against foreigners.

Janan says he has always supported the Taliban politically, with its stern interpretation of Islam and iron-fisted grip on security.

He grew up in Oruzgan province just north of Kandahar, not far from the village where Taliban founder Mullah Omar was born.

He blames a NATO bombing of his village for destroying his life - and for compelling him to fight.

"I lost my wife and children," Janan says, speaking softly and staring blankly across the room.

"Even before this operation, I supported the Taliban. But this was the key point that made me a more committed Talib, and made me declare war against these people."

Janan remained a lowly foot soldier.

He says he never dabbled in explosives, military strategy or anything more sophisticated than firing an AK-47 assault rifle at foreign troops.

He replies coyly when asked whether he killed anyone. But he offers a dismissive shrug when asked whether killing foreigners would have been wrong.
More on link

Slashing the Taliban's cash crop
Martin Chulov | June 30, 2008 
Article Link

SOON before Mick Keelty arrived in Afghanistan last week, a violent jailbreak underlined the tough challenge the Australian Federal Police chief's men face on terror's front line. Late last year, a small group of AFP officers quietly slipped into Afghanistan to launch a mission even more ambitious than the Australian Defence Force's efforts to defeat al-Qa'ida. They were put in charge of an international bid to sharply restrict the Taliban's income by eliminating the cultivation and export of opium, the main source of the terror group's wealth.
More on link

Pakistani operation against militants raises questions
By Laura King, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer June 30, 2008 
Article Link

Officials deem the action near Peshawar a success. But residents say the militants, who got plenty of warning, just melted away and will return when it suits them.

PESHAWAR, PAKISTAN -- When government troops pushed their way into a local warlord's stronghold just outside one of Pakistan's major cities over the weekend, what they found followed a familiar pattern.

With plenty of warning from officials that troops were coming, Islamic insurgents in the mountainous Bara district outside Peshawar, the provincial capital, had simply melted away, disappearing into a remote valley to the north.

Pakistani authorities declared Sunday that the district had been restored to their control. But residents said they expected the militants to return whenever it suited them.

What's more, almost no one in Bara's dusty and deprived main town had anything bad to say about the vanished warlord, Mangal Bagh, an illiterate bus driver-turned-cleric. Bagh maintained law and order, people said, and the shadow government he set up in recent months was more effective than the state-sanctioned one.
More on link

Attacks secure Nato supply route
June 30, 2008
Article Link

Islamabad Pakistani security forces secured control over Nato’s main supply route into Afghanistan yesterday and drove back Islamic militants threatening Peshawar, the capital of volatile North West Frontier Province (Zahid Hussain writes). 

The government offensive in the Khyber region destroyed several militant hideouts, killing a senior militant commander in Bara district. Pakistani forces also occupied militant posts on the surrounding hills and imposed a curfew in the area. “It has been a successful operation. The writ of the Government has been established,” Rehman Malik, a senior Interior Ministry official, said. 

More than a thousand army and paramilitary troops, backed by tanks and helicopter gunships, launched the offensive in the Bara district on Saturday. 
More on link

US opposes refugee repatriation
By Anwar Iqbal
Article Link

WASHINGTON, June 29: The United States has urged Pakistan not to repatriate Afghan refugees as it would have a destabilising effect on the Afghan government.

The Pentagon’s first assessment of the Afghan situation since the US invasion of 2001 deals with the refugees’ issue from the Afghan perspective, completely ignoring Pakistan’s concern that the Taliban militants use the camps to hide and recuperate.

The Pentagon also ignores the US government and media reports saying that areas near Pakistan’s border with Kandahar, which has a high concentration of Afghan refugees, has become a major hideout of Afghan militants.

Instead, the report depicts Pakistan’s demand for the repatriation of these refugees as “a major regional issue” which creates tension between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

The report notes that Pakistan has placed three major camps —Jalozai, Girdi Jungle and Jungle Pir Alizai — on its closure list every year since 2006 but has not closed them. The estimated combined population of these camps ranges from 130,000 to 145,000 and they are in an area which, according to US media and official reports, is a major staging ground for cross-border attacks in and around Kandahar.

It is the same area where Afghan President Hamid Karzai says Mullah Omar and other key Taliban leaders are hiding. US media reports support Mr Karzai’s claim.
More on link

Spud farmer returns to roots to help Afghans
By JOHN MILLER
Article Link

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — To help poor Afghani villagers make money on potatoes instead of opium poppies, Idaho farmer Pat Rowe used a little old technology: root cellars.

The 68-year-old Rowe, whose family raises tubers and wheat on 2,000 acres near American Falls, went to the Central Asian country with a root cellar design common across his home state's famous potato country in the 1930s and 1940s.

As part of his work in Bamiyan, located about 100 miles west of Kabul, Rowe said it was important that his potato sheds not be too sophisticated. They had to be built with materials readily available in the impoverished valley between the Hindu Kush and the Koh-i-Baba mountains with only dirt roads, a gravel runway, scant trees and almost no electricity.

Before leaving, he took notes from neighbors on Idaho's Snake River plain who had an old root cellar on their property.

"You look at what people are using and see what they are doing," Rowe said Monday, of his trip. "You don't want to be a crazy foreigner with all these ideas. You've got to be practical with the application."
More on link


----------

