# The Sandbox and Areas Reports Thread (February 2007)



## GAP (5 Feb 2007)

Sorry, forgot to start February thread....Posts for the first couple of days of February can be found at the end of the January thread...

*Articles found 4 February, 2007*

Canadian soldier’s legacy lives on Afghani babies helped by generosity of Sooke Quilters  
By Pirjo Raits Sooke News Mirror Jan 31 2007 
Article Link

photo below: A soldier is shown with a tiny Afghani baby wearing one of the “Boomer” hats made by people in Canada and sent to Afghanistan on military planes

When there is a need, it seems one can always count on the people in Sooke. Last fall there was a call for Boomer hats — tiny knitted hats for babies. These hats, along with assorted blankets and other items, were handmade by women in Sooke and sent through the military to Afghanistan to be gratefully received by mothers. 

The hats were called Boomer hats because of one young soldier stationed in Afghanistan. His name was Corporal Andrew Eykelenboom (Boomer) and he was killed in August 2006 while on duty saving lives. His letters home spoke of the ongoing need to help. 

During one of his phone calls home, he said, “Mom, people in Canada have no idea of what having nothing means, even our street people have more than those in Afghanistan.” 

Who was Boomer?  

A young man with a big goofy smile, one who was kind and caring. He was just one of the many dedicated men and women in our military who are willing to risk their lives for a bigger cause, who are willing to be there for their comrades and to help those far less fortunate. 

Part of an email from Andrew:  

“Well, I finally got the picture you have been waiting for. About two weeks ago a little girl brought her infant sister to the UMS while I was on duty. She had second degree burns on her hand from touching a kettle. I bandaged her hand and after gave a doll that your friend made to her. She instantly stopped crying and started sucking on the nose of the doll. A special thanks goes from her older sister to your friend for such a wonderful gift; and a thanks from me for being the one to accept her gratitude. Making the children happy is the most rewarding thing about this tour. Love Andrew” 

 His last sentence is what this is all about....”The Canadian Military is in the south, and through the work of the Provincial Reconstruction Teams they are making a difference for the women, men and children in the southern Kandahar area, so much more is needed to be done – what can we do – you and I?” 

June Wesley of the Sooke Quilters has been keeping her hands busy and her heart full as she and the other quilters knit, crochet, sew and put together small items to send to Afghanistan. The military uses its planes to deliver the hats, blankets and other items. 
More on link

Where Defence and Development meet  
Saturday, February 03, 2007
Article Link

Apparently, some Canadians think our CF should be digging wells instead of fighting murderous and fanatic misogynists in Afghanistan.

Well, here's a photo for you: Seen at bottom of todays listings

You see what I did there? A pun on the word "well." Oh, come on, it was funny...OK, clever at least...

My point in posting this? Not much of one, except to say the CF can - how to put this delicately? - create insurmountable difficulties for Taliban fighters to take even one more breath, and at the same time dig wells and win hearts and minds. Concurrent activity, folks. Walking and chewing gum.

Not that putting the Taliban thugs into a shallow grave doesn't win hearts and minds, because it does. Imagine: your village has been terrorized by these butchers, your elders threatened, your teachers shot, your neighbours forced to grow opium crops by a bunch of thugs.
More on link

Women weavers in Afghanistan find rugs loom large in future
Houston woman's project helping faraway people
Feb. 2, 2007, 8:29PM By MAGGIE GALEHOUSE  Houston Chronicle 
Article Link

Life definitely takes strange turns that you can't predict," says Connie Duckworth.

In 2003, not long after retiring from Goldman Sachs in New York, the Houston native flew to Afghanistan as a member of the newly created U.S.- Afghan Women's Council.

The Taliban had fallen in November 2001, and Duckworth was familiar with the abuses suffered by Afghan women under that repressive regime. The atrocities included sexual and physical violence, and women were subjected to rigid rules of dress and behavior.

Duckworth knew that she wanted to use her business experience to employ women in this central Asian country not quite as large as Texas. A Wharton graduate, Duckworth has also chaired the Committee of 200, a professional organization of the country's top women executives and entrepreneurs.

On the airplane home from Afghanistan, she started drafting a business plan that soon became Arzu Inc., a nonprofit company that now employs more than 700 Afghan women. Based mostly in rural villages, the women weave contemporary and traditional rugs. The company's profits provide health care and education to people in remote areas of Afghanistan.

Arzu visits the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft this week, offering rugs for sale along with demonstrations, photographs, and lectures.

"The starting premise is that we pay an above-market rate to the women, so they are generating cash income that can help pull them out of debt," says Duckworth. "We provide materials. The yarn is from Afghanistan, and we ship it to the areas where the women work."

The rugs cost $900-$16,000, depending on size and complexity, with traditional, tribal and modern patterns available. Duckworth says the modern designs, which range from solid colors to freestyle patterns created by individual weavers, sell fast.
More on link

Local troops train for Afghanistan
Alan Hustak  Montreal Gazette Friday, February 02, 2007
Article Link

CFB FARNHAM – Air Force Master Cpl. Normand Daigneault struggled to lift the body of Cpl. David Tran-Hu and throw him over his shoulder to carry him 100 metres along the tarmac. 

But under the weight of Tran-Hu’s 140 pounds, Daigneault stumbled and both men ended up splayed on the ground. 

“I had him, but I didn’t have him properly, he was sitting on my arm instead of on my shoulders, and we fell,” Daigneault said. “It shouldn’t have happened. I had to pick him up again and reposition. Something like that in combat can cost lives.” 

Daigneault, who is with the 438 Tactical Helicopter Squadron (438ETAH), was taking part Friday in a routine physical training exercise at Canadian Forces Base Farnham, 60 kilometres southeast of Montreal. 

The drill is ongoing work for the flight (what the air force calls a military squadron), made up of 15 of the so-called primary forces – men and women who could be in combat when they are shipped to Afghanistan in August – and nine others who are being put through the same paces and will serve as backups. 

As a helicopter swirled overhead, they set off before dawn Friday in full combat gear on a 13-kilometre march, slogging their way along gravel and dirt roads, up and down hills, with a rifle over their shoulders and a 25-kilogram pack on their backs. 

Once they reached their destination, they had to carry each other the final 100 metres, as they would have to do if they were under fire and one of their buddies was wounded. 

“The walk itself is not hard, but it is demanding,” Cpl. Jimmy Lagüe said as he high-fived one of his colleagues after completing the exercise. “Anyone who is in good physical shape can do it. You can get a sore back and blisters on your feet, for sure, but that’s about it.” 
More on link

Why Canada must muscle up
ANDREW PRESTON 
Article Link

Whose War Is It?
How Canada Can Survive in the Post-9/11 World
By J. L. Granatstein - HarperCollins, 246 pages, $34.95

Not too long before 9/11, Henry Kissinger published one of his habitual surveys of the world. Troubled by the apathy of his wealthy, contented fellow Americans in the wake of the Cold War, Kissinger provocatively entitled his book, Does America Need a Foreign Policy? With unprecedented domestic prosperity and the absence of a serious foreign threat, Americans no longer held much interest in their role in the world. Some, such as the conservative populist Pat Buchanan, even questioned the need for one at all. Ever the realist, Kissinger warned that a nation as powerful as the United States could not hide from its international challenges and obligations. Did America need a foreign policy? The answer, naturally, was yes.

J. L. Granatstein, Canada's most prolific writer on national defence and the military, is also a realist. In recent years, he has used his high profile and astonishing productivity to sound alarm bells about our own apathy, namely Canada's declining stature in the world, the deterioration of our armed forces and our decreasing capability to safeguard our own domestic security. Like Kissinger, and for basically the same reasons, Granatstein envisions an active international role for his country.
More on link

Trick your ride: customizing the LAVIII  
Thursday, February 01, 2007
Article Link

Earlier this month, I noticed an article online by Captain Nicole Meszaros, an Air Force PAffO, that talked about a sky-blue engineering unit being used to cut steel armour for use on the Army's LAVIII:


More than 100 Light Armoured Vehicles (LAV III) had their existing armour improved thanks to the addition of specially cut pieces of steel.

"Based on mission changes, a natural phenomenon, the Army asked us to help manage their changing needs," said Lieutenant-Colonel Frances Allen, Commanding Officer of ATESS [Aerospace and Telecommunications Engineering Support Squadron]." Generally, we support Air Force initiatives, but in this case the Army has turned to the Air Force and the Navy to improve their deployed equipment."

This is the first time ATESS has been involved in such a tri-service initiative. "The focus within the Canadian Forces has been adjusted to a CF-first focus so as the CF prioritizes, we could get involved in such future projects away from those that are strictly Air Force," said LCol Allen.

I didn't post about it, because the subject invites misinterpretation. I'll explain how in a moment.

Today, I've received information from the east coast that some journalists have been sniffing around the shipyards on what is either a similar project or an extension of this one. Which means that information on this project is going to be out there in a couple of days. And I'd bet good money that the way that information is presented is going to be wrong.

When I first saw the Air Force piece, I realized that someone wanted to talk about how one branch of the military is helping another. I suspect that's why the folks who wear the deep blue uniform on the east coast granted interviews on this project as well - to remind everyone that no matter which colour of uniform they wear, the Canadian Forces work together.
More on link

Sexsmith proclaims Red Friday in honour of soldier
By DEREK LOGAN Herald Tribune staff
Article Link

When Pte. Farrel Starkey heads over to Afghanistan next week, his only major link back to his family in Sexsmith will be his laptop computer.

Although the Canadian Forces have digital link-ups at the Kandahar base, the wait times on them are long and the allotted time to talk to family is limited. Starkey's superiors suggested he get his own computer.

"He bought himself one with a webcam so he's hoping to be able to contact home more so we can see him because we don't know how good phone calls are from there," said his mother, Donna Starkey.

There is some anxiety in the family as the 24-year-old private heads off for his first overseas tour of duty Feb. 6. For the next seven months, Farrel will be an apprentice of sorts with the explosive ordinance disposal unit for the combat engineer regiment (4-CER) from his home base, CFB Gagetown near Oromocto, N.B. 

Although his primary role is to drive one of the armoured Bison vehicles, he will also be assisting the ordinance team in clearing landmines and explosives for the frontline combat units.

For his family, which includes two brothers and 13-year-old twin sisters, there will be a lot of anxiety and concern to deal with over the coming months. The Taliban have been regularly leaking announcements of heightened aggression against the Canadian forces in southern Afghanistan. 
More on link

U.S. gives 8 attack helicopters to Pakistan, bolstering counterterror capability  
The Associated Press Friday, February 2, 2007 ISLAMABAD, Pakistan 
Article Link

The United States gave eight attack helicopters to Pakistan on Friday, bolstering the key U.S. ally's ability to combat Taliban and al-Qaida militants suspected of attacking neighboring Afghanistan from Pakistan's border areas.

The Pakistani army took possession of the Cobra AH1-F helicopters at Qasim air base, near the capital, Islamabad, the U.S. Embassy said. Another 12 Cobras are to be delivered later in a military aid package worth a total of US$50 million (€38.4 million), it said.

The refurbished helicopters, which are specially equipped for nighttime operations, are "important weapons in our common fight," U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker said at the hand-over ceremony, according to an embassy statement.

Afghanistan, the United States and the NATO-led coalition fighting Taliban and al-Qaida rebels in Afghanistan are urging Pakistan to do more to stop the insurgents from using Pakistan's remote border areas to launch attacks.

Pakistan insists it is doing all it can, pointing to the loss of hundreds of soldiers in operations against militants near the border with Afghanistan. President Pervez Musharraf said Friday that Pakistan will soon begin erecting fencing to reinforce the long, mountainous frontier.
More on link

Residents respond to soldier’s request for help
By Paula Vogler Thursday, February 01, 2007 - Updated: 11:20 AM EST
Article Link
  
 With boxes stacked to the ceiling in every nook, cranny, and corner in his small room as well as on the bed and under the bed, Captain Benjamin Tupper said he does not have room for any more.

The good news is that children in Afghanistan, where Tupper is stationed, are benefiting from the huge outpouring of aid Easton residents have sent in response to Tupper’s plea for winter clothing and small toys for these children. 
“Of all the newspapers and community groups that responded to my appeal, by far Easton stands out as the town that responded the strongest,” said Tupper in an email. “To date I’ve received close to 40 boxes from Easton and I’m expecting another 40 in the coming weeks. I hope those who supported this project can appreciate what a significant impact a pair of shoes or an old floppy winter hat can have on a child without these items. The smiles, and the look of amazement on their faces when they receive them, are beyond explanation.” 
Tupper said he and his fellow soldiers were able to distribute clothing on one recent mission to approximately 300-400 children with the items people have sent. They used a school in the village of Zaran Sharanwhich serves more than 400 local children as a distribution center. 
“All boys, no girls allowed,” said Tupper, “which is unfortunately common here. However if the school served girls, it would have been burned down already by the Taliban.” 
Tupper had to first secure the site and clear any booby traps or IEDs (improvised explosive devices). He said there were already close to 200 children milling around when he first arrived.
 “In order to properly secure the site, we (had) to move all these kids about 200 meters away from the school grounds, which I can tell you was harder than herding cats,” Tupper said. “After an hour, the kids were outside the cordon, the area was deemed safe, and the trailers full of your items rolled into the school grounds.”
He said every child left with something; many barefoot children left with their first pair of winter boots. A lot of the items were pre-packaged in large plastic bags to speed up the distribution. 
More on link

US Military Kills 7 Insurgents in Southern Afghanistan  
By VOA News 02 February 2007  
Article Link

The U.S. military in Afghanistan says coalition forces have killed up to seven militants preparing to launch a rocket attack in Paktika province, near the Pakistani border.

A military statement says coalition forces fired mortars and carried out airstrikes after spotting a group of militants setting up rockets in Bermel district of the eastern province Friday.

The military says a ground patrol went to the site and confirmed that two militants died on the spot and another five were presumed dead.

On Thursday, the United States gave thousands of weapons and hundreds of armored vehicles to Afghanistan's army as it braces for renewed fighting with Taleban insurgents in the coming warmer months.
More on link

Editorial: Now’s not time to forget about Afghanistan  
02/04/2007
Article Link

The war in Iraq has been very costly to America. According to the Associated Press, 3,083 American troops have been killed in Iraq as of Jan. 31, and 23,279 have been wounded in fighting since the war began in March of 2003. In January alone, at least 82 U.S. personnel were killed. 

Let’s not forget the Iraqi civilian deaths, which are estimated at more than 54,000. The U.N. Assistance Mission for Iraq reports 34,452 Iraqis were killed in 2006 alone.

The price of the war has been just as frightening, with more than $350 billion having been spent in Iraq. Combine that with the conflict in Afghanistan and operations against terrorism elsewhere and the cost has topped at least $500 billion.

While the war in Iraq continues to haunt Americans, it seems many people have forgotten about the U.S. service members who have been killed fighting in Afghanistan as a result of the U.S. invasion in late 2001.

As of Friday, close to 300 U.S. military members have died in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Uzbekistan, according to the Defense Department. Of the nearly 300 service members killed, the military has reported 192 were killed by hostile action.
More on link

US takes over NATO in Afghanistan
(Reuters) 4 February 2007 
Article Link

KABUL - The United States, which has just doubled its combat troops in Afghanistan, took over command of the 33,000-strong NATO force in the country on Sunday amid warnings of a bloody spring offensive by the Taleban.

The Taleban leader in a key southern district was also killed on Sunday as part of a NATO offensive to recapture the town of Musa Qala from the rebels, the alliance and residents said.

U.S. General Dan McNeill now heads NATO’s International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) after taking over from British General David Richards, who saw the force grow from just 9,000 as it expanded into the Taleban’s southern heartland during his nine-month command.

Last year was the bloodiest since U.S.-led forces ousted the Taleban government in 2001, and U.S. and NATO leaders warn of a bloody spring offensive in what analysts say will be the decisive year in the battle for Afghanistan.

More than 4,000 people died last year and the Taleban warned this weekend they have 2,000 suicide bombers ready for what they say will be the bloodiest year yet for foreign troops.
More on link

Caring for Veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan Will Cost $662 Billion Over 40 Years  
02/04/2007 
Article Link

 According to Linda J. Bilmes, a former chief financial officer and assistant secretary of the US Commerce Department, it will cost $662 billion over the next 40 years to care for returned veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan.   
 Bilmes, who now lectures on public policy at the John F Kennedy School of Government, accuses the Bush administration of being unprepared for what disability benefits and medical care will cost for veterans.   
 The costs are increased by the fact that more soldiers are surviving their injuries. In Vietnam the wounds per death ratio was 2.6:1, now it is 16:1. In addition there is a large number of soldiers who have disabilities as mental health conditions. 
end

Successes and Setbacks in the "Long War"  
By David Huntwork on Feb 02, 07
Article Link

A year ago the Pentagon released its Quadrennial Defense Review. It was essentially a strategy for a 20-year “long war” and a generational battle plan designed to prepare the military for a Cold War type struggle against the forces of militant Islam. 

According to the official unveiling: 

Since the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, our nation has fought a global war against violent extremists who use terrorism as their weapon of choice, and who seek to destroy our free way of life. Our enemies seek weapons of mass destruction and, if they are successful, will likely attempt to use them in their conflict with free people everywhere. Currently, the struggle is centered in Iraq and Afghanistan, but we will need to be prepared and arranged to successfully defend our nation and its interests around the globe for years to come. 

It is apparent that the United States and its assorted allies are still seeking to adequately define its enemy, reach a consensus on tactics, and achieve some sort of victory in (or graceful exit from) Iraq. In this age of round the clock news and information it is easy to get caught up in the crisis of the moment. But it is also important that we examine the big picture in the War on Terror and take the time to look back at some of the successes and setbacks experienced since 9-11. 

Successes 

* The United States exposed and virtually eliminated the Pakistani Khan Nuclear Proliferation Network which peddled nuclear weapons designs and related technology, as well as delivery systems, throughout the world. Client states included Iran, Syria, North Korea and Libya as well as attempted sales to Saddam’s Iraq. 
More on link


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## The Bread Guy (5 Feb 2007)

_- edited 051211EST Feb 07 to add madrassa story - _

*Canadian soldiers reflect after months of combat*
PAUL WORKMAN, CTV News, 4 Feb 07
Article Link

A Chinook helicopter beats its way to the ground sending a cloud of dust and stones in all directions.  It lands in the pitch of night, under a full moon, and as the tailgate drops, a line of soldiers comes running out, struggling under the weight of their packs and the force of the rotors.  Then with a signal from inside, another line of soldiers runs toward the chopper, whooping and yelling, some waving their weapons.  After six months in Afghanistan, their tour of duty is over, and this is the first leg home.  They've survived what will one day be remembered as "Canada's Afghan War."  In particular, they've survived weeks and months living a bit like rats in one of the most inhospitable camps on the front line.  They call it "Vimy."  Hours earlier, Private Jacob Williams was standing around, drinking coffee and smoking cigarettes, killing time as best he could before the flight back to Kandahar.  He looked skinny and worn out, with dirty hair, dirty face, dirty uniform, an engaging humor and years of battlefield insight packed into six months.  And he's only 21 ....


*Changing of guard for Canadian troops*
Challenge of real world awaits old guard as reinforcements arrive
Murray Brewster, Canadian Press, 5 Feb 07
Article Link

STRONG POINT NORTH, Afghanistan -- For Cpl. Alexander Darroch, the last six months of combat in southern Afghanistan have been "one big spin" in his mind.  It's been a mad kaleidoscope of firefights, seemingly endless stretches of boredom, rocket attacks, unbearable heat, patrols, sweat, food in plastic bags, infrequent showers and more patrols.  All that came to an end this weekend as members of Bravo Company, 1st Battalion Royal Canadian Regiment (RCR), based in Petawawa, Ont., were relieved by fresh troops from bases in Atlantic Canada.  Sgt. David Horocuk of 2nd Battalion Royal Canadian Regiment, based in Gagetown, N.B., takes a break at Strong Point Centre as fresh troops arrive.View Larger Image View Larger Image  "Good luck to these guys," said Darroch, who spoke reluctantly.  "The weather's starting to warm up again and hopefully they have a better go than we did. Hopefully they stay safe, know what I mean?"  Everything that Darroch didn't want to say was betrayed by the slight trembling of the cigarette in his hand ....



*Canada backs plan to open Afghan version of Islamic school in Kandahar*
MURRAY BREWSTER, Canadian Press, 5 Jan 07
Article Link

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan (CP) - The Afghan government hopes to open a madrassa - a school of Islamic education - in Kandahar province this year with the active encouragement of Canadians.  The country's Education Ministry has drawn up an $890,000 pilot program for a 16-classroom school, with a dormitory for 300 students, to be located in the vicinity of the provincial capital.  Unlike madrassas in northern Pakistan seen by the West as breeding grounds for fire-breathing extremism, the Afghan model would be based on Hanafi, a less fundamentalist form of Islam.  The plan is outlined in a Jan. 7, 2007, position paper written by the ministry. A senior education official confirmed the pilot program but refused to be quoted because he was not authorized to speak on the topic.  Support for the idea was percolating at the ground level from the Canadian Civilian-Military Co-operation team - known as CIMIC - in Zhari district where NATO fought a bloody campaign last fall to root out Taliban insurgents.  "They see education as one of the keys to solving their problems around this area," said Sgt. John Courtney, one of two CIMIC members at Patrol Base Wilson west of Kandahar .....



*Kandahar PRT conducts mine awareness training for children*
ISAF news release # 2007-089, 5 Feb 07
Article Link

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan (5 February) – The Kandahar Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT), at Camp Nathan Smith, conducted mine and unexploded ordnance awareness training for local children in Kandahar yesterday.  “The aim of this training session is to teach the kids three simple steps to follow if they find a mine or unexploded ordnance: don’t touch it; stay away from it and tell an adult, a policeman or an ISAF soldier,” said Master Cpl. Brendan Hynes.  Following the training, PRT members provided the children with a snack and donated rubber boots, socks, gloves, backpacks and toys. One child also received medical attention for an infection on his foot.  Many of the children who attended the training previously received medical attention during a medical outreach patrol conducted by the Kandahar PRT at the Kandahar City fire brigade’s compound on Jan. 7.



*Abdul Ghafour killed in Musa Qala*
ISAF news release # 2007-090, 5 Feb 07
Article Link

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan (5 February) – Yesterday a senior Taliban commander, Abdul Ghafour, was killed in a precision air strike by ISAF, in Musa Qala district.  Ghafour was a key Taliban leader who played an instrumental part in the seizure of Musa Qala district centre on Friday.  “By removing him, we have disrupted their command and control and made it more difficult for the insurgency to plan their next move,” said Colonel Tom Collins, ISAF spokesman. “The strike was made by ISAF forces at the request of Government of Afghanistan after the Taliban had threatened the local elders and their governing authority.”


*NATO drops fliers calling on Taliban to abandon southern Afghan town*
Associated Press, 5 Feb 07
Article Link

NATO-led troops dropped leaflets on a southern Afghan town overrun by militants, warning them to leave after their leader was killed in an airstrike, officials said Monday.  The leaflets dropped over Musa Qala late Sunday ordered the Taliban to leave the town, Interior Ministry spokesman Zemeri Bashary said.  An estimated 200 fighters descended on Musa Qala last week, destroying the government compound and temporarily taking local elders hostage. An October peace deal between village elders and the Helmand provincial government prevented NATO, Afghan and Taliban fighters from coming within 5 kilometers (3 miles) of the town center.  Capt. Andre Salloum, a spokesman for the NATO-led force in southern Afghanistan, confirmed that alliance aircraft helped distribute the leaflets over Musa Qala. Two different messages from Helmand's governor were dropped — one addressed to the people of Musa Qala and the other to Taliban militants, he said ....



*General McNeill assumes command of ISAF*
ISAF news release # 2007-086, 4 Feb 07
Article Link

KABUL, Afghanistan (4 February) – U.S. Gen. Dan McNeill assumed command of ISAF from British Gen. David Richards, in the presence of President Hamid Karzai, during a change of command ceremony this morning at HQ ISAF.  The passing of the symbolic ISAF pennant from General Richards to General McNeill, flanked by an ISAF honor guard, marked the change of command.  Upon taking command, General McNeill praised the efforts of President Karzai and General Richards and reaffirmed ISAF’s commitment to facilitate the reconstruction of Afghanistan.



*Canadians weary of costly Afghan fighting*
While its allies occupy safe zones, Canada suffered 20 percent of coalition deaths last year
LAURA KING and MAGGIE FARLEY, Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb 07
Article Link

In the wind-scoured high desert that once was the Taliban heartland, the will and determination of a little-heralded American ally have been undergoing a harsh test.  For six months, the task of confronting insurgents in volatile Kandahar province in southern Afghanistan has fallen to Canada, whose troops have participated in myriad peacekeeping missions in recent years but had not seen high-intensity combat since the Korean War.  Although its nearly 3,000 troops account for less than 10 percent of the allied forces in Afghanistan, Canada absorbed nearly 20 percent of the coalition's combat deaths last year, losing 36 soldiers. In addition, a suicide bomber killed a Canadian diplomat.  The casualty count in a region that Taliban commanders have pledged to seize this spring has triggered debate about whether Canada is finding itself in a quagmire of American making.  The deployment is a strain for military families. Moreover, the Canadian mission points up the strains caused by unequal burden-sharing within NATO.  Already, alliance unity has been frayed by what commanders describe as an insufficient troop commitment and rules that sharply limit the combat capabilities of some participants ....



*Defending Canada on the cheap*
Even the 'expensive' option to be presented by the military for new spending would leave our forces in worse shape than they are now
Colin Kenny, Ottawa Citizen, 5 Feb 07
Article Link

So here's the situation. Canada's military, badly undernourished after long years of neglect, drafts a needs list. The list asks Canada's nearly new government for more money. It sets out three possible cost options for funding the Canadian Forces for the next two decades.  The most expensive option it presents calls for an increase of Canada's defence budget from the current level of $14.3 million a year to something between $35 billion and $36.5 billion a year by 2025.  That isn't enough, but the cheaper options are worse. Either would actually worsen Canada's already depleted military capacity.  The government would be better off arming the populace with slingshots than going with one of those two options ....



*Canada fights 'holistic war' in Afghanistan*
Gary Ostofi, Hamilton Spectator, 5 Feb 07
Article Link

Get over it. Canada no longer is a peacekeeper.  I know many Canadians like to point to our past accomplishments in peacekeeping, but that has come to an end. We have thrust ourselves on to the world stage by fighting a "holistic war" -- which is not to be confused with a holy war -- in Afghanistan.  Just what is a "holistic war"?  It is a war fought using all the tools you can muster -- militarily, diplomatically and with the civilians in mind.  I recently attended a round-table discussion with Brigadier-General David Fraser, the most recent commander of Canadian troops in southern Afghanistan.  Fraser said that when he went into battle there was a gun in one hand and money in the other. Fraser and the soldiers under his command were fighting the Taliban -- a vile, dastardly and venomous group. They are not the Afghan people as a whole. He went after the "snake" and asked the Afghans to help.  Why would Fraser think that the Afghans would help? The Taliban are from their communities and appear to be like them. They bombard the Afghans with rhetoric that sends a message of fear about foreign invaders. If the Afghan people do not buy that message, they use fear, threats and murder to gain compliance ....



*Filling the holes*
NATO strategy in Afghanistan faces key obstacles to success
Ray Crabbe, Winnipeg Free Press, 31 Jan 07
Article Link

....  Establishing security must be viewed as a prelude to the essential rebuilding, reconstruction and humanitarian efforts so critical to winning over the Afghan people. Without pre-judging the outcome of the U.S. efforts in Iraq over the next critical eight to 10 months, the U.S. and NATO fully realize their credibility is at stake, and simply cannot afford to let Afghanistan slip through their fingers.  Failure in Afghanistan will allow the country to revert back to a failed state and breeding grounds for insurgents and terrorists to wreak havoc on the world. Plugging these holes in the Afghan mission will go a long way to preventing such a catastrophe.  The planned reinforcement of NATO is a good first step; getting the Pakistani government to eliminate the Taliban safe havens would be a monumental leap forward.


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## GAP (5 Feb 2007)

*Articles found February 5, 2007*

Weary Ontario troops in Afghanistan get relief
Mon, February 5, 2007 By CP
Article Link

STRONG POINT NORTH, Afghanistan -- For Cpl. Alexander Darroch, the last six months of combat in southern Afghanistan have been "one big spin" in his mind. 

It's been a kaleidoscope of firefights, stretches of boredom, rocket attacks, unbearable heat, patrols, sweat, food in plastic bags, infrequent showers and more patrols. 

All that came to an end this weekend as members of Bravo Company, 1st Battalion Royal Canadian Regiment (RCR), based in Petawawa, Ont., were relieved by fresh troops from bases in Atlantic Canada. 

Col. Omer Lavoie was mindful of the wounds his men will carry home. 

"I was asked at one point in time whether I have any scars," said Lavoie. 

"Sincerely, I've got 19 scars. I lost 19 soldiers across this tour." 
End

Minister Won't Rule Out Deploying Troops to Afghanistan's South  
Article Link

Just days before the German government decides whether to allow its Tornado jets to patrol in southern Afghanistan, Defense Minister Jung said he would not rule out sending troops to the relatively more violent south.

If sent, the six German jets could serve as a means of locating potential targets and passing the information on to operational planners, Jung said.

We need better reconnaissance to counter terrorist attacks in a timely manner," the minister told the Welt am Sonntag newspaper.

Jung also said he would not rule out sending German special forces wherever they are required saying Germany "would naturally help, even in other regions" of Afghanistan as it already has by providing NATO with transportation and radio technology.

Decision expected this week

The German cabinet is set Wednesday to debate and possibly decide on whether to permit the country's Tornado reconnaissance jets to fly patrols in southern Afghanistan, as requested by NATO and the Afghan government. 

The planes could arrive in Afghanistan by the end of March if the deployment is approved by both the German government and parliament.

Germany currently has nearly 2,900 soldiers engaged in reconstruction efforts in the relatively safe northern region of Afghanistan, and NATO, which leads the international military deployment to Afghanistan, has repeatedly requested Germany expand its Afghan mission.
More on link

Canada fights 'holistic war' in Afghanistan
By Gary Ostofi The Hamilton Spectator (Feb 5, 2007) 
Article Link

Get over it. Canada no longer is a peacekeeper.

I know many Canadians like to point to our past accomplishments in peacekeeping, but that has come to an end. We have thrust ourselves on to the world stage by fighting a "holistic war" -- which is not to be confused with a holy war -- in Afghanistan.

Just what is a "holistic war"?

It is a war fought using all the tools you can muster -- militarily, diplomatically and with the civilians in mind.

I recently attended a round-table discussion with Brigadier-General David Fraser, the most recent commander of Canadian troops in southern Afghanistan.

Fraser said that when he went into battle there was a gun in one hand and money in the other. Fraser and the soldiers under his command were fighting the Taliban -- a vile, dastardly and venomous group. They are not the Afghan people as a whole. He went after the "snake" and asked the Afghans to help.

Why would Fraser think that the Afghans would help? The Taliban are from their communities and appear to be like them. They bombard the Afghans with rhetoric that sends a message of fear about foreign invaders. If the Afghan people do not buy that message, they use fear, threats and murder to gain compliance.

Afghans are a tribal and warrior society. They are, for the most part, illiterate. As a people, they are tough, resilient and loyal to their tribe. Afghans want to make their own decisions in their own context. Outsiders, be they Taliban or foreigners, are judged on results.
More on link

Petawawa Soldiers Leave Afghanistan  
Josh Pringle  Sunday, February 4, 2007 
Article Link

Canadian soldiers from CFB Petawawa are beginning the trip home from southern Afghanistan. 

Fresh troops from bases in Atlantic Canada began arriving at the Canadian base at the Kandahar Air Field over the weekend. 

The soldiers from CFB Petawawa have endured the bloodiest combat Canadians have seen in half a century. 

Since August, 19 Canadian soldiers have died in the Panjwaii and Zhari districts. 

12-hundred soldiers from Atlantic Canada will arrive in Kandahar over the next few weeks. 

Coalition forces in Afghanistan are preparing for a possible spring offensive by the Taliban. 
End

Warning Issued Against Possible Kidnap of Koreans in Afghanistan
Article Link
 

The Korean government today cautioned Koreans in Afghanistan over a possible attempt by a group of insurgents there to kidnap Korean travelers. 
The warning followed a recent intelligence report suggesting the kidnap attempt.

``The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade is taking appropriate measures to protect our citizens in the Afghanistan city of Torkham as it came across an intelligence report that Taliban forces based in Peshawar, Pakistan, are planning on kidnapping South Koreans traveling from Torkham to the capital Kabul," the ministry said in a press release.

The ministry said the insurgents appeared to be working for the release of one of their top leaders, who was arrested about a year ago.

``The reason they picked South 
More on link

Heritage Foundation lauds Musharraf’s role
Sunday, February 04, 2007 By Khalid Hasan 
Article Link

WASHINGTON: The Heritage Foundation, the flagship conservative think tank in the capital, has said that the Pakistan–Afghanistan border area is one of the most dangerous terrorist safe havens in the world and while President Musharraf’s assistance has been laudable, also worrisome is the continued presence of Taliban and Al Qaeda terrorists in the region and the growing belief in Washington that the Pakistan government could do more to crack down on these elements which are straining US-Pakistan ties.

The paper, relating to the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission, was authored jointly by James Jay Carafano, Baker Spring, James Sherk, Brian Walsh, Helle Dale and Lisa Curtis.

The six experts write that in apprehending key Al Qaeda leaders President Musharraf has contributed to a strong US–Pakistan partnership since the 9/11 attacks
More on link

U.S. gen. leads NATO in Afghanistan
Feb. 4, 2007, 5:27PM By JASON STRAZIUSO Associated Press Writer 
Article Link

KABUL, Afghanistan — Gen. Dan McNeill, the highest ranking U.S. general to lead troops in Afghanistan, took command of 35,500 NATO-led soldiers on Sunday, putting an American face on the international mission after nine months of British command.

The transition comes after a year of sharply increased violence following the alliance's push into the Taliban's southern heartland, and military officials said privately they expect McNeill to take a harder line with militants than his predecessor, Gen. David Richards.

Richards backed a peace deal in the southern town of Musa Qala that crumbled in his last days in command when an estimated 200 Taliban fighters overran the town on Thursday. NATO said a targeted airstrike Sunday killed a key Taliban leader causing the upheaval.

The appointment of McNeill, one of only 11 four-star generals in the Army, raises the profile of the American mission here two weeks after the Defense Department extended the tour of 3,200 10th Mountain Division soldiers.

There are now 26,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan, the highest number ever. About 14,000 American forces fall under the command of NATO's International Security Assistance Force; 12,000 troops focused on training Afghan forces and special operations fall under the U.S.-led coalition.
More on link


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## MarkOttawa (5 Feb 2007)

General calls for more troops
_The Observer_, Feb. 4
http://observer.guardian.co.uk/world/story/0,,2005749,00.html



> The British general who has been commanding Nato forces has called for a major reinforcement of the multinational coalition efforts in Afghanistan, saying he has 'always been without the resources [he] would wish for' during his nine months in charge and calling a crucial battle against the Taliban last autumn 'a damned near-run thing'.
> 
> Interviews from the most senior to the most junior levels in Afghanistan by The Observer have revealed a chronic lack of troops, which will be only partially allayed by the dispatch of extra Nato soldiers announced by American, British and Polish governments in recent days. A series of European governments have refused to send more troops and the UK has only enhanced the 6,000-strong British deployment by around 350...
> 
> ...



British fear gung-ho Americans
_The Sunday Times_, Feb. 4
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2089-2583184,00.html



> SENIOR defence sources have voiced fears that an imminent push by the United States in Afghanistan will force British soldiers to adopt an overly aggressive approach that will damage relations with ordinary Afghans and play into the hands of the Taliban.
> 
> The extent of “frictions” between US and British commanders are revealed in the latest edition of Pegasus, the journal of the Parachute Regiment, in which an unnamed senior officer accuses the Americans of undermining British strategy during last year’s handover.
> 
> ...



_Pegasus_ journal here--article does not seem to be online:
http://www.army.mod.uk/para/pegasus_journal.htm

Job done: Taliban ‘are on the run’
_The Sunday Times_ , Feb. 4
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2089-2583182,00.html



> ...
> At Nato headquarters in Kabul yesterday, they were *putting a rather desperate spin on events* [emphasis added], saying the incursion proved to critics such as the Americans that the Musa Qala agreement had not been a peace deal with the Taliban. “We will take it back but in a manner and timing of our choosing,” said Mark Laity, a spokesman. “It’s a question of if, not when.”
> 
> Whoever ends up with their flag flying over Musa Qala, the general will not be returning home as “Richards of Afghanistan” as he clearly hoped when he arrived last April. But he has acquired widespread respect from both Afghans and diplomats as well as a nasty bout of whooping cough topped with viral pneumonia.
> ...



Via _Norman's Spectator_:
http://www.members.shaw.ca/nspector4/MIND.htm

Mark
Ottawa


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## MarkOttawa (5 Feb 2007)

Try conquering the cultural divide
_ChronicleHerald.ca_, Jan. 5, by SCOTT TAYLOR
http://thechronicleherald.ca/Opinion/557296.html



> JUST OUTSIDE the sprawling NATO airbase in Kandahar, a large temporary camp is full of internally displaced local Afghans.
> 
> Housed in a combination of mud huts and tents, these Pashtu farmers live without access to electricity or even the most basic of sanitation facilities. As one travels down the main highway, it becomes evident from the filthy streets that most of Kandahar’s city dwellers do not live under much better conditions...
> 
> ...




Afghan troops 'huge asset'
Key to Canada's exit strategy
Doug Schmidt, _Windsor Star_, February 05
http://www.canada.com/windsorstar/news/story.html?id=7e9b9d8a-1888-48eb-a699-a0253fffd46c&k=74927&p=2



> SABLAGHAI, Afghanistan - "The Taliban will kill me if I talk to you ... it's a little dangerous," Sardar Mohammed tells a reporter through a Pashto interpreter.
> 
> Sardar casts a nervous glance toward the curious who are gathering beyond the dozens of heavily armed soldiers and Afghan police, backed by tanks, armoured vehicles, explosives-sniffing dogs and specially trained military extraction teams massing next to a nearby closed school. The interpreter says the Taliban and their spies lurk everywhere in this rural village pocket in the Zhari District that is still not securely held by Afghan and international forces...
> 
> ...



Mark
Ottawa


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## The Bread Guy (5 Feb 2007)

*Canada boosts support for successful Afghan microfinance program*
CIDA news release 2007-04, 5 Feb 07
Article Link

The Honourable Josée Verner, Minister of International Cooperation and Minister for La Francophonie and Official Languages, today announced that Canada will allocate an additional $16 million to Afghanistan's national microcredit program, the Microfinance Investment Support Facility for Afghanistan (MISFA).

"Microfinance has proven to be a vital and effective tool in helping Afghans rebuild their lives and regain their self-sufficiency," said Minister Verner. "As the leading international donor for this program, Canada's New Government is ensuring the freedom of Afghans, especially women, to invest in the future and long-term growth of their country."

Minister Verner made the announcement at a breakfast hosted by the Board of Trade of Metropolitain Montreal, with fellow guests Amjad Arbab, Managing Director of MISFA, and Mary Coyle, the Director of the Coady International Institute at St. Francis Xavier University, Nova Scotia, world-renowned as a centre of excellence in community-based development. Ms. Coyle sits as Canada's Representative on the Board of Directors for MISFA.

CIDA will provide $16 million to MISFA, which provides poor Afghans with access to loans and financial services that would otherwise be unavailable to them. Launched by the Government of Afghanistan in 2003, MISFA funds 13 microfinance institutions that, in turn, offer a range of income generation and enterprise development services, as well as consumer loans to the poor. Currently, the microcredit program is helping over 300,000 Afghans, almost three quarters of whom are women. During the last 12 months, the number of Afghans benefitting has almost doubled, with an average of over 10,000 additional Afghans accessing the program each month.

Last year, an interim performance review of MISFA and the Afghan microfinance sector was commissioned by the Afghan Government and international donors including Canada. Published in October 2006, the report concludes that MISFA's design and implementation should serve as a model for building the microfinance sector in other conflict affected countries.

Today's announcement is part of Canada's total contribution of nearly $1 billion over 10 years aimed at reconstruction, reducing poverty and strengthening Afghanistan's governance, all of which are key elements in stabilizing the country and the region.

For more information on Canada's programming in Afghanistan, please refer to CIDA's website at www.cida.gc.ca/afghanistan-e.  


*Canada to bolster Afghanistan's 'model' microcredit*
Afghanistan Watch, 5 Feb 07
Article Link

Today Josée Verner, Minister of International Cooperation announced that Canada, the leading donor for microcredit, will give an extra $16 million to Afghanistan's national program, the Microfinance Investment Support Facility for Afghanistan (MISFA).  While this is a modest budget by international standards, money spent in this way can have a big payoff. MISFA was launched in 2003 and currently funds 13 microfinance institutions that provide poor Afghans with access to loans and financial services. The program has doubled in reach in the past twelve months, and currently assists 300,000 Afghans, three-quarters of whom are women ....



*TALIBAN TAKEOVER OF TOWN COULD MARK START OF MILITARY OFFENSIVE*
Ahmed Rashid, EurasiaNet, 5 Feb 07
Article Link

The fall of Musa Qala, a small town in Afghanistan’s southern Helmand Province, may herald the start of an offensive by the Taliban in order to preempt NATO reinforcements that are arriving in southern portions of the country. The Taliban attack came amid a regular rotation of commanders of the NATO force, with British Gen. David Richards, an expert at negotiations, giving way to an American, Gen. Dan McNeill.  Several hundred Taliban insurgents overran Musa Qala on February 2. The attack laid waste to an agreement there, brokered last fall by Richards and local tribal elders, under which NATO troops agreed to withdraw from the town in return for a commitment by local Afghan leaders to oppose the Taliban. On February 4, a NATO air strike killed the Taliban commander, identified as Mullah Abdul Ghaffar, who was supposedly in charge of the Musa Qala operation.  The retaliatory air strike came shortly before Richards relinquished command of the 33,000-strong NATO force, including 14,000 Americans. A separate American force, numbering roughly 8,000, operates in Afghanistan independently of NATO command ....



*Taliban Bases Destroyed by U.K. Forces Near Afghan Dam Project*
Paul Tighe, Bloomberg wire service, 6 Feb 07
Article Link

U.K. troops destroyed a Taliban base in Afghanistan's southern Helmand province in an operation that will allow a dam project to go ahead to bring electricity to 1.8 million people, the Ministry of Defense said.  The base, consisting of 25 compounds, was used to carry out attacks near the Kajaki hydro-electric dam, the ministry said in a statement yesterday on its Web site. U.K. forces, in operations in the past six weeks, created a safe zone around the dam for engineers to bring the project to full power, it said.  British Royal Marines destroyed a number of Taliban bunkers and trench systems and ``gathered valuable intelligence for future operations,'' said Captain Anthony Forshaw, commander of the offensive known as Operation Volcano.  The U.K. government last week said it was sending an additional 300 soldiers to join its 6,000-strong contingent serving with the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan. More than 5,000 British soldiers are in Helmand where Taliban fighters in the past year have increased attacks to destabilize President Hamid Karzai's government ....


*British forces take Taliban HQ*
The Sun Online (UK), 5 Feb 07
Article Link

BRITISH forces seized a Taliban base in Afghanistan yesterday in a major step towards improving energy supplies in Helmand province.  Royal Marines cleared out 25 compounds in Kajaki after months of mortar attacks.  Operation Volcano helped secure the area around a hydro-electric dam supplying 1.8million people ....


*British forces take Taliban base*
Daily Mail (UK), 4 Feb 07
Article Link

British forces have taken control of a Taliban base in Afghanistan in a major step towards improving energy supplies in Helmand province.  Royal Marines cleared out 25 compounds in Kajaki, northern Helmand, after months of mortar attacks.  Operation Volcano was part of a ongoing drive to secure the area around a hydro-electric dam so engineers can enter and bring it up to full power.  It will then supply electricity to 1.8 million people in Afghanistan.  Troops from M Company 42 Commando - based at Royal Marines Bickleigh Barracks, Plymouth - have been clearing compounds for the past six weeks, regularly coming under fire.  They were supported in the operation by 59 Commando Royal Engineers Arms Explosives Search Team and Royal Engineer Search Teams, based at Royal Marines Chivenor, in Barnstaple, Devon ....



*Ulema council members shot dead in Kandahar*
Saeed Zabuli & Majid Arif, Pajhwok Afghan News, 4 Feb 07
Article Link

Five people, two of them members of a local religious council, were killed on Sunday during the latest violence incidents in southern Afghanistan.  Brig Gen Esmatullah Alizai, police chief of the southern Kandahar province, told Pajhwok Afghan News two unidentified armed motorcyclists opened fire on Mullah Sayed Imam, deputy head and a member of the provincial Ulema council around 6:30 pm. Both were killed in the shooting from running motorbike, said Alizai, adding that the attackers mangeed to escape after the incident ....



*Construction company workers kidnapped*
Saeed Zabuli/Jamal Asifkhel, Pajhwok Afghan News, 4 Feb 07
Article Link

Three local workers of a construction company have been kidnapped in the volatile southern province of Uruzgan, officials said on Sunday.  Deputy police chief of Uruzgan Mohammad Nabi said workers of Kohsar Construction Company, contracted by the government for running reconstruction projects, were abducted from Toor Baba area near the provincial capital of Tirin Kot.  They were on way from their work place to Tirin Kot Saturday afternoon when interrcepted by unidentified gunmen. The abductors set fire to the vehicle they were travelling in, and abducted the men on gunpoint, the officer told Pajhwok Afghan News.  The company is involved in reconstruction projects of the National Solidarity Programme (NSP) in the province.  Taliban fighters are believed to be involved in the kidnapping of the three workers ....



*Grave concern over impunity plans for war lords*
Integrated Regional Information Networks News (UN), 4 Feb 07
Article Link

The United Nations and a leading human rights group in Afghanistan have expressed concern over a draft law that seeks to grant impunity to Afghans accused of committing war crimes during 25 years of conflict in the country.  On 31 January, the 249-seat lower house (Wolesi Jirga) of Afghanistan’s National Assembly approved and voted in favour of a draft law granting impunity to all those who committed war crimes during the Soviet occupation, from 1979 to 1989; the civil war that followed until 1996; and during the Taliban rule until late 2001. Some members of the lower house said that the motion would boost reconciliation in Afghanistan.  The bill also calls on opposition groups such as Hezb-e-Islami of Gul Buddin Hekmatyar and the Taliban, who are waging a deadly insurgency against the government, to join the peace process.  The draft bill still needs to be endorsed by the 102-member upper house (Meshrano Jirga) of parliament and then signed by President Hamid Karzai before it is enforced as law ....


*Warlord Democracy*
Dr. G. Rauf Roashan, Afgha.com, 4 Feb 07
Article Link

A bill of amnesty passed by the lower chamber of Afghan parliament to those accused of war crimes and violations of human rights comes as a threat to Afghanistan’s evolving democratic system and the nation’s aspirations for a redressing of its grievances during the long years of war in the country and might drive the nation farther away from the so-called democratic institutions.  If the bill is also passed by the upper chamber-chances are that it might, it would make a great test of President Karzai’s statesmanship. It is apparent that he would have a great challenge coming his way. Perhaps a presidential veto accompanied by a Supreme Court ruling that parliament cannot legally make such a law would save the situation. It is hoped that as dictated by prudence he makes a decision that would bring him closer to the nation rather than the warlords ....



*Rebuilding ‘not on track’*
Integrated Regional Information Networks News (UN), 1 Feb 07
Article Link

The international community pledged billions of dollars for the recovery of Afghanistan in 2006, and in return, the Afghan government promised to introduce policy reforms to improve its people’s lives. Out of this was born the Afghanistan Compact, which established targets and benchmarks to be met by the Afghan authorities over five years.  In February 2006, 64 countries and 11 international organisations meeting in London agreed to contribute US$10.5 billion towards the reconstruction of Afghanistan until the end of 2010. They identified security, governance and economic development as the three key areas that the government needed to focus on to ensure stability and progress.  One year on, analysts say the Afghan government is behind in meeting even the most basic targets. In a report released in New York on Tuesday, Human Rights Watch (HRW) says the Afghan government is failing to meet the basic security and human rights needs of its citizens.  "Afghanistan hasn’t really met any of the benchmarks, particularly those addressing the wellbeing of the Afghan people," said Sam Zarifi, Asia research director at HRW.  "Kabul and its international backers have made little progress in providing basic needs like security, food, electricity, water and healthcare." ....



*Pakistan hunts 'high value targets' in Waziristan*
Afghanistan Sun, 5 Feb 07
Article Link

Pakistan has deployed over 2000 para-military personnel in volatile North and South Waziristan to hunt for 'high value' terrorist targets, including key Taliban operative Baitullah Mehsud.  The deployment is ahead of what the government calls 'grand operation' in its Federally Administered Tribal Area (FATA) bordering Afghanistan.  'Security forces are expected to begin a grand operation in the troubled Waziristan tribal region to hunt down Al Qaeda and Taliban militants, including Baitullah Mehsud, who is holed up in the area,' The Daily Times said Monday quoting unnamed officials.  In a related report, the newspaper said the intelligence agencies have alerted the interior ministry that 15 Taliban fighters arrived in Rawalpindi from Bannu and South Waziristan on Jan 25 with plans to target US and UN interests in Islamabad ....



*New Film Opens Old Wounds in Afghanistan*
Actor flees Afghanistan after “Kabul Express” creates uproar.
Hafiz Gardesh, Afghan Recovery Report, ARR No. 240, 30 Jan 06
Article Link

It may be conventional wisdom that there is no such thing as bad publicity, but for Afghan actor Hanif Hangam the furore surrounding the film Kabul Express has been very unfortunate indeed. He has been forced to flee his homeland because of lines uttered by his character in a new Indian-American-Afghan film.  Kabul Express, directed by Indian filmmaker Kabir Khan, paints a portrait of post-Taleban Afghanistan, telling the story of two Indian journalists who come to cover the conflict and are taken hostage by the remnants of the fundamentalist faction.  In the course of their adventure, they meet a variety of people including one character, a truck driver played by Hangam, who complains loudly about the Hazara ethnic group. According to the character, Hazaras are dangerous bandits who kill people by driving nails into their skulls.  “I just read my lines,” said Hangam, appearing on Tolo television, where he is a presenter on the popular Alarm Bell show. He was bewildered by all the fuss, he said, but in mid-January he fled Kabul and took refuge in India ....


----------



## The Bread Guy (6 Feb 2007)

*Military investigates claim detainees abused*
Civilian agency also wants answers after allegations at least one Afghan was beaten
Paul Koring, Globe & Mail, 6 Feb 07
Article Link  - Permalink to both Globe & Mail articles

The Canadian military has launched an investigation into allegations of detainee abuse by soldiers in Afghanistan, The Globe and Mail has learned.  Spokesperson Major Luc Gaudet confirmed Monday that the military began its probe last week after being informed that the Military Police Complaints Commission — a civilian body formed to investigate complaints against the military — had received a request for an investigation into the treatment of several detainees. The commission is expected to decide within days whether to launch its own probe — a “public interest investigation” — into the allegations.  At least one, and perhaps three, Afghan detainees “taken captive by the Canadian Forces appears to have been beaten while detained and interrogated by them,” alleges Amir Attaran, a University of Ottawa law professor, in a letter sent to the commission.  The allegations are based on documents obtained by Mr. Attaran under the Access to Information Act outlining injuries in the cases.  The Globe and Mail has examined the military documents obtained by Mr. Attaran that refer to injuries sustained by detainees while in Canadian custody last April ....


*Ottawa silent on fate of captured terror suspects*
No accounting for scores of detainees that have been handed to Americans, Afghans
PAUL KORING, Globe & Mail, 6 Feb 07
Article Link 

Scores of terrorist suspects captured by Canadians have disappeared into the murky netherworld of Afghan and American prisons, but Ottawa refuses to say what has happened to them or even if it knows whether any have been tried, charged, or released, or how they are treated.  According to a Canadian Forces log of detainees, 40 had been handed over by April, 2006. From a review of a heavily excised and incomplete set of military police documents, it seems that several dozen more have been captured and handed over to Afghan police since then.  But Canada's Expeditionary Forces Command, headed by Lieutenant-General Michel Gautier, who oversees all Canadian Forces deployed abroad, refuses to account for terrorist suspects captured since May 1, 2006.  Some have apparently been freed by the Canadians who determined -- in a process not made clear -- that they didn't deserve to be handed over to the Afghan police. However, there is no accounting for them either, only the terse notations "fit for release" on medical forms.  Others, dubbed "fit for transfer," disappear into Afghan prisons. Once there, there is no further Canadian oversight.  Canada's out-of-sight, out-of-mind approach means detainees are handed over to others as soon as possible, often within hours. Once gone, the Canadian government, in effect, washes its hands of further responsibility or accountability ....


*Canadians accused of Afghan abuse*
Probe launched into complaints by three detainees in Kandahar
Bruce Campion-Smith, Toronto Star, 6 Feb 07
Article Link

Two separate probes are underway into a complaint that up to three prisoners suffered injuries while in the custody of Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan, the Toronto Star has learned.  The allegation, if substantiated, could rock military morale and further undermine public support in Canada's dangerous – and controversial – mission in Kandahar.  Questions are being asked about how as many as three unidentified men suffered injuries to their upper body while being detained by Canadian soldiers in the Kandahar region last April.  And investigators want to know why the military police officers who eventually took charge of the detainees didn't do their own probe of the injuries.  "We have received allegations of mistreatment," Stan Blythe, of the Military Police Complaints Commission, said yesterday. This independent civilian body, responsible for probing reports of misconduct by military police officers, received the complaint of possible abuse last week ....


*Military probes allegations of detainee abuse*
CTV.ca, 6 Feb 07
Article Link

The military is investigating a complaint that alleges prisoners were abused while in the custody of Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan.  At least one, and as many as three, Afghan detainees "taken captive by the Canadian Forces appears to have been beaten while detained and interrogated by them," alleges University of Ottawa law professor Amir Attaran in a letter sent to the Military Police Complaints Commission, an independent civilian body, last week.  The accusations are based on documents that Attaran obtained under the Access to Information Act.  In the documents, there are references to injuries that detainees sustained last April while under the custody of Canadian forces.  Commission chairman Peter Tinsley has notified by letter Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Rick Hillier and Capt. Steve Moore, who heads the military police.  "The complaint suggests various failings by the military police members involved relative to safeguarding the well-being of the persons in custody, and, more particularly, in respect of their failure to investigate the causes of various injuries which may have been sustained while in (Canadian Forces) as opposed to military police custody,'' Tinsley wrote on Jan. 30, reports The Toronto Star ....



*Peaceful solution sought for Taliban-occupied Afghan town*
Agence France Presse, 6 Feb 07
Article Link

Taliban fighters were holed up in a southern Afghan town for a fifth day as officials said they wanted to end the occupation without military action that could cost civilian lives.  NATO planes on Sunday dropped government leaflets into Musa Qala, which was captured Friday, urging the rebels to leave or face action. Thousands of people have already left, fearing bombing raids by NATO warplanes.  "The government is still trying to find a peaceful solution to the problem to avoid civilian casualties," interior ministry spokesman Zemarai Bashary told AFP on Tuesday.  Afghan military corp commander for the south, General Rahmatullah Raufi, said the army was on a state of alert but was awaiting the outcome of negotiations between tribal elders and the Taliban ....



*Afghan leader 'set to reject amnesty'*
news.com.au (AUS), 6 Feb 07
Article Link

PRESIDENT Hamid Karzai will likely reject as unconstitutional a draft Bill adopted by the lower house that gives amnesty for crimes and abuse in Afghanistan's 25 years of war, his spokesman said today.  The warlord-dominated lower house last week approved the document ruling out legal action against men accused of rights abuses in the past 25 years of brutal conflict, saying the move was in the interest of reconciliation.  The MPs who presented the document want it to be approved as a law, which means it has to pass through the upper house of Parliament and then be approved by Mr Karzai ....



*German defense minister on surprise visit to troops in Afghanistan*
Associated Press, 6 Feb 07
Article Link

BERLIN: Defense Minister Franz Josef Jung made a surprise visit to German troops in northern Afghanistan, his ministry said Tuesday, as Germany discusses whether to send fighter jets to the region.  The minister, who departed Monday for Mazar-e-Sharif, praised the roughly 2,700 German soldiers serving there as part of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force for their efforts.  Germany is deciding whether to provide further assistance to the NATO mission, including deploying Tornado warplanes.



*ISAF carries out distributions around RC-C*
NATO news release # 2007-084, 3 Feb 07
Article Link

Over the last two weeks of January, ISAF forces have carried out a series of distributions around Regional Command-Capital.  The series of donations began in Surobi district, where the Finnish Civil Military Cooperation (CIMIC) team made five food donations. In total, 33000kg of long-life food were distributed to the villages of Brickkiln, Sarcheshmeh, Naghlu and Katseh Shirknan. Five hundred families were provided in rice, sugar, oil, beans and so on to go through the winter.  ISAF personnel from the Finnish CIMIC team also met with local leaders and women from Police District 9, in Kabul, to supply 20 sewing machines, sewing materials, toys for children and hygiene products. A food donation was distributed to support 30 women and their families for the winter.  Shakila, the head of the shura, said that "it is wonderful to receive such equipment. Women of the neighborhood will increase their sewing activity, and maybe, sell their creations" ....


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## MarkOttawa (6 Feb 2007)

Soldiers' triumphs lost in the spin
_Calgary Herald_, Feb. 6, by George Koch
http://206.75.155.198/showfile.asp?Lang=E&URL=/archivenews/070206/cal/070206b7.htm



> During one day of the late-summer offensive, 104 Canadians were killed. The next day, 97 died in combat. The intense fighting wounded 473. In two days - Aug. 31 and Sept. 1, 1944 - the Canadian Army corps in Italy suffered nearly 700 casualties. Yet these results, astounding to the post-modern sensibility, did not trigger a crisis in the Canadian army. Neither the troops nor their generals even saw them as a sign of something wrong with their force...
> 
> Reading Canadian writer Mark Zuehlke's excellent account of this campaign in the recent edition of The Gothic Line: Canada's Month of Hell in World War II Italy, it was impossible not to notice the difference in how Canada today -- at least swathes of the news media, the intelligentsia, the opposition parties and a chunk of public opinion -- reacts to individual combat deaths in Afghanistan...
> 
> ...



Mark
Ottawa


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## MarkOttawa (6 Feb 2007)

INTERVIEW WITH OTTAWA'S AMBASSADOR TO AFGHANISTAN
"Canada Would Like Its Allies to Show More Flexibility"
_Spiegel Online_, Feb. 06
http://www.spiegel.de/international/0,1518,463487,00.html



> In an interview with SPIEGEL ONLINE, Canada's Ambassador in Kabul, David Sproule, reflects on a difficult time in relations between Ottawa and Berlin and reiterates his country's wish for Germany and other allies to show greater flexibility in their deployment therein Afghanistan...
> 
> SPIEGEL ONLINE: Still, there is great ambivalence in Germany about the best way to move forward in Afghanistan. There was initial sentiment in some European countries -- including Germany -- that the United States, Britain, Canada and others were putting the goal of wiping out the Taliban above the goal of winning the hearts and minds of people in southern Afghanistan.
> 
> ...



NATO IN AFGHANISTAN
Outrage in the Canadian Press
_Spiegel Online_, Feb. 06
http://www.spiegel.de/international/0,1518,464694,00.html



> The following is a selection of quotes from articles and editorials in the Canadian media following September's Operation Medusa.
> 
> "Casualty rates among major European nations like France, Italy, Spain and Germany are negligible. The 2,900 German troops are prohibited from combat operations and have not suffered a single casualty. It is grossly unfair that our allies should share the burden so inequitably." -- The Vancouver Province, Nov. 29, 2006
> 
> ...



TORNADOS ON A LEASH
Berlin Hesitant to Broaden Afghanistan Mission
_Spiegel Online_, Feb. 06, by Severin Weiland and Matthias Gebauer
http://www.spiegel.de/international/0,1518,464603,00.html



> NATO's request for German reconnaissance planes for Afghanistan was hardly uncontroversial. Now, though, it looks like Berlin will approve the mission. With a number of restrictions...
> 
> ...the Tornado jets cannot provide direct support for ground operations -- one of the main advantages the international strike force has in its ongoing and escalating fight against the Taliban. Frequently, US military units deliberately allow the enemy to open fire on them so that artillery positions can be identified from the air and then eliminated; some British units use the same tactic. Military commanders in Afghanistan describe such air support as essential to their mission.
> 
> So what would the jets be able to do? In emergency situations -- when NATO troops or soldiers from the US led Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) find their lives in danger -- German pilots could help out. Otherwise, military observation would be the name of the game. Images taken from the air would be analyzed on the ground. The Tornados are technically incapable of transmitting the images while in flight...



Mark
Ottawa


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## The Bread Guy (6 Feb 2007)

*Government ‘will not interfere' in Afghan investigation*
Globe and Mail, 6 Feb 07
Article Link - Permalink

A military investigation into allegations of detainee abuse by soldiers in Afghanistan will be open, accountable and free of government interference, the defence minister has said.  Defence Minister Gordon O'Connor said the government would not interfere with a military investigation into the allegations that at least one, and perhaps three, Afghan detainees taken captive by Canadian forces were beaten during interrogation.  The allegations were first asserted by Amir Attaran, a University of Ottawa law professor, based on documents obtained by Mr. Attaran under the Access to Information Act outlining injuries in the cases.  “Those investigations will determine the facts, whatever they are,” Mr. O'Connor said in response to questioning from NDP leader Jack Layton in Commons on Tuesday.  “I want to assure the member that I do not interfere with, nor will ever interfere with, any investigative process.... Any reports that come from the investigations will be made public.”  Speaking to a media scrum outside parliament, Mr. O'Connor said the National Investigation Service could report back within weeks on the matter, but a Board of Inquiry scrutinizing the whole process would likely take months ....


*Afghans not surprised by allegations of detainee abuse against Canadian army*
Murray Brewster, Canadian Press, 6 Feb 07
Article Link

Allegations that Afghan detainees were abused after they were captured by Canadians came as no surprise Tuesday to Kandahar residents who have mixed feelings about the soldiers from Canada.  Residents remember shooting incidents that have killed at least two Afghans over the past year and injured several others, many of them motorists or motorcyclists who failed to obey Canadian orders to stop. The latest reports of alleged abuse touched a raw nerve in Kandahar, even though the suspects involved were believed to be Taliban insurgents.  "They promised to do reconstruction," Afadullah, 30, an auto mechanic with a shop near the city's gate, said about the Canadians through a translator.  "If (the Canadians) cannot co-operate with us, they should go home and then the Americans should send somebody else."  But others in Kandahar were prepared to give Canadians the benefit of the doubt. They urged patience while the allegation is being checked out.  "Canadians are better than Americans; more humble," said Abdul Khan, a taxi driver.  "They can be forgiven as long as they promise to stop shooting at civilians."....


*O'Connor dismisses parallels between Afghan abuse claims and Somalia scandal*
Macleans.ca, 6 Feb 07
Article Link

Defence Minister Gordon O'Connor was quick to reject comparisons between allegations of abuse of Afghan prisoners by Canadian soldiers and the Somalia affair that brought shame and disrepute to the army.  O'Connor said none of the claims have been proven and any attempt to draw parallels to the Somalia scandal is misguided. Soldiers from the Canadian Airborne Regiment tortured and killed a youth in Somalia in 1993. The death was followed by failed attempts to cover-up the death of Shidane Arone ....



*U.S. defence chief presses NATO for more help in Afghanistan*
Associated Press, 6 Feb 07
Article Link

U.S. Defence Secretary Robert Gates said Tuesday that NATO allies must provide the troops and equipment needed to battle an expected increase in violence by Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan this spring.  Gates, who will is scheduled to meet with other NATO defence ministers Thursday in Seville, Spain, is expected to outline whether the United States plans to adjust its troop levels in Afghanistan or extend the deployment of any units already there, said a senior defence official.  The defence official spoke on condition of anonymity because details have not been made public. Currently there are about 27,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan, the highest number since the start of the war in 2001.  At a U.S. Senate armed services committee hearing Tuesday, Gates said the United States will hold the NATO countries to promises they offered during a summit in Riga, Latvia, last November, particularly for more trainers.  His comments came about two weeks after the U.S. Defence Department said 3,200 soldiers from the New York state-based 10th Mountain Division already in Afghanistan would have their tour extended by four months. Defence officials have not ruled out extending other units but a recent increase of U.S. troops in Iraq for a new push to secure Baghdad is already straining the military ....


*NATO allies face new Afghan troop call*
Reuters, 6 Feb 07
Article Link

NATO's top operational commander wants more troops to help crush an expected Taliban offensive in Afghanistan but is facing widespread reluctance among allies to come forward, alliance officials said on Tuesday.  U.S. General Bantz Craddock will present a request for three and a half extra battalions -- the equivalent of over 2,000 troops -- at a meeting of national defence ministers in Seville on Thursday and Friday, they said.  The United States and Britain have in past weeks announced they will send reinforcements of the 34,000-strong NATO force. But Craddock, who took over as NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe in December, sees the need for more.  "It is absolutely expected he will make recommendations and that he will buttonhole individual defence ministers," a senior U.S. official said of the talks in the Spanish city ....


*Italy tells Canada, other allies, to butt out of its Afghan policy decisions*
ARIEL DAVID, Associated Press, 6 Feb 07
Article Link

Foreign Minister Massimo D'Alema sent a protest letter to six allied countries Tuesday, accusing them of interfering in Italian affairs with their public appeal for Rome to keep its troops in Afghanistan.  The Foreign Ministry said D'Alema expressed "surprise and disapproval" over the open letter published Saturday in an Italian daily by the ambassadors to Italy of Australia, Britain, Canada, the Netherlands, Romania and the United States.  "We must remain united," the ambassadors wrote in La Repubblica daily. "We must share all of the responsibilities to sustain security in Afghanistan."  Premier Romano Prodi, in talks on foreign policy with members of his centre-left coalition, criticized the appeal, saying Italy was keeping commitments to its allies in Afghanistan and elsewhere.  The letter irked the Italian government, which is facing opposition from its far-left allies before a key vote to refinance the country's military mission in Afghanistan.  D'Alema wrote to his counterparts in the six countries that the appeal "can be interpreted as an inopportune interference" in Italian state matters, the ministry said in a statement. D'Alema considered the "case closed" but requested that the ambassadors "operate with more respect for their responsibilities and prerogatives." ....


*Nearly 80 percent of Poles against military presence in Iraq, Afghanistan: poll*
Xinhua, via People's Daily Online (CHN), 7 Feb 07
Article Link

Nearly eighty percent of Poles disapprove of the country's military presence in missions in Iraq and Afghanistan, the PAP news agency reported on Tuesday.  According to a survey conducted by the Polish Public Opinion Polling Centre, only one fifth of the respondents expressed their support for the mission in Iraq, the lowest level since 2003.  Meanwhile, 20 percent of the respondents voiced support for the Polish involvement in the mission in Afghanistan, and 75 percent were against it, the survey showed.  As many as 74 percent of the respondents believe that the missions in Iraq and Afghanistan may result in terrorist attacks on Poland, down from 79 percent in 2006 and 83 percent in 2005. Only 20 percent think that there is no such threat ....



*Afghan gov't mulling ways to recapture southern district from Taliban*
Xinhua, via People's Daily Online (CHN), 7 Feb 07
Article Link

The Afghan government is mulling the ways to dislodge Taliban militants from Musa Qala in the southern Helmand province, Presidential spokesman Mohammad Karim Rahimi said Tuesday.  "Afghan government is considering the ways to regain the control of Musa Qala without inflicting casualties on civilians," Rahimi told newsmen at a news briefing here.  However, he did not give more details, only saying the government is planning to solve the problem with minimum casualties.  Hundreds of Taliban fighters overran the far-flanged district early Friday ....



*Afghanistan: Facing The Taliban Threat In The Coming Months*
Ron Synovitz, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 6 Feb 07
Article Link

NATO forces in Afghanistan are preparing for an anticipated spring offensive by the Taliban. On February 2, hundreds of Taliban fighters attacked and seize the town of Musa Qala in a remote district of Helmand Province. The battle has been closely monitored by Ahmed Rashid, a Pakistani journalist and author of the book "Taliban." RFE/RL spoke to Rashid today about the events at Musa Qala and what fighting there suggests about Taliban tactics in the months ahead ....



*Pakistan: U.S. Program Seeks To Reform Madrasahs*
Andrew Tully, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 6 Feb 07
Article Link

A major irritant in relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan has been the charge that many of Pakistan's Muslim religious schools, madrasahs, teach intolerance and help recruit young men to the Taliban, which has become a resurgent threat in Afghanistan.  Madrasahs also have been blamed for making Al-Qaeda attractive to young Pakistanis. A U.S. think tank has been involved in an initiative to foster understanding between these schools and the West. On February 5, Douglas Johnston, the president and founder of the International Center for Religion and Diplomacy (ICRD), brought two Pakistani Muslim leaders to Washington to take part in a panel discussion of madrasah reform.  Johnston said he and his colleagues decided nearly four years ago that it was time to address the issue of the Pakistani madrasahs ....


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## The Bread Guy (7 Feb 2007)

*Governor General announces the awarding of Military Valour Decorations, Meritorious Service Decorations and a Mention in Dispatches*
Governor General of Canada news release, 6 Feb 07
Article Link

OTTAWA—Her Excellency the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean, Governor General and Commander-in-Chief of Canada, announced four Military Valour Decorations to members of the Canadian Forces who have displayed gallantry and devotion to duty in combat. She also announced two Meritorious Services Decorations (Military Division) and one Mention in Dispatches to individuals whose specific achievements have brought honour to the Canadian Forces and to Canada.  The recipients will be invited to receive their insignia at a presentation ceremony to be held at a later date ....



*Commission to decide whether prisoner abuse hearings will be public*
Mike Blanchfield, CanWest News Service, 6 Feb 07
Article Link

A military complaints commission is expected to decide by week’s end whether hearings into alleged prisoner abuse against Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan will be made public.  University of Ottawa professor Amir Attaran has called on the Military Police Complaints Commission to hold a full-blown public inquiry into allegations that Canadian troops may have abused three Afghans they arrested in southern Afghanistan this past April.  The law professor and human rights advocate filed the complaint based on documents he obtained under Access To Information.  Two other military investigations are underway. Both are being held behind closed doors.  A Board of Inquiry will hear evidence in-camera before delivering a public report that will be subject to Canada’s privacy laws. The military police’s National Investigation Service is also currently conducting its own investigation ....


*Hillier orders full inquiry into treatment of detainees*
Defence Minister O'Connor vows findings will be made public
PAUL KORING , DANIEL LEBLANC and GLORIA GALLOWAY, Globe & Mail, 7 Feb 07
Article Link - Permalink

Canada's top soldier, General Rick Hillier, ordered a full-blown board of inquiry yesterday to probe detainee treatment in Afghanistan as a political storm shook Ottawa over allegations that captives were beaten while in Canadian custody.  As Gen. Hillier and Defence Minister Gordon O'Connor unveiled multiple probes into the detainee-abuse allegations, they also rejected any comparison with Somalia, where elite Canadian troops tortured and killed a teenage captive more than a decade ago and senior officers were embroiled in a cover-up that eventually stained the entire military.  "This isn't Somalia," Mr. O'Connor said outside the House of Commons, when asked what assurances Canadians had that the government wouldn't close down an inquiry if embarrassing revelations emerged.  "Let's get the scale properly," he said, adding that the findings of both a criminal investigation by the military and the board of inquiry would be made public.  Gen. Hillier said: "We learned many lessons from Somalia. One is responsibility of the chain of command. One is thorough training and preparation."  The general said there was "an incredible hyper-sensitivity to handling detainees.  "We understand how important it is to get this right," he said, and added that "if there was a lapse in a process or policies, we'll find that out and correct it."  In Afghanistan, military police investigators will try to find the three Afghans who may have been beaten 10 months ago. Their whereabouts are unknown because once the Canadian military hands them over to Afghan authorities, it keeps no records of whether they are released or charged, or languish in prison ....


*Military probes abuse allegations in Afghanistan*
Gen. Rick Hillier says all prisoners handled humanely
CBC Online, 6 Feb 07
Article Link

Military officials are investigating allegations that three Afghan prisoners were abused while in the custody of Canadian soldiers.  The allegations come from a law professor at the University of Ottawa, Amir Attaran, based on government documents he obtained under the Access to Information Act.  Attaran said he received three documents from the Department of National Defence. They were handwritten reports from Canadian military police in the southern Afghan city of Kandahar.  The documents show three men were brought to military police by a single interrogator in one day with injuries to their faces, heads and upper bodies, he told the CBC on Tuesday ....


*O'Connor says military probing abuse allegations*
CTV.ca, 6 Feb 07
Article Link

Defence Minister Gordon O'Connor says an investigation is underway into allegations that prisoners were abused while in the custody of Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan.  O'Connor said Tuesday that the information uncovered during those investigations will be made public.  But the defence minister stressed that the probes haven't concluded yet that the allegations are warranted.  If the complaints are indeed substantiated, corrective action will be taken, O'Connor pledged.  University of Ottawa law professor Amir Attaran lodged a complaint in a letter sent to the Military Police Complaints Commission last week.  Attaran alleges that at least one, and as many as three, Afghan detainees "taken captive by the Canadian Forces appears to have been beaten while detained and interrogated by them." ....



*Afghan aid an exercise in 'feeling good'*
John Ivison, National Post, 7 Feb 07
Article Link

Afghanistan is now the largest recipient of Canada's foreign aid, with the government committed to spending $100-million a year on reconstruction efforts there. Stephen Harper said in an interview published in the National Post yesterday that he believes we are "making progress," and hinted in a major speech at new initiatives to improve accountability in the rebuilding efforts.  Yet many people who have looked at the performance of the Canadian International Development Agency, through which the aid money flows, question whether this is just a "feel-good" exercise, as one person familiar with CIDA put it.  Critics argue that CIDA is little more than an automatic teller machine for agencies like the World Bank, who actually deliver the programs on the ground. A list of CIDA projects reveals it is already committed to spending $227.8-million on 41 different projects but has only a slight presence on the ground. By the admission of Josee Verner, the CIDA Minister, there are only 11 agency staff in Afghanistan. Sometimes the three based in Kandahar leave the Canadian Forces base "to take pictures of what we are doing," she said ....



*Troops Tired of of Chicken Wings*
Josh Pringle, CFRA.com, 7 Feb 07
Article Link

Canada's military ombudsman suggests Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan eat something a bit lighter and healthier.  Yves Cote says the kitchens that feed Canadian troops in Kandahar aren't catering to Canadian tastes.  The troops have told Cote that eating chicken wings for a month is OK, but five and a half months is too much.  The kitchens are run by a civilian company from the United States. 



*German Cabinet approves deploying squadron of Tornado jet fighters to Afghanistan*
Associated Press, via International Herald Tribune, 7 Feb 07
Article Link

Germany took a key step Wednesday to bolster NATO efforts in Afghanistan, with Chancellor Angela Merkel's Cabinet approving the deployment of six Tornado jets to help gather reconnaissance for NATO-led troops there.  The decision must still be approved by the nation's parliament, which is expected to vote in March on whether to send the jets, each equipped with powerful cameras to help the NATO-led force with logistics, a government spokesman said.  If lawmakers grant their approval, which is expected, the planes could be deployed as early as mid-April to assist with surveillance across Afghanistan, particularly in the southern part of the country, the Defense Ministry said.  The six-month tour will cost Germany an estimated €35 million (CDN$53.8 million - US$45.34 million).  Germany has about 2,700 troops serving with the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, most of them focused in the north of the country. It has also sent several helicopters and planes to help the force with logistics.  However, Berlin has resisted pressure from other NATO countries to send combat troops to the south, where British and Canadian soldiers have borne the brunt of fighting with resurgent Taliban rebels ....


*ITALY: TROOPS WILL REMAIN IN AFGHANISTAN SAYS PM*
ADNKI (ITA), 7 Feb 07
Article Link

Italy will not pull out its troops from Afghanistan, prime minister Romano Prodi has said. "Regardless of the situation (in Afghanistan), we will remain in Kabul because we are dealing with a UN mission," Prodi told his centre-left allies late on Tuesday. Prodi also vowed to boost civilian aid and diplomatic action in Afghanistan, in an effort to appease left-wing pacifist allies who had threatened to pull out of the government coalition over the military mission.  Decisions to keep Italy's 1,800-strong contingent in Afghanistan and approve the enlargement of a US military base in the northern Italian city of Vicenza have angered key coalition allies - the Refounded Communist party, the third largest coalition ally, along with the Italian Communist Party and the Greens.  Last week, Prodi's majority lost a vote in the Senate in a debate on the expansion of the US base. Though the incident had no direct repercussion on the coalition, it further exacerbated in-fighting over the government's foreign policy ....


*Czech Senate votes to send military field hospital to Afghanistan*
Associated Press, via International Herald Tribune, 7 Feb 07
Article Link

The Czech Senate voted on Wednesday to send a military field hospital to Afghanistan.  The one-year hospital mission, which also needs approval from the Czech parliament's lower chamber, would include a 70-member team and be stationed at the international airport in Kabul as part of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force.  Requested by the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, the mission is expected to start in March.  The lower parliamentary chamber planned to vote on the mission later this week.  About 150 Czech troops participate currently in ISAF, but their number will increase to some 225 this year.


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## MarkOttawa (7 Feb 2007)

Law prof warns of Afghan abuse
Calls for resignations
_Ottawa Sun_, Feb. 07
http://www.ottawasun.com/News/National/2007/02/07/3548870-sun.html



> An Ottawa professor is calling for the resignations of Defence Minister Gordon O'Connor and the Chief of Defence Staff Rick Hillier for what he says is their failure to address possible abuse of detainees by Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan.
> 
> Amir Attaran, a University of Ottawa law professor, said O'Connor and Hillier should resign over Canada's "routine practice of handing over prisoners to known torturers."
> 
> ...



Major article--just the summary:

CANADA, AFGHANISTAN AND THE BLAME GAME
_Policy Options_, Dec. 06/Jan. 07, bySean M. Maloney
http://www.irpp.org/po/archive/dec06/maloney.pdf



> While Canadian troops are deployed in Afghanistan’s dangerous province of Kandahar, the re-defined nature of the mission — from patrolling the capital to taking it to the Taliban in the wild south — has left Canadians deeply dvided about the mission. Royal Military College historian Sean Maloney, who has been on the ground four times in Afghanistan since 2003, points out that Canada is engaged in war, not peacekeeping, against an unrelenting foe and rigid ideology — radical Islamism. “The al-Qaeda movement’s belief system, its ideology,” he writes, “is in no way compatible with ours. We cannot negotiate with it. We have to keep it as far away as possible and aggressively challenge it. That is what we are doing in Afghanistan.”..



Mark
Ottawa


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## MarkOttawa (7 Feb 2007)

Berlin Agrees to Send Tornado Jets to Afghanistan
_Spiegel Online_, Feb. 07
http://www.spiegel.de/international/0,1518,464892,00.html



> The German cabinet decided on Wednesday to send six Tornado reconnaissance jets to Afghanistan to help locate Taliban bases in response to a request from NATO.
> 
> The German pilots will be accompanied by around 500 support staff. The mission has to be approved by parliament in March and the Tornados could be deployed in April for a six-month tour.
> 
> ...



French Navy Hopes To Fly New Rafales Over Afghanistan
_DefenseNews.com_, Jan. 25
http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?F=2507059&C=europe



> The French Navy plans to fly two Rafales, capable of delivering bombs, to join the Charles de Gaulle when the aircraft carrier deploys in March to the Indian Ocean, a Navy spokesman said.
> 
> The carrier will provide air support to the NATO-led stabilization force in Afghanistan, Commander Jerome Erulin told journalists Jan. 25...
> 
> ...



Mark 
Ottawa


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## The Bread Guy (7 Feb 2007)

*Inquiry into fall's friendly-fire death in Afghanistan completed*
Canadian Press, via Canada.com, 7 Feb 07
Article Link

OTTAWA (CP) - A military board of inquiry has finished its investigation into a friendly-fire incident in Afghanistan last September which killed a Canadian soldier and wounded several others.  The report will be studied by the staff before being passed on to Lt.-Gen. Michel Gauthier, head of the Forces expeditionary force command.  It will then go to Gen. Rick Hillier, chief of the defence staff, before it is released publicly.  It could be months before the report is released, however.  While the senior officers cannot alter the report, they can ask the board of inquiry to reconvene if they feel the document falls short of the terms of reference.  Pte. Mark Graham was killed Sept. 4, when an American A-10 ground attack plane mistakenly strafed a group of Canadian soldiers in the Panjwaii district of Afghanistan.  The United States air force, NATO forces in Afghanistan and the Canadian Forces national investigation service all conducted their own investigations of the incident. None of these reports have yet been released. 


*Canadian report on fatal Panjwaii strafing incident finished*
Hamilton, Ont., soldier killed in friendly fire incident last September
CBC online, 7 Feb 07
Article Link

A military board of inquiry has finished its investigation into a friendly fire incident in Afghanistan last September that killed one Canadian soldier and wounded several others.  The report will be studied by the staff before being passed on to Lt.-Gen. Michel Gauthier, head of the Forces expeditionary force command.  It will then go to Gen. Rick Hillier, chief of the defence staff.  It could be months before the report is released publicly.  While the senior officers cannot alter the report, they can ask the board of inquiry to reconvene if they feel the document falls short of the terms of reference.  Pte. Mark Graham of Hamilton, Ont., was killed Sept. 4, when an American A-10 ground attack plane mistakenly strafed a group of Canadian soldiers in the Panjwaii district of Afghanistan ....



*Law prof warns of Afghan abuse*
Calls for resignations
By LAURA CZEKAJ AND KATHLEEN HARRIS, Sun Media, 7 Feb 07
Article Link

An Ottawa professor is calling for the resignations of Defence Minister Gordon O'Connor and the Chief of Defence Staff Rick Hillier for what he says is their failure to address possible abuse of detainees by Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan.  Amir Attaran, a University of Ottawa law professor, said O'Connor and Hillier should resign over Canada's "routine practice of handing over prisoners to known torturers.  It has long been my concern that Canada is acting disgracefully in transferring detainees to Afghanistan when we know the Afghan national police torture," he said.  The scholar's comments come on the same day it became public that as many as three Afghan detainees being held by Canadian Forces in April exhibited injuries consistent with having been beaten.  "There are certain deeply troubling and unexplained facts about how possibly three men came to be injured while in the custody of a single Canadian interrogator and that needs an investigation," he said ....


*Canada to investigate Afghan detainee abuse allegations*
Kate Heneroty, Jurist Paper Chase web page, 7 Feb 07
Article Link

The government of Canada has ordered an official inquiry Tuesday into whether detainees in Afghanistan were abused while in Canadian custody. The probe began following a civilian complaint filed by Amir Attaran, a University of Ottawa law professor, whose research uncovered a pattern of suspicious injuries on three detainees captured last April and later released. Military police have also launched a search for the three Afghans.  Chief of the Defense Staff General Rick Hillier and Defence Minister Gordon O'Connor have already announced two separate probes. A third "public interest investigation" may also be launched. Canadian lawmakers made assurances that all findings will be made public and damaging information would not be concealed ....


*No big deal*
Don Martin, National Post, 7 Feb 07
Article Link

 So let’s put off hunting down the Taliban, the better to scour Kandahar for three Afghans who may have been injured while resisting arrest by Canadian forces — or may well be dead after a successful stint as suicide bombers.  And in lieu of concern for soldiers being killed or wounded, let “a political storm” (to use the Globe and Mail’s breathless hyperbole) erupt at some cuts, bruises and a couple black eyes which allegedly appeared on a detained trio of suspicious dudes.  In a theatre of war that has claimed 45 Canadian lives and maimed dozens of soldiers for life, the overstretched military is about to waste time and resources defending itself against the hypothetical prospect it may have beaten up several resistant suspects ten months ago ....



*NATO defense ministers aim to hone Afghan strategy, U.S. to push on troops*
Associated Press, via International Herald Tribune, 7 Feb 07
Article Link

NATO defense ministers on Thursday will seek to sharpen the alliance's strategy in Afghanistan, where its force of 35,000 is preparing for a fresh campaign against the Taliban bolstered by additional American and British troops.  U.S. Gen. John Craddock is expected to present the ministers with a plan to "rebalance" the force, using the more mobile combat units in the southern and eastern regions along the border with Pakistan where the battle against the Taliban is set to intensify with the spring thaw.  NATO commanders hope allied troops will be able to launch their own "spring offensive" against Taliban holdouts to pre-empt the traditional rise in insurgent attacks when the snow melts.  "We are not simply going to sit and wait, we are going to try and find ways to address the Taliban actively," John Colston, NATO's assistant secretary-general for defense policy, told reporters at allied headquarters in Brussels this week.  The U.S. decision to extend the tour of more than 3,000 of its soldiers and the planned deployment of 800 British combat troops to southern Afghanistan over the coming months will give Craddock the bulk of the forces he needs, but he is still expected to press other allies to drum up additional troops, helicopters and planes ....



*Taliban to be pushed into the mountains and marginalized: Canadian commander*
MURRAY BREWSTER, Canadian Press, via Canoe.ca, 7 Feb 07
Article Link

Pushing Taliban militants up into the central mountains of Afghanistan and marginalizing them in remote locations is a cornerstone of NATO's strategy this year, says a senior Canadian commander.  The objective, however, looked much better on paper than in reality Wednesday as militants launched a series of bomb attacks that killed eight policemen and guards across the south and western portions of the country.  The hope is that once isolated, the insurgency will lose its bite and eventually wither away, said Col. Mike Kampman in an interview with The Canadian Press.  Since arriving in the volatile southern region almost a year ago, NATO forces have "spread out and pushed up against the insurgent staging areas," he said, pointing to a headquarters map that lays out Afghanistan's 34 provinces.  "If we apply pressure on them, essentially the effect we have over time is disrupting their ability to move back down into the populated areas and have an influence." ....



*NATO forces in Afghanistan determined to avoid pitfalls of past guerrilla wars*
Associated Press, 7 Feb 07
Article Link

HERAT, Afghanistan: It wasn't an ordinary engagement for NATO's top commander — a visit to a pediatric hospital.  When Gen. John Craddock came to Afghanistan last week, the military alliance was keen to show its softer side — ramming home the point that the battle here can't be won by just bombing the Taliban.  "There's some momentum now ... making it possible to deliver infrastructure improvements and social services to the people," Craddock said after Dr. Raufa Niazi explained that the hospital would be the first such facility in western Afghanistan — a country suffering some of the highest infant mortality rates in the world.  NATO officials say for their mission to succeed, the lives of poverty-stricken Afghans need to be improved so they aren't tempted to side with the resurgent Taliban guerrillas. The strategy sounds great on paper and development efforts here are less stymied by insecurity than in Iraq, but analysts remain skeptical that Afghanistan's Western backers can make it work.  Last year, the Taliban surprised military experts who had dismissed them as a spent force by ratcheting up the level of violence to the highest degree since the fundamentalist religious group was ousted from power following the U.S.-led war in 2001 ....



*Perils of bargaining with Taliban*
Montreal Gazette, 7 Feb 07
Article Link

....  "Negotiating with the Taliban" is a charming concept, full of the promise of conciliation, compromise and partnership. But the Taliban, loosely organized though it might be, stands firmly for certain values, including not compromise or partnership, but rather subjugation.  The toll of butchered schoolteachers, burned schools, suicide bombings that kill more Afghans than NATO soldiers - all of these reveal a ruthless fighting force unready to compromise ....



*NATO Struggles With Security, Rebuilding In Helmand*
Ahto Lobjakas, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 7 Feb 07
Article Link

Once referred to as Afghanistan's "breadbasket," this is among Afghanistan's the most developed regions. Some of Helmand Province's infrastructure -- including irrigation networks and roads donated a half-century ago by the United States and the Soviet Union -- could be returned to use with a minimum of effort.  But Helmand is also home to Taliban militants, opium production, and tribal tensions.  Taliban fighters' brazen takeover of a town in southern Afghanistan this month marked a major setback for NATO and its Afghan allies. Just days before that seizure, British officers were touting the power-sharing deal that kept Taliban fighters out the town of Musa Qala as a possible blueprint for other parts of Helmand Province.  These problems are hampering NATO's British-led efforts to rebuild the province ....



*Pakistan, Afghanistan finalise camp closure plans*
UNHCR statment, via Reuters AlertNet, 7 Feb 07
Article Link

Four Afghan refugee camps in Pakistan's border provinces will be closed this year as part of bilateral plans to manage the Afghan population in Pakistan. These plans also include new return modalities starting in the next few months.  The decision was reached at the 12th Tripartite Commission meeting between Pakistan, Afghanistan and UNHCR in Pakistan's capital, Islamabad. For security and development reasons, the four camps in question – Girdi Jungle and Jungle Pir Alizai in Balochistan, and Katchagari and Jalozai in North West Frontier Province – had been slated for closure as early as 2004.  "We understand that security near the border is a top priority and stress that refugee camps must retain their civilian nature," said Guenet Guebre Christos, UNHCR's representative in Pakistan. "At the same time, the authorities should recognise genuine humanitarian needs, as they have done in the last 30 years, and offer options to Afghans affected by camp closure."  Pakistan's Minister of States and Frontier Regions Sardar Yar Muhammed Rind, who oversees refugee issues, noted that the four camps – together housing more than 230,000 people – would be closed this summer. Katchagari and Jungle Pir Alizai will be closed by June 15 while Jalozai and Girdi Jungle will be closed by August 31 ....


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## The Bread Guy (8 Feb 2007)

*Cash for guns deal proposed*
Ex-Taliban fighter wants Canada to pay remaining insurgents to surrender their weapons
Doug Schmidt, Vancouver Sun, 8 Feb 07
Article Link - Permalink

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan - Mullah Zahir said he has fired rockets, machineguns and his Kalashnikov assault rifle at Canadian troops, but the Taliban fighter decided to come in from the cold last year after an influential elder he respects convinced him those foreign soldiers he was aiming to kill are actually trying to help Afghanistan.  "Yes, we fought against the Canadians here, they were our enemies," said Zahir, 48, who was deputy to a powerful official in the Taliban regime who later became an insurgent commander.  Since becoming Kandahar's director last spring of a two-year-old national reconciliation program, Haji Agha Lalai Dasthaqir -- a district tribal chief in Panjwaii and member of the provincial council -- has been luring almost 50 insurgents a month, such as Zahir, out of the fight.  "Nobody listens to (Afghan President Hamid) Karzai, but they listen to (Agha Lalai) because he is a trusted tribal leader," said Zahir.
"Before, we didn't give this much consideration, but when he became director, I joined (the peace process) -- he's a big leader."....



*Detainee whistle blower's 'agenda' attacked*
Naval officer tried to intimidate him, law professor says
Paul Koring, Globe & Mail, 8 Feb 07
Article Link - Permalink

The Ottawa law professor who sparked an investigation into the possible abuse of Afghan detainees by Canadian soldiers says he was contacted by a senior naval officer yesterday who tried to intimidate him and impugn his motives.  The officer, Commander Denise LaViolette, a communications specialist for the military legal-affairs department and for the Provost Marshal, the military's chief of police, confirmed that when she returned a telephone call from Amir Attaran, she called him "unprofessional," questioned whether he "had a personal agenda" and eventually hung up on him after an acrimonious conversation.  Cdr. LaViolette's querying of Prof. Attaran's motives came a day after Defence Minister Gordon O'Connor assured Canadians that the government takes the abuse charges seriously.  Prof. Attaran had called Navy Captain Steve Moore, the Provost Marshal, to seek information related to the case.  "It sounded like she wanted to manage the problem by trying to intimidate me," Prof. Attaran said, adding that he found it insulting. "She was impugning my motives and believing that it was inappropriate of me" to have raised the issue of detainee abuse, he said ....

*
Story of abuse a distraction from key issue*
Thomas Walkom, Toronto Star, 8 Feb 07
Article Link

Before everyone goes nuts over the did-Canadians-abuse-Afghan-prisoners story, let's keep one thing in mind.  No one has claimed that Canadian Forces soldiers in Afghanistan roughed up prisoners in their charge. The three prisoners in question (wherever they are) haven't made that claim. Nor, unlike other cases involving disputes between Afghans and foreign troops, have their families or friends. Nor has a Canadian Forces whistle-blower at Kandahar or an investigative journalist or, indeed, anyone in Afghanistan.  Even the University of Ottawa human rights advocate who first raised this issue isn't saying that he necessarily believes the trio were beaten by Canadians. Law professor Amir Attaran is much more careful. All he said, in the complaint letter that finally brought this issue into the public domain this week, was that his reading of declassified military police logs "suggests" that the men were beaten.  Or, in other words, there is enough evidence to warrant an investigation.  Attaran, quite properly, asked the Military Police Complaints Commission, an independent civilian oversight body, to do just that. It, equally properly, agreed. The embarrassed military brass then ordered two additional investigations.  In short, there are now three inquiries looking into whatever may or may not have happened after the three men were picked up by Canadian soldiers last April near a place called Dukah ....


*Far-off war injures politicians at home*
Jim Travers, Toronto Star, 8 Feb 07
Article Link

 .... It's possible that the spin masters are accurately gauging public capacity for informed debate. Perhaps we are too distracted by daily life or too uninterested in the management of a shrinking planet to seriously consider why or how war emerges as the favoured option.  More certain is that limiting public discussion works better for politicians in the short- rather than the long-term.  While easily stirred by the beat of patriotic drums, opinion turns almost as quickly when things inevitably go wrong.  There is an alternative. Instead of selling war by disguising difficulties, demonizing the enemy and defining victory in absolute terms, governments can be honest about the limited effectiveness of force in modern conflicts, the political aspirations of insurgents and the inescapable 21st century reality that "winning" may be merely a positive adjustment to the status quo ....



*Taliban continue hold on Afghan town*
About 200 residents flee area; NATO says it will help government take control from militants
Fisnik Abrashi, ASSOCIATED PRESS, 8 Feb 07
Article Link

Taliban militants remain in control of a southern Afghan town nearly a week after capturing it, but NATO expects the Afghan government to soon reassert its authority there, an alliance spokesman said Wednesday.  About 200 people have fled the southern town of Musa Qala after militants captured it last week, said Col. Tom Collins, a spokesman for NATO's International Security Assistance Force.  The Taliban fighters, whose local leader was killed in a NATO airstrike Sunday, are operating in the town center but not reinforcing their presence there, Collins said.  The town was peaceful for four months after an October peace deal between village elders and the Helmand provincial government. The deal prevented NATO, Afghan and Taliban fighters from coming within three miles of the town center.  On Feb. 1, a group of about 200 militants moved into town, disarmed the local police force, destroyed the district center and temporarily held the local elders hostage.  Collins said NATO troops stand ready to help the government take control of the town but that there "is no need to rush to action here ....  We are confident that the government of Afghanistan, with ISAF's support, will take back Musa Qala at a time and place that is most advantageous" to them ....



*ISAF issues correction to press release: three children injured during an attack on ISAF*
ISAF news release # 2007-093, 7 Feb 07
Article Link

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan (7 February) – Upon further investigation it appears that three children, believed to have been injured in a Taliban mortar attack earlier today, were wounded by the accidental detonation of unexploded ordnance.  “I regret that we provided inaccurate information.  We strive for complete accuracy, but in this case we did not meet that standard,” said ISAF spokesperson, Col. Tom Collins.  The three children were flown to an ISAF medical facility, where they are still undergoing treatment.



*First playground for the children of Helmand*
ISAF news release # 2007-092, 7 Feb 07
Article Link

HELMAND, Afghanistan (7 February) - The first ever children’s playground in Helmand province has been built in Lashkar Gah.  The play area, which is approximately 50m by 100m, has swings, climbing frames, a football pitch and a covered picnic area with benches.  It was built by local Afghan contractors at a cost of $52,000 and has been funded and coordinated by the United Kingdom’s (UK) Civil Military Cooperation (CIMIC) team.  “They haven’t got anything like that in Helmand. This is the first of what we hope is going to be a lot more” said SSgt Hutton from the UK CIMIC team. “It has a football pitch, benches, play apparatus and we’ve planted some hedgerows. The children love and it and since it was installed they haven’t stopped using it which makes it all worthwhile.”  The initial idea for the playground was suggested by an ISAF soldier, who whilst patrolling the town, had seen children playing on a makeshift see-saw made from a plank of wood. The proposal was put to the CIMIC team who agreed to fund the project through the UK’s Quick Impact Project fund.  The construction of the playground was done in full cooperation with the Mayor of Lashkar Gah. It has been such a success that work has now started on a second playground in Lashkar Gah and there are plans for a third in the nearby town of Gereshk.



*ANALYSIS - Suicide bombs show Pakistan confronting Taliban menace*
Simon Cameron-Moore, Reuters, 8 Feb 07
Article Link

For all the doubts about Pakistan's commitment to fighting the Taliban, a recent wave of suicide attacks on its soldiers and cities belies suspicions that they might be in cahoots, analysts and diplomats say.  Hardly a week passes without President Pervez Musharraf having to fend off accusations, mostly from Kabul, that the Pakistani army tolerates Taliban sanctuaries and its spies support the insurgents in Afghanistan.  "I don't see that there would be any sense in supporting the Taliban when it is killing our troops and creating embarrassment with the international community," commented Talat Masood, a retired general-turned-analyst.  Last November, a suicide bomber killed 42 Pakistani army recruits in revenge for an air strike on a militant madrasa in Bajaur tribal agency that killed about 80 men and boys.  Over the past few weeks close to 30 people, many of them police and soldiers, have been killed in similar attacks believed by intelligence officials to have been ordered by a Pakistani Taliban commander, Baitullah Mehsud, after an air strike on one of his bases in South Waziristan on Jan. 16 ....


*Pakistani Taliban leader denies links to attacks*
Agence France Presse, 8 Feb 07
Article Link

A wanted pro-Taliban militant leader has denied allegations that his Islamist fighters were to blame for a deadly wave of attacks in Pakistan, a senator said.  Pakistan has been rocked by five suicide bombings in two weeks including one at Islamabad international airport on Tuesday when an extremist blew himself up with a hand grenade after a gunbattle with police.  But rebel chief Baitullah Mahsud told a council of tribal leaders at a secret location in South Waziristan tribal region on Wednesday that he was not involved in the attacks, said senator and council leader Maulana Saleh Shah.  "I had announced I would seek revenge for the Zamzola attack in anguish over the violation of the peace agreement by government, but I have repeatedly denied my role in attacks in Peshawar, Dera Ismail Khan, Tank and Islamabad," the senator quoted Mahsud as telling the elders ....



*Pakistani authorities probe claims that NATO, Afghan forces entered village*
ABDUL SATTAR, Associated Press, 8 Feb 07
Article Link

Pakistani authorities are investigating claims by residents of a remote border village that NATO and Afghan forces crossed into Pakistan to search for suspected Taliban militants and killed a local tribesman, officials said Thursday.  Afghan troops entered the village of Qamar Din on Wednesday morning and began shooting, killing one villager, said Abdul Raziq Bugti, spokesman for the government of Baluchistan province, citing claims by residents.  Villagers reported that the Afghan border security forces also wounded two Pakistani tribesmen and detained 11 villagers who were taken to Afghanistan, Bugti said.  The government has ordered authorities in the area to investigate the alleged incident in the village, about 210 kilometres northeast of Quetta, Baluchistan's capital, he said.  Pakistan - a close ally of the United States in its war against terrorism - has repeatedly said it will not allow foreign forces to operate on its soil in the hunt for militants.  Maulvi Mohammed Sharif, mayor of Zhob district where Qamar Din is located, said Thursday that NATO forces also entered Qamar Din along with the Afghan government troops, citing reports by villagers and security officials ....


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## MarkOttawa (8 Feb 2007)

Those allegations of military misconduct
Editorial, _Globe and Mail_, Feb. 08
http://www.rbcinvest.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/PEstory/LAC/20070208/EAFGHANISTAN08/Editorials/commentEditorials/commentEditorials/1/1/4/



> Allegations that three Afghan captives were mistreated while in Canadian hands need to be thoroughly investigated, which is what Chief of the Defence Staff Rick Hillier has set out to do. The military's own police investigators are conducting a criminal probe, and General Hillier has also ordered a board of inquiry. Meanwhile, the Military Police Complaints Commission, an independent civilian body, is still considering whether to weigh in. Only when the investigators' work is done and all the facts are known can there be an accurate assessment of whether Canadian soldiers acted appropriately in difficult circumstances.
> 
> But based on what we do know, *there is no evidence that the military is in any way dealing with another Somalia-type scandal* [emphasis added] of the sort that did such severe damage to the image of the Canadian Forces more than a decade ago. It is also important to remember that Canada is in a full-scale war in Afghanistan against a vicious enemy whose soldiers hide by dressing like ordinary farmers and blending in with civilians. The Taliban do not play by the rules, which makes the soldiers who have to confront suspected members necessarily wary and tense.
> 
> ...



Mark
Ottawa


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## GAP (8 Feb 2007)

*Articles found February 8, 2007*

Czechs to send military field hospital to Afghanistan  
The Associated Press Thursday, February 8, 2007 PRAGUE, Czech Republic 
Article Link

The lower chamber of Czech parliament on Thursday approved plans to send a military field hospital to Afghanistan.

The one-year hospital mission will include a 70-member team and be stationed at the international airport in Kabul as part of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force.

The mission, requested by the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, is expected to start in March. The Czech Senate approved the mission on Wedneday.
More on link

Afghanistan: The Unwinnable War
Article Link

In Afghanistan, NATO is facing a tough, indigenous guerrilla force and the mission is not clear. This week, Defense Ministers meet in Seville and there are disputes to be resolved critical to the character and mission of the Atlantic Alliance, says Patrick Seale.

Why is NATO in Afghanistan? And what is it trying to achieve? Defence ministers of the Atlantic Alliance will be wrestling with these questions at their meeting in Seville this week. It will not be an easy meeting as differences between the allies run deep. 

Over the past year, the West’s peace-keeping mission in Afghanistan has turned into an all-out war. To NATO’s evident surprise and alarm, suicide missions, road-side bombs, direct fire attacks on NATO and Afghan forces have all vastly increased and are now at record levels. Better armed, equipped and organised than ever before, the Taliban have greatly expanded their area of operations. Over 4,000 people were killed last year in Afghanistan in insurgency-related violence.

A major Taliban offensive is expected in the spring, perhaps aimed at seizing control of the southern provinces of Kandahar and Helmand, where British troops have been fighting hard in recent months and are being reinforced. 

So, what to do? 
More on link

Administration, Members of Congress Agree on More Troops for Afghanistan
By Sayed Zafar Hashemi February 7, 2007
Article Link

(AXcess News) Washington - A brigade of 2,300 fresh men and women in uniform has arrived in Afghanistan, a Pentagon spokesman said, a deployment that required no congressional approval.

The Pentagon extended the tour of other troops involved in Operation Enduring Freedom who had expected to return home.

All are expected to fight in a likely spring offensive.

After Robert Gates' first visit to Afghanistan as defense secretary and his discussions with high-ranking Afghan officials and American combat troops, he increased the number troops upon the request of U.S. commanders serving in Afghanistan
More on link

2 suspected al-Qaida members caught by coalition forces
Two commanders of Gulbudin-led Hezb-e-Islami held in Nangarhar 
Thursday February 08, 2007 (0258 PST)
Article Link

KABUL: Coalition forces captured two suspected al-Qaida members during an early morning raid in eastern Afghanistan on Wednesday, a military statement said. 
Afghan officials said soldiers captured six men and killed one person during the raid. 

The raid near the town of Hakimabad in Nangarhar province was conducted based on information provided "about an al-Qaida member known to pass correspondence for al-Qaida senior leaders," the U.S.-led coalition said in a statement. 

The two Afghan men were taken into custody to determine their association with al-Qaida, the statement said. 

Ghafoor Khan, the spokesman for the provincial police chief, said coalition troops shot and killed one person during the raid, and that six people were detained and taken away. He said the raid took place 15 kilometers (10 miles) south of Jalalabad. 
More on link
]Article Link
Philippines Shamed By Tag With Afghanistan As Deadly For Media

The Philippines protested a report Wednesday by an international media group that ranked the country with Afghanistan as the deadliest places for working journalists in Asia. 

Presidential spokesman Ignacio Bunye said there was no basis for comparing the state of press freedom in the Philippines with that of Afghanistan. 

"The Philippines is not a war zone, we are not under military rule and no journalist is in jail for the practice of his or her profession," he said. 

On Monday, the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists noted the deterioration of press freedom in Asia and cited the Philippines and Afghanistan as having the highest number of journalist deaths in the region last year. 

The National Union of Journalist in the Philippines said that in 2006, 11 journalists were killed. 

In 2005, 10 journalists were killed in the Philippines, mostly over their reporting on corruption and illegal activities in government. Most of the killings remain unsolved. 

Bunye said that law enforcement agencies were already investigating the attacks and "in many instance, suspects have been identified and cases filed." 
More on link

A 'warfighter' takes charge of the Afghanistan mission
Article Link

The Norman Transcript

The war in Afghanistan, often overlooked due to the larger U.S. military presence in Iraq, may take on a more aggressive stance now that an American general has assumed command.

Gen. Dan McNeill took charge of more than 35,000 NATO troops in Afghanistan this past weekend. He replaces Gen. David Richard, a British officer.

Analysts, quoted by the Associated Press, anticipate strong military action from Gen. McNeill whom fellow officers described as a "warfighter to the bone."

He'll take command at a time when violence from the Taliban forces has stepped up in recent months. In 2006, NATO estimates more than 4,000 people died in insurgency-related violence. Like in Iraq, roadside and suicide bombs are the weapon of choice. Few of the militants want to face down U.S. and NATO troops.
More on link

AFP officers being sent to Afghanistan
Email Print Normal font Large font February 7, 2007 
Article Link

Private, armed security guards will protect four Australian Federal Police officers being sent to Afghanistan to help try and curb the amount of heroin being produced in the country.

Afghanistan's opium cultivation rose a staggering 60 per cent last year, according to the UN, and Western governments fear the illicit trade is undermining the fledgling Afghan government.

The AFP will send four officers to the country to work alongside Afghan police, with two to be based in the capital Kabul and two to work in Jalalabad, in the east.

AFP Commissioner Mick Keelty said heroin overdose deaths in Australia had fallen from about 1,100 a year to just 300 over the past six years - partly because of the liaison and advisory work by the agency in Burma's drug producing areas.
More on link

Suicide Bomber Dies at Airport in Pakistan  
By SALMAN MASOOD Published: February 7, 2007
Article Link

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Feb. 6 — A suicide bomber armed with pistols and grenades killed himself and at least one other person after a shootout with security guards at Islamabad’s international airport on Tuesday night, in what the police described as a thwarted but brazen terrorist attack.

It was the second suicide bombing in Islamabad in less than a week and appeared intended to inflict major casualties at the airport, which was teeming with passengers and was sealed off by the police for hours. At least five people were wounded, including three security personnel, and were rushed to nearby Rawalpindi General Hospital.

Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao, the interior minister, said in an interview that the bomber and an accomplice fled a taxicab at an airport checkpoint near the parking lot. He said the bomber zigzagged, fired at security guards and detonated a grenade as he was hit by an officer’s bullet. Another intelligence official said the accomplice was wounded and arrested
More on link

Bullet-riddled bodies found in Pakistani tribal region near Afghanistan
Feb. 6, 2007, 3:41AM By BASHIRULLAH KHAN Associated Press 
Article Link

MIRAN SHAH, Pakistan — Villagers discovered the bullet-riddled bodies of two men today in a Pakistani tribal region near the Afghan border where the government is at loggerheads with pro-Taliban militants, an official said.

The two men, their hands tied behind their backs, were found on a roadside near Miran Shah, the main town in North Waziristan, an intelligence official said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to reporters. The men had been shot in the head and torso, he said.

Their bodies were taken to the municipal office in Miran Shah where no one immediately claimed them. There were no firm clues to the identity of the men or of their killers, the official said.

North Waziristan lies in the remote Pakistani tribal belt along the border with Afghanistan where Arab, Central Asian and Afghan militants, some suspected of links to al-Qaida, have found refuge with sympathetic tribesmen.

Scores of tribesmen have been killed in the area in recent years in suspected militant attacks after being accused of collaborating with Pakistani authorities or being informers for the United States.
More on link

German defense minister on surprise visit to troops in Afghanistan
The Associated PressPublished: February 6, 2007
Article Link

BERLIN: Defense Minister Franz Josef Jung made a surprise visit to German troops in northern Afghanistan, his ministry said Tuesday, as Germany discusses whether to send fighter jets to the region.

The minister, who departed Monday for Mazar-e-Sharif, praised the roughly 2,700 German soldiers serving there as part of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force for their efforts.

Germany is deciding whether to provide further assistance to the NATO mission, including deploying Tornado warplanes
end

Aid to Afghanistan  
Article Link

Americans and Europeans are patting themselves on the back over recent pledges of new aid to Afghanistan -- $10.6 billion from the U.S. and €600 million ($778 million) from the European Commission. So it's worth asking how much good all that money will actually do. The answer, based on the record to date: a resounding "it depends." A host of countries have already spent $14 billion in Afghanistan with, at best, mixed results. The test now is whether the donors can figure out how to spend the new aid monies more effectively.
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No second leg for Afghanistan vs. Vietnam Olympic soccer qualifier  
February 06, 2007          
Article Link

The return leg of an Olympic soccer qualifying match between Vietnam and Afghanistan has been cancelled due to security fears in the Afghan capital Kabul, the Asian Football Confederation said on Monday. 

The two teams are due to play the first leg of their Asian Olympic preliminary round qualifier in Vietnam on Wednesday. 

An AFC official told there would only be one leg in this preliminary round because of security concerns. 

Vietnam coach Alfred Riedl confirmed his team would not travel to Afghanistan. 

"The AFC said there was a security problem and we did not need to go there. We heard Bangkok would stage the match but then they decided against it so that is much better for us," Riedl told from Hanoi. 

Source: Xinhua 
End



German surveillance jets for Afghanistan to be barred from combat
Article Link

Berlin - Germany plans to deploy Tornado jets for surveillance with NATO forces in Afghanistan but the fighter aircraft will be barred from any combat activities, officials said Monday. 

The German cabinet is set to approve deployment on Wednesday of six Tornado jets with electronic combat and reconnaissance systems, an official told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa. 

Tornado pilots will be authorised to to provide intelligence for NATO attacks on Taliban formations but will not be allowed to use their bombs or missiles to carry out attacks, the official said. 

A final green light for the mission is required from the German parliament. There has been growing criticism over move by some members of Chancellor Angela Merkel's coalition and banning a combat role for the jets is aimed at winning over skeptical Bundestag members. 

NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer has requested the Tornados to fly support missions over southern Afghanistan for NATO ground forces amid fears of Taliban offensive in the coming months. 
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GEORGIA TO SEND, LITHUANIA TO AUGMENT TROOPS IN AFGHANISTAN  
By Vladimir Socor Monday, February 5, 2007 
Article Link

Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili High-level Georgian-Lithuanian talks on February 2 in Tbilisi included the issue of deploying a Georgian military unit and civilian specialists to Afghanistan with NATO forces there. Lithuania’s Prime Minister Gediminas Kirkilas, Minister of Foreign Affairs Petras Vaitiekunas, Chief of Staff Brig.-General Vitalijus Vaiksnoras, and Defense Ministry Undersecretary Renatas Norkus discussed this issue with their Georgian counterparts during this visit. 

Lithuania operates a Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) in Ghor province as part of NATO’s International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan. One option under discussion for the Georgian unit is to join the Lithuanian PRT. Georgian soldiers trained in mountainous terrain in their own country could add value to NATO’s multinational contingent in Afghanistan.

Summing up Tbilisi’s position, State Minister for Euro-Atlantic Integration Giorgi Baramidze expressed readiness to deploy a highly trained military unit to Afghanistan, as soon as the NATO Command determines the size and place of deployment and gives the green light.
More on link

Not the Same as Being Equal: Women in Afghanistan
Article Link

Ann Jones shares her experience in post-Taliban rule Afghanistan, focusing on women’s issues from a feminist perspective. 

Born in Afghanistan but raised in the United States, like many in the worldwide Afghan Diaspora, Manizha Naderi is devoted to helping her homeland. For years she worked with Women for Afghan Women, a New York based organization serving Afghan women wherever they may be. Last fall, she returned to Kabul, the capital, to try to create a Family Guidance Center. Its goal was to rescue women -- and their families -- from homemade violence. It's tough work. After three decades of almost constant warfare, most citizens are programmed to answer the slightest challenge with violence. In Afghanistan it's the default response. 

Manizha Naderi has been sizing up the problem in the capital and last week she sent me a copy of her report. A key passage went like this: 

"During the past year, a rash of reports on the situation of women in Afghanistan has been issued by Afghan governmental agencies and by foreign and local non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that claim a particular interest in women's rights or in Afghanistan or both. More reports are in the offing. What has sparked them is the dire situation of women in the country, the systematic violations of their human rights, and the failure of concerned parties to achieve significant improvements by providing women with legal protections rooted in a capable, honest, and stable judiciary system, education and employment opportunities, safety from violence, much of it savage, and protection from hidebound customs originating in the conviction that women are the property of men."
More on link


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## MarkOttawa (8 Feb 2007)

Two from _Spiegel Online_, Feb. 08--with familiar rings for Canadians:

OPINION
Those Who Wage War Should Call it War
http://www.spiegel.de/international/0,1518,465056,00.html

By Claus Christian Malzahn



> In approving the deployment of Tornado jets to Afghanistan, but only for reconnaissance purposes, the German cabinet has revealed the full extent of Germany's schizophrenic Afghanistan policy. This double game has to stop. The chancellor should finally say it like it is: Germany is at war...



THE WORLD FROM BERLIN
"Germans Don't Really Realize they Are at War"
http://www.spiegel.de/international/0,1518,465157,00.html



> As Germany decides to send Tornado reconnaissance jets to Afghanistan, is this the beginning of a slippery slope that will see German troops getting involved in combat duty in the volatile south?..



Mark
Ottawa


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## The Bread Guy (9 Feb 2007)

*Detainee briefings routine in '05*
Issues relating to Afghan captives were a high priority during his tenure as defence minister, Graham says
Paul Koring, Globe & Mail, 9 Feb 07
Article Link - Permalink

Official Canadian documents show that General Rick Hillier and former defence minister Bill Graham were routinely briefed in 2005 on the transfer and medical condition of Afghan detainees.  The documents -- originally marked "Secret (Canada/USA Eyes Only)" -- have been declassified, and although heavily edited, released under access-to-information legislation.  "These would have been routinely received in my office," Mr. Graham confirmed yesterday. The documents include not only details of the capture and transfer but also the detainee's medical condition and whether he had been injured.  The Canadian Forces didn't respond yesterday when asked whether Gen. Hillier, the Chief of Defence Staff, and current Defence Minister Gordon O'Connor were similarly briefed 10 months ago about the injured detainees, now at the centre of a criminal investigation into possible abuse by Canadian soldiers.  This week, Mr. O'Connor said: "Senior management is not aware of every activity going on inside the department." ....


*Activist swamped by abusive messages*
ESTANISLAO OZIEWICZ, Globe & Mail, 9 Feb 07
Article Link

To say that Amir Attaran is no stranger to controversy is a bit of an understatement.  He's taken on the World Health Organization over malaria treatment, environmentalists over banning DDT and even Médecins sans frontières (Doctors Without Borders) over drug patents.  Now, the 40-year-old University of Ottawa professor is in the middle of another maelstrom, the treatment of detainees in Afghanistan. And, this time, it's getting more than a bit personal.  Since Prof. Attaran asked that an investigation be held into the possibility that Canadian soldiers may have roughed up prisoners, he has been swamped with abusive messages.  "I have received a very great amount of hate mail, saying that I am not a real Canadian. Well, I am. And I have received quite a lot of other material attacking me -- and I won't use the real language because it's really vulgar -- as a damn Muslim. Use your imagination to substitute for damn." ....


*In the shadow of a scandal*
No, it's not the Somalia affair, but the military must get to the bottom of the alleged abuse of Afghan prisoners to retain the trust of Canadians
Gar Pardy, Ottawa Citizen. 9 Feb 07
Article Link

....  Canadians expect a high standard of behaviour from their military, police and public officials. This is fuelled by a press that seldom applies the same standards to its own behaviour. As a result there is little tolerance or understanding when things do go bump in the dark hours and the shadows ....


*Bruises don't warrant a military inquiry *
Don Martin, National Post, 8 Feb 07
Article Link

....  Only in Canada could the cuts and bruises suffered by a few suspected terrorists give the entire Canadian military a black eye. The murderous take-no-prisoners Taliban can only be laughing at the insanity of it all.


*Not to be confused with Somalia*
DAVID BERCUSON, Globe & Mail, 8 Feb 07
Article Link

....  whatever the truth of the allegation, one thing is perfectly clear. There must be quick action to reveal the truth. Wrongdoings must be prosecuted. Failures in the system that might have been responsible for this lapse must be corrected, and it must all be done with complete candour. And while all that is taking place, there must be no hesitation on the part of the military in carrying out the mission assigned by the Canadian government to help secure Afghanistan, stop the Taliban from reimposing their heinous rule and help rebuild the country ....


*Those allegations of military misconduct*
Globe & Mail, 8 Feb 07
Article Link

....  Jakob Kellenberger, president of the International Committee of the Red Cross, said last fall that Canadian troops in Afghanistan were respecting all the rules when taking prisoners. It would be disturbing, and surprising, if the inquiries found anything to the contrary.



*New museum exhibit on Afghanistan war attempts to skirt political minefield*
Bruce Cheadle, Canadian Press, via Canada.com, 8 Feb 07
Article Link

From the thick bundle of crisp Canadian $100 bills, found in the debris of the World Trade Centre, to the final photo montage of dead soldiers lost in the war sparked by 9-11’s carnage, a new exhibit on Canada’s military mission in Afghanistan carries a visceral, gut-wrenching impact.  Afghanistan: A Glimpse of War, officially opens Friday at the Canadian War Museum. Drawn from the work of two Canadian journalists who provided much of the material, the year-long show inevitably raises questions about news coverage as war propaganda in a politically fraught mission whose outcome remains uncertain.  “The exhibition itself is not political,” Andrew Burtch, the museum’s lead historian for the show, said Thursday during a media preview.  “Everyone has their own opinion and we actually invite them to share their opinions in the gallery,” he added, gesturing to pencils and paper placed at small kiosks around the exhibit.  “We’re interested to hear what people have to say because it’s their history and it is something that is ongoing. There are debates going on around kitchen tables and workplaces and, no doubt, people will bring that with them into the (exhibit) space.  “When they see the stories, they will react to them in their own way. But one way or the other, we’re not trying to tell them what to think.” ....


*'War, as we all know, is hell,' and this glimpse proves it*
Paul Gessell, Ottawa Citizen, 9 Feb 07
Article Link

You may leave in tears, which just might bring smiles to the brass at the Defence Department.  Afghanistan: A Glimpse of War is the most powerful exhibition mounted at the Canadian War Museum in many a year. It opens today for an 11-month run.  The exhibition is definitely pro-soldier. You instantly bond with the Canadian troops whose lives and deaths are pictured in this show. You feel you know these men and women; your kids probably play with their kids. In that sense, the exhibition is a triumph for the museum and for the military.  However, A Glimpse of War is not propaganda. It's not even political. It does not try to convince you of the rightness or wrongness of Canada's involvement in Afghanistan.  It's simply, as the title suggests, "a glimpse of war." And war, as we all know, is hell ....



*Wanted: military doctors for Afghanistan*
CBC Online, 9 Feb 07
Article Link

The Canadian military desperately needs doctors to treat soldiers in Afghanistan and at home, offering up to $225,000 in cash incentives to physicians and medical students who enlist.  Canada's military says it only has half the doctors it needs to serve in Afghanistan — 40 instead of 80. To fill the gaps, the military has been hiring local civilian doctors. In Canada, the military needs 150 family physicians, but only has 120.  "There is a critical need for specialists right now, in particular in areas of general surgery and orthopedics," Lt.-Col. Randy Russell, who is in charge of recruiting physicians, told CBC News.  The military is offering first-year medical students $40,000, if they agree to serve as medical officers for at least four years after being licensed as physicians.  Medical students who are close to graduating are offered $180,000, while licensed doctors who enlist are eligible to receive $225,000.  The precise reason for the lack of doctors is hard to pinpoint, officials said ....



*U.S. defence official says NATO must launch offensive in Afghanistan*
LOLITA C. BALDOR, Associated Press, 8 Feb 07
Article Link

The United States and its allies must launch their own offensive this spring against the Taliban in Afghanistan, a senior U.S. defence official said Thursday, calling this a pivotal time in the nearly five-year-old war there.  Previewing the message Defence Secretary Robert Gates will deliver to NATO allies at a meeting in Seville, Spain, later Thursday and Friday, the official said now is the time finally to defeat the Taliban, who harboured planners of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks that prompted U.S. global war on terror.  The end of winter in Afghanistan has traditionally brought an upsurge in attacks by Taliban militants, and U.S. commanders have already predicted that this spring there will be even more violent than last year when a record number of attacks included nearly 140 suicide bombings.  "We think the upcoming spring in Afghanistan is a pivotal moment in the conflict, and we're encouraging the allies to do as much as they can as soon as they can," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the planned discussions had not yet been presented to allies. "The offensive should be our offensive. That's the offensive we've been communicating to the allies." ....


*NATO Needs More Troops for Afghanistan*
PAUL AMES, Associated Press, 8 Feb 07
Article Link

NATO defense ministers were under pressure Thursday to find more troops for the alliance mission in Afghanistan ahead of an expected surge in fighting with the Taliban when the snow melts this spring.  NATO's new top commander, U.S. Gen. John Craddock, was presenting ministers with a plan to "rebalance" the force of 35,000, using the more mobile combat units in the southern and eastern regions along the border with Pakistan where combat is expected to be most intense.  Allied officials said Craddock was seeking around 1,500 extra combat troops in addition to reinforcements recently announced by the United States and Britain, which supply more than half the soldiers in the force.  However, several European nations have resisted pressure to send more units, especially to the provinces in the south and east. In particular, the reluctance of France, Spain, Italy, Germany and Turkey to provide more combat troops, has caused frustration among nations on the front lines ....


*Wary NATO allies urged to boost Afghan fight*
Kristin Roberts and Mark John, Reuters, 8 Feb 07
Article Link

 The United States raised pressure on NATO allies on Thursday to rush more troops to Afghanistan to crush an expected Taliban offensive, saying the coming weeks would be key in battling the insurgency.  But despite Washington's mounting impatience, European nations held back from making major commitments at the meeting of defence chiefs in the Spanish city of Seville, and Germany questioned whether more troops were the real priority.  New U.S. and British reinforcements mean the two allies will provide half a NATO Afghan force which has now swollen to some 35,000 troops, with their soldiers located predominantly in the Taliban's southern heartlands and by the Pakistan border.  "I was very clear in saying that nations should fulfil all the commitments they have made and I hope they will will do so quickly," U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said.  "We have an opportunity this spring to significantly disrupt the increasing level (of violence) we have seen in recent years caused by the Taliban. I'm optimistic this spring offensive will be ours," he told a news conference.  U.S. General Bantz Craddock, who took over as NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe in December, laid out plans that will require allies to deliver a further 2,500 troops ranging from special forces to logistics personnel, one alliance source said ....


*NATO Defense Ministers Resist US Pressure to Send More Troops to Afghanistan*
Voice of America news, 8 Feb 07
Article Link

NATO defense ministers have come under increased U.S. pressure to provide more troops for the NATO mission in Afghanistan in preparation for the Taleban offensive in the coming months.  At a meeting in Seville, Spain, Thursday, NATO's new supreme commander, U.S. General Bantz Craddock, presented the ministers with a plan to rebalance the existing force of 35,000 troops in Afghanistan.  The United States wants to bolster alliance forces in the southern and eastern regions of Afghanistan, near the Pakistani border where the Taleban are most active.  U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates told reporters the allied push could significantly disrupt the Taleban's fighting ability.  But several European allies say there is too much emphasis on a military solution.  German Defense Minister Franz Josef Jung, whose country approved the deployment of six Tornado surveillance aircraft, said Russians had 100,000 troops in Afghanistan, and they did not win ....



*No more troops to Afghanistan: Spain *
Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, 9 Feb 07
Article Link

Spanish Defence Minister Jose Antonio Alonso said on Thursday that his country would maintain the size of its force in Afghanistan and would not send more troops there.  Alonso told a press conference that he had reaffirmed the Spanish government's stance on the issue at talks with NATO Secretary General Jaapde Hoop Scheffer on Thursday morning.  He said the 690 troops Spain currently has stationed in Afghanistan was sufficient.  Since Spain started its military intervention in Afghanistan in January 2002 it has spent a total of 685 million euros (890 million dollars) on the mission and deployed 7,247 soldiers ....



*ANALYSIS-New U.S. emphasis on Afghan forces vital but risky*
Terrry Friel, Reuters, 9 Feb 07
Article Link

The United States wants to refocus its Afghanistan effort on the local army and police, but there are serious questions about a strategy that has also run into problems of desertions, sectarianism and graft in Iraq.  A much-heralded U.S. handover of weapons, vehicles and other materiel in Kabul last week -- the biggest ever with 12,000 guns and hundreds of vehicles -- was as telling for what was held back as for what was given.  "This move is geared toward NATO's overall strategy of eventually being able to hand over security to some form of native force so that NATO can leave -- but, realistically, this cannot happen for years," U.S. think tank Stratfor.com said.  "Humvees and machine guns will give the ANA (Afghan National Army) enhanced mobility and better firepower, but -- unlike heavier weapons, such as armoured fighting vehicles and artillery -- they do not indicate that NATO especially trusts the ANA."  The 40,000-strong Afghan army still relies on the almost 45,000 foreign troops for air support, major transport, artillery and medical evacuations.  Even now, in some joint bases U.S. forces operate separately run and separately guarded camps within camps, keeping Afghan soldiers outside the wire.  A popular conspiracy theory here is that the United States is obstructing the formation of a local air force through fear of a an attack by a rogue pilot ....



*NEW MOVEMENT IN AFGHANISTAN STRIVES TO OFFER IDEOLOGICAL ALTERNATIVE TO THE TALIBAN*
Joshua Kucera, EurasiaNet Insight, 8 Feb 07
Article Link

A new political movement is taking shape in Afghanistan that is pro-Western in orientation and seeks to present Afghans with a clear ideological alternative to the vision offered by the resurgent Taliban movement. The movement’s leader maintains that a "great" number of Afghans want to move in a democratic direction.  The movement, Fedayeen-e-Sul, or Sacrificers for Peace, is led by Hamed Wardak, the 31-year-old son of the current defense minister of Afghanistan, Abdul Rahim Wardak. The younger Wardak is a graduate of Georgetown University and was a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University in Britain.  The movement aims to be pan-ethnic, reformist and democratic. Wardak said he acted to establish the movement after traveling around Afghanistan, speaking to local elders and painstakingly building a network of respected local leaders. "The more I deal with elders, I realize the potential for democracy in this country is so great. The type of ideals that we have, they also share, they just express it in different ways," he said ....



*Afghan cleric takes Islamic battle to the airwaves*
Sayed Salahuddin, Reuters, 8 Feb 07
Article Link

When the Soviet Union occupied Afghanistan in the 1980s, Sheikh Mohammad Asif Mohseni formed an Islamic force while in exile to fight alongside other holy warriors against the invaders.  But when the communist-backed regime collapsed, the victorious Mujahideen groups began a bloody power struggle, sparking a civil war that killed tens of thousands and he found himself trying to play peacemaker.  Now, the 75-year-old, silver-bearded Mohseni has another mission; this time to save Afghanistan's deeply conservative Islamic society from corruption by alien cultures.  Mohseni is launching a semi-Islamic television channel which does not focus exclusively on Islamic teachings. It will be Afghanistan's first such channel.  Called Tamadon, or "civilization," the network will go on air in a few months. It is the latest in a string of private channels springing up since the Taliban government fell in 2001.  But while some, especially newly returned refugees, welcome the explosion of choice -- there's even a racy MTV-style channel broadcasting from the United States -- others complain the Indian and Western music and programs are vulgar.  "I want to take part in civilizing my Muslim people in the 21st century and the direction (Muslims now) follow has a deviated from its path," he said ....


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## The Bread Guy (10 Feb 2007)

_- edited 101305EST Feb to add fourth item -_

_NOTE:  Full text of first three articles are also available on one single page here_

*No room for two inquiries: Military complaints chairman*
Expresses 'concerns' over Hillier's decision to probe alleged abuse of Afghans
Mike Blanchfield, National Post, p. A6, 10 Feb 07
Article Link

The head of the Military Police Complaints Commission said yesterday he has "significant concerns" over General Rick Hillier's decision to convene his own board of inquiry into allegations of prisoner abuse by Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan because it might interfere with his own probe.  Commission chairman Peter Tinsley expressed that view in a letter to the Chief of the Defence Staff and in an interview as he announced he would launch a "public interest" investigation into allegations soldiers abused three Afghan detainees last April near Kandahar.  "I’m not wanting to go to war with the Chief over this," Mr. Tinsley said. "It's simply a concern that I'm expressing in terms of the timing."  Gen. Hiller has already said publicly he is not inclined to believe the allegations against his troops.  Though Mr. Tinsley won't call evidence --for now --in a courtroom-type setting, he said he would resort to subpoenas and other "additional powers" if he does not have the Defence Department's full cooperation. Eventually, he said, he wants the military to release photos that depict injuries to at least one, if not all, of the Afghan detainees in question .....


*Third probe of detainee treatment*
Bruce Campion-Smith, Toronto Star, p. A04, 10 Feb 07
Article Link

Senior military officers "belatedly" looked into a report that Canadian troops may have mistreated Afghan prisoners, and now that investigations are under way, have made "unfortunate" public comments that suggest they've already decided nothing was done wrong.  Those are two reasons cited by Peter Tinsley, chair of the Military Police Complaints Commission, as he announced yesterday that he was launching his own "public interest" probe into possible misconduct of military police officers in their handling of three detainees last April.  While the military's top cop had appealed to the commission to delay its probe, worries about public confidence in the armed forces and concern about the seriousness of the allegations dictated the commission act now, Tinsley said.  "The possible abuse of defenceless persons in (Canadian Forces) custody, regardless of their actions prior to apprehension and the possibility that military police members may have knowingly or negligently failed to investigate such abuse ... are matters of serious concern," Tinsley said in a letter to senior military officers.  The commission, which looks into complaints about the military police, will also examine whether officers "failed to follow proper protocols for the treatment of detainees."  And Tinsley said he's ready to hold a public hearing, if needed, to exercise subpoena powers to summon witnesses as he examines the "possible abuse" of three prisoners detained by Canadian troops near Dukah in Kandahar province.  "If I have to, well, we'll move to that. But I sure hope it's not required," Tinsley said in an interview ....


*A third probe for Afghan abuse claims*
Case could lead to wider review of detainee policy
Paul Koring, Globe and Mail, p. A20, 10 Feb 07
Article Link

The independent Military Police Complaints Commission yesterday ordered a "public-interest investigation" into possible detainee abuse by Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan, the third investigation into the case announced in a week.  "The possible abuse of defenceless persons in CF [Canadian Forces] custody, regardless of their actions prior to apprehension and the possibility that military police members may have knowingly or negligently failed to investigate such abuse . . . are matters of serious concern," chairman Peter Tinsley said.  The investigation could expand beyond the narrow issue of whether one or more detainees captured near Dukah, Afghanistan, in April, 2006, were beaten or abused in Canadian custody before being turned over to Afghan security forces.  The murky issue of whether Canadian military police can lawfully hand detainees to Afghan authorities without ironclad guarantees that they will not be mistreated could conceivably become part of the investigation, Mr. Tinsley said, adding it is too early to know where his probe will lead.  "We are looking at a specific complaint, but the commission is not restrained from progressing from the facts of a case to systemic issues," he said in an interview ....


*Independent body created to oversee military police*
ESTANISLAO OZIEWICZ, Globe & Mail, 10 Feb 07
Article Link

The Military Police Complaints Commission, established in late 1999, is an independent quasi-judicial civilian agency whose mandate is to provide oversight of Canadian Forces military police.  The commission has the power to administer oaths, subpoena witnesses and compel them to give evidence and produce documents.  But, in its most recent annual report, the commission does not appear to have been very busy, having begun only nine "public interest investigations/hearings" since its inception. In fact, in 2005, André Marin, the then-outgoing military ombudsman, complained that the MPCC dealt with only several dozen complaints a year while the ombudsman reviewed more than 1,000 in the same period.  According to the MPPC annual report, the commission monitored 52 conduct complaints in 2005 and one "interference complaint." It also launched a hearing about the "involvement of military police in a sexual-assault investigation."  The 52 conduct complaints refer to the MPPC's monitoring of complaints by the agency responsible for managing the Forces' military police. An interference complaint refers to allegations a member of the forces or a Defence Department official interfered with a military police investigation. 



*Military urged to keep track of Afghan detainees*
Surrendering suspects seized by Canadian soldiers to Afghan authorities decried by human-rights advocates
Bruce Campion-Smith, Toronto Star, 10 Feb 07
Article Link

They caused a stir on Parliament Hill, sparked two formal military probes and had the country's top general on the defensive about the conduct of his troops in Kandahar.  But the identity of the three Afghan men who may have been mistreated by Canadian soldiers, their conditions and whereabouts all remained a mystery this week.  They have vanished into the world of Afghan justice, where torture is common and prison conditions are "deplorable," according to human-rights groups.  And for Michael Byers, that fact is just as troubling as the suggestion that the men may have been abused while in Canadian custody.  "I think it's appalling that we have no idea where these men now are and that no efforts have been made up to this point to verify their well-being," says Byers, a professor at the University of British Columbia and a long-time critic of Canada's detainee policies.  "If they had been beaten in Canadian custody and bore the marks of that beating, that may have increased their risks once they reached Afghan authorities of further abuse," he says.  "I think, among other things, it's exposed the more general problems with our detainee handling system."  Canadian troops, who nab "many detainees," according to one officer, hand them over to Afghan authorities, inform the International Red Cross and absolve themselves of any further responsibility. Unlike the Dutch, who are also in Afghanistan, Canada has no right to make follow-up visits to check the well-being of detainees it has transferred.  Gen. Rick Hillier, chief of the defence staff, defends the agreement that he signed with the Afghanistan government in December 2005.  "We have a policy in place to handle them humanely and appropriately, and ... we hand them off to the Afghan authorities," Hillier says ....



*INTERVIEW - Taliban united, talks only way out - former minister*
Sayed Salahuddin, Reuters, 10 Feb 07
Article Link

The Taliban remain a united force and President Hamid Karzai must start wide-ranging talks to save Afghanistan from more bloodshed, the group's former foreign minister said on Saturday.  "I think that the Taliban to a large extent is the only group that has remained united before and after its fall," former Taliban foreign minister Wakil Ahmad Muttawakil said.   "If we look back to past years, evidence shows that they have expanded and increased their operations and there is the possibility of that once again," he told Reuters in Kabul.  More than 4,000 people, including about 170 foreign troops and 1,000 civilians died in fighting last year, the bloodiest year since U.S.-led troops ousted the Taliban's strict Islamist government in 2001.  NATO, the United States, Afghan authorities and the Taliban say the guerrillas will launch a major offensive when spring comes in a few months, although no one seriously believes the guerrillas can regain power.  But they are gaining support in rural areas where the failure to create a non-drugs economy has left no jobs and fighting for the Taliban pays more than working for the police ....



*Afghanistan Troop Buildup Extended*
Associated Press, via Military.com, 10 Feb 07
Article Link

The Pentagon plans to extend its buildup of several thousand combat troops in Afghanistan, initially announced as lasting until late spring, well into next year, a senior U.S. military official said Friday.  The move comes as U.S. and allied commanders anticipate a renewed offensive this spring by the Taliban, and as they seek additional reinforcements from NATO countries. The effort to bolster forces there so far has brought only limited success, with a few nations promising handfuls of additional troops and equipment.  The extension of the U.S. buildup means American troop levels in Afghanistan, which increased this month to about 26,000 - the highest of the war - will remain roughly the same until at least spring 2008. Until now, a level of 22,000 to 23,000 had prevailed through much of last year.  The decision, expected to be announced in Washington as early as next week, entails sending an Army combat brigade to replace the 3rd Brigade of the 10th Mountain Division when it leaves this spring.  Without replacing that brigade, the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan would have receded to the lower level. That is because the U.S. has had extra troops in the country since earlier this month, when a brigade of the 82nd Airborne Division arrived ....


*NATO commander says too few troops in Afghanistan*
Agence France Presse, 10 Feb 07
Article Link

NATO's top commander has said there were not enough international troops in Afghanistan to control the border and maintain the steady military presence needed to underpin reconstruction efforts.  US Army General Bantz Craddock, the supreme allied commander, acknowledged that allies were sceptical of the need for more troops at a recently concluded defence ministers meeting in Seville.  "Right now commanders are finding, without adequate forces available, they have to move from one (place) to the other, and they are continually shifting around," he said.  "We must maintain presence, because with presence the Taliban does not come back," he said, speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an international security conference on Saturday.  Craddock recently concluded a reassessment of requirements of the 35,000-strong NATO-led International Security Force in Afghanistan.  He said he found that the allies had not provided all the forces they had previously promised and that more troops were needed to control border areas and protect reconstruction efforts ....



*Taliban ambush kills 4 Afghan police, wounds 3*
Associated Press, 10 Feb 07
Article Link

Taliban militants ambushed a truck carrying police in southern Afghanistan, killing four officers and injuring three at the site of NATO's largest-ever ground battle, while a separate gunfight left 11 Taliban fighters dead, officials said Saturday.  The attack on the police occurred Friday evening in Kandahar province's Panjwayi district, said provincial police chief Asmatullah Alizai.  The three injured were in serious condition, he said.  NATO forces killed more than 500 militants in the Panjwayi area in September, largely clearing the region of militants in an offensive called Operation Medusa.  *Canadian and U.S. Special Forces are working to increase security in Panjwayi.* More Afghan security checkpoints have been set up, a new road is being built, and schools and clinics are reopening. Yet small groups of fighters remain.  The attack on the police happened near Talukan village, where militants beheaded two men in December, saying they were working with NATO forces ....



*News Analysis: Factors behind Taliban resurgence*
Yu Zhixiao & Zhang Haibo, Xinhua news agency, via www.chinaview.cn (CHN), 10 Feb 07
Article Link

The Taliban recently said it would launch a spring offensive against foreign and government troops in Afghanistan and 2,000 suicide bombers were ready to make this year the bloodiest one for foreign soldiers.  Moreover, due to rising Taliban-linked insurgency, Afghanistan plunged into the worst spate of bloodshed in 2006 after the Taliban regime collapsed late 2001 as 4,000 persons were killed. The number was nearly three times bigger than in 2005.  Obviously the Taliban is showing a strong trend of resurgence. Analysts say several factors including geographic elements; enough fund and local support are behind the Taliban's revival.  The first geographic factor benefiting the Taliban is the numerous mountains in southern and eastern Afghanistan, which are hotbeds of Taliban militants. The militants hide and move in mountains and frequently ambush foreign and government troops. This guerrilla-style maneuver makes foreign troops, despite their weapons superiority, hard to deal with and eradicate the militants.  The second geographic factor is the porous Afghan-Pakistani border. Many Taliban militants cross the 2,400-km border back and forth, making it difficult for Afghan and the 48,000-strong foreign troop to hunt down them, as the soldiers can't overrun the border ....



*PRT continues good work in Nuristan*
ISAF news release #2007-095, 8 Feb 07
Article Link

Sunday, the Nuristan Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT), in Kala Gush dedicated the newly completed Nurgram Ministry of Justice building, conducted a medical outreach in Dareng village and inspected the on-going construction of a school in Kowtalay village.  Under official Afghan law, the new Nurgram Ministry of Justice (MOJ) office is charged with a wide range of legal affairs and will work closely with other provincial ministries in the district to ensure that the rule of law is upheld.  “It is essential for the maintenance of peace and order in society that a person who causes an injury or steals property be appropriately punished,” said Nuristan MOJ Director Hafizullah.  ISAF forces from PRT Nuristan also visited Kowtalay village to assess the construction progress of a new school building. Once open, the eight-room school will hold up to 160 students. The school, which was approved by the Nuristan Provincial Governor Tamim Nuristani, was funded by the Nuristan PRT Commander’s Emergency Response Programme.  Following the school assessment, a medical outreach was held in Dareng village, where more than 120 men, women and children were treated for a variety of ailments. Dareng is also the site of two well projects that are approved by the provincial government and supported by the PRT.  The construction of the school in Kowtalay, the Dareng wells and the medical outreach are part of PRT Nuristan’s mission to assist in the reconstruction and development of Afghanistan. Working in partnership with the provincial district governor and the local community, the Nuristan PRT strives to improve the conditions faced by the people of this region.



*A soldier's story*
His body shattered in a suicide bombing in Afghanistan, Mike McTeague is winning the battle to heal
DAVID COOPER, Toronto Star, 9 Feb 07
Article Link

All eyes are on Mike McTeague as he struggles to pull up his socks.  The 21-year-old soldier severely wounded in Afghanistan has, as usual, an audience for his occupational therapy session. Two army guys, a friend who visits daily, and another member of his therapy team cheer on his progress. In his three months at St. John's Rehab  Hospital, he's gone from needing four people to turn him in bed to being able to sit up, stand up and nearly dress himself.  The socks are the latest hurdle, and not an easy one, seeing as a ball bearing tore through his neck, shrapnel ripped through his bowel, and his legs and feet were fractured in eight places, some so badly the bones shattered.  "I didn't work hard today," says McTeague nonchalantly after mastering the task. "I didn't scream."  McTeague, who finally left hospital yesterday, was the victim of a suicide bomber riding a bicycle who killed four Canadians and seriously injured 10 soldiers and 27 Afghan residents in September. Since 2005, 188 Canadian soldiers have been wounded badly enough to be sent to the Kandahar hospital ....



*American, SAfrican dog handlers build rock mural to honour Canadian troops*
Murray Brewster, Canadian Press, via Canada.com, 10 Feb 07
Article Link

_- photo posted below - _

Taking and holding the area around Ma'sum Ghar last fall cost Canadians the lives of five soldiers and that sacrifice is now etched into this dusty, ragged hillside by - of all people - American and South African dog handlers.  A huge red-and-white rock mural of the Canadian flag has been carefully laid out on slope leading to a hilltop observation post at this bustling forward base. Running along the bottom of the flag are a series of whitewashed boulders, representing the soldiers who died here.  For Van Thames of AM-K9 Protection, erecting the symbol and the memorial was a way to say thank you to Canadians who have kept him and his team safe and comfortable.  Working on the project in his spare time, Thames had no idea how much the gesture would mean to members of Alpha and Charles Companies of the 1st Battalion Royal Canadian Regiment, who have endured months of bitter, desperate fighting with Taliban militants.  "I had one guy that come up and first of all I thought he was mad with me," Thames said, his long South Carolina drawl, stretching out every syllable.  "He said, 'I'm pissed. I'm pissed.' I said, 'What's wrong? What I do wrong?' He said: 'I'm mad 'cause it took an American to think about it and do it instead of one of us doing it."  It was, Thames chuckled, a backhanded way of saying, 'thank you.' ....

*Outside the Wire:  Illumination Rounds*
Doug Schmidt, Windsor Star blog, 10 Feb 07
Article Link

Today was a good day. Had a couple hours to kill after arriving at this military forward operating base overlooking the vast former homeland valley of the Taliban, so went for a little climb. The Canadians spilt much of their own blood taking and holding this steep and craggy bluff in the Panjwaii District during Operation Medusa last fall (something the Soviets' Red Army failed to do against the Mujahedeen two decades ago).  Other Canadian soldiers arriving by convoy in the middle of the night with me last night after a couple days out awoke to a big surprise — the Americans and South Africans who work with the bomb-sniffing dogs here spent that time constructing a giant maple leaf flag using rocks they then painted. It's on a hill overlooking the camp.  "It's our thanks," said dog handler Van Thames of South Carolina. He admits he had "reservations at first" when told he and his dog would be working with the Canadians. But the experience proved rewarding: "I've met a lot of good, life-long friends here, Canadians." ....


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## The Bread Guy (10 Feb 2007)

*Conflicting claims after heavy fighting in Sangin*
Abdul Samad Rohani, Pahjwok Afghan News, 9 Feb 07
Article Link

Government and NATO forces have engaged in a heavy fighting with the Taliban in Sangin district of the southern Helmand province with both the sides making contradictory claims about casualties.  Helmand police chief Nabi Jan Malakhel said around 10 Taliban fighters were killed in the clash that lasted for several hours on Thursday. He added the fighting erupted after a convoy of police and army forces together with the NATO troops confronted a group of the Taliban during their hunt for the fighters. The operation to hunt the militants has launched recently jointly by the Afghan and NATO-led International Security Assistance Force in Sangin.  Malakhel said the government and NATO troops did not suffer any casualties in the clash.  However, the Taliban said they killed several foreign soldiers were killed in the fierce fighting. Qari Yousuf Ahmadi, who often speak for the Taliban, told Pajhwok Afghan News they destroyed three tanks of foreign troops by roadside bombs and killed eight soldiers of them.  Regarding casualties in ranks of the fighters, Ahmadi said only two of their comrades were wounded.  Local residents said they heard exchange of heavy fire on Thursday for long hours ....



_NOTE:  Following story only appears to have been confirmed by DEU defence officials, not CAN officials as of posting._

*Canada to buy German tanks for Afghanistan duty*
Agence France Presse, 10 Feb 07
Article Link

BERLIN - Berlin Saturday confirmed reports that Canada is to buy German Leopard tanks to equip its forces serving with the NATO multinational force in Afghanistan.  The defence ministry said it was examining a request to that effect from Ottawa, confirming a report in the magazine Der Spiegel due to appear Monday which says that 80 A4 tanks could be bought from the German army reserve.  ‘The ministry is in principle favourable to this request,’ a spokesman told AFP.  Spiegel says the Canadians also want 20 Leopards of the latest A6M type which are mine-resistant, of which the German Bundeswehr regular army has 40.  But as the German manufacturer Krauss-Maffei Wegmann cannot deliver them at once, Canada wants to lease them from the German army, according to the magazine ....


*Canada wants German tanks for Afghanistan*
Google translation, from netzeitung.de (DEU), 10 Feb 07
Article Link - Original article in German - Hauptmann Scharlachrot translation - far better than Google

Soon are German “leopard 2” - battle tanks in the theaters of war of Afghanistan to the front - however with Canadian crew. The Federal Government is ready to agree the Deal.  Soon are German “leopard 2” - battle tanks in the theaters of war of Afghanistan to the front - however with Canadian crew. The Federal Government is ready to agree the Deal.  Canada wants to use German “leopard 2” - battle tank for the fight against the Taliban in Afghanistan. A speaker of the Ministry of Defense confirmed a report of the news magazine “the mirror” on Saturday over an appropriate inquiry of the government from Ottawa. The tanks are to be used with Canadian crew.  The Canadian armed forces use already the older version, the “Leo 1”. But for the fight against the Taliban the Canadians would have gladly the newest on the market. How the Ministry of Defense communicated, the Kandaier inquired whether Germany could make about 20 available “leopard” in the new version with a special protection against mines (A6M) ...



*NATO chief sees Taliban finished by 2009*
United Press International, 10 Feb 07
Article Link

The head of NATO, speaking in Germany, predicted a military victory over the Taliban in Afghanistan by 2009.  Secretary-General Japp de Hoop Scheffer told a conference in Munich that breaking the Taliban would require a continued ground presence by NATO, although in two years Afghan President Hamid Karzai's government should become more self-sufficient, Sky News reported ....


*NATO chief sees Afghan insurgency smashed by 2009*
Mark John, Reuters, 10 Feb 07
Article Link

NATO expects to have smashed most of the Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan within the next two years but will need to keep troops there after 2009, the alliance's chief said on Saturday.  "In 2009, we should see Afghanistan on the road to peace with the back of the resistance broken -- but with undoubtedly a NATO military presence on the ground," Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer told a security conference in Munich.  "I hope in 2009 that we see an Afghanistan government that is better able to take the country into its own hands, which is what we hope for," he added.  However the scale of the challenge facing the alliance was underlined as Afghan national security adviser Zalmai Rassoul told the same meeting his country was facing a resurgent Taliban and an influx of foreign fighters ....


*Top Karzai advisor warns of worsening security situation in Afghanistan*
Islamic Republic News Agency (IRN), 10 Feb 07
Article Link

The national security advisor of Afghan President Hamid Karzai warned of a deteriorating security situation in his country amid mounting Taliban and foreign terrorist attacks.  "The resurgence of Talibans and influx of foreign fighters is a great cause of concern. With a safe sanctuary across the border the Talibans are able to rearm, recruit, regroup and reorganise at will.  "Almost 4,000 lives were lost last year, including Afghan, international, civilian and military," Rassoul Zalmai said at the high-profile Munich security conference.  "Our enemies have successfully adopted the hideous tactics of suicide bombings, IEDs and assassination. Last year we witnessed a 6-fold increase in suicide attacks, a 3-fold increase in direct attacks against Afghan and Coalition forces, and a doubling of the number of IED attacks," he added.  Zalmai said the security situation in the southern and eastern Afghanistan "remains a challenge" to the Afghan government ....



*McCain criticises Nato on Afghan support*
Demetri Sevastopulo, Financial Times, 10 Feb 07
Article Link

John McCain, the US Republican senator, on Saturday told the FT he was “fairly close” to making a decision about whether he would enter the 2008 race for the White House.  Mr McCain made his comments in Munich on the same day that Barack Obama, the Democratic senator, announced his candidacy for the 2008 presidential race in Illinois.  The maverick Arizona politician was attending an influential Munich defence conference – attended by Russian president Vladimir Putin and a host of European defence ministers – where he criticised Nato allies for not contributing more military and financial support for the alliance’s mission in Afghanistan.  “There will undoubtedly be an offensive this spring in Afghanistan,” said Mr McCain. “The only question is whether it will be Nato’s offensive or the Taliban’s. Nato members can help ensure that we keep the Taliban on their heels by at least matching the US troop increase of 3,000 and by reconsidering national caveats.”....


*White House hopeful criticises Europe on Afghanistan*
Kristin Roberts, Reuters (UK), 10 Feb 07
Article Link

Senator John McCain, a Republican contender for the White House in 2008, chastised Europe on Saturday for failing to supply the troops and money to win in Afghanistan and said NATO's future was at stake.  In tough comments that singled out specific countries, McCain told NATO allies to move beyond the "false debate" over security and development priorities in Afghanistan -- a dispute that dominated a defence ministers' meeting earlier this week.  Instead, Europe should follow Washington's lead and put more forces and resources into the war effort.  "Military recommitment must begin with NATO countries providing an adequate number of troops for the fight," McCain told the Munich Security Conference of senior world politicians, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. Defence Secretary Robert Gates.  "... Yet the international community still falls far short in meeting its prior pledges and in committing the resources Afghanistan needs to avoid failure," he said in prepared remarks ....



*A 16-point counternarcotics strategy for Afghanistan*
Lalit K. Jha, Pahjwok AFghan News, 9 Feb 07
Article Link

Four influential US Congressmen have come up with a set of 16 recommendations to handle the increasing menace of narco-terrorism in Afghanistan.  Submitted by these Congressmen to the Bush Administration in the form of a letter written to the Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, and the Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates, the suggested counter-terrorism strategy for Afghanistan is modeled after the successful US campaign in Columbia.  Prominent among the proposals are increased extradition of the kingpins; expanding the rewards program to facilitate the capture of Osama bin Laden and other major terrorists operating in the region; developing a consensus policy with US allies to address the linkage and the interdependence between drugs and terror in Afghanistan; and increasing the trade capacity for legitimate Afghan products -- for example, carpets, gem stones and other legitimate products.  Interestingly such a policy initiative comes from four Congressmen, who are all Republicans the party of the President George W. Bush, who last month had nominated the US Ambassador to Columbia, William Wood, as his new envoy to Afghanistan.  The four senior Republican Congressmen, who also happen to members of the powerful House Foreign Affairs Committee, are -- Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Mike Pence, Elton Gallegly and Dana Rohrabacher.  The 16-point recommendations should be considered for inclusion in the Presidents Afghan reconstruction initiative now under development, they said. The Presidents new strategy is vitally important, but the threat will not be alleviated solely by investing more resources. The strategy must also tackle the problem of drugs and terror simultaneously, Ros-Lehtinen said in a statement ....



*Nato to toughen Afghan tactics*
Daniel Dombey & Stephen Fidler, Financial Times, 7 Feb 07
Article Link

Nato’s army chiefs have drawn up a plan for Afghanistan that would boost forces in the south, deploy two battalions on the border with Pakistan and give greater focus to combat with the Taliban.  The tough approach for the border and the south is spelt out in a formal statement of requirements for the mission, submitted by General John Craddock, the new military commander.  Nato defence ministers will discuss the plan, which would use forces recently made available by the US and the UK, at a meeting starting tomorrow in Seville.  The ministers will also look at whether Nato’s rapid response force could be used to help provide more troops for Afghanistan. France is reluctant to reopen this debate since it maintains that the force should be used for crisis missions rather than continuing operations ....



*Doubt over Afghan commitment of Gulf & European countries*
Pak Tribune, 11 Feb 07
Article Link

Lawmakers of a key Congressional panel have questioned the commitment of major US allies in the Gulf and Europe towards bringing peace in Afghanistan.  Apparently disillusioned over the alleged lackluster role of these countries in Afghanistan, members of the powerful House Committee on Foreign Affairs have urged the Bush Administration that it is right time to rethink their relationship with these European nations and Gulf countries.  If the nations of Europe and the Gulf are unwilling to do their share to protect international security, then perhaps we should rethink the nature of our alliances with them, said Tom Lantos, chairman of the Committee, which plays a key role in shaping US foreign policy ....


*Nato fails to agree on Afghan troops*
Daniel Dombey & Demetri Sevastopulo, Financial Times, 8 Feb 07
Article Link

Nato ministers clashed over Afghanistan on Thursday when continental European governments refused to follow the US and the UK and send troops to battle the Taliban.  The alliance’s defence ministers gathered in southern Spain for a meeting Nato officials had earlier hoped would signal more troops for the fight against the Taliban in southern Afghanistan.  But, after months of pressure from Washington and London, Germany, France, Italy and Spain are refusing to send combat troops to the south and east, the centre of battle against the Taliban.  “I do not think it is right to talk about more and more military means,” said Franz-Josef Jung, German defence minister. “When the Russians were in Afghanistan they had 100,000 and didn’t win . . . We are liberators, not occupiers.”  Since August, Nato has taken responsibility for the whole of the country, including the conflict zones with the Taliban, and has expanded its force from 8,500 to 35,000 troops. But most of the extra soldiers have come from the US and Britain, which respectively have 14,000 and 5,200 troops in the Nato force, almost all based in the south and east ....


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## The Bread Guy (11 Feb 2007)

*Canadian military hunts for new tanks*
A reporter, CanWest News Service; Ottawa Citizen, 11 Feb 07
Article Link

As it prepares to deal with another spring offensive by insurgents in Afghanistan, Canada is trying to lease state-of-the-art Leopard tanks from Germany.  Defence sources told the Ottawa Citizen Saturday that Canada wants to lease 20 Leopard A6M tanks from the German army. The tanks, which have improved protection against landmines and other enemy weapons, could be shipped to Afghanistan as early as the spring if the deal is approved, sources said.  The German newsmagazine, Der Spiegel, will also report on Monday that Canada wants to buy 80 Leopard 2 tanks from Germany as well as lease the other 20 Leopards.  According to another European news agency, Agence France-Presse, the German government is looking at approving the Canadian request. "The ministry is in principle favourable to this request," a German Defence Department spokesman told AFP ....



*Taliban prepare for spring offensive in Afghan south*
Saeed Ali Achakzai, Reuters (UK), 11 Feb 07
Article Link

Taliban fighters are continuing to reinforce a key southern town against an expected NATO offensive more than a week after taking it over, ending a controversial four month truce.  More than 1,500 villagers have fled the town of Musa Qala, in the Taliban heartland, in fear of renewed fighting.  "More than 300 fighters are in Musa Qala," senior Taliban commander Mulla Hayatullah Khan told Reuters from a secret base on Sunday.  "They have been alerted and military supplies are being provided from other areas."  Residents say the Taliban are reinforcing their troops with heavy weapons, but NATO says there is no evidence of force build-up.  The Taliban regularly over-run major centres, but rarely hold them for more than a day or two. This is one of the longest times a key town has been held.  NATO, the United States and the Taliban warn of a major offensive when the snows melt in a few months, after the bloodiest year since the strict Islamists were ousted in 2001 in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks in the United States ....



*U.S. defense secretary to visit Pakistan for talks on Afghan infiltrators, official says*
Associated Press, via International Herald Tribune, 11 Feb 07
Article Link

U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates will visit Pakistan this week for talks with the president and top officials on cooperation in counterterrorism and efforts by Pakistan to stop militants from moving across the border with Afghanistan, an official said Sunday.  Gates, who will be making his first visit to Pakistan since becoming the Pentagon chief, is scheduled to arrive Monday, a senior government official said on condition of anonymity because he does not have the authority to speak formally about the visit.  Gates' visit comes amid a string of suicide bombings in Pakistan and fears for a renewed spring offensive by Taliban fighters in neighboring Afghanistan.  Pakistan — a close U.S. ally in its war against terrorism — has faced repeated charges that the Taliban militia stage attacks from Pakistan against Afghan government troops and NATO- and U.S.-led coalition troops.  Pakistan denies the charges, saying it has deployed some 80,000 troops along its rugged border with Afghanistan to track down militants ....


*US should not make military aid to Pak conditional: Musharraf*
Daily India, 11 Feb 07
Article Link

Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf has said that US should not make its military assistance to Pakistan conditional, since Pakistan had played a vital role in the US led war on terror.  Referring to the bill recently approved by the US House of Representatives, he said the bill was against the efforts Pakistan was making in the war on terror, adding that Washington should be "grateful to Pakistan for the country's forceful campaign against terrorism instead of imposing such conditions".  "Pakistan has played a pivotal role in the war on terror, therefore it is not appropriate to make US military assistance to Pakistan conditional," said Musharraf ....



*France sends carrier fleet to support Afghan war*
Kuwait News Agency, 11 Feb 07
Article Link

France on Sunday sent its sole aircraft carrier, the "Charles de Gaulle," and a fleet of support vessels to the Indian Ocean to provide support for NATO forces fighting against the Taliban in Afghanistan, defense sources said.  The French carrier is accompanied by a fleet of eight naval vessels, including a submarine, and it will bring a capacity of 30 attack aircraft to the Afghan conflict zone, where NATO troops are having difficulties overcoming the Taliban fighters in several areas.  NATO commanders have long called for reinforcements on the ground in Afghanistan, and as recently as this weekend at the Security Conference in Munich, the US Defense Secretary lamented the fact that the developed countries with two million men under arms could not defeat the Taliban and muster up badly needed reinforcements.  The French deployment does not involve extra troops on the ground, although France is one of the major contributors to the NATO effort. Moreover, France did decide last year it would pull out its 200 special forces operating with US special units in Afghanistan, separately from the NATO commitment ....


*Italy minister upsets government allies with Afghan date*
Reuters, via Times of Malta, 11 Feb 07
Article Link

Leftists in Italy's coalition government warned yesterday they could withdraw support for Romano Prodi's administration after a minister said troops may not quit Afghanistan for several years.  Comments by Defence Minister Arturo Parisi that Italy's military presence in Afghanistan may not be cut during the government's five-year term, which expires in 2011, provoked angry reactions from some political allies who oppose Italy's presence in the country.  By yesterday parties on the left of the coalition said such talk could push them to vote against Prodi in parliament, where it has a one-seat majority in the upper house. The Senate leader of another leftist party, Communist Refoundation, also expressed his shock. "The radical left, which hasn't asked for an immediate, precise date for an exit strategy, was expecting an equally responsible attitude from the government," Russo Spena said.  Parisi said he was surprised his comment has caused a storm and said 2011 referred to the five-year plan agreed at an international conference last year ....


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## The Bread Guy (12 Feb 2007)

*Canadian troops fire on Afghan army convoy, wounding one allied soldier*
MURRAY BREWSTER, Canadian Press, 12 Feb 07
Article Link

An Afghan army soldier was wounded early Monday in a shooting incident involving Canadian troops.  The incident happened on road east of Kandahar city and involved soldiers in a Canadian re-supply convoy that was returning to the local airfield, NATO's main military base in the region. Military police have ordered an investigation into the shooting, said Lt.-Cmdr. Kris Phillips, a spokesman for the Canadian Forces.  "Incidents such as this are very regrettable and we try to take all reasonable steps to avoid them. However, they do, from time to time, occur," he said.  "We've also been in constant contact with the ANA (Afghan National Army) authorities and commanders in the local area. There will be further meetings and discussions with representatives of the ANA to determine how we can work together to prevent this from happening again."  An Afghan Army convoy of pickup trucks approached a security cordon set up around a disabled RG-31 Nyala patrol vehicle. Phillips said the shooting took place when the driver of the lead pickup refused orders to stop.  "I think naturally people would be a little bit upset with this sort of incident. I know we're upset. It's not the kind of thing we like to see happen," he said ....


*Canadian Forces probe wounding of Afghan soldier*
CBC online, 12 Feb 07
Article Link

An Afghan army soldier has been wounded in a shooting incident involving Canadian troops.  The incident happened early Monday on road east of Kandahar City and involved soldiers in a Canadian re-supply convoy that was returning to the local airfield, NATO's main military base in the region.  Lt.-Cmdr. Kris Phillips, a spokesman for the Canadian Forces, said military police have ordered an investigation into the shooting.  An Afghan Army convoy of pickup trucks approached a security cordon set up around a disabled RG-31 Nyala patrol vehicle.  Phillips says the shooting took place when the driver of the lead pickup refused orders to stop.  The wounded Afghan soldier was taken to a civilian hospital for treatment of what are thought to be injuries to his arm ....



*Two Taliban rockets slam into Kandahar Airfield; one NATO soldier injured*
MURRAY BREWSTER, Canadian Press, via Brooks Bulletin, 11 Feb 07
Article Link

The long period of calm at Kandahar Airfield was shattered Sunday night when two rebel rockets slammed into the base, injuring one NATO soldier.  The force of the explosion sprayed gravel into the face the injured man, causing minor lacerations, said Capt. Andre Salloum, a spokesman for the International Security Assistance Force.  "He was treated for minor injuries at the ISAF medical facility and will be released tonight," he said.  Lt-Cmdr. Kris Phillips, a spokesman for the Canadian Forces, said the injured soldier was not a Canadian.  No damage to buildings was reported and, for security reasons, Salloum refused to discuss where the rockets hit inside the camp ....



*Widows of soldiers killed in Afghanistan face fight with banks over mortgages*
ALISON AULD, Canadian Press, 11 Feb 07
Article Link

Widows of Canadian soldiers killed in Afghanistan are tied up in a confusing fight of their own with banks that have delayed payment of their mortgages or claim they're not covered by insurance at all because their husbands died in combat.  Several women say they've been told by their financial institutions the mortgage insurance they've spent years paying into does not apply because their spouses died while at war.  Maureen Gillam, whose husband Sgt. Craig Gillam was killed last October in a rocket attack near Kandahar, said she received a letter just days ago stating she could not benefit from her mortgage insurance because of a so-called act of war clause.  "It does anger me a bit because when I bought my car, the salesman told us right up front that there is a war clause and it wouldn't be covered," she said in a recent interview from her home in Petawawa, Ont.  "But with them, they never brought it up. They knew he was in the military, they knew this was going on, why would you even get us to pay that without mentioning it?"  Gillam, 42, said she and her husband bought the mortgage insurance policy in 2005 from Home Loans Canada through their bank, Manulife Financial. At the time, she said they made it clear Craig was in the military, but that no one informed them the policy might not apply if the Newfoundland native was killed in combat ....



*CFB Petawawa soldiers return home to loved ones*
CTV.ca, 11 Feb 07
Article Link

Forty-five soldiers rolled off a plane from Afghanistan, onto a bus and finally into the arms of loved ones at CFB Petawawa.  They arrived late Saturday at CFB Trenton in eastern Ontario before being bused to their home base.  "Now the healing begins where we've left a few guys behind," said Capt. Ryan Carey of 1st Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment, who reunited with his wife and baby daughter.  "We certainly wish we had brought everybody home but that's not the case. And we'll carry on with our lives."  The military men and women of CFB Petawawa have paid a price in Afghanistan. They and others have taken part in some of the bloodiest Canadian combat since the Korean War of more than 50 years ago ....



*Senate Report on Afghan Mission Will be Released Today*
Josh Pringle, CFRA-AM (Ottawa), 12 Feb 07
Article Link - Senate Standing Committee on National Security and Defence Reports page

The Senate defence committee will release a report today outlining an 11-point strategy aimed at turning around Canada's mission in Afghanistan.  The 16-page report titled "Taking a Hard Look at the Mission" suggests Canada send more than 300 additional police and military trainers to Kandahar.  The Federal Government is urged to warn reluctant NATO allies that unless they quickly send reinforcements, Canada will rethink its own military commitment.  The Senate committee uses the report to ask whether Canadians are willing to commit themselves to a decades-long mission that could cost hundreds of Canadian lives and billions of dollars ....



*First things first*
The Ruxted Group, 11 Feb 07
Article Link

The time is fast approaching for Messers. Dion, Duceppe and Layton to make some choices.  M. Duceppe has promised to introduce a motion requiring the Government of Canada to withdraw from Afghanistan. He will seek support from the Liberals and the NDP.  Jack Layton and the NDP, to be intellectually consistent, ought to support the motion.  M. Dion and the Liberals should not.  The Ruxted Group agrees with Stéphane Dion that something akin to a Marshall Plan is needed for Afghanistan but it asks M. Dion to remind his fellow Canadians that:  1. The Marshall Plan could not be implemented until Europe was at peace; when Afghanistan is pacified, Western nations will be able to apply aid and trade and diplomacy effectively ....


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## GAP (12 Feb 2007)

*Articles found February 12, 2007*

Auditors' report slams Defence over vehicle maintenance
Article Link

Sole-source contracts are not 'good value' as review estimates $8-million a year in possible savings
DANIEL LEBLANC 

OTTAWA -- Auditors at the Department of National Defence are blasting a sole-sourced contract to maintain the military's fleet of light-armoured vehicles, saying the government is overspending at least $8-million a year for the work.

In particular, the auditors said management fees have expanded while subcontracting costs have gone unchecked.

"There are significant opportunities to achieve savings and better value for money," said the audit, which was posted recently on DND's website.

It said there was room for savings of "at least $80-million over the next 10 years of the contract," and that could reach $13.5-million a year.

The contract to maintain the Canadian Forces' light-armoured vehicles, such as the eight-wheeled Coyotes and LAV IIIs, was issued in 1998 and is still in place. 

Even though the names of government suppliers are frequently released, DND said it had to shield the identity of this contractor to abide by the Access to Information Act.

"I cannot release that, and the reason why is that it might put the vendor in a negative light," DND spokeswoman Liana Cyr said.

But The Globe and Mail has learned the contract went to General Dynamics Land Systems Canada, which owns the company that manufactured the vehicles.

Ken Yamashita, a spokesman for General Dynamics, refused to comment on the document, saying it is an internal DND audit of the government's contracting practices.

When it was first issued nine years ago, the contract called for "life-cycle support" for 203 Coyotes. The deal grew over the years as the government purchased 651 LAV IIIs and other light-armoured vehicles.

The audit expressed concern that the initial "two-year, $4.3-million contract evolved into a six-year $67.9-million contract" by 2004. The contract was then renewed for three years, for a total of $200-million, and entails work on more than 1,000 light-armoured vehicles.
More on link

6 Taliban, 5 police killed in violence in southern Afghanistan  
The Associated Press  Monday, February 12, 2007 KABUL, Afghanistan 
Article Link

Gunbattles and ambushes in southern Afghanistan left at least six Taliban fighters and five Afghan police dead, while the U.S.-led coalition said Monday that several other Taliban fighters died during an assault targeting a senior Taliban leader.

In Uruzgan province, NATO forces and Afghan police and soldiers battled suspected Taliban militants for five hours near the town of Tirin Kot late Sunday, said Qayum Qayumi, the provincial governor's spokesman.

Six Taliban fighters and three police were killed, while another 12 suspected Taliban were arrested and several guns and rocket-propelled grenade launchers were recovered, he said.

Two police died and a third was wounded in neighboring Zabul province when suspected Taliban militants ambushed a police vehicle Sunday night, said Ghulam Jalali, a highway police commander. One policeman and one Taliban fighter were wounded in a gunbattle, he said.

The U.S.-led coalition said "several" Taliban fighters died during an assault by coalition forces and the Afghan army early Monday near the town of Gereshk in Helmand province.
More on link

US troops in Afghanistan fire at Taliban in Pakistan
Colonel cites right to defend outposts from rebel attacks
By Robert Burns, Associated Press  |  February 12, 2007
Article Link

BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan -- Asserting a right to self defense, American forces in eastern Afghanistan have launched artillery rounds into Pakistan to strike Taliban fighters who attack remote US outposts, the commander of US forces in the region said yesterday.

The skirmishes are politically sensitive because Pakistan's government, regarded by the Bush administration as an important ally against Islamic extremists, has denied that it allows US forces to strike inside its territory.

The use of the largely ungoverned Waziristan area of Pakistan as a haven for Taliban and Al Qaeda fighters has become a greater point of contention between Washington and Islamabad since Pakistan put in place a peace agreement in September that was intended to stop cross-border incursions.

Army Colonel John W. Nicholson, commander of the Third Brigade, 10th Mountain Division, said in an interview that rather than halt such incursions, the peace deal has led to a substantial increase in attacks .

Pakistani border forces, which had been active in stopping Taliban incursions into Afghanistan as recently as last spring, stopped offensive actions against them once the peace deal took effect, he said.

"That did relax some of the pressure on the enemy," Nicholson said.

The Pakistan Army's top spokesman said yesterday that coalition forces operating in Afghanistan are not allowed to fire into Pakistani territory, but acknowledged that artillery fire from the coalition had landed inside Pakistan in recent days. Pakistan also plans to seek clarification about Nicholson's comments.

Members of Nicholson's brigade, based at Fort Drum, N.Y., recently were told that instead of going home this month after a yearlong tour, they will stay for an extra four months, until June.
More on link

700 foreign fighters in south Afghanistan, governor says; town still under Taliban control  
The Associated Press  Sunday, February 11, 2007 KANDAHAR, Afghanistan 
Article Link

An estimated 700 foreign fighters are operating in a key southern Afghan province where Taliban fighters took control of a town earlier this month, the provincial governor said Sunday.

The foreign fighters — from Chechnya, Uzbekistan and Pakistan — are operating in three volatile areas of Helmand province, including Musa Qala, which fighters overran and have controlled since Feb. 1, Gov. Asadullah Wafa said.

He said the government was conducting negotiations with tribal elders to resolve the dispute.

"We are trying our best to solve this issue in a peaceful way," Wafa told The Associated Press. "We don't want innocent people to die in the fighting. If the negotiations with the elders fail, then the government will conduct an operation against the Taliban."

Wafa said some 1,500 families had fled Musa Qala out of fear of coming clashes.
More on link

Drug-addict guns down his entire family  
Monday February 12, 2007 (0022 PST)
Article Link

LASHKARGAH: A man has killed eight members of his family and relatives by Kalashnikov in Lashkargah, provincial capital of the southern Helmand province. 
Officials and local residents said a man named Muhammad Daud killed eight people in his home by a burst of fire last night in Bolan area, in vicinities of the Lashkargah city. 

Muhammad Wais, a police official in Helmand, told Pajhwok Afghan News the murderer was also killed later by villagers. 

He said the dead included the murderer's mother, father, wife, sister, brother in-law, wife of his brother, niece and mother in-law of his sister. 

Exact reason behind the cold-blooded murders is not clear yet as investigation is going on, said Wais. 

However, Roma Muhammadi, a resident of Bolan, said Daud was addicted to drugs and his family had wanted to take him to a rehabilitation centre in Kandahar city in the morning, but he put end to life of all by morning. 

The murderer was later shot dead by his sister's in-laws, who are living in the same village, said Muhammadi.
End 

German organisation distributes aid  
Monday February 12, 2007 (0022 PST)
Article Link

PUL-I-ALAM: Germany has donated winter material worth 200,000 euros for the needy people in the central Logar province. 
The material, including 120 kilograms of firewood, four blankets, four mattresses and a heater, were distributed to 1,000 families in the provincial capital of Pul-i-Alam and Azra, Charkh, Mohammad Agha, Baraki Barak and Khoshi districts of the province. 

Wolsgang Herbt, head of the German organisation Malteser, told Pajhwok Afghan News the aid was distributed to those families after a survey of the area. 

Engineer Sayed Abdul Karim Hashimi, governor of Logar province, said people were faced with numerous problems due to the prevailing cold weather. He said most of the roads connecting villages with districts and cities had been blocked due to the heavy snowfall. 
More on link

Factors behind Taliban resurgence  
Monday February 12, 2007 (0022 PST)
Article Link

KABUL: The Taliban recently said it would launch a spring offensive against foreign and government troops in Afghanistan and 2,000 suicide bombers were ready to make this year the bloodiest one for foreign soldiers. 
Moreover, due to rising Taliban-linked insurgency, Afghanistan plunged into the worst spate of bloodshed in 2006 after the Taliban regime collapsed late 2001 as 4,000 persons were killed. The number was nearly three times bigger than in 2005. 

Obviously the Taliban is showing a strong trend of resurgence. Analysts say several factors including geographic elements, enough fund and local support are behind the Taliban's revival. 

The first geographic factor benefiting the Taliban is the numerous mountains in southern and eastern Afghanistan, which are hotbeds of Taliban militants. The militants hide and move in mountains and frequently ambush foreign and government troops. This guerrilla-style maneuver makes foreign troops, despite their weapons superiority, hard to deal with and eradicate the militants. 
More on link



]Article Link

More on link


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## The Bread Guy (12 Feb 2007)

_- edited 122206EST Feb to add IMF warning article - _

_*Feel free to pick up the Army.ca discussion thread on the Senate Report here*_

*Senate report recommends possible end to Afghan mission *
Mike Blanchfield, CanWest News Service, 12 Feb 07
Article Link

Canada should consider pulling its troops out of Afghanistan if some of its NATO allies continue to refuse to allow their troops to fight on the front lines near Kandahar, says a Senate committee.  “NATO must deploy more resources in Afghanistan and use those resources in a better way than we have done to this point. If this proves impossible, Canada should be prepared to consider withdrawing its troops from Afghanistan as soon as our current commitment ends,” concludes a report by the Senate committee on national defence and security.  The committee of Liberal and Conservative senators recently returned from Afghanistan and has singled out the ongoing dispute within NATO as one of the major hurdles facing Canada’s deployment of 2,500 troops to the country.  NATO has tried unsuccessfully to find thousands more troops to fight the Taliban insurgency in southern Afghanistan, where 36 Canadian soldiers and one diplomat were killed in the last year.  The report fingers Germany and France as two countries that refuse to allow their troops to deploy to the south from other, less volatile parts of the country ....


*Senate panel says success in Afghanistan far from a sure thing; urges change*
ALEXANDER PANETTA, Canadian Press, 12 Feb 07
Article Link

Canada should consider withdrawing from Afghanistan unless its NATO allies deliver additional troops to the international mission, a Senate committee recommended Monday.  In a 45-page report, the Senate's national security and defence committee described the mission of stabilizing Afghanistan as an uphill battle that could take decades. It also cast it as a major test for NATO in the post-Cold War era - and suggested Canada should consider a pullout if other NATO countries refuse to pitch in.  "We expect the allies to step up," said Senator Colin Kenny, the committee chair.  "They must know that if they're not going to step up, we're going to take another look at the situation. It's an alliance and everyone is expected to be shoulder-to-shoulder on this.  "I would say that if we've seen no support from our allies, all the options are on the table."  Kenny noted that Canadian diplomats and military officials have estimated that it might take anywhere from two decades to five generations to stabilize Afghanistan.  "We think this is an uphill fight," Kenny said.  "We see it as a serious struggle that we're in, and we're in it for a very long time. . . We see it as being something in that order of magnitude - a very long exercise."  He said anyone who expects a sophisticated, Westminster-style or congressional democracy to develop quickly is "dreaming in technicolour."....


*Reconsider Afghan mission unless NATO boosts support: Senate*
CBC News Online, 12 Feb 07
Article Link

Canada should rethink its role in Afghanistan within a year unless NATO countries step in to shoulder more of the burden, says a Senate report.  Taking a Hard Look at a Hard Mission, a 15-page report, paints a bleak picture of the situation faced by the more than 2,000 Canadian soldiers serving in the volatile Kandahar region.  Canadian, American, British and Dutch troops are tasked with most of the fighting in the southern Taliban heartland and deserve greater NATO support, the report said.  "We're doing the heavy lifting and now it's time to share it," said Conservative Senator Michael Meighen, a member of the bipartisan Senate Defence committee that wrote the report.  Unless NATO countries send more troops and support to the region within 12 months, Ottawa should re-examine its long-term commitment to the mission, said the report.  "We expect our allies to step up. They must know that if they don't step up, we're going to take another look at the situation," said Liberal Senator Colin Kenny. "It's an alliance. We're expected to be shoulder to shoulder." ....


*Afghan peace will take generations: report*
TENILLE BONOGUORE, Globe & Mail, 12 Feb 07
Article Link

Canada must demand more help from NATO or get ready to leave Afghanistan say the authors of a Senate committee report that warns peace in the war-torn nation is a still generations away.  In a frank 16-page interim report, the Senate committee on national security and defence says more troops, more money and a bigger commitment from other NATO countries must be gained within a year.  Publicly releasing the report on Monday, Senate committee chair Colin Kenny said Canada should expect its allies to step up to the challenge. If that doesn't happen, he says Canada must “take another look” at its mission.  “We cannot stay there forever,” Mr. Kenny said. “The solution has to be in us helping the Afghans solve their problem, and our efforts have to be driven towards that ....


*Senate report takes 'hard look' at Afghanistan*
CTV.ca, 12 Feb 07
Article Link

A hard-hitting Senate report released Monday says Ottawa has to overcome numerous 'obstacles' to ensure that Canada's mission in Afghanistan is successful.  The 15-point strategy, titled "Taking a Hard Look at a Hard Mission," calls for a 'defensible buffer zone' on the Afghan side of Pakistan's remote border regions.  Pakistan has come under criticism for not being able to control the rugged border, allowing militants to cross almost unhindered from Pakistan to Afghanistan.  The report also says Ottawa needs to warn its NATO allies that Canada will rethink its commitment in Afghanistan if other countries don't send "a significantly larger and fully-engaged" stability force to Kandahar within a year.  "It is... doubtful that the mission can be accomplished given the limited resources that NATO is currently investing," the report says.   
In addition to the request, the committee also says 60 more Canadian police officers -- up from the 10 currently there -- are needed to help train local law enforcement officers. It also says 250 Canadian troops are needed to help teach the Afghan National Army.  On development, the Senate defence committee says $20 million a year must be given to the military until aid groups are able to operate safely in the country.  "The combination of too many lives being lost and too little development assistance... contributes to making life bleak and dangerous in the Kandahar region," says the report ....


*Canadian senate panel: consider withdrawal from Afghanistan if allies don't add troops*
Associated Press, 12 Feb 07
Article Link

Canada should consider withdrawing from Afghanistan unless its NATO allies deliver additional troops to the international mission, a Senate committee recommended Monday.  ''They must know that if they're not going to step up, we're going to take another look at the situation. It's an alliance and everyone is expected to be shoulder-to-shoulder on this,'' Sen. Colin Kenny, chair if the national security and defense committee, told a news conference.  In a 45-page report, the committee described the mission of stabilizing Afghanistan as an uphill battle that could take decades.  The reluctance of Germany, France, Spain, Italy and Turkey to provide more combat troops in southern Afghanistan has irked nations on the front lines, raising concern over a split within the alliance.  The seven NATO nations with troops in the Taliban's southern heartland - the U.S., Britain, Canada, the Netherlands, Denmark, Romania and Estonia - held meetings on the sidelines of the alliance gathering in Seville, Spain, on Friday ....


*Canadian Senate committee recommends military pullout from Afghanistan*
Xinhua news agency, via www.chinaview.cn (CHN), 13 Feb 07
Article Link

Canada should consider a military pullout from Afghanistan unless NATO sends more forces to the country, a Senate committee said in a report on Monday.  The Senate's national security and defense committee recommended in a report that Canada should consider withdrawing from Afghanistan since the mission there was an uphill battle, which could take decades to win.  The report came as some NATO countries are reluctant to dispatch more troops to southern Afghanistan, where clashes with the Taliban have increased recently.  Canada, together with the United States, Britain, the Netherlands, Denmark, Romania and Estonia, has contributed some 2,500 troops to the overall 35,000-strong NATO forces in Afghanistan.      Canada has long been calling for a surge of troops from its NATO allies in Afghanistan, stressing that the forces in the country have already been stretched. But some countries, like Germany, France, Spain, Italy and Turkey, have shown reluctance toward committing more troops ....


*Canada considers Afghan pullout*
Al Jazeera, 13 Jan 07
Article Link

A Canadian special senate committee report has said that Canadian troops supporting Nato's mission in Afghanistan could be withdrawn if the alliance's members do not offer more support.  The report, published on Monday, follows on from the committee's recent review of Nato's progress in Afghanistan over the past year.  "Canada and Nato must deploy resources in Afghanistan and use those resources in a better way than we have done to this point," the report said.  "If this proves impossible, Canada should be prepared to consider withdrawing its troops from Afghanistan as soon as our current commitment ends."  Canada has 2,500 troops in Afghanistan. They are due to be based in the city of Kandahar until early 2009 ....


*NATO's Afghan mission in trouble: Canadian Senate*
David Ljunggren, Reuters (UK), 12 Feb 07
Article Link

NATO's military mission to Afghanistan is in trouble and has little chance of success unless the alliance commits significantly more resources, said a report issued by the Canadian Senate on Monday.  The defense committee of the Senate said NATO faces a "huge and complex set of problems" as it tries to rebuild the shattered country.  "It is in our view doubtful that this mission can be accomplished given the limited resources that NATO is currently investing in Afghanistan," said the report.  "Canada and NATO must deploy resources in Afghanistan and use those resources in a better way than we have done to this point," it said. "If this proves impossible, Canada should be prepared to consider withdrawing its troops from Afghanistan as soon as our current commitment ends."  Canada has 2,500 soldiers in the southern city of Kandahar, who are due to pull out early in 2009. So far, 44 Canadian soldiers and a diplomat have died, most of them in 2006.  The problems facing Canada and its allies include a resurgent Taliban, a booming poppy trade, endemic corruption and a wrecked infrastructure.  "Anyone expecting to see the emergence in Afghanistan within the next several decades of a recognizable modern democracy capable of delivering justice and amenities to its people is dreaming in Technicolor," said the report ....


*Senate urges Canada to press allies on Afghanistan troop levels*
Agence France Presse, via AfghanNews.net, 12 Feb 07
Article Link

Canada must press its NATO allies to commit more troops to fight insurgents in Afghanistan, and otherwise should threaten to pull out of the war-torn nation soon, urged a new senate report.  A special senate committee, after reviewing NATO's mission in Afghanistan over the past year, suggested that Canada pull its 2,500 soldiers from the southern Kandahar region within 12 months if its allies do not deploy "a significantly larger and fully-engaged stability force" to the country soon.  "We expect the allies to step up," said Senator Michael Meighen, vice-president of the special senate committee. "They must know that if they're not going to step up, we're going to take another look at the situation."  NATO is "an alliance and everyone is expected to be shoulder-to-shoulder in this. And I would say that if we receive no support from our allies, all of the options are on the table," he told reporters.  By withdrawing its troops, Ottawa would be reneging on its commitment to maintain a force in volatile southern Afghanistan until 2009.  "We cannot stay there forever, and the best use of our resources is to bring stability and to provide assistance so that the Afghans can provide for their own stability in the future," Meighen said.  "That is going to take an extraordinarily long period of time, a significantly greater effort by the allies, and a great deal of money." ....



*Flaherty tells banks to be 'generous' to war widows on mortgage insurance*
Canadian Press, 12 Feb 07
Article Link

Finance Minister Jim Flaherty says he's going to bat for the widows of Canadian soldiers caught up in a mortgage-insurance fight with financial institutions.  Several widows of soldiers killed in Afghanistan say they were told by their banks or insurance companies that the mortgage insurance they've spent years paying into does not apply because their spouses died in combat.  Liberal MP Judy Sgro raised the matter in the House of Commons on Monday, asking what the government is doing to help the women.  "These individuals all deserve the highest respect and care from their government and all Canadians," Sgro said.  "When will they offer the widows and the families of our fallen soldiers automatic relief against future mortgage payments?"  Flaherty responded that he was "shocked" to hear about the situation and said he has already taken action.  "I made it clear to the banks today that I expect them to be generous in their treatment of all widows in this country. I await their response and I will be pleased to report to the House with respect to their response as soon as it is received." ....



*Gates Pledges to Stop Extremists Taking Control of Afghanistan*
Ed Johnson, Bloomberg wire service, 13 Feb 07
Article Link

The U.S. will not repeat past mistakes and allow extremists to take control of Afghanistan, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said, after talks with Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf on crushing the Taliban insurgency.  ``We are here for the long haul,'' Gates told reporters yesterday, adding the U.S. had paid a price on Sept. 11, 2001, for neglecting Afghanistan.  NATO, Afghan and Pakistani forces must cooperate to improve security along the mountainous border between the two countries and prepare for a Taliban offensive in coming months, he added.  Afghanistan, a country of 31 million people, has experienced almost 30 years of conflict since the Soviet invasion in 1979. The Islamist Taliban regime took power after a civil war that followed the Soviet withdrawal and hosted al- Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden's terrorist training camps.  Supporters of the Taliban regime that was ousted by a U.S.- led coalition in 2001 are waging a guerrilla war against international and Afghan troops and are trying to destabilize President Hamid Karzai's government.  ``After the Soviets left the United States made a mistake. We neglected Afghanistan and extremism took control of that country,'' Gates said after meeting with Musharraf in Rawalpindi, according to the Pentagon news service. ``We won't make that mistake again.'' ....


*US in Afghanistan 'for long haul'*
Demetri Sevastopulo & Farhan Bokhari, Financial Times (UK), 13 Feb 07
Article Link

Robert Gates, US defence secretary, made his first official visit to Pakistan yesterday with a promise of continued support for the war against Islamist insurgents in Afghanistan and Pakistan's border regions.  He promised that the US would be in the region "for the long haul" and applauded Islamabad's "constructive" role in the conflict.  "After the Soviets left [Afghanistan], the US made a mistake," said Mr Gates. "We neglected Afghanistan and extremism took control of that country, and the US paid a price for that on September 11 2001. We won't make that mistake again."  Coming on the heels of four days of security meetings in Europe, Mr Gates added 30 hours to his schedule for a three-hour whirlwind stop in Pakistan that included a meeting with General Pervez Musharraf, the president.  The detour is a sign of Pakistan's importance as a Washington ally, but US officials also want Mr Musharraf to do more to clamp down on Taliban activities inside Pakistan.  Western diplomats said Mr Gates almost certainly brought a strong message to Pakistan, which the US says is providing a haven to the Taliban and leaders of al-Qaeda ....



*Reports Of Fighting As Taliban Mass Near Kajaki Dam*
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 12 Feb 07
Article Link

The governor of Afghanistan's Helmand Province, Asadullah Wafa, says hundreds of Taliban fighters have crossed from Pakistan into southern Afghanistan, RFE/RL's Radio Free Afghanistan reported.  Wafa said today that he believes they are massing for an attack on the Kajaki hydroelectric dam.  Afghan Interior Ministry spokesman Zmarai Bashari confirmed the report, telling RFE/RL today that the militants are believed to include Chechens, Arabs, Uzbeks, and Pakistanis.  Meanwhile, the U.S. military says Afghan and coalition forces early today battled Taliban fighters in the town of Gerishk, about 100 kilometers south of the Kajaki Dam.  Bashari told RFE/RL that at least 11 Taliban were killed in that fighting.  Bashari also said that Afghan and NATO forces are preparing for a major offensive against Taliban militants who in early February seized the town of Musa Qala, which is about 25 kilometers from the Kajaki Dam.  The area around the Kajaki Dam -- in the northeast corner of Helmand Province -- has seen heavy fighting between Taliban and NATO forces in recent weeks ....


*Insurgents set deadly sights on Afghan dam*
TIM ALBONE, The Scotsman, 13 Feb 07
Article Link

HUNDREDS of fanatical fighters, including insurgents from Chechnya, have swarmed into Afghanistan to launch attacks against British military positions in Helmand province.  According to the governor of Helmand, Haji Asadullah Wafa, the fighters, said to number over 700, are planning to attack a small garrison of British troops at the Kajaki Dam, in the north of the province, and aim to take control of the hydro-electric plant and dam complex.  The insurgents are bolstered by Pakistani, Uzbek and, most worryingly for the British, Chechen fighters, known for their skill, bravery and zeal in battle. It is also believed that among the Chechen fighters are a number of skilled snipers and explosives experts.  "We have got confirmed reports that they are Pakistani, Uzbek and Chechen nationals and have sneaked in," Mr Wafa said.  The governor's announcement came on the day Robert Gates, the United States Defence Secretary, visited Pakistan and met with the country's president, Pervez Musharraf, to discuss the Taleban problem and to stress the US's commitment to the fight against the resurgent militant group ....


*Taliban fight for control of vital dam*
Tom Coghlan, Telegraph Online (UK), 13 Feb 07
Article Link

Some 700 Taliban fighters are reported to have crossed the border from Pakistan into Helmand Province to join heightened fighting around a hydro-electric dam protected by British forces in the north of the province.  British troops have been engaged in combat against Taliban around Kajaki Dam for months. It is the only source of power for Helmand Province and the neighbouring province of Kandahar.  "They are planning to destroy the Kajaki dam," said the Helmand governor, Assadullah Wafa yesterday. The forces arriving from Pakistan included Pakistani, Uzbek and Chechen fighters, he added.  Last night British officials confirmed that an operation involving 300 British soldiers from M and K companies of 42 Royal Marine Commando, supported by Commando Engineers and Artillery and Afghan forces had commenced north-west of the dam at 6am.  The marines battled for 12 hours, "engaging in at times close fighting" to clear 60 houses nearby.  MoD officials say no civilians or British troops were killed. Several Taliban were believed dead ....



*IMF warns of slippage in Afghan economic program*
Lesley Wroughton, Reuters, 13 Feb 07
Article Link

An International Monetary Fund staff mission to Afghanistan expressed concern on Monday that the government's determination to stick to targets set by an IMF economic program "might be waning" amid spending pressures from rising social and security needs.  "The political environment surrounding the program is becoming increasingly complex," the IMF mission said in a statement following a visit to Kabul between Jan. 21 to Feb. 1 to assess the country's eligibility for debt relief.  "Multiple and competing demands pose a challenge for the authorities and complicate policy decisions," the Fund said.  Despite significant support from donors, jobs were scarce and progress slow in improving the lives of ordinary Afghanis, the IMF mission said.  It also pointed to increasing budget outlays from a volatile security situation and urged the government to prioritize its spending.  Afghanistan is facing its bloodiest violence since the Taliban government was toppled by U.S.-led forces in 2001, which has raised concern for the country after optimism generated by successful elections in 2004 and 2005.  Analysts have cautioned that unemployment and poverty are the main reasons for a rise in support for a Taliban insurgency in the country's south, where violence is increasing ....



*Afghanistan: EU Aid Targets Justice System*
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 12 Feb 07
Article Link

Foreign ministers from the European Union have approved a new mission to help train Afghan police. EU foreign ministers agreed to send about 150 police officers, plus other experts, to Afghanistan to help train that country's national police force.  The 27 ministers said in a statement today that the mission is aimed at furthering respect for human rights and the rule of law and driving police reform at the "central, regional, and provincial" levels.  EU officials say it could also pave the way for more ambitious EU efforts in Afghanistan -- including assistance revamping key legal institutions.  Before today's meeting, EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner described Afghanistan's current legal architecture as inadequate in most respects.  Ferrero-Waldner said ahead of today's meeting that the police mission is a harbinger of bigger things to come. She said the EU will provide 600 million euros ($777 million) over the next four years to help fund Afghanistan's public administration, with a particular focus on the legal system.  "We intend to put a very special focus now on strengthening public administration, and also in particular the reform of the key legal institutions," Ferrero-Waldner said ....


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## The Bread Guy (13 Feb 2007)

*Senators foresee long Afghan effort*
Gloria Galloway, Globe & Mail, 13 Feb 07
Article Link

Members of the Senate defence committee say anyone who expects Afghanistan to become a modern democracy capable of delivering justice and amenities to its people within a couple of decades is "dreaming in Technicolor."  But, in a report made public yesterday, they still urge the Canadian government to spend more money, time and resources to rebuild what they describe as a "corrupt" nation that is still, for all intents and purposes, a "medieval" society.  In particular, the senators recommend that Canada devote an additional 250 military instructors to train members of the Afghan military and an additional 60 instructors to train the local police.  And they say a significant portion of the money sent to Afghanistan by the Canadian International Development Agency should be funnelled through the Canadian Forces teams operating in the dangerous Kandahar province ....


*Senate report called wake-up call for PM*
Canada needs to reassess role in conflict, opposition says
Bruce Campion-Smith, Toronto Star, 13 Feb 07
Article Link

A hard-hitting Senate report that warns success is far from assured for Canadian troops in Afghanistan should serve as a wake-up to Prime Minister Stephen Harper to rethink Canada's role, opposition politicians say.  "So far we've seen denial from the Harper government. Maybe this Senate report will finally help open up a proper debate about the whole nature of this mission," NDP Leader Jack Layton said.  "Unfortunately, the Prime Minister doesn't seem to be willing to listen to Canadians when it comes to the mission in Afghanistan. ... He tries to discount anybody that raises any sort of question or criticism."  The new report paints a sobering picture of Canadian soldiers let down by their NATO allies, left vulnerable by a porous Pakistan-Afghan border that lets insurgents roam freely, and badly undermined by the rampant corruption in Afghan society and its "warrior" culture.  Senators who spoke out yesterday on the report's findings chided the Conservative government for its upbeat assessments while "formidable obstacles" remain in the way of the 2,500 soldiers now serving in the Kandahar region.  "We think this is an uphill fight. We see it as a serious struggle that we're in and that we're in it for a very long time," Senator Colin Kenny, chair of the Senate defence committee, told an Ottawa news conference ....


*Canada Senate Report Says NATO Afghan Mission Facing Trouble*
Radio Free Afghanistan, 13 Feb 07
Article Link

A new report issued by a committee in the Canadian Senate says NATO's military mission in Afghanistan is facing problems and has little chance of success unless NATOmember countries commit significantly more troops and resources to defeat insurgents and stabilize the country.  The report, titled "Taking A Hard Look At A Hard Mission," was issued by the national security and defense committee.  The committee said it reviewed NATO's mission in Afghanistan over the past year, and recommended that Canada consider withdrawing its 2,500 soldiers from the country if the NATO allies do not deploy "a significantly larger" stability force to southern Afghanistan soon.The report suggested that a "defensible buffer zone" be created on the Afghan side of the border to contain Pakistan's rugged border areas."It is...doubtful that the mission can be accomplished given the limited resources that NATO is currently investing," the committee concluded ....


*Canada Senate Report Says NATO Afghan Mission Facing Trouble*
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 13 Feb 07
Article Link

A new report issued by a committee in the Canadian Senate says NATO's military mission in Afghanistan is facing problems and has little chance of success unless NATOmember countries commit significantly more troops and resources to defeat insurgents and stabilize the country.  The report, titled "Taking A Hard Look At A Hard Mission," was issued by the national security and defense committee.  The committee said it reviewed NATO's mission in Afghanistan over the past year, and recommended that Canada consider withdrawing its 2,500 soldiers from the country if the NATO allies do not deploy "a significantly larger" stability force to southern Afghanistan soon.  The report suggested that a "defensible buffer zone" be created on the Afghan side of the border to contain Pakistan's rugged border areas ....


*Canadians debate Afghan pullout*
Owen Clegg, BBC News, 13 Feb 07
Article Link

A Canadian Senate committee says the government should consider withdrawing from Afghanistan unless its Nato allies provide additional troops there.  The Canadian contingent has been involved in some of the heaviest fighting in the volatile south, with 42 troops losing their lives.  Canada has 2,500 troops in Afghanistan and forms the core of Nato operations in the province of Kandahar.  Kandahar has seen some of the heaviest clashes with the Taleban recently.  Only the US and the UK have more troops contributing to the Nato mission in Afghanistan ....


*Editorial:  Afghan mission must succeed*
Hamilton Spectator, 13 Feb 07
Article Link

The distinct and dangerous possibility that Canada's military mission in Afghanistan will end in abject failure was underlined in no uncertain terms by a Senate report yesterday. For the growing number of Canadians who are skeptical of this foreign intervention or who actively oppose it, this report will fuel fresh demands for the speedy withdrawal of this country's 2,500 troops from that faraway, war-ravaged land ....


*Column:  Senators nail problem, flub solution*
Thomas Walkom, Toronto Star, 13 Feb 07
Article Link

There is a bizarre disjunction in the Senate defence committee's useful – and remarkably frank – analysis of Canada's military role in Afghanistan. It's as if the 11 senators on the committee, having successfully outlined the near insurmountable problems associated with the Afghan war, couldn't bring themselves to accept the logical conclusion of their own analysis.  On the one hand, their 16-page report convincingly paints a picture of a war that cannot be won. The Afghan government of President Hamid Karzai, it states bluntly, routinely shakes down its own citizens. Its army and police are, in the words of committee chair Colin Kenny, "corrupt and corrupter."  The senators say they are "impressed by the optimism of Canadian troops and their leaders to bring about positive change in Afghanistan."  But they say that this optimism is hard to square with reality. In fact, they say, Canada's military presence in the southern province of Kandahar has not made the lives of Afghan citizens any better. It has made them worse. "Life is clearly more perilous because we are there," the report concludes ....



*Shooting of Afghan soldier by Canadian troops probed*
Wounded in hand and leg after truck hit with blast of machine-gun fire
Murray Brewster, Canadian Press, via Toronto Star, 13 Feb 07
Article Link

Military police are piecing together events that led to the shooting of an Afghan soldier by Canadian troops guarding a disabled patrol vehicle – an event that has put further strain on the allies.  The unidentified Afghan was wounded in the hand and leg yesterday after the engine block of his pickup truck was sprayed with a single blast of machine-gun fire from the turret of a RG-31 Nyala patrol vehicle.  The man, who also suffered cuts from flying glass, was taken to an Afghan army hospital at nearby Camp Shirzai and was later transferred to the military hospital at Kandahar Airfield, where doctors performed a second operation, said a Canadian army spokesperson.  His injuries were believed to be non-life-threatening.  "Incidents such as this are very regrettable and we try to take all reasonable steps to avoid them. However, they do, from time to time, occur," said Lt.-Cmdr. Kris Phillips.  The incident happened on a road east of Kandahar city when an Afghan army convoy of pickup trucks approached a security cordon set up around a disabled RG-31 Nyala patrol vehicle. Phillips said the shooting took place when the driver of the lead pickup refused orders to stop.  Angry they had been fired on, Afghan troops challenged the Canadians, but Phillips couldn't confirm reports both sides had weapons pointed at each other.  "The situation was a little tense at the very beginning, however, after some discussion through interpreters, the situation was quelled," he said ....


*Canadians warned in Afghan shooting*
Graeme Smith, Globe & Mail, 12 Feb 07
Article Link

The commander of Afghan military forces in the country's south has warned Canadian troops to be more careful after a Canadian gunner sprayed an Afghan military truck with bullets, injuring a soldier.  Lieutenant-General Rahmatullah Raoufi said his men were leaving Kandahar city for a routine patrol yesterday morning when they encountered a roadblock set up by Canadian troops. The Canadians initially gave the Afghans permission to pass, Gen. Raoufi said, but inside the first cordon a Canadian turret gun opened fire at the approaching pickup truck.  "Many times this has happened," he said. "They should be careful. Especially if they shoot civilians, the public will be unhappy and our enemies will be stronger."  Doctors said the soldier, Abdul Hadi, 23, was wounded on his left forearm and leg, but his injuries were not life threatening.  Canadian military police are investigating the incident. A military spokesman said it was too early to comment on the Afghan commander's version of events ....



*NATO Says Taliban Attack On Kajaki Dam Thwarted*
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 13 Feb 07
Article Link

The NATO-led force in Afghanistan says it has thwarted a Taliban attack on a key hydroelectric dam in the southern province of Helmand.  The alliance says more than 300 troops from Britain and other NATO countries secured the Kajaki dam late on February 12 with support from NATO aircraft and Afghan government troops.  Afghan provincial officials said at least 15 Taliban have been killed during the past three days in clashes near the dam.  A spokesman for NATO's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said she could not confirm a death toll.  Earlier on February 12, Afghan officials told RFE/RL that hundreds of Taliban fighters had massed for an attack on the dam.  Meanwhile, Taliban fighters continue to control the town of Musa Qala about 25 kilometers west of the Kajaki dam ....


*NATO says Taliban cleared from Afghan dam*
Reuters, 13 Feb 07
Article Link

British NATO troops in Afghanistan have cleared Taliban insurgents from the vicinity of a hydro-electric dam in the south of the country, the alliance said on Tuesday.  Backed by air support, the British Royal Marine commandos along with Afghan government soldiers, secured the Kajaki dam in Helmand province in an operation that began on Sunday, the alliance said in a statement.  "More than 300 ISAF troops, supported by the Afghan National Army, cleared a large area near Kajaki, northern Helmand, containing around 60 compounds, which has been the site of regular enemy mortar attacks over the past two months," the alliance said.  "The clearance was part of an ongoing operation to create a safe-zone ... to allow engineers to re-enter the area and bring the dam up to full power," said the force, known as the International Security Assistance Force.  There were no casualties among NATO or Afghan troops or civilians, NATO said. It gave no information about Taliban casualties in the fighting ....



*More Norwegian troops to Afghanistan*
Norway Post, 13 Feb 07
Article Link

The Government will increase the Norwegian military contingent in Afghanistan. Around 150 Norwegian special forces will be sent to Kabul.  This was confirmed by Defence Minister Minister Anne-Grete Stroem-Erichsen Tuesday morning in an interview with NRK, while Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere informed Parliament (Stortinget).  The fresh troops will support the state administration and other institutions in Kabul.  According to NRK, the decision has brought on strong reactions from provincial leaders of the government coalition party, the Socialist Left (SV).  When NATO last requested more troops from Norway for Afghanistan, SV reacted strongly, and the Government ended up not sending more troops.  


*Norway approves new troop contingent for Afghanistan*
dpa German Press Agency, 13 Feb 07
Article Link

Norway announced Tuesday it would deploy an additional 150-strong special forces contingent in Afghanistan. The decision was announced in parliament by Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Store and Defence Minister Anne-Grete Strom-Erichsen and marked the end of an internal tug of war in the ruling red-green coalition that has gone on since last year.  Store said the additional troops would be based in the Afghan capital Kabul, adding that "there will be no further (troop) contributions during 2007."  Afghanistan faced a series of combined challenges including poverty, a weak state, and high crime rates, Store said.  In addition to contributing troops, Norway would continue to provide humanitarian aid and expected to allocate 450 million kroner (72 million dollars) for these programmes in 2007, second only to the Palestinian Territories, the foreign minister said.  The current Norwegian force operates in northern Afghanistan, including the city of Mazar-e-Sharif ....



*Afghanistan: Winter relief distribution*
International Federation of Red Cross And Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), via ReliefWeb.net, 12 Feb 07
Article Link

....  From mid-2006, Afghanistan has been beset by various natural and man-made disasters. Droughts were widespread, particularly in the central, northern and south-western regions. Increased clashes between the Coalition Forces and anti-government elements in the southern provinces caused the local communities to migrate to safer neighbouring provinces. In early November, torrential rain caused flooding in the northern, eastern and western regions of the country ....


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## MarkOttawa (13 Feb 2007)

From the ground up
_ChronicleHerald.ca_, Feb. 11, by Scott Taylor
http://thechronicleherald.ca/print_article.html?story=558556



> On a UN-operated Dash-8 flight from Kabul to Kandahar, I am seated next to Emil, a 27-year-old Afghan from Jalalabad. Once we arrive in Kandahar, I plan to travel with the Senlis Council, one of the few civilian agencies still operating in the region.
> 
> Emil is a member of the Senlis team and one of his responsibilities is to provide security for his co-workers when they venture out of their compound to ply their trade...
> 
> ...



Mark
Ottawa


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## GAP (13 Feb 2007)

*Articles found February 13, 2007*

US law makers for use of micro-herbicide on poppy plants  
Tuesday February 13, 2007 (0153 PST)
Article Link

NEW YORK: Expressing concern over the increase in poppy cultivation in the country over the previous two years, several US law makers believe use of micro-herbicide is the only solution to the problem, which they argue is providing finances for terrorism. 

As part of the global fight against the increasing menace of drugs around the world, micro-herbicide was developed in a laboratory in Uzbekistan a few years back. Scientists from several countries joined the effort to prepare the micro-herbicide. 

According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes (UNODC), micro-herbicide is a natural pathogen of opium plant. It can be used very effectively against only the opium plant by poisoning the ground. However, this poisoning remains ineffective for other plants, says scientists associated with the research. 

Antonio Maria Costa of the UNODC had told the Congressional in 2006 that while the micro-herbicide had no adverse impact on fertility of the soil and other plants in the first year, its long term effect was still not proven. 

It is probably for this reason the long term impact of micro-herbicide on fertility of the soil is not fully known that the Afghanistan government has so far disapproved its use. 
More on link

Philanthropist donates $75,000 for hospital 
Tuesday February 13, 2007 (0153 PST)
Article Link

 HERAT CITY: Work on a private hospital funded by a US-based Afghan started in the western province of Herat. 
Dr Abdul Hakim Tamana, deputy chief of the public health department, said the hospital in Gozra district would have eight wards for patients. It will be constructed on about one acre of land. 

Mohammad Ibrahim Mujaddidi, an Afghan national based in the United States, will fund the project, which will be completed at the cost of $75,000. The hospital will serve 15,000 residents of the area, said Tamana. 

Construction of the hospital will be completed in one year. He said expatriates were generously contributing in carrying forward welfare projects in the province. Two such clinics had already been built in Adraskan and Zindajan districts.
End

Drug-addict guns down his entire family  
Monday February 12, 2007 (0022 PST)
Article Link

LASHKARGAH: A man has killed eight members of his family and relatives by Kalashnikov in Lashkargah, provincial capital of the southern Helmand province. 
Officials and local residents said a man named Muhammad Daud killed eight people in his home by a burst of fire last night in Bolan area, in vicinities of the Lashkargah city. 

Muhammad Wais, a police official in Helmand, told Pajhwok Afghan News the murderer was also killed later by villagers. 

He said the dead included the murderer's mother, father, wife, sister, brother in-law, wife of his brother, niece and mother in-law of his sister
More on link


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## The Bread Guy (14 Feb 2007)

*Sobering second thoughts*
Susan Riley, The Ottawa Citizen, 14 Feb 07 
Article Link

Unlike much of the paper churned out on Parliament Hill, the latest report on Afghanistan from the Senate defence committee is shot through with blunt talk, common sense and a realistic assessment of how hard it is going to be to get our troops out of that impoverished, dangerous country with anything resembling a victory.  There are recommendations, of course; there always are. Some are practical and doable. Increasing the number of Canadian police instructors to 60 from fewer than 10 shouldn't be a stretch, especially given how much help utterly unprepared Afghan police recruits need ....


*Hard questions for a hard war*
Montreal Gazette, 14 Feb 07
Article Link

Eleven Canadian senators have dared to do what successive federal governments have not: Lay out the pros and cons of honouring our commitment to NATO and the Afghan people.  In a ruthlessly blunt report, Taking a Hard Look at a Hard Mission, the senators make short work of the blind optimism and half-truths they feel have characterized discussion of Canada's contribution - in soldiers and money - to the betterment of the Afghan people.  For all the thousands of Canadian soldiers who have served in Afghanistan, the millions in aid money spent, the 45 lives lost, the results on the ground have been negligible, the senators say.  Afghanistan is a corrupt, medieval, dangerous place, the senators write, adding, "Anyone expecting to see the emergence in Afghanistan within the next several decades of a recognizable modern democracy capable of delivering justice and amenities to its people is dreaming in Technicolor." ....



*The next two months will be ‘make or break’ in southern Afghanistan as threat of a major spring offensive from Taliban looms*
Senlis Council report, 14 Feb 07
News release - New report

A ‘make or break’ situation is facing the international community in southern Afghanistan in the coming months, with the threat from the Taliban of a major spring offensive against international forces. Musa Qala fell two weeks ago – the Taliban now have the big towns in their sights and anyone who can leave has already left. The latest Field Report from The Senlis Council, Counter Insurgency in Afghanistan: Losing Friends and Making Enemies concludes that the international communities’ own policies are responsible for the dramatic loss of support for the Karzai government and international presence in the southern provinces of Afghanistan over the past year - and for the rise in the insurgency.  “With our own policies, we have created our own enemies,” said Norine MacDonald QC, Founding President of The Senlis Council, who has lived and worked in Afghanistan for the past two years. “The policies implemented by the international community have created these resentful and poor young men who cannot feed their families, and they are now being easily recruited by the Taliban. Through these misguided policies, the international community has turned southern Afghanistan into a recruitment camp for the Taliban” ....


*British study critcizes military strategy in Afghanistan*
Deutsche Presse Agentur (DEU), 14 Feb 07
Article Link

British experts on Wednesday warned NATO against stepping up its military campaign against militants in Afghanistan as Afghan President Hamid Karzai was due to meet British Prime Minister Tony Blair. In order to resolve the conflict, economic and social measures to combat poverty would be required, advised the international think thank, The Senlis Council, which provides policy advice to the British government.  The think tank warned that the foreign bombardment in Afghanistan, which was killing innocent people, would alienate the local population.  It was wrong to exert force on farmers who cultivate poppies for heroin production, the Senlis Council said ....



*ISAF air strike targets known senior Taliban leader in Northern Helmand*
ISAF news release #2007-102, 14 Feb 07
Article Link

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan (14 February) – Today, at 3:20 a.m. ISAF conducted a precision air strike against a known senior Taliban leader in Northern Helmand. The precision-guided munitions impacted on target, an isolated sprawling compound between the districts of Musa Qala and Kajaki. Without causing further collateral damage, one building in the compound was fully destroyed.  The senior Taliban leader that is believed to have been killed in the strike was linked to the Musa Qala uprising and disturbances across Northern Helmand. He was personally responsible for yesterday’s attack at Kajaki Dam.  This successful air strike follows a pattern of air strikes on known insurgent sites. It is also part of the ongoing Government of Afghanistan and ISAF operations to create a secure environment around the Kajaki Dam.  “We have removed yet another Taliban enemy leader who will no longer threaten the peace and security of the Afghan people and their future,” said Lt. Col. Angela Billings, HQ ISAF spokesperson. “This is a further demonstration of the Government of Afghanistan and ISAF’s support to the Governor and people of Helmand province.”


*Taliban flee battle using children as shields - NATO*
Reuters, 14 Feb 07
Article Link

Taliban fighters used children as human shields to flee heavy fighting this week during an operation by foreign and Afghan forces to clear rebels from around a key hydrolectric dam, NATO said on Wednesday.  The Taliban have used human shields before, but never children, local residents say.  The fighting occurred during Operation Kryptonite on Monday, an offensive to clear insurgents from the Kajaki Dam area in southern Helmand province to allow repairs to its power plants and the installation of extra capacity.  "During this action ... Taliban extremists resorted to the use of human shields. Specifically, using local Afghan children to cover as they escaped out of the area," Colonel Tom Collins, a spokesman for the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) told reporters in Kabul.  NATO and foreign forces ran into heavy small arms and rocket-propelled grenade fire during the clash, but suffered no casualties, Collins said.  The fighting occurred in an area where 700 mainly foreign fighters, including Chechens, Pakistanis and Uzbeks, arrived from Pakistan this week to reinforce Taliban guerrillas targeting the dam, according to local officials ....


*NATO planes target senior Taliban, locals say civilians killed*
Agence France Presse, 14 Feb 07
Article Link

NATO planes have pounded a compound in southern Afghanistan in a strike against a senior Taliban commander that locals said killed several rebels and civilians.  The International Security Assistance Force said Wednesday it believed the strike in the southern province of Helmand had killed the commander, who was linked to a spike in attacks in the area including the capture of the town of Musa Qala.  The building was "fully destroyed" in the 3:20 am (1050 GMT) attack, ISAF said in a statement that did not mention other casualties.  The strike was on an "isolated sprawling compound" between Musa Qala, captured by Taliban two weeks ago, and Kajaki where British troops have killed several rebels in an effort to secure a major hydropower dam.  "Without causing further collateral damage, one building in the compound was fully destroyed," it said. "Precision-guided munitions" were used.  A man identifying himself as a local Taliban commander, Mullah Nizamuddin, said four of his men were killed in the NATO attack which he said struck a civilian's home where they had been spending the night after having dinner ....

*
Nato 'kills' Taleban commander*
BBC News online, 14 Feb 07
Article Link

A senior Taleban commander has been killed in Afghanistan, along with a number of civilians in a Nato air strike, according to some reports.  The International Security Assistance Force said a precision strike was launched on a compound in Helmand province with no "collateral damage".  Local people told the BBC that 15 people had been killed - eight of them Taleban, but the rest were civilians.  They told the BBC that the senior Taleban commander was Mullah Manan.  The attack happened at about 0330 local time in a village called Lower Jal-jay, between two towns where British forces in Helmand have been fighting the Taleban ....



*Afghanistan's Karzai to urge Britain's Blair to press Pakistan over porous border*
Associated Press, via International Herald Tribune, 14 Feb 07
Article Link

Afghan President Hamid Karzai was expected to use talks Wednesday with British Prime Minister Tony Blair to urge support for plans targeting insurgents crossing the porous border with Pakistan.  Karzai has accused Britain of failing to pressure Pakistan to halt the flow of fighters between the neighboring countries, and has suggested that Pakistan's intelligence service may have aided the passage of insurgents into southern Afghan provinces.  Pakistani President Gen. Pervez Musharraf said Friday that outgunned Pakistani frontier guards had allowed Taliban fighters to cross into Afghanistan, but strongly denied the army or intelligence service was actively helping.  Blair's office said that, during their meeting in London, he and Karzai would discuss problems of Taliban fighters moving from Pakistan into Afghanistan.  A plan to "fire at them across the border" will be discussed during the meeting, Blair's official spokesman said on condition of anonymity. It was not clear if Karzai intended for NATO or Afghan troops to potentially carry out the duties ....


*To root out Taliban, Pakistan to expel 2.4 million Afghans*
But simply shifting the world's largest refugee community across borders would only serve to raise tensions, analysts say.
David Montero, Christian Science Monitor, 14 Feb 07
Article Link

Like more than 100,000 Afghans, Maulana Mohammed Afzal has lived in the mud-baked lanes of this refugee camp ever since he fled war-ravaged Afghanistan 26 years ago. The camp is home for his family, but Pakistan's government says it's a threat to national security.  In its most recent effort to clamp down on Taliban activity within its borders, Pakistan has announced that all 2.4 million Afghan refugees, most living in camps, must return home by 2009. This and three other camps near the Afghan border, which together hold 230,000 refugees, are scheduled to be closed by the end of August.  "The problem of cross-border militancy is closely related to the presence of ... Afghan refugees in Pakistan," Munir Akram, Pakistan's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, wrote recently to the UN Security Council. "These camps have often given rise to complaints that they provide shelter to undesirable elements and Taliban."  Many disagree, however, saying Pakistan's Afghan refugees, most of whom are Pashtun and share the same tribal ethnicity as the Taliban movement, are only being made a scapegoat.  The debate comes as Robert Gates, in his first visit to Pakistan as US secretary of Defense, met with President Musharraf in Islamabad this week to discuss the Taliban's expected spring offensive in Afghanistan.  As pressure mounts on Pakistan, analysts say the fate of the Afghan refugee community – the world's largest – is an important piece in the puzzle of regional militancy. Simply shifting them across the border could flame tensions ....


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## The Bread Guy (14 Feb 2007)

*Lack of trust behind Afghan mission’s failure: report*
Council says failed coalition policies directly responsible for rise of insurgency
Richard Foot, CanWest News Service, 14 Feb 07
Article Link

Canada and its allies in Afghanistan are waging a losing war against the Taliban that has killed thousands of innocent civilians, harmed the reputation of coalition forces and fuelled support for the insurgency in the past year, says a new report on the conflict by the Senlis Council.  The council is an independent, London-based think-tank specializing in security and development issues. A team of researchers led by the council’s president -- Canadian Norine MacDonald, who lives in Afghanistan -- interviewed more than 500 ordinary citizens in the war-torn south over the past two months.  The results of that research were released on Wednesday in a 186-page report titled, "Countering the Insurgency in Afghanistan: Losing Friends and Making Enemies." ....


*Afghan Deaths, Poppy Clearance, Aid Insurgency, Reseachers Say*
Patrick Donahue, Bloomberg wire service, 14 Feb 07
Article Link

Civilian casualties in Afghanistan and U.S.-supported policies such as forced poppy destruction are driving increasingly impoverished Afghans in the south into a ``grassroots'' Taliban insurgency that's jeopardizing attempts to stabilize the country, a research group said.  Some 4,000 civilians were killed last year in the violence blighting Afghanistan, the Senlis Council said in a report presented in London. The group called for a less military- centered approach to establishing security and greater promotion of development aid and medical care. Crop destruction is also driving up poverty among Afghan families dependent on opium production for their livelihoods, it said.  ``Through these misguided policies, the international community has turned southern Afghanistan into a recruitment camp for the Taliban,'' Senlis President Norine MacDonald said in an e-mailed statement. A soldier in the Afghan military earns $2 a day, while the Taliban can offer $12, she said ....


*Taleban forces boosted by poor civilians needing cash*
The Scotsman, 15 Feb 07
Article Link

INTERNATIONAL troops fighting in Afghanistan will face an emboldened Taleban this spring as destitute civilians become insurgent fighters to feed their families, a think-tank has warned.  In a damning assessment, the Senlis Council said a dramatic increase in humanitarian aid was needed to stem recruitment to the insurgency. Norine MacDonald, president of Senlis, said: "We are winning the battles, but we are losing the war."  Afghans are turning to the Taleban for financial reasons and to retaliate against the killing of families by aerial bombardments. A Taleban fighter can earn £6 a day, while Afghan army soldiers earn £1 ....


*Afghanistan: Winning or losing?*
Paul Reynolds, BBC News website, 14 Feb 07
Article Link

Sharp disagreements over the conduct of the war against the Taleban in Afghanistan emerged at a seminar in London timed to coincide with a visit to Britain by the Afghan President Hamid Karzai.  An international think-tank, the Senlis Council, called for major changes in tactics, including the licensing of poppy growing, to be used for medicines.  The British Medical Association also advocated such a policy recently.  But a senior strategist on counter-terrorism in the US government said that both the strategy and the current counter-narcotics strategy in Afghanistan were correct ....  Criticism of the anti-Taleban campaign came in a 187-page document from the Senlis Council, whose subtitle "Losing Friends and Making Enemies" summed up what it researchers have concluded ....



*ISAF air strike targets known senior Taliban leader in Northern Helmand*
ISAF news release #2007-102, 14 Feb 07
Article Link

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan (14 February) – Today, at 3:20 a.m. ISAF conducted a precision air strike against a known senior Taliban leader in Northern Helmand. The precision-guided munitions impacted on target, an isolated sprawling compound between the districts of Musa Qala and Kajaki. Without causing further collateral damage, one building in the compound was fully destroyed.  The senior Taliban leader that is believed to have been killed in the strike was linked to the Musa Qala uprising and disturbances across Northern Helmand. He was personally responsible for yesterday’s attack at Kajaki Dam.  This successful air strike follows a pattern of air strikes on known insurgent sites. It is also part of the ongoing Government of Afghanistan and ISAF operations to create a secure environment around the Kajaki Dam.  “We have removed yet another Taliban enemy leader who will no longer threaten the peace and security of the Afghan people and their future,” said Lt. Col. Angela Billings, HQ ISAF spokesperson. “This is a further demonstration of the Government of Afghanistan and ISAF’s support to the Governor and people of Helmand province.”



*ISAF refutes allegation of civilian casualties*
ISAF news release #2007-103, 14 Feb 07
Article Link

KABUL, Afghanistan (14 February) - At approximately 3:20 a.m. today, ISAF forces struck a single building in an assessed Taliban compound in Helmand province. Precision, laser-guided munitions impacted on target, exactly as planned, and resulted in the death of a confirmed extremist leader and several of his associates.  There was no appreciable damage to other buildings in the compound and there is no evidence to support recent allegations in the media that non-combatants were killed in this attack.  ISAF forces continuously observed the compound for a considerable period of time before and after the attack. During the period prior to the attack, assessed enemy forces were observed engaging in activities that are indicative of Taliban extremist routine.  Following the attack, ISAF clearly observed Taliban extremists removing the bodies of 11 fighting-age males from the remains of the building. No women or children were observed.  “ISAF takes allegations of civilian casualties very seriously and we do everything in our power to prevent them. But in this morning’s attack, we remain confident that only enemy forces were killed, said Col. Tom Collins, the ISAF spokesperson.  “It is a well-known enemy tactic to try to blame civilian casualties on ISAF forces,” he said.



*Taleban switching to roadside bombings: Nato*
Reuters, via The Penninsula Online (QAT), 14 Feb 07
Article Link

Taleban fighters in Afghanistan are turning to sophisticated roadside bombs as they revert to classic guerrilla tactics against Nato, the alliance’s top operational commander said yesterday.  Nato Supreme Allied Commander John Craddock said the devices targetting Nato’s 34,000-strong International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) in Afghanistan were not yet as deadly as those used by Iraqi militants, but were being steadily refined.  Craddock, appointed in December, declined to back a forecast by Nato Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer that the insurgency would be largely quelled by 2009, and stepped up his calls on allies to provide more troops and resources ....



*Afghanistan under occupation: An assessment*
Online-International News Network (PAK), 14 Feb 07
Article Link

More than five years after the US and its allies invaded Afghanistan, promising a brighter post-Taliban future, average life expectancy across the country is now just 44 years-at least 20 years lower than in neighbouring Central Asian countries. Afghanistan now officially ranks 173rd out of 178 countries on the United Nations Human Development Index. All five countries ranked lower are in sub-Saharan Africa.  The invasion of Afghanistan, carried out for naked imperialist interests, has resulted in the further decimation of an already shattered society. The country is wracked by huge social and political tensions and is awash with guns and drugs. Warlord commanders and local officials can impose their will with impunity, and President Hamid Karzai is little more than a city mayor ....


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## The Bread Guy (15 Feb 2007)

*A brush with war's horror*
EARL McRAE, Ottawa Sun, 15 Feb 07
Article Link - [http://www.karenbailey.ca/|Karen Bailey's web page, including some of her work]

Three floors up the creaky, wide, wooden staircase of the old and long-closed school, the wintry northern light flooding through her studio windows, the artist works surrounded by her paintings, waiting every day for the news that part of her hopes she won't hear.  "I know it does sound macabre," she says about waiting for the significant incident -- as they metaphorically put it to her -- but she knows, too, it's a possible reality, and as an artist it speaks to her soul, as an artist it's what she would want to do, so she watches the TV, and she listens to the radio, and she reads the papers, she awaits the news.  "They told me to keep my bags packed," she says, pouring a cup of coffee. "I have clearance to fly out right away. They're paying all my expenses."  Ottawa's Karen Bailey.  At 46, one of this country's finest painters, and soon to join -- if the news comes -- the honourable list of those who, down through the past century, preceded her when Canada answered the highest call. Karen Bailey, War Painter. Karen Bailey who, at 46, has never been with soldiers in combat, has never seen a soldier wounded, a soldier maimed, a soldier dying. Nor painted any. Karen Bailey who is ready to go at any time.  But it won't be to Afghanistan, it won't be to the Canadian theatre of war.  The military would not provide the liability insurance for a civilian painter. It will be, should it happen, to where the wounded, the maimed, the brave Canadian soldiers are taken, to where they either survive or die, to where Canadian doctors and nurses await them. It will be to the giant American military hospital at Landstuhl, Germany ....



*Taming the Taleban: UAE daily*
United Press International, 15 Feb 07
Article Link

A major UAE English daily today commented on the situation in Afghanistan, in the light of the renewed fighting going on which does not seem to have an end soon.  Commenting editorially in its issue of today, the Dubai-based "Khaleej Times" said: "ANY force invading Afghanistan understands only too well that spring marks a rejuvenation of sorts of the resistance. And that was high on US Defence Secretary Robert Gates' agenda as he breezed through Islamabad recently. But some of the rhetoric still emanating from Washington and Kabul indicates that they are not likely to fare any better in the renewed fighting than they have so far.  "That so because so long as they refuse to accept ground realities, so long they will be unable to deal with them effectively ....  Living right next door to Afghanistan and being no stranger to its fighting, Pakistan understands its complexities more than other stakeholders. The long years around and after the Soviet invasion showed clearly that the political and social spillover was too much to bear for Pakistan. Hence, after the Afghans, their stability is in the biggest interest of Pakistan. This reality has pushed Islamabad to deploy approximately 80,000 soldiers in the northern areas and along the long and treacherous 1,400 mile eastern border." ....



*Sanctuaries of Taliban must be hit: US general*
Anwar Iqbal, Dawn online (PAK), 15 Feb 07
Article Link

A top US military commander has called for “steady and direct” attacks on Taliban sanctuaries in Pakistan.  Lt-Gen Karl W. Eikenberry, the outgoing commander of the US forces in Afghanistan, warned that the Karzai government would suffer an irreversible loss of legitimacy among Afghanis if the internal situation did not improve.  “And this is a greater threat than the resurgent Taliban,” he told the House Armed Services Committee in Washington.  The general claimed that senior Taliban and Al Qaeda leaders have set up training camps and recruiting grounds in Pakistan’s tribal areas, which they use for carrying out attacks in Afghanistan.  Since September, when Pakistan signed a peace deal with tribesmen in North Waziristan, “the cross-border attacks have tripled,” he said.  “Al Qaeda and Taliban leadership presence inside Pakistan remains a very significant problem,” Gen Eikenberry told the committee, warning of the “growing threat of Talibanization” inside Pakistan ....



*Action urged on Taliban insurgents*
Daniel Dombey, Financial Times (UK), 15 Feb 07
Article Link

President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan, meeting Tony Blair in London on Wednesday, called for increased effort to stem the flow of Taliban insurgents over the border into his country from Pakistan. The Pakistan border was a frontline in the war against terror.  "Yes, I have been urging stronger participation in the fight against terror . . . from our brothers in Pakistan," said Mr Karzai.  Diplomats say Britain has been wary of putting too much pressure on Pakistan to control its border, for fear of jeopardising joint efforts with Islamabad against extremist Islamist networks within the UK.  But Britain's stake in Afghanistan has increased greatly over the past year, with deployments that have more than doubled the number of UK troops in the country to 5,800.  Mr Karzai said he had been satisfied by Pakistan's recent activities, which have included co-ordinated actions with the Nato-led force in Afghanistan, and hoped they would continue ....



*Afghanistan at 'tipping point'*
People's Daily Online (CHN), 15 Feb 07
Article Link

Afghanistan is at a "tipping point" ahead of an expected Taliban spring offensive, a think tank report warned yesterday as President Hamid Karzai was due for talks in London.  The Senlis Council said the United States and its allies need urgently to reassess their strategy in Afghanistan, where NATO forces are bracing for a major battle with insurgents as winter snows melt.  The report was released hours ahead of talks in London between Afghan President Hamid Karzai and British Prime Minister Tony Blair, whose country is the second biggest provider of troops in the country.  "The international community has reached a tipping point in southern Afghanistan," said the report by the Senlis Council think tank.  "The anticipated major spring offensive by the Taliban against international forces requires an urgent reassessment of the international community's counter-insurgency strategy," it said.  The United States, which ousted the Taliban following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, last year handed over overall control of military operations there to NATO ....



*Tajik veterans of Afghan War 1970-1989 hold event to mark withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan*
Valentina Kondrashova, Asiaplus.tj, 15 Feb 07
Article Link

A group of Tajik veterans of Afghan War 1979-1989 today gathered at the monument to Hero of the Soviet Union Aleksandr Mironenko in Dushanbe to hold an event to mark the 18th anniversary of the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan.  Vali Sayorabekov, deputy head of the Council of Veterans of Afghan War 1979-1989, telling the meeting noted that more than 15,000 people from Tajikistan had done international duty in Afghanistan.  Of them, 7,900 served as military personnel and others as specialists and interpreters.  366 Tajiks were killed in action and more than 1,000 were wounded.  Five persons from Tajikistan were given title of Hero of the Soviet Union; one of them, Aleksandr Mironenko, was given this title posthumously.  According to Sayorabekov, at present 9,400 veterans of Afghan War 1979-1989 live in Tajikistan.  Veterans of Great Patriotic War 1941-1945 and representatives from the Dushanbe mayo’s office, Tajik ministry of Defense (MoD) as well as representatives from Russian Embassy in Dushanbe and Russian military base deployed in Tajikistan attended the event.  In all, about 620,000 Soviets served in Afghanistan, with officers doing a two-year tour and enlisted men putting in 18 months.  Official Soviet casualties total 14,453 dead: 9,511 killed in action; 2,386 died of wounds; and 2,556 lost from disease and accidents.  Some 53,753 were wounded.



_(NOTE:  This is a three-part series - Part three to be posted when available.)_

*Afghanistan under occupation: An assessment—Part 1*
Harvey Thompson, World Socialist Web Site, 14 Feb 07
Article Link

More than five years after the US and its allies invaded Afghanistan, promising a brighter post-Taliban future, average life expectancy across the country is now just 44 years—at least 20 years lower than in neighbouring Central Asian countries. Afghanistan now officially ranks 173rd out of 178 countries on the United Nations Human Development Index. All five countries ranked lower are in sub-Saharan Africa.  The invasion of Afghanistan, carried out for naked imperialist interests, has resulted in the further decimation of an already shattered society. The country is wracked by huge social and political tensions and is awash with guns and drugs. Warlord commanders and local officials can impose their will with impunity, and President Hamid Karzai is little more than a city mayor.  There is no question that the Taliban—furnished with money and weaponry from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and other regional states—has re-emerged as a force in the south and east of the country. But attempts by NATO and US commanders to portray the Afghan insurgency as a purely Taliban affair are false. All indications point to a growing popular opposition towards both foreign troops and the puppet-Karzai government, fed by ever-harsher living conditions and dashed hopes ....


*Afghanistan under occupation: An assessment—Part 2*
Harvey Thompson, World Socialist Web Site, 15 Feb 07
Article Link

Meanwhile, just across the city, one could be forgiven for mistaking the ramshackle district of Daimazang as belonging to another world entirely. The Washington Post explained that much of this area’s residents are refugees from Pakistan and Iran who returned home after the US-led invasion, hoping for work. Instead, many families live in 10-foot-square partitioned spaces in bombed-out former office buildings, without electricity and even firewood.  One of the residents interviewed by the newspaper, Hazrat Gul, makes US$4 a day breaking stones for construction in the mountains that surround Kabul. “We just have a blanket. During the night, we get under the blanket and we try to sleep,” he said.  Allahnazzar Salam asked, “What is there for us here? There are hundreds of thousands like us, perhaps millions. There is no work. We are squatting in the corner of a bombed building for shelter, there is no clean water and children die from disease here every month. Many friends who were with me in Pakistan after the Taliban took power have gone back to find work as labourers. Abroad they can work and send money back to their families to help them survive.” ....


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## MarkOttawa (15 Feb 2007)

Bush chides allies for not doing enough in Afghanistan; Canadian role ignored
canada.com, CP/AP, Feb. 15
http://www.canada.com/topics/news/world/story.html?id=5237c4df-bb02-4571-8947-929000b22299&k=2479



> President George W. Bush on Thursday chided NATO countries that have refused to send additional troops to Afghanistan or allow their soldiers already there to fight in the violent south and under other dangerous circumstances...
> 
> Bush said that listening to his request is not only an obligation countries make as part of NATO, but is also crucial to their own security.
> 
> ...



Brigade Slated For Iraq Going To Afghanistan
_Washington Post_, Associated Press, Feb. 15
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/14/AR2007021401600.html

An Army unit that had been scheduled to go to Iraq is being sent instead to Afghanistan, where fighting has increased and the U.S. troop level is at its highest of the war.

The 173rd Airborne Brigade, based in Vicenza, Italy, was among several units the Pentagon said in November would go to Iraq as part of the normal rotation of forces. The department said in a statement yesterday that the brigade of about 3,200 will deploy this spring to Afghanistan instead to relieve a unit overdue to go home. Another unit will be found to replace the 173rd in Iraq...

...Deployment of the 173rd would keep the force at the current strength of 27,000 -- the highest of the war. Though the Pentagon statement said the future level of troops will depend on conditions there, it is expected to be a year-long deployment, and officials have said they *want to keep the number of brigades in Afghanistan -- increased from one to two this month -- at that level until the spring of 2008 and possibly beyond* [emphasis added].

Note: When the 173rd deploys that will mean both US Army brigades will be airborne (4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd, being the other).
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2007/01/at82ndtoAfghanistan070118/

Canada may send more Mounties to Afghanistan
cnews, Feb. 15 (CP)
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/War_Terror/2007/02/15/pf-3627827.html



> The federal Public Safety minister hints Canada is prepared to send more RCMP officers to Afghanistan to bolster the small contingent there.
> 
> Stockwell Day told a national defence conference to stay tuned for an announcement on additional Mounties for the Afghan mission. A half dozen Canadian police officers have helped train Afghan police in survival skills, tactics, policing and public safety procedures.
> 
> ...



Blair pledge on Afghanistan fight
BBC, Feb. 14
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/6362587.stm



> Prime Minister Tony Blair has pledged to "see the job through" in Afghanistan in spite of resurgent Taleban fighters.
> 
> He acknowledged the "tough challenges" that President Hamid Karzai faced, but said much progress had been made.
> 
> ...



Mark
Ottawa


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## The Bread Guy (15 Feb 2007)

*Afghan general says Canadian who shot convoy driver should be punished*
MURRAY BREWSTER, Canadian Press, 15 Feb 07
Article Link

A Canadian soldier who opened fire on an Afghan National Army convoy wounding a military driver should face some kind of discipline in his own country, a senior Afghan commander said Thursday.  Lt.-Gen. Rahmatullah Raoufi said he understood the mistakes that led up to the incident, which has increased strain between the allies since it happened east of Kandahar on Monday.  The 23-year-old Afghan officer driving the lead vehicle missed the warning sign demanding that he stop, the general said. The Afghan vehicle was peppered with a blast of 7.62-millimetre machine-gun fire from the turret of a Canadian RG-31 Nyala vehicle.  "The incident was a mistake," Raoufi, the commander of all Afghan forces in the south, said in an interview with The Canadian Press through a translator.  "(But) the Canadian who shot our man must be punished according to Canadian army law."  The Canadians have apologized three times, he said.  There was some confusion about the wounds the man received. The adjutant at the Afghan army hospital where the soldier was first treated said Monday the victim was hit in the arm and leg and suffered a series of cuts from flying glass. But the Canadian army, who gave him further treatment at the Kandahar Airfield hospital, described the injuries on Tuesday as less serious, saying doctors only operated on a leg wound ....



*Educating Afghan children about danger*
CF Army News, 14 Feb 07
Article Link

The Kandahar Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) conducted land mine and unexploded ordnance awareness training for children employed by a recycling company and for street children living in Kandahar.  Following the training session and a snack, the children were given rubber boots, socks, gloves, colouring materials, backpacks and stuffed toys.  One child also received medical attention for an infection on his foot.  "It's great to see the children and to help out any way we can," said Air Force Major Tammy Tremblay.  "The engineers who delivered the training and are handing things out are having a great time, as well." ....



*Village attacked by Taliban extremists during Shura with ISAF and ANA*
ISAF news release #2007-105, 15 Feb 07
Article Link

At 10:30 a.m. Afghanistan National Army and ISAF  forces were attending a Shura with Village Elders in Haji Amin Kalay, a village west of Garmsir, when Taliban extremists attacked the village using mortars.  ISAF and ANA forces immediately started to evacuate the village. ISAF forces providing security for the Shura identified the mortar firing point and engaged the enemy who withdrew from the area. No ISAF rounds were targeted onto the village.  Regrettably during the enemy attack on the village, one woman was killed and her child suffered shrapnel wounds. The child and his father were immediately evacuated to the nearest ISAF medical facility for treatment. The child’s condition is unknown at this time.  A further four civilians received minor injuries and were taken to a local hospital.  “ISAF and ANA were conducting a peaceful Shura with the people of Haji Amin Kalay, specifically to offer help to those who have been disrupted by Taliban extremists in the Garmsir area,” stated Lieutenant Colonel Rory Bruce, Task Force Helmand spokesperson. “Once again, this demonstrates the complete disregard the enemy has for lives of local people.”



*ISAF confirms Mullah Manan killed in air strike*
ISAF news release #2007-104, 15 Feb 07
Article Link

Yesterday a senior Taliban extremist commander, Mullah Manan, was killed in a precision air strike by ISAF, in Musa Qala district.  Manan was a Taliban extremist leader who played an instrumental part in the seizure of Musa Qala district centre. He has previously coordinated attacks on ISAF and Government of Afghanistan forces and was personally responsible for recent attacks on Kajaki Dam.  “This violent and ruthless extremist leader will no longer intimidate the people of Afghanistan and undermine their legitimate government,” said Lt Col Angela Billings.  There was no appreciable damage to other buildings in the compound and there is no evidence to support recent allegations in the media that non-combatants were killed in this attack.



*Afghanistan: Symposium Looks At Spring Security Challenges*
Jan Jun, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 15 Feb 07
Article Link

The Taliban say their spring offensive started in southern Afghanistan when they seized the town of Musa Qala in early February. Since then, there has been a series of battles around the nearby Kajaki Dam -- the main focus of international reconstruction efforts for Afghanistan's volatile south. The former British commander of NATO-led forces in Afghanistan spoke at a London symposium on the strategic challenges facing Afghanistan this spring.  Although snow still blocks Afghanistan's high mountain passes, warmer temperatures have already thawed the northeastern part of Helmand Province.  That's the location of the Kajaki Dam -- the key reconstruction project in southern Afghanistan. If engineers can rebuild the hydroelectric generators -- and restore 110 kilometers of power lines to Kandahar -- some 1.8 million Afghans will have access to a reliable source of energy for the first time in decades. Thousands of jobs could be created.  Taliban fighters have held the town of Musa Qala -- about 25 kilometers from the dam -- since seizing it on February 2. The governor of Helmand Province says hundreds of Taliban fighters -- bolstered by Pakistani, Chechen, and Uzbek militants -- crossed the border from Pakistan this week in an attempt to derail the dam's reconstruction. NATO confirms that Taliban fighters have been firing rockets from a distance but causing no serious damage ....



*President Bush Discusses Progress in Afghanistan, Global War on Terror*
Speech transcript, The Mayflower Hotel, Washington, D.C., 15 Feb 07
Article Link

....  We face a thinking enemy. And we face a tough enemy -- they watch our actions, they adjust their tactics. And in 2006, this enemy struck back with vengeance. As freedom began to spread, an enemy that cannot stand the thought of a free society tried to do something about it, tried to stop the advance of this young democracy. It's not the only place in the world where the enemy struck back in 2006. They struck back in Iraq. They struck in Lebanon. This should be a lesson for our fellow citizens to understand, where these group of people find freedom they're willing to resort to brutal tactics.  It's an interesting enemy, isn't it? An enemy that can't stand the thought of somebody being able to live a peaceful life, a life of hope, an optimistic life. And it's an enemy we've got to take seriously ....  The snow is going to melt in the Hindu Kush Mountains, and when it does we can expect fierce fighting to continue. The Taliban and al Qaeda are preparing to launch new attacks. Our strategy is not to be on the defense, but to go on the offense. This spring there is going to be a new offensive in Afghanistan, and it's going to be a NATO offensive. And that's part of our strategy -- relentless in our pressure. We will not give in to murderers and extremists ....



*NATO air power seen as key to fighting Afghan insurgents, moving men and supplies*
Associated Press, via International Herald Tribune, 15 Feb 07
Article Link

The dusty, 3,000-foot (900-meter) airstrip bordering this Afghan town near the Iranian border is not for the queasy: Midway along its run, the narrow runway curves sharply to the right, presenting NATO pilots with a unique landing challenge.  "This is one of the specifics of flying in Afghanistan that you probably cannot encounter anywhere else in the world," German air force Capt. Hans Onken said as he guided his twin-engine C-160 Transall cargo plane in a curving approach.  The curved runway is only one of the hazards faced by airplane and helicopter pilots flying for the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan.  Other hazards include mammoth dust storms, a lack of air traffic control, frequent small-arms fire from the ground and tricky approaches to airstrips high in snow-covered mountains where treacherous updrafts and howling crosswinds add to the danger.  "In a country where it frequently takes 24 hours to cover 100 kilometers (62 miles) by road, everything depends on air," said Maj. Gen. Frederik Meulman, ISAF's top air commander ....



*Veterans of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan predict failure in Iraq*
Matthew Schofield, McClatchy Newspapers chain, 15 Feb 07
Article Link

Eighteen years after the Soviet army pulled out of Afghanistan in a humiliating defeat that hastened the collapse of an empire, many soldiers who fought there believe they're seeing history repeat itself.  The United States - then the force behind the Afghan resistance - now appears trapped in a similar downward spiral in Iraq, besieged by a collection of forces not unlike those it trained and equipped to cripple the Soviets two decades ago.  For many, the similarities go beyond the symbolic. Retired Capt. Vladimir Vshivtsev was blinded by an improvised roadside bomb 20 years ago in Afghanistan. He shudders every time he hears about a U.S. soldier killed or wounded by a similar device in Iraq or Afghanistan, he said.  "They're fighting the same war again," he said. "Sure, the political stuff is different, but the military result is going to be the same: failure." ....




*Turning ‘Mines to Vines’ in Afghanistan*
Uprooting Landmines and Creating Hope with ‘Roots of Peace’
Crystal Wicker, Zeba Magazine, 15 Feb 07
Article Link

Since landmines were first employed in 1862 during the U.S. Civil War, these underground perils have maimed and killed thousands of people across the globe each year. According to the United Nations, Afghanistan—one of the world’s most heavily mined countries—has roughly 60 victims every month. These days, approximately 70 million landmines exist in more than 70 countries.  Roots of Peace is a humanitarian initiative that toils to eliminate landmines and minefields by converting them into prosperous farmland and communities. Established by Heidi Kühn in 1997 following the untimely death of Princess Diana (who serves as the group’s inspiration for her dedication to international demining), the nonprofit organization is headquartered in San Rafael—the center of California’s rural grape growing region—and subsidized by public and private funding, including the California wine industry.  Its mission is to turn “mines into vines” by implementing a four-step solution: public awareness, landmine removal, rehabilitation for sufferers and land restoration ....


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## The Bread Guy (16 Feb 2007)

*NATO south Afghan mission has enough troops -Canada*
David Ljunggren, Reuters, 16 Feb 07
Article Link

Senior Canadian military officials, who have long complained there are not enough NATO troops in southern Afghanistan, said on Friday that alliance force levels in the region are now adequate.  Canada has 2,500 troops in the southern city of Kandahar and as recently as last October it said it could not maintain the mission without more support.  But the official tone changed sharply after President George W. Bush said on Thursday the United States would keep higher troop levels in Afghanistan ahead of an expected surge in Taliban attacks and called on NATO to commit more troops.  "The United States is putting in more forces, Britain is putting in more forces. We have sufficient force structure on the ground in the south at this moment to do the job that we have to do," said General Rick Hillier, chief of Canada's defense staff.  Canada complains that it and a handful of other nations bore the brunt of fighting with the Taliban last year while other NATO members stationed their troops in quieter parts of Afghanistan and restricted what they could do.  "Would we like to see more countries down there with us than the nine that are there? Of course we would," Hillier told reporters after speaking to a meeting of defense officials.  "Right now we are in a much better position from NATO's perspective in my view now than we were a year ago." ....



*Canada will win support in Afghanistan in face of insurgent warnings: Harper*
MARIA BABBAGE, Canadian Press, 16 Feb 07
Article Link

Canada is committed to success in Afghanistan despite renewed threats of violence from the Taliban and al-Qaida, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said Friday.  "Our plan for Afghanistan is to be successful," Harper said after attending the opening of a medical aid distribution centre that will be providing supplies to the troubled Asian country. "We know it will not be easy. We know it will involve casualties, but Canada has not shrunk from these kinds of responsibilities before."  Military brass are already anticipating a renewed spring and summer offensive from the Taliban in Kandahar province, Harper said. The fight won't be easy, but the government is committed to the mission, he added.  "Our soldiers, men and women ... know full well when they go over there that not all of them will return," Harper said. "That's one of the real risks in this country."  Since 2002, 44 Canadian soldiers and one diplomat have died in Afghanistan.  The medical aid offered by Health Partners International of Canada comes at "a critical time" and will complement the efforts of Canadian soldiers, diplomats and aid workers, Harper said earlier in his speech.  The charitable group, which receives some federal funding, is assembling a large shipment of medical supplies destined for Afghanistan ....


*Prime Minister salutes generosity of Canadians as aid group prepares shipments of medical supplies for Afghanistan*
News release, Prime Minister's Office, 16 Feb 07
Article Link

Prime Minister Stephen Harper today paid tribute to Canadian corporate and grassroots donors whose generosity is bringing better health and hope for tens of thousands of children and adults in the developing world. His remarks were made at the official opening of the Health Partners International of Canada (HPIC) medical aid distribution centre in Mississauga, Ontario.

Speaking against a backdrop of pallets stacked with pharmaceutical and medical supplies destined for developing countries, the Prime Minister said: “Consider some of the people involved in this endeavour. They include CEOs and senior executives from major corporations who normally are fierce competitors. Yet they have come together in a noble common cause.”

“And then there are smaller donors, the small businesses, church congregations, community groups and individuals. They may not have as much to give, but the ocean of suffering in the developing world has touched their hearts, so they give what they can,” he added.

During the last two decades, HPIC has delivered over $200 million worth of medical aid to people in 116 countries around the world. This year, HPIC has announced that it will concentrate on Afghanistan and is currently building several shipments of medical aid destined for the country.

“HPIC and its donors made a major contribution to this mission in 2004,” noted Prime Minister Harper. “Their even larger contributions this year will complement the efforts of our troops, diplomats, aid workers and civilian police at a critical time.”



*NATO scores direct hits on top Taliban commanders, says it's not sheer luck* 
Murray Brewster, Canadian Press, 16 Feb 07
Article Link

Two senior Taliban field commanders have been vaporized in the sudden fiery clouds of precision air strikes in the last two weeks.  Other key insurgent leaders have been captured. Is it a stroke of good luck for NATO? Or is it a sign that the alliance is finally getting the upper hand in fighting the stubborn, secretive extremist movement that has long held southern Afghanistan in its grip? Since the middle of December, the alliance has targeted with growing accuracy hard-core Taliban leaders whose unshakable belief and brutal ways have played a big role in coercing others into the doing the fighting - and most of the dying - for them.  "I wouldn't attribute it to luck," Lt.-Col. Angela Billings, a spokeswoman for the alliance said of NATO's recent successes.  On Friday, Afghan security forces captured Taliban commander Mullah Duad Trabi in Khost. This follows the recent air strike deaths of Mullah Manan and Abdul Ghafour, both in the Musa Qala district of Helmand province ....



*From Canada to Kandahar*
The Economist (UK), 16 Feb 07
Article Link

IN THE crisp night air, some guys are playing hockey in a rink decorated with maple leaves, watched by an appreciative crowd armed with Tim Hortons coffee and doughnuts. An ordinary scene anywhere in Canada, you might think. Except this is Kandahar, the Taliban’s former capital. Only here would Tim Hortons put up a sign explaining that the outlet will close if there is a warning of an attack, and reopen a quarter of an hour after the all-clear.  The deployment in Afghanistan is a much bigger deal for Canada than it is for the Americans or the Brits. The Canadians stormed the beaches of Normandy on D-Day, but for most of the past 50 years they turned themselves into the ultimate “soft” power, deploying their soldiers mainly for peacekeeping ....



*Al-Qaida release video of an attack on alleged U.S.-Afghan military position*
Associated Press, 16 Feb 07
Article Link

Al-Qaida posted Friday a video showing what they claimed to be an insurgent attack on a military position of U.S. and Afghan forces in southern Afghanistan.  The video appears to be an attempt by the terrorist network to disparage U.S. claims to be winning the war against the Taliban and allied militia in Afghanistan.  It begins with the deputy leader of al-Qaida, Ayman al-Zawahri, ridiculing U.S. President George W. Bush and saying that his claim to have deprived al-Qaida of a safe haven in Afghanistan is a "bare-faced lie," according to a transcript by IntelCenter, a U.S. group that tracks extremist messages.  With a narrator speaking in American-accented English, the tape then shows video of what it claims is an attack on a military position in Arghandab, in the southern province of Zabul.  The authenticity of the scenes shown could not be verified. The video carried the logo of the al-Qaida media production company, as-Sahab, and it was posted on an Islamic website known for hosting extremist material.  Al-Qaida appeared to have issued the tape on Thursday with the title "Holocaust of the Americans in the land of Khorasan, the Islamic emirate: Capture of an American post, Arghandab." The name Khorasan refers to Afghanistan.  The video shows the insurgents firing at the alleged post but their weapons cannot be discerned because it is night. Tracer bullets cross the sky and one sees the explosions of what are said to be rocket-propelled grenades ....


*NATO doubts authenticity of Al-Qaida video of attack on U.S.-Afghan position*
Canadian Press, 16 Feb 07
Article Link

NATO authorities dismissed a purported Al-Qaida video posted Friday depicting what is supposed to be an insurgent attack on a U.S.-Afghan military position in southern Afghanistan.  Officers with NATO's International Security Assistance Force - ISAF - say they have checked their records and found no engagements that would match the time frame given in the video. They went as far as to question the video's authenticity.  "I can tell you there has not been an extremist attack against an ISAF base within Regional Command South," said Capt. Andre Salloum, a Canadian army spokesman attached to NATO in Kandahar.  "ISAF is committed to the government of Afghanistan and one video, or two videos, or three videos is not going to deter our commitment to rid this country of Taliban extremists." ....



*Afghanistan vows to crush any Taliban offensive*
Silvia Aloisi, Reuters, 16 Feb 07
Article Link

Afghan President Hamid Karzai vowed on Friday to strike Taliban insurgents with "immense vigor and force" as a rebel commander said 10,000 fighters had deployed for a spring offensive against foreign troops in the country.  "As the weather becomes warm and leaves turn green, we will unleash bloody attacks on the U.S.-led foreign troops," Mullah Abdul Rahim, the Taliban's operational commander for the southern Helmand province, said by satellite phone.  "Our war preparations, especially in southern Afghanistan and in Helmand province, are complete and for this our 10,000 fighters are ready to take up arms the moment they are ordered," he said, speaking to Reuters in Afghanistan from a secret location.  During a visit to Italy, which has sent 1,900 troops to Afghanistan, Karzai said no such offensive could take place without foreign support.  He did not mention any country, but Afghanistan's government says the Taliban fighters are still sponsored by Pakistan, their main backer until the September 11 attacks on the United States ....


*Taleban deploy 10,000 fighters for attacks *
The Penninsula Online (QAT), 17 Feb 07
Article Link

The Taleban have deployed 10,000 fighters for a spring offensive of “bloody attacks” against foreign troops in Afghanistan, a rebel commander said yesterday.  More than 4,000 people, a quarter of them civilians, were killed in fighting last year, the most violent year since the Taleban were ousted in 2001. Nato commanders and analysts warn this year could be just as bad or worse.  As the harsh winter snows melt, the insurgents have resumed their attacks, mostly in the south, where they have captured a major town and have threatened a key hydroelectric dam.  Mullah Abdul Rahim, the Taleban’s operational commander for southern Helmand province — the opium centre of the world’s major producer — said militants would step up attacks in spring.  “As the weather becomes warm and leaves turn green, we will unleash bloody attacks on the US-led foreign troops,” Rahim said by satellite phone from a secret location ....



*Pakistani official: Taliban insurgency becoming 'liberation war'*
Associated Press, 16 Feb 07
Article Link

A senior Pakistani official said Taliban-led insurgents are winning ever-greater public support in Afghanistan for a struggle that is taking on the character of a "liberation war" against foreign troops.  The remark by the governor of Pakistan's North West Frontier Province could inflame further a war of words between Kabul and Islamabad about who is responsible for the resurgence of militant activity in Afghanistan.  It could also dismay U.S. and NATO commanders who say their beefed-up military operation is designed to pave the way for badly needed reconstruction aid.  Ali Mohammed Jan Aurakzai, whose province includes areas where many Taliban and al-Qaida militants fled after a U.S.-led military coalition drove them from Afghanistan five years ago, said cross-border attacks accounted for only a fraction of the insurgency in Afghanistan.  The main reason for the Taliban's return was the frustration of ethnic Pashtuns seeking more political say in Kabul and resentment of ongoing military operations and the lack of economic aid in the south and east of Afghanistan, he said ....


*Afghan revolt becoming ‘liberation war’: Orakzai*
Daily Times (PAK), 17 Feb 07
Article Link

Taliban-led insurgents are winning ever-greater public support in Afghanistan for a struggle that is taking on the character of a “liberation war” against foreign troops, NWFP Governor Ali Mohammed Jan Orakzai said on Friday.  He said cross-border attacks accounted for only a fraction of the insurgency in Afghanistan. The main reason for the Taliban’s return was the frustration of ethnic Pashtuns seeking more political say in Kabul and resentment of ongoing military operations and the lack of economic aid in the south and east of Afghanistan, he said. “Today, they’ve reached the stage that a lot of the local population has started supporting the militant operations and it is developing into some sort of a nationalist movement, a resistance movement, sort of a liberation war against coalition forces,” Orakzai told a news conference ....



*Italy will 'hold firmly' to Afghanistan commitments; Prodi*
Agence France Presse, 16 Feb 07
Article Link

Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi told Afghan President Hamid Karzai that his country "would hold firmly to its commitments in Afghanistan" while expressing the need for a political solution in the troubled region.  "I reiterated the Italian position to hold firmly to our presence but made clear the need for a political solution to the Afghan problem," Prodi told a press conference.  The prime minister also warned the solution would not be immediate and would require the involvement of neighbouring countries.  Earlier in the day Foreign Minister Massimo D'Alema had told Karzai that Italy would continue its military operations in Afghanistan, even though some members of the ruling coalition had called for Italian troops to withdraw.  Prodi also reacted Friday to calls made by George W. Bush earlier in the week calling for member countries to supply more troops in order to launch a spring offensive in Afghanistan.  "President Bush's speech will not change the strategy and Italian missions ... which are already substantial," he said ....


*Dutch scale back strategy in southern Afghanistan*
dpa German Press Agency, 16 Feb 07
Article Link

Dutch troops deployed to the south-central Afghan province of Uruzgan are slowing down extending their operation for lack of support from Afghan troops and police, the Defence Ministry said Friday.  "It's all going more slowly than planned," a spokesman said.  The "inkspot" strategy of expanding gradually from secure bases had run into difficulties as a result of a lack of Afghan troops, police officers and competent managers, he said.  Defence Minister Henk Kamp had informed Afghan President Hamid Karzai of the problems faced during a visit to Afghanistan earlier this week.  In an interview with Friday's Volkskrant newspaper, the commander of the Dutch troops in Uruzgan, Colonel Hans van Griensven, said he planned to await the expected Taliban spring offensive before advancing.  "We could rush up the Baluchi Valley, but then we would weaken our base position," Van Griensven said ....


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## The Bread Guy (17 Feb 2007)

*NATO allies pulling their weight: O'Connor*
Past criticisms forgotten as Canada says it's satisfied by allies' actions
Mike Blanchfield, Ottawa Citizen, 17 Feb 07
Permalink

After months of complaining that some NATO allies are shirking front-line fighting in Afghanistan, Canada backed down yesterday, saying the alliance has what it needs -- for now -- to continue combat operations in the country's volatile south.  "I'm quite pleased with our allies in the north and the west." Defence Minister Gordon O'Connor said yesterday. "I think we may have enough now in the south and the east to do the job."  He was referring to countries such as France, Germany and Italy who are operating in the more peaceful north and west of Afghanistan.  Canada has spent months at various NATO meetings trying to persuade those allies to remove the national caveats that prevent other countries' troops from moving into the southern region, where the Taliban is strongest and concentrating its efforts. Afghanistan's eastern region, which borders Pakistan, is also a key trouble spot because it is a major point of infiltration of Taliban fighters, who are based in the lawless tribal belt of western Pakistan.  Mr. O'Connor said NATO was now in better shape in those two troubled sectors: The U.S. has extending the tour of duty of 3,200 of its troops, Britain is sending an additional 500 soldiers to Helmand province, and Poland is contributing 1,000 troops ....


*U.S. move means Canada stuck in Afghanistan*
We have no excuse after Bush commits more troops to war
Thomas Walkom, Toronto Star, 17 Feb 07
Article Link

 ....  Before Bush's speech, even the hawks in Canada had a plausible excuse for withdrawing from Afghanistan. As a Senate committee report put it this week, if other allies aren't willing to ante up more troops, why should Canadians continue to die there?  Now, our biggest ally has stepped up. So, we have no excuse.  Unless Canadians are prepared to rethink the whole rationale of this war, we are fated to remain.



*Brace for more losses, PM says*
Taliban preparing for `bloody attacks,' in spring, but NATO troops ready for threat
Richard Brennan & Bruce Campion-Smith, Toronto Star, 17 Feb 07
Article Link

Canadians should brace themselves for more casualties in Afghanistan as the Taliban prepare for a spring or summer offensive, Prime Minister Stephen Harper says.  "Our plan for Afghanistan is to be successful. We know it will not be easy; we know it will involve casualties," Harper said in Mississauga yesterday.  Harper said Taliban activity has been kept in check now for several months, so "we do expect a renewed spring and or summer offensive."  Canadian soldiers know when they go to Afghanistan they may not be coming home, the Prime Minister added. "That's one of the real risks in this country," he said at the opening of a distribution centre for pharmaceuticals destined for Afghanistan and other Third World countries.  Gen. Rick Hillier, the chief of the defence staff, says he expects insurgents to use hit-and-run guerrilla tactics that have proven costly to troops over the last year in Kandahar. The Taliban learned "painful lessons" last September when they dug in against Canadian troops and attacked en masse, he said.  "We don't believe that they will mass in conventional-style warfare (this year) because when they do, they die," Hillier said.  "We think they'll concentrate on suicide bombers, vehicle bombers, (roadside bombs) and small ambushes," he told reporters after a speech to a defence conference in Ottawa.  Harper said Canadian troops have made "tremendous progress" in Kandahar province to improve security and connect with the Afghan people ....


*Afghan spring will be deadly, Harper warns*
PM resolute after Hillier decries military's 'decade of darkness' under Liberal government
GLORIA GALLOWAY and KAREN HOWLETT, Globe & Mail, 17 Feb 07
Article Link

Prime Minister Stephen Harper cautioned yesterday that a spring offensive threatened by the Taliban in Afghanistan will be both dangerous and deadly but Canadian forces will not shy away from the fight.  "We certainly are aware that those are the plans of the Taliban," Mr. Harper said of the offensive predicted by North Atlantic Treaty Organization commanders and analysts. "Our soldiers, men and women who go over there, know full well when they go over there that not all of them will return."  Mr. Harper told reporters he has every expectation that the Taliban will launch a renewed attack during the spring and summer.  "We know it will not be easy," he said. "We know it will involve casualties, but Canada has not shrunk from these kinds of responsibilities before."  Taliban commanders warned as recently as yesterday that they have deployed 10,000 fighters for a spring offensive of "bloody attacks" against foreign troops in Afghanistan. As the harsh winter snows melt, the insurgents have resumed their efforts, mostly in the south, where they have captured a major town and have threatened a key hydroelectric dam.  Mullah Abdul Rahim, the Taliban's operational commander for southern Helmand province -- the opium centre of the world's major producer -- said militants would step up attacks in spring ....



*To sell Canada on war, try `hope' but not `liberty'*
Focus groups advised Harper not to echo Bush
Allan Woods, Toronto Star, 17 Feb 07
Article Link

The Conservative government has been "too American" in its attempts to justify the Afghan war to a skeptical Canadian public, according to an internal report commissioned by the Department of Foreign Affairs.   The extensive critique of the Tory communications strategy on the war comes from a series of cross-country focus groups conducted in November 2006 at a cost of almost $76,000.  The study, obtained by the Toronto Star, found that Prime Minister Stephen Harper was "echoing" U.S. President George W. Bush in his attempt to explain why Canadian soldiers are fighting and dying in the country's southern province.  Harper has drawn a link between the NATO-led mission and the 24 Canadians who were killed in the collapse of New York's World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001. Defence Minister Gordon O'Connor recently described the fight as "retribution" for the terrorist attacks.  "Participants associated this message with public relations positioning – it was seen as echoing the kind of messaging American officials have made regarding Iraq," wrote the report's authors, the Strategic Counsel public opinion firm.  The report lists "vocabulary/terms/phrases/concepts to reinforce" the message that the government is right about its commitment to the war in Afghanistan. They include "rebuilding," "restoring," "reconstruction," "hope," "opportunity" and "enhancing the lives of women and children."  Words and phrases to avoid include: "freedom, democracy, liberty – in combination this phrase comes across as sounding too American."  Strategic Counsel also advised that the government "avoid developing a line of argumentation too strongly based on values. While the value of human rights is strongly supported, there is a risk of appearing to be imposing Canadian values. Again, this is not seen to be the `Canadian way.'" ....



*Bush is aware Canada is in Afghanistan: ambassador*
ALAN FREEMAN, Globe & Mail, 17 Feb 07
Article Link

President George W. Bush may not have said it outright in his recent statement on Afghanistan, but U.S. decision makers are increasingly aware of Canada's significant military role in Afghanistan, according to Canadian Ambassador Michael Wilson.  "There is clearly a recognition, an understanding and an appreciation of Canada's activities in Afghanistan," Mr. Wilson said yesterday, marking his first anniversary as ambassador.  "I can't tell you the number of times when I'm talking to people in the administration, many times it's the first thing that a cabinet secretary will say to me. The same thing on Capitol Hill," Mr. Wilson added. 



*Afghan hospitals ill-equipped, filthy: study*
Canada must spend more to improve health care, says B.C. paramedic
Richard Foot, Ottawa Citizen, 17 Feb 07
Article Link

Edward Mc Cormick had heard the official claims about Canada's bold mission to reconstruct the war-torn province of Kandahar and bring help to its people.  Then last month, the Vancouver paramedic went to see for himself, travelling to Afghanistan with the Senlis Council, an international think-tank, to investigate the state of the civilian hospital in Kandahar City that serves a population of three million people.  Five years after the fall of the Taliban, and one year after Canada took charge of aid and development in Afghanistan's second-largest city, Mr. Mc Cormick says Mirwais Hospital remains in a "state of complete decay ... a glaring symbol of the international community's lack of concern for the Afghan people."  His study, issued this week as part of a larger report on the war by the Senlis Council, is titled _War Zone Hospitals in Afghanistan: A Symbol of Wilful Neglect_.  Although the Canadian army runs a state-of-the-art field hospital for military personnel just outside town at Kandahar airfield, plus a smaller medical facility at its satellite base inside the city, Mr. Mc Cormick says none of the Afghan doctors and nurses he interviewed in Kandahar had ever seen a Canadian physician come into their hospital to help or even inquire about their needs ....



*When war returns with the soldier*
Not since Korea have Canadian soldiers endured such perilous combat as they now face in Afghanistan, and sometimes the stress remains even after they are back home
Bruce Campion-Smith, Toronto Star, 17 Feb 07
Article Link

It's odd the things that will take Tod Strickland back. A song, a snippet of conversation, even the nightly news, which he has a hard time watching these days.  Back to the nerve-wracking patrols, the numbingly long days, the ever-present danger, getting shot at, and the worst, losing colleagues.  Back to Kandahar.  It was a year ago that Strickland, a major in the Canadian Forces, joined other troops in southern Afghanistan as part of the first rotation of soldiers into the Taliban heartland.  He returned home in August after a six-month tour that saw Canadian troops sustain casualties in numbers unknown in a generation.  Today, Strickland admits that not a day goes by when he doesn't think about those dangerous days on the front lines.  "I don't think you ever really leave the operation behind.  "You'll be doing something normal and all of a sudden you find yourself thinking about Afghanistan," says Strickland, 37, who served as deputy commander of Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry battle group.  Now, there's another group of troops coming home from their own costly tour of duty in the region ....


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## GAP (17 Feb 2007)

*Articles found February 17, 2007*

]Article Link
More city troops bound for Afghanistan  
By MAX MAUDIE, SUN MEDIA February 17, 2007
Article Link

More Edmonton-based soldiers are gearing up for a tour of duty in wartorn Afghanistan. 

About 250 soldiers from 3 Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, as well as the Lord Strathcona's Horse, will depart for southern Afghanistan over the next week. 

Members of 3PPCLI will help train the Afghan National Army in Kandahar Province. 

"It's incredibly important (work)," said army spokesman Cpt. Mark Peebles. 

"The aim is to get them (Afghans) to the point where they can take care of their own security situation. These people are the solution." 

Members of the Lord Strathcona's Horse will replace others who are heading for home, forming the core of the Leopard tank squadron. 

The tanks have expanded the reach and security of operations in Afghanistan. 

Fitted with front-end bulldozer plates, they can plow through rutted terrain and make their own roads. 

The tank's guns can be fired off faster than artillery. 

The first of the departing soldiers, about 75 of them, leave early tomorrow morning. 
More on link


U.S. Afghanistan support is 'reassuring': Wilson
Updated Sat. Feb. 17 2007 10:30 AM ET Canadian Press WASHINGTON -- 
Article Link

Canada's ambassador in Washington says U-S President Bush's increase in support for Afghanistan is "reassuring.'' 

Michael Wilson also says the United States is well aware of the lives Canada has sacrificed there. 

Wilson insists there was no slight in Bush's failure to mention Canada's military role in a major speech Thursday outlining more aid and the continued commitment of 27-thousand American soldiers in Afghanistan. 

He says there are 38 countries in the NATO alliance and Bush was identifying some of the reluctant supporters of the Afghanistan mission who have recently increased their support. 

Wilson will mark a year as Canada's top envoy to the U-S next month. 

He helped strike a softwood lumber deal after his arrival last March but is focused now on border issues, especially concerns that U-S passport requirements at land crossings will cause havoc. 
More on link

U.S. move means Canada stuck in Afghanistan
 TheStar.com -February 17, 2007 Thomas Walkom
Article Link

We have no excuse after Bush commits more troops to war

George W. Bush has breathed new life into the Afghan war. With his decision to send 3,500 more U.S. troops to that country, he has also made it more difficult for Canada to get out.

This is the real significance of the U.S. president's speech on Thursday. Bush also forgot to mention Canada when going through a list of nations contributing troops to the conflict. But that's irrelevant.

What's important is that the Americans are turning their attention back to Afghanistan.

That wasn't the original plan. A little over a year ago, U.S. commanders spoke of drawing down their troop strength there from what was then about 21,000 soldiers.

The idea at that time was that America would hand off Afghanistan to allies like Canada in order to focus on Iraq. To that end, the U.S. put the bulk of its troops in Afghanistan under NATO command. 

But that was before the last congressional elections, when Bush still thought he had a free hand in Iraq. It was also when he thought he could still pacify that chaotic country.

Now, with Democrats controlling the U.S. Congress, Republican Bush is no longer free to do whatever he wants. What's also become clear is that he cannot succeed in Iraq. 
More on link

Defence minister "pleased" with NATO presence in Afghanistan
Mike Blanchfield CanWest News Service; Ottawa Citizen Saturday, February 17, 2007
Article Link

OTTAWA -- After months of complaining that some NATO allies are shirking front-line fighting in Afghanistan, Canada backed down Friday, saying the alliance has what it needs -- for now -- to continue combat operations in country's volatile south.

"I'm quite pleased with our allies in the north and the west. I think we may have enough now in the south and the east to do the job," Defence Minister Gordon O'Connor said Friday.

He was referring to countries such as France, Germany and Italy who are operating in the less turbulent north and west of Afghanistan.

Canada has spent months at various NATO meetings trying to persuade those allies to remove the so-called "caveats" that prevent them from moving their troops into the southern region, where the Taliban is strongest and concentrating its efforts. Afghanistan's eastern region, which borders Pakistan, is also a key trouble spot because it is a major point of infiltration of Taliban fighters, who are based in the lawless tribal belt of western Pakistan.

O'Connor said NATO was now in better shape in those two troubled sectors with the United States extending the tour of duty of 3,200 troops, along with Britain's decision to send an additional 500 soldiers to the southern province of Helmand, and the Polish contribution of 1,000 troops.
More on link

Suicide Bombing Kills 15 in Pakistan Court
Febrero 17, 2007, 11:22 EST Islamabad -- 
Article Link

The attack took place in Quetta, the capital city of the southwestern Baluchistan province bordering Afghanistan. Police and witnesses say the suicide attacker detonated the powerful bomb while the court was in session. A senior civil judge and several lawyers are among those killed in the bombing. 

Provincial police Chief Tariq Khosa says an investigation is underway to determine the motives. He says that stopping suicide bombings is always difficult, dismissing criticism that poor security measures led to the attack inside the high-security courthouse.

 "We will carry out investigations from all possible angles," he said, adding that "the best of the places, the more secure places are also made inroads by suicide bombers." Khosa said "We had taken all possible precautions but this is an unfortunate incident in which we have to face the situation."

The southwestern Pakistani region, where Saturday's suicide bombing occurred, is widely believed to be used by Taleban leaders for planning attacks against Afghan and foreign forces in Afghanistan. 
More on link

Bush thankful for Turkey's support in Afghanistan   
Article Link

US President George W. Bush has said that he appreciates Turkey, which will be responsible for security in the capital, Kabul, and other NATO allies' willingness to send more troops to the region.  
Indicating that some countries including Turkey, the UK, Poland and Bulgaria have agreed to send more troops to the region, Bush referred to Turkey's decision to increase its troops in Afghanistan to 1,000 from 778, saying that he appreciates the "many allies who have embraced the idea of sending more troops."
However, Bush said that NATO allies need to deploy more troops and be willing to send soldiers into the most violent battles with Taliban fighters, calling 2006 "the most violent year in Afghanistan since the invasion."
The Taliban have proven stronger than expected, Bush said. "Last year, across Afghanistan, roadside bombs doubled in number, direct fire attacks on international forces almost tripled and suicide bombs grew by nearly fivefold."
Flush with money from heroin-producing poppy crops, Taliban fighters have proven much tougher than NATO expected when it deployed its first contingent of peacekeepers there in 2003.
"I've ordered an increase in U.S. forces in Afghanistan," Bush said, five years after US-led forces toppled Afghanistan's repressive Taliban regime. 
More on link

Bush Announces New Plan for Afghanistan
Article Link


President urges allies to join U.S. in helping democracy succeed

President Bush announced a new six-point plan February 15 to help Afghanistan defeat Taliban forces and terrorists, and establish a stable, moderate, democratic state.

The United States' commitment to Afghanistan and its future remains strong, he said.

"We will train you, we will help you, and we will stand with you as you defend your new democracy," Bush said at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington.

The president also said that part of the United States' strategy is to work with allies to strengthen NATO forces in Afghanistan. Bush said it is NATO's most important military operation.

"For NATO to succeed, member nations must provide commanders on the ground with the troops and equipment they need to do their jobs," Bush said. When there is a need to fill security gaps and commanders in the field say they need additional help, "our NATO countries must provide it in order to be successful in this mission," he said.
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Afghanistan's proxy war
By Xenia Dormandy  |  February 16, 2007
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THE PAPERS ARE full of the slow demise of Afghanistan. The Pakistanis are to blame; no, the Afghans; no, the United States. America didn't do enough or did too much. NATO isn't stepping up to the plate, or is it the Germans, or the French people. Is it the Taliban, Al Qaeda , or Pakistan's Inter-Service Intelligence that is pulling the strings? Is President Karzai powerless, or is he boosting the warlords, or is he a puppet for Americans , or all three? The blame is widespread.

But a large part of the problem is being missed. There's talk about the U S -Pakistan-Afghanistan tripartite, but it's the wrong one. The focus should be on the Afghanistan-Pakistan-India triangle.

In the 1980 s and early 1990 s, Afghanistan was a proxy battleground for the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union. One could argue that America was the winner in that battle (the Soviet Union and Afghanistan certainly weren't), except that US actions then created the threat from the Taliban today. There were no winners.

America and the Soviet Union brought two other neighbors into that Cold War fight: Pakistan and India. India stood by the Soviet Union as it quietly did in many other areas. Pakistan and its intelligence service became the middleman between the United States and the mujahedeen (later to form the Taliban).
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## brihard (18 Feb 2007)

A one liner on MSNBC-

"Coalition helicopter crashes in Afghanistan. No word on Casualties."

Will update as info comes in...


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## Nfld Sapper (18 Feb 2007)

Shared in accordance with the "fair dealing" provisions, Section 29, of the Copyright Act.


From Reuters.com,

KABUL (Reuters) - A helicopter of the U.S.-led coalition force crashed in southeastern Afghanistan on Sunday, the coalition said, but did not say if there were any casualties.

A search and rescue operation for the helicopter and its occupants had been launched, a spokesman said in a statement, describing the crash due to engine failure.


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## brihard (18 Feb 2007)

U.S. coalition chopper crashes in Afghanistan
Sun Feb 18, 2007 12:37AM EST

KABUL (Reuters) - A helicopter from the U.S.-led coalition force in Afghanistan crashed on Sunday after reporting engine failure, the coalition said, but it did not say if there were any casualties.

A search for the helicopter and its occupants had been launched, the U.S. -led force said in a statement.

It said the helicopter crashed in the southeast, but did not say where, what type of helicopter nor how many people were aboard. Some media reports said it was a Chinook, a twin-rotor craft used for ferrying troops and equipment.

Residents in the Shah Joy district of Zabul province, said the chopper crashed there. Taliban insurgents who are active in the southern province on the border with Pakistan, said they had shot down the aircraft down with a missile.

The Taliban have made claims in the past that were not substantiated. The last confirmed downing of a foreign helicopter by rebels was in 2005.

International forces have lost several helicopters since the Taliban were ousted in 2001, but the 2005 incident was the only confirmed case of hostile action.

That helicopter was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade as it came in to land during combat operation.

The Taliban have vowed a spring offensive as the snows melt in coming weeks and months after the bloodiest year since their ouster. More than 4,000 people died in fighting last year.


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## GAP (18 Feb 2007)

*Articles found 18 February, 2007*


Thirteen Cdn. soldiers injured in Afghanistan
Updated Sun. Feb. 18 2007 7:48 AM ET Canadian Press
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KANDAHAR, Afghanistan -- Thirteen Canadian soldiers suffered minor injuries early Sunday when three armoured vehicles smashed into each other on the pre-dawn streets of Kandahar. 

The accident happened when a convoy of recently arrived combat troops was moving between bases, said Maj. Dale MacEachern, a spokesman for the Canadian Forces. 

"I can't discuss the nature of (individual) injuries to the soldiers for reasons of privacy, but I can say they were all minor injuries,'' he said. 

"All of these soldiers are expected to go back to work.'' 

All of the injured were treated at the nearby medical clinic at the Canadian-run provincial reconstruction base, but six of them were transferred by air to the NATO hospital at Kandahar airfield for further observation. 

"It's just to be safe to make sure our soldiers are OK,'' said MacEachern. 

Details of how the accident happened were not released and military police are investigating. The LAV IIIs sustained minor damage. 

The fact all of the soldiers involved are new to the theatre is being considered as a factor because each new rotation has encountered a series of vehicle accidents at the beginning. 

"Our soldiers receive excellent training before they're deployed to theatre, but I don't think anything can quite fully prepare anyone for the nature of the roads here in Kandahar,'' said MacEachern. 
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Afghan town asks for more protection from Taliban
Updated Sat. Feb. 17 2007 11:31 PM ET Canadian Press
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TERIN KOWT, Afghanistan -- As he asked God to bless a new trade school in a ruggedly beautiful, yet grindingly poor mountainous corner of southern Afghanistan, Mullah Maulwai Harmdullah tacked on a plea to NATO at the end of his prayer.

"We're surrounded by the Taliban,'' Harmdullah told an audience Saturday that included the military alliance's southern commander and two members of Afghan President Hamid Karzai's cabinet.

"We need more security.''

His appeal was echoed by the mayor of Terin Kowt, Mohammed Kabir, who added there needs to be more protection for schools, especially a girl's school, in the town, which is nestled in amid soaring, snow-capped peaks.

Both statements were polite rebukes of NATO's tip-toe approach to the Taliban in the sparsely populated province Oruzgan, north of Kandahar. 

As further, not-so-subtle punctuation to their pleas, a U.S. Apache gunship circled overhead during the ceremony, conducting target practice outside the abundantly fortified base where the Afghan training school is located. The heavy drumbeat thud of the attack helicopter's Gatling gun was intermingled with the speeches.

One of the nine students at the school, which teaches rudimentary carpentry skills, said the town Tarin Kowt -- known locally as TK -- is largely safe but once out into the rural areas, militants are in charge.

"The other side of the river, there's a lot of difficulties there,'' said Najeebullha.
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For Russians, Iraq war is like their Afghanistan
FORMER SOVIET SOLDIERS PREDICT IRAQ WAR WILL END AS THEIRS DID: IN FAILURE
By Matthew Schofield MCCLATCHY NEWSPAPERS
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MOSCOW - Eighteen years after the Soviet army pulled out of Afghanistan in a humiliating defeat that hastened the collapse of an empire, many soldiers who fought there think they're seeing history repeat itself.

The United States -- then the force behind the Afghan resistance -- now appears trapped in a similar downward spiral in Iraq, besieged by a collection of forces not unlike those it trained and equipped to cripple the Soviets two decades ago.

For many, the similarities go beyond the symbolic. Retired Capt. Vladimir Vshivtsev was blinded by an improvised roadside bomb 20 years ago in Afghanistan. He shudders every time he hears about a U.S. soldier killed or wounded by a similar device in Iraq or Afghanistan, he said.

"They're fighting the same war again," he said. "Sure, the political stuff is different, but the military result is going to be the same: failure."

The political reasons for the two invasions were as different as the governments that launched them. The United States went to war in Iraq ostensibly to disarm a dictator of suspected weapons of mass destruction, then set its goal as establishing democracy. Leonid Brezhnev's Soviet Union mounted its invasion in 1979 ostensibly to save communism in a place where it had never taken root.

But Russian soldiers, officers and experts point to many parallels. The Soviets also arrived to flowers and smiles, fought with a similar sized force (by the mid-1980s) of about 120,000 men and lost about 1,300 dead each year. They arrived a superpower, full of hubris, and departed humbled. Their political leaders never really understood the war.
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Baluchistan terror: Pakistan's turn again
Submitted by Bill Weinberg on Sun, 02/18/2007 - 02:03. 
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Days after bomb blasts and insurgent attacks in Iranian Baluchistan, more terror in Pakistani Baluchistan. To what extent is this a Baluch ethnic insurgency, and to what extent a Sunni fundamentalist jihad? Or is it both? One shudders to think how complex the intrigues behind this are. The Baluch militants in Pakistan are said to be backed by Iran, while Pakistan's intelligence apparatus has long quietly backed the Sunni jihadists to further Islamabad's ambitions in Kashmir and (with CIA connivance) Afghanistan. Are the Baluch being pitted against each other as have the Kurds? Maybe the Baluch are starting to shake off all such manipulators and struggle for a unified independent Baluchistan—just as there is more talk of a unified Pashtunistan straddling Pakistan and Afghanistan, after centuries of the Pashtuns serving as pawns in the Great Game. From Reuters, via the UAE's Khaleej Times, Feb. 18:
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Hicks 'carried 300 rounds, grenades' in Afghanistan
Geoff Elliott Washington correspondent February 16, 2007 
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THE US military today released a new charge sheet in its case against David Hicks, including the revelation that he carried with him an AK-47, hundreds of rounds of ammunition and three hand grenades while in Afghanistan.

The details reprise those found in the original charge sheet against Hicks in 2004 although it does provide a little more detail of Hicks last desperate days in Afghanistan trying to evade capture. 

The release of the charge sheet does not mean Hicks has been officially charged. The convening authority for the military tribunals which will try Hicks still has to authorise the charges to make it official and that process could still take some weeks yet. 

The chief US prosecutor has recommended charges against Hicks of providing material support for terrorism. The 31-year-old has also been charged with attempted murder in violation of the law of war. 

If the military trial process stays to schedule - which has not been the case so far thanks delays within the military and legal challenges constitutionally of the tribunals - Hicks could face court for a preliminary hearing in March. A full trial would follow in about June. However his lawyers expect legal challenges to the commission process to delay Hicks day in court for up to another two years. 

Hicks has been kept in Guantanamo Bay since early 2002 as an enemy combatant under the Bush administration’s anti-terror laws. 

As before, the evidence against Hicks alleges he travelled from Pakistan to Afghanistan after September 11 and armed himself for battle in Kandahar, the new charge sheet indicating that Hicks had 300 rounds of ammunition, three grenades to use in his fight against the coalition and the Northern Alliance.
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Australia Government Prods U.S. on Hicks as Election Approaches  
By Gemma Daley Feb. 18 (Bloomberg) 
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The Australian government will urge the U.S. to deal with terrorist suspect David Hicks, who has been held at Guantanamo Bay for five years without trial, before an election that must be held by early next year. 

``He should be able to come home before the end of the year, either to serve out a sentence, or he will be acquitted,'' Foreign Minister Alexander Downer told the Nine Network's Sunday program. ``This has gone on for a very long time.'' 

Pressure has been growing in Australia for Hicks, 31, to be formally charged and tried. Australian Prime Minister John Howard will pressure U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney during a four-day visit to Australia this week to deal with Hicks, who was captured in Afghanistan in 2001. 

``The government is making it very clear to the U.S. authorities that we want this matter to be expedited,'' Treasurer Peter Costello, 49, told Channel Ten television's Meet the Press program today. ``Charges have been laid, they're very serious charges and the government's position is that they should be brought on for hearing as soon as possible.'' 

The Sunday Age newspaper reported today that Howard, 67, was increasing pressure over Hicks and working to bring the terror suspect home before the election, which must be held before Jan. 19, 2008. A date has not been set. 
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'India is Afghanistan's most cherished partner'
18 Feb, 2007 1024hrs ISTIANS 
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BRUSSELS: India has contributed over $750 million in terms of aid and construction to Afghanistan till now in almost every sector, including education and agriculture, and is the country's most cherished partner, says Hekmat Karzai, a cousin of Afghan President Hamid Karzai. 

"India is the most cherished partner of Afghanistan. The relationship between our two countries is only improving," Karzai, director of the Kabul-based Centre for Conflict and Peace Studies, said in an interview. 

Karzai said that India has awarded 500 scholarships for Afghan students. 

"There is very high-level visibility and high-level (bilateral) delegations going back and forth. The relations have improved and I think India has been a very positive actor in the region," said Karzai, who was in Brussels to attend a conference on Afghanistan organised by Centre for European Policy Studies, a Brussels-based think tank. 

Commenting on Afghanistan-Pakistan ties, he said Afghanistan is grateful for what Pakistan had done during the Soviet invasion or even for Afghan refugees. 
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EDITORIAL: Ditch Taliban, save Pakistan!
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President General Pervez Musharraf said on Wednesday that the government “will not allow the Talibanisation of Pakistani society, nor allow the Taliban to impede development and prosperity”. He said more, if you want to listen to familiar verbiage: “The Taliban system will not be allowed to come to the country and the Taliban will not be allowed to hamper the path to development and prosperity. We will continue to move forward to transform Pakistan into a moderate, enlightened, Muslim welfare state”.

The president also stuck to his guns in denying support to the Taliban: “The charges are baseless and no other country has played a more vital role than Pakistan in the war on terror and this blame game against Pakistan, despite its pivotal role in the war against terrorism, is a blatant denial of facts”. Perhaps the report missed, but it did not refer to the United States where more and more functionaries are now blaming Pakistan for sheltering the Taliban raiders with details that are difficult to deny.

Lt Gen Karl Eikenberry, the outgoing top US commander in Afghanistan, told a congressional committee on Tuesday, that the “Al Qaeda and Taliban leadership presence inside Pakistan remains a very significant problem and that a steady, direct attack against the command and control in Pakistan in sanctuary areas is essential for us to achieve success”. The general pointed directly to the men responsible for the crisis facing the US and NATO forces: “senior Taliban leaders from the ousted regime are collaborating with Al Qaeda leaders, as well as with other groups led by the warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar and the Haqqani clan of an ethnically Pushtun tribe”. General Eikenberry also said this: “There is a growing threat of Talibanisation inside Pakistan”. 
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Two civilians shot as tension rises in Kandahar
GRAEME SMITH Globe and Mail Update
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Two civilians were shot dead by NATO troops Saturday during separate incidents in Kandahar, adding to rising tensions in a province that had been enjoying a winter lull in the violence.

One of the shootings proved to be somewhat bizarre. Around 3:40 p.m, a Canadian convoy was driving west along a main highway when they encountered a man walking down the centre line, about 12 kilometres outside the city.

The convoy slowed as it approached the man, a military spokesman said.

He was heard mumbling to himself and chanting, and soldiers noticed wires sticking out from his clothing.
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New Afghan offensive will be tough, Bush warns  
Canadians expected to see more action as U.S. redirects 3,200-strong army brigade 
PAUL KORING From Friday's Globe and Mail
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WASHINGTON — NATO troops, including Canadians, will face more tough combat this spring as a new offensive is launched against the Taliban in Afghanistan, U.S. President George W. Bush warned yesterday.

In anticipation, Mr. Bush ordered an army brigade of 3,200 soldiers bound for Iraq to deploy instead to southern Afghanistan where Canadian, U.S., British and Dutch troops fought a resurgent Taliban last year.

"The Taliban and al-Qaeda are preparing to launch new attacks," Mr. Bush said. "Our strategy is not to be on the defence, but to go on the offence. This spring there is going to be a new offensive in Afghanistan, and it's going to be a NATO offensive."

In a speech to the conservative American Enterprise Institute, Mr. Bush also implored NATO allies to send more forces to Afghanistan. But that plea is likely to fall on deaf ears in some capitals.
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On the `Wild West' Afghan-Pakistan frontier
Haroon Siddiqui sees first-hand the tough time guards have in weeding out Taliban
Feb 18, 2007 04:30 AM Haroon Siddiqui 
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C HAMAN–Those who think Pakistan should do more to contain the Taliban ought to come to this bustling Afghan-Pakistan border post.

It is 138 kilometres north of Quetta, the so-called "capital of the Taliban," and nine kilometres south of the Afghan city of Spin Boldak in Kandahar province, not far from where Canadian troops are deployed.

A sea of humanity flows through here in both directions – more than 20,000 a day, mostly on foot or bikes or donkey carts, kicking up the dust that characterizes this terrain.

Almost all are Pushtun, as are the Taliban. Any, many, or all those at this crossing could be a Taliban, or none at all. 

The tribal Pushtuns span the border, 15 million each on either side. As per a pledge given during British colonial times, they have enjoyed ease of movement over the Durand Line.

Chaman is the transit point for bilateral trade, the focal point of which is a bazaar north of here. 

As I arrive early in the morning, most vehicles are headed there, carrying consumer goods from Pakistan and beyond. The foreign products are smuggled in via Arabian Sea ports near Karachi and trucked across the barren terrain of the province of Balochistan, to the capital Quetta, and then up the road that I've just traversed in a four-hour, bone-rattling ride.

Along the way, I had suggested to the driver that he avoid the bump and grind by driving on the smoother shoulder. "No," he said. "It may be mined."
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Afghanistan bans poultry imports  
Agencies 
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Kabul: Afghanistan has banned poultry imports to prevent the spread of the deadly H5N1 strain of the bird flu virus, an official said on Sunday. 

The H5N1 strain was found in poultry in at least four provinces in 2006, leading to the killing of thousands of birds, although there were no human deaths. 

Health ministry adviser doctor Abdullah Fahim said, "This decision is part of a precautionary and preventive measure." 

He added that the government was also focussing on public awareness programmes about the virus. 

Afghanistan imports a large amount of poultry, mostly from Pakistan, but the ban imposed last week also applies to other countries hit by H5N1, including Britain, Turkey and Indonesia
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## The Bread Guy (18 Feb 2007)

*8 Coalition personnel killed in helicopter crash*
COMBINED JOINT TASK FORCE -76, COMBINED PRESS INFORMATION CENTER, Release #086, Feb. 18, 2007
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BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan – Eight Coalition personnel were killed and 14 others were wounded early Sunday when a Coalition CH-47 helicopter had a sudden, unexplained loss of power and control and crashed in eastern Afghanistan.  A search and rescue operation was launched immediately to secure the site, recover the passengers and transport wounded personnel to Coalition medical facilities for treatment.   The helicopter was transporting a total of 22 people, including aircrew, at the time of the crash.  Coalition forces strongly advise any Afghans in the area of the crash to stay away from the site for their own safety.  Recent reporting indicated a Taliban build up for operations against the Coalition forces in the region.  “The loss of these servicemembers is felt by all of us here in Afghanistan, and we offer our deepest sympathy to the families of those who were killed,” said Lt. Col. David Accetta, Coalition spokesman.  The names of those involved in the incident are being withheld pending notification of next of kin.  The specific location and details of the incident will not be released until the completion of recovery operations.  An investigation will be conducted to verify the cause of the crash. 

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*Eight US military personnel killed in Afghan chopper crash*
Agence France Presse, 18 Feb 07
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Eight US servicemembers were killed and 14 injured when a helicopter crashed in southeastern
Afghanistan after a "sudden loss of power and control," the US-led coalition said.  The twin-rotor chopper crashed in the southeastern province of Zabul, about 250 kilometres (155 miles) southwest of the capital Kabul, not far from a main highway, residents and officials said on Sunday.  "Eight coalition personnel were killed and 14 others were wounded early Sunday when a coalition CH-47 helicopter had a sudden, unexplained loss of power and control and crashed in eastern Afghanistan," a coalition statement said.  "The helicopter was transporting a total of 22 people, including aircrew, at the time of the crash," it said.  The coalition said an investigation would be launched to verify the cause of the crash. It had said earlier the chopper came down after reporting engine failure.  "Recent reporting indicated a Taliban build-up for operations against the coalition forces in the region," the statement said.  Zabul is a rugged and mountainous area that sees regular clashes between security forces and fighters from the Islamist Taliban movement.  The chopper was on a transport mission and not a combat mission at the time of the crash, coalition spokesman Lieutenant Colonel David Accetta told AFP ....


*8 U.S. troops die in Afghan 'copter crash*
CNN, 18 Feb 07
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Eight coalition members were killed and 14 others wounded when their helicopter had a "sudden, unexplained loss of power and control" and crashed in southeastern Afghanistan on Sunday, military officials said.  All eight were U.S. personnel, according to news wire reports.  The CH-47 Chinook was transporting 22 people, including crew, at the time of the crash.  Rescuers found the 14 injured passengers after launching a search operation and transported them to the hospital.  The crew initially indicated they had engine failure, an earlier statement said ....


*8 U.S. Troops Die in Afghan Copter Crash*
NOOR KHAN, Associated Press, 18 Feb 07
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Eight U.S. troops were killed and 14 wounded when a military helicopter crashed Sunday in southeastern Afghanistan after reporting engine failure, the U.S.-led coalition said in a statement.  The CH-47 Chinook helicopter was carrying 22 passengers and had a "sudden, unexplained loss of power and control and crashed," the statement said.  "It was not enemy fire related," said Col. Tom Collins, spokesman for NATO's International Security Assistance Force. "The pilot was able to radio in that he was having engine problems. We're confident it was not due to enemy action."  The helicopter crashed in the Shahjoi district of Zabul province, about 50 yards from the main highway between Kabul and Kandahar, and appeared to be destroyed and scattered in several pieces.  U.S. and Afghan military blocked reporters from entering the crash site.  The incident Sunday was the first U.S. military helicopter crash since May 2006, when a CH-47 Chinook helicopter that attempted a nighttime landing on a small mountaintop crashed in eastern Kunar province, killing 10 U.S. soldiers ....



*Canadian troops kill ‘threatening’ Afghan civilian*
Graham Thomson, CanWest News Service, 17 Feb 07
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Fearing they were about to be attacked by a suicide bomber, Canadian troops shot and killed an Afghan civilian who was acting in a “perplexing” manner on Saturday, according to military officials.  And, in what appears to be an odd coincidence, a second Afghan civilian was fatally shot by yet-unidentified coalition forces in the same region of southern Afghanistan hours earlier.  In the shooting involving Canadians, soldiers thought the man was wearing a bomb as he approached a military convoy on a highway near Kandahar Air Field.  “He appeared to be chanting and refused to heed verbal and visual warnings to stop,” said Lt.-Cmdr. Kris Phillips. “As he continued his approach members of the convoy noted that there appeared to be a device with wires protruding from it attached to his chest.”  Phillips said soldiers fired warning shots twice before shooting the man.  “The behavior of this individual is somewhat perplexing. Upon closer investigation explosives were not found although the man did have an unusual mix of wires straps, tubes and other materials strapped to his torso.”  Phillips said the man’s identity is unknown and the matter is under investigation.  “He was acting in an unusual and threatening manner,” added Karen Johnston, a Armed Forces spokesperson in Ottawa ....


*Afghan civilians killed by soldiers*
Canadian troops question one victim’s mental stability
MURRAY BREWSTER The Canadian Press, 18 Feb 07
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Two unarmed Afghan civilians were shot and killed by NATO forces in a pair of bizarre, seemingly unrelated, incidents Saturday.  One episode, 12 kilometres west of Kandahar, involved a Canadian battle group patrol and a man the army implied may have been mentally unstable ....  For the Canadians, it is the second time in a week they’ve been involved in an unintentional shooting and both incidents Saturday join a long series events which have started to erode relations with the Afghan population, who’ve taken to complaining bitterly about being in the crossfire — or on the receiving end of stray warning shots.  Describing the man as a suspected suicide bomber, Phillips said the unidentified victim in the Canadian incident — outside the village Senjaray — approached a patrol, walking along the centre line of the road.  "He appeared to be chanting and refused to heed verbal and visual warnings to stop," Phillips said at Kandahar Airfield.  The closer the man came, the stranger he appeared and as the patrol slowed soldiers spotted what they thought were wires sticking from a bulge in the man’s jacket.  Two warning shots were quickly snapped off but the man kept coming until a third burst was fired, killing him instantly.  "Upon closer investigation, no explosives were found but the man did have an unusual mix of wire, straps, tubes and other materials fastened to his torso," said Phillips, who added a military police investigation has been launched in conjunction with Afghan authorities.  "His behaviour is perplexing to say the least. We’re not sure why he was in the middle of the road.  "We’re not sure why he was approaching one of our convoys. We’re not sure why he was behaving the way he was, so there are some questions that need to be answered." ....



*NATO school under siege by Taliban*
Young Afghans risk death for chance to build better future
Graham Thomson, Edmonton Journal, 18 Feb 07
Article Link

A new school opened in Afghanistan on Saturday -- which might not sound like a big deal.  But in Afghanistan it is huge.  The Tarin Kowt Trade Training School is a symbol of everything that can go right in this devastated country -- and a reminder of what is still so terribly wrong.  The NATO-run school will teach young men who are illiterate and impoverished, and therefore prime targets for Taliban recruiting, the basics of carpentry. They'll learn how to build tables and chairs, maybe even a coffee table. In the words of one of their teachers, they'll take up the saw, not the sword.  Which sounds wonderful, except that to operate safely the school has to be located inside a special military compound surrounded by blast walls. That, in turn, is located inside a large NATO base, Camp Holland, home to 2,000 troops near the town of Tarin Kowt, 100 kilometres north of Kandahar.  Security is such a dicey affair here that for the opening ceremonies, dignitaries arrived in a convoy of armoured personnel carriers. Reporters based at Kandahar Air Field were flown in on a helicopter that had three machine-gunners and was shadowed by a second helicopter gunship.  The students -- there are only nine of them -- smiled bravely for the cameras, even though they face death from the Taliban for taking the classes ....



*Daily News Summary:  Bush Afghan Broadside Targets NATO*
Michael Moran, Council on Foreign Relations, 16 Feb 07
Article Link

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) likes to think of itself as the most successful military alliance in history for its role in checking Soviet expansion during the Cold War. But faced with fighting an actual war in Afghanistan, the alliance is finding it hard to turn decades of war planning into an effective battlefield strategy (TIME). Speaking to the American Enterprise Institute, President Bush on February 15 echoed complaints from U.S. commanders in Afghanistan that some European NATO military units arrive with so many “caveats,” or restrictions on engagement, that they amount to little more than an overarmed constabulary. He has ordered 3,200 soldiers of the U.S. 173rd Airborne Brigade into the country, a move he must not relish given the tenor of the U.S. domestic debate on Iraq.  Many of Europe's politicians, however, appear unmoved. Under political fire at home, Norway's government assured angry parliamentarians on February 14 its 150 soldiers would serve only in the relatively calm capital city, Kabul (Aftenposten). German and French forces, too, operate under strict, noncombat limitations (LAT).  The effort to secure Afghanistan could falter, Bush said, if NATO does not step up. “Allies must lift restrictions on the forces they do provide so NATO commanders have the flexibility they need to defeat the enemy.” He added his voice to numerous predictions that Taliban forces will conduct their own “surge” (NYT) when the spring thaw arrives in Afghanistan ....



*10th Mountain commanding general talks to troops about extension*
CJTF-76 (USA) news release # 082, 18 Feb 07
Article Link

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan – A sea of faded, dusty Army Combat Uniforms covered the cold metal folding chairs inside the chapel at Forward Operating Base Sharana, Afghanistan, January 29 as the Soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, wearing them anxiously awaited the arrival of their commanding general.  Army Maj. Gen. Benjamin Freakley, the 10th Mountain Division commanding general, went to Sharana to visit the troops and discuss the recent announcement that the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division’s tour in Afghanistan will be extended.   “Because you are staying here, you’ll make a huge difference,” Freakley said.  “The Soldier’s creed says I will always place the mission first-this is the mission,” he said.  “Your mission is to destroy the enemy and come home safely.  Destroy the enemy and bring each other home.”  Freakley also informed the Soldiers that their families were being well taken care of.  A group has been put together at Fort Drum to help families with counseling as well as helping them attempt to get refunds on trips and activities that had already been paid for in anticipation of the Soldiers’ return.  “You’re a championship team that’s been asked to play another quarter,” Freakley said.  “There are days when you make a difference for our whole nation with what you do.”  “I’d rather be fighting them over here than back at home,” said 2-87 Command Sgt. Maj. Jose Vega before encouraging his troops to “Lace up your boots one more time.”  The Soldiers seemed to appreciate Freakley’s genuine interest in their families well being. When Freakley asked if there were any other issues brought on by the extension that the command could help with, several Soldiers raised their hand to express concerns ranging from pregnant spouses to schools they had planned to attend.  Freakley assured his troops that each issue would be looked at and had notes taken on the Soldiers’ concerns.  Freakley once again told them “You guys have made a phenomenal difference in Afghanistan,” before waiting outside of the small wooden chapel to shake the hands of each Soldier as they left to return to their jobs and carry on with the mission.

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*Pakistan Urges Kabul to Talk With Taleban*
Arab News (SAU), 18 Feb 07
Article Link

Pakistan has renewed a call for neighboring Afghanistan to open dialogue with Taleban insurgents to stem the rise in violence in the war-torn country.  Ali Muhammad Jan Aurakzai, a former general who is now governor of the North West Frontier Province bordering Afghanistan, warned the Taleban-led insurgency was already turning into a “liberation war” in Afghanistan.  It is “developing into some kind of nationalist movement, a resistance movement, some sort of liberation war against the coalition forces,” he told journalists in the provincial capital of Peshawar.  Aurakzai was speaking ahead of a rare media trip to North Waziristan, an area used by Taleban militants close to the Afghanistan border.  A group of journalists flew yesterday to Miranshah, the main city in North Waziristan where thousands of troops are deployed to stop Taleban cross-border movement, for a briefing by senior army officials.  In September Aurakzai engineered a peace deal with militants in North Waziristan, evoking suspicions from Kabul and the commanders of international forces battling the Taleban in Afghanistan ....



*Pakistani forces say determined to seal Afghan border*
Robert Birsel, Reuters, 18 Feb 07
Article Link

Pakistani troops in Lwara Fort on the Afghan border are on guard, but not for invaders from Afghanistan. They're trying to stop militants crossing in to Afghanistan to battle U.S.-led NATO troops.  The red, brick fort sits on a small, barren plain surrounded by snow-streaked mountains, several hundred metres from the Afghan border.  Brigadier Rizwan Aktar, commander of the fort, points from its high walls to a fracture in a nearby line of hills -- the Chandi Gap, a notorious militant crossing point, he says.  But he told reporters on a weekend tour of border defences in Pakistan's North Waziristan tribal region he and his men were determined to stop infiltration into Afghanistan: "The people who want to create any nonsense, we are going to control them."  Pakistan is a major U.S. ally in the war on terrorism but U.S. officials appear increasingly frustrated about the help a resurgent Taliban in Afghanistan is getting from the Pakistani side of the border.  Taliban leaders are operating from Pakistan where training, financing and recruiting are also taking place, they say.  Pakistan says it can't completely seal the 2,500 km (1,500 mile) border but it is doing all it can to stop infiltration.  But Pakistan says infiltration is a minor factor behind the Taliban surge. Rather, it's a cocktail of Afghan factors including anger over civilian deaths in military attacks, corruption and the booming drug trade that's fueling the Taliban war, it says ....


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## The Bread Guy (19 Feb 2007)

*Canadian convoy ambushed twice in Kandahar; police officer, civilian dead*
Canadian Press, 19 Feb 07
Article Link

A Canadian convoy was ambushed twice late Sunday by Taliban fighters armed with rocket propelled grenades and small arms.  The resulting firefights saw one Afghan National Police officer and a civilian mistakenly gunned down by soldiers. Maj. Dale MacEachern, a spokesman for the Canadian Forces, says the initial attack happened in the vicinity of the governor's palace as the battle group convoy was moving between bases.  As rockets and automatic weapons fire slammed into the RG-31 Nyala patrol vehicles and Coyote armoured cars, the soldiers returned fire and stepped on it to get out of the area.  A few kilometres away, one of the damaged vehicles broke down, the troops were forced to set up a security cordon and MacEachern says that's when insurgents attacked again ....  


*Canadian convoy attacked twice in city, two Afghans killed*
Agence France Presse, 19 Feb 07
Article Link

Insurgents ambushed a Canadian convoy twice as it moved through Afghanistan's Kandahar city overnight, with an Afghan policeman and a civilian killed in the clashes, the force said.  Police said International Security Assistance Force troops had shot the two Afghans in the southern city, "perhaps mistaking them as enemy". The Canadian military said it regretted the killings and they were being investigated.  Attackers first fired guns and rocket-propelled grenades at the convoy in the centre of the city, striking again about three kilometres (nearly two miles) later, a Canadian military spokesman told AFP on Monday.  "The first attack was at about 11:15 pm (1845 GMT) when the convoy was engaged by small-arms fire and rocket-propelled grenades," Captain Martell Thompson told AFP.  "After sustaining hits by anti-tank rockets, the convoy pushed through."  Almost half an hour and a few kilometres later, the convoy was forced to stop because one of the vehicles became disabled due to damage in the ambush.  "During this halt, the second attack occurred. The convoy was engaged with small-arms fire," Thompson said.  Canadian soldiers returned fire and the Afghan army, police and quick reaction force came to their assistance.  "An Afghan local was shot and killed as he approached the soldiers during the firefight despite repeated warnings to move away," Thompson said.  A local policeman was also killed, he said. An investigation had been launched into the incident and the Afghan police were likely to launch their own, he said ....



*CF-18 jets are mission-ready*
Documents show deployment plans to Afghanistan set, but orders unlikely
Bruce Campion-Smith, Toronto Star, 19 Feb 07
Article Link

Canada's air force has detailed plans to deploy six CF-18s fighter jets to Kandahar, even to the point of predicting how many so-called "smart" bombs would be needed for a six-month air campaign battling insurgents, documents show.  Defence officials say they have no intention of sending the fighters overseas. But military memos and orders obtained by the Toronto Star make it clear that extensive planning has laid the groundwork for a deployment should the Conservative government give the okay.  "With respect to the current situation ... there are no plans at this point in time do so," Lt.-Col. John Blakeley, director of air force public affairs, said last Friday.  But just over a year ago – as Canada's army units made the move to Kandahar from Kabul – it seemed certain the air force's front-line fighter would be deployed to join them in an operation expected to cost $18 million, documents obtained under the Access to Information Act show.  In January 2006, air force headquarters in Winnipeg sent out an order to the two CF-18 bases at Bagotville, Que., and Cold Lake, Alta., regarding "deployment to Kandahar."  "The purpose of this (message) is to co-ordinate deployment milestones that will ensure the directed fighter preparedness posture is achieved and maintained," it said.  The order laid out some of the requirements for the Kandahar operation, such as parking space for six of the sleek fighters with a spot where another jet could undergo maintenance work ....



*Military shouldn’t dismiss survey of Afghans*
SCOTT TAYLOR, Halifax Chronicle Herald, 19 Feb 07
Article Link

 ....  Last summer, the Senlis Council recommended that the international community purchase the Afghan poppy crop and use it to create pharmaceutical products rather than illegal street drugs. The premise is that the simple eradication of the poppy fields leaves the farmers with no means of survival. As the Afghans are producers, not users, in the opium trade, the purchase of their existing crops would provide a short-term regional economic solution until the farms can be converted to generate alternative products.  Once again, retired military analysts were quick to shoot down the proposal. "Can’t have that, old chum. We’d simply be empowering the drug lords. Military knows best; burning the poppies is the only answer, what, what."  What most of these naysayers don’t know is that long before the council proposed this solution, Canadian officers and the Karzai government had discussed the same solution. It turns out the major obstacle to implementing this common-sense initiative came from the Western pharmaceutical companies — not the Afghan drug lords.  If there’s one thing the big drug corporations understand, it’s the principle of supply and demand. The last thing they want is to flood the existing market with a glut of Afghan opiates ....



*VIEWPOINT : Canada vs. the Taliban*
Dennis Rimmer, Grand Forks Herald (USA), 19 Feb 07
Article Link

The images are familiar: Heavily armed soldiers with (mainly) Caucasian features, on patrol in a dusty Middle Eastern town. Their helmets are tightly secured, their guns are at the ready and their firepower is obvious.  U.S. forces at war in Iraq, right?  Nope. Canadians battling the Taliban in Afghanistan.  This may come as a surprise to many who still believe that Canada has sat back and done nothing to assist in the struggle against those who encouraged others to fly airplanes into buildings, bomb subway stations and otherwise attempt to correct what they feel are the sins of Western society ....



*British and Estonian military locked in disputes in Afghanistan*
The Baltic Times, 19 Feb 07
Article Link

Estonia’s role in the NATO mission in Afghanistan has come under question after the British command relieved an Estonian military intelligence team of their duties.  The daily newspaper Eesti Paevaleht reported that the British were unhappy with the skill level of their Estonian counterparts.  According to Paevaleht’s sources, there have been communication problems with the British command, under which a 130-strong Estonian contingent is serving.  Deputy Commander of the UK Task Force in Helmand Col. Ian Huntley was quoted as saying that Estonian and British scouts were unable to work side by side because their work methods did not mesh. Another high-ranking NATO officer cited Estonian scouts' lack of skills.
The British command in Kandahar relieved the intelligence team of their duties in mid-January, and it is highly likely that the Estonian mission in Afghanistan will be terminated in May, according to the report.
The Estonian defense officials have declined comment, citing the state secrets act.  "All I can say is that I do not comment on these things. It's simply such a sensitive matter," Defense Minister Jurgen Ligi told the daily.



*Signs of Qaeda resurgence*
Mark Mazzetti and David Rohde, New York Times, via International Herald Tribune, 19 Feb 07
Article Link

Senior leaders of Al Qaeda operating from Pakistan have re-established significant control over their once-battered worldwide terror network and over the past year have set up a band of training camps in the tribal regions near the Afghan border, according to American intelligence and counterterrorism officials.  American officials said there was mounting evidence that Osama Bin Laden and his deputy, Ayman al-Zawahri, had been steadily building an operations hub in the mountainous Pakistani tribal area of North Waziristan. Until recently, the Bush administration had described Bin Laden and Zawahri as detached from their followers and cut off from operational control of Al Qaeda.  The United States has also identified several new Qaeda compounds in North Waziristan, including one that officials said might be training operatives for strikes against targets beyond Afghanistan ....



*Australia to beef up military presence in Iraq, Afghanistan*
Agence France Presse, 19 Feb 07
Article Link

Australia will send up to 70 additional military instructors to war-torn Iraq and may deploy more troops in
Afghanistan, according to Prime Minister John Howard.  His remarks came ahead of a visit this week by US Vice President Dick Cheney, who is expected to urge Canberra to consider beefing up its assistance to US forces fighting in the long-running conflicts  ....  On Afghanistan, Howard said he would keep under review Australia's military commitment of some 550 Australian soldiers.  "The situation in Afghanistan is not easy. We would like to see a greater commitment in the southern part of the country from a number of the non-
NATO countries."  Opposition leader Kevin Rudd said the Labor Party would not back any increase in the number of Australian troops in Iraq, even military trainers.  "Our troops have been there for four years now and our policy is our combat forces should come home and secondly there should be no more troops sent," he said.  Rudd signalled, however, that Labor was receptive to the idea of Australia increasing its efforts in Afghanistan.  "This is a task that requires continued commitment," he said ....



*Residents flee Kajaki district as tension persists*
Abdul Samad Rohani, Pajhwok Afghan News, 17 Feb 07
Article Link

More than 4,000 families had fled the Kajaki district of the southern Helmand province due to the recent fighting and persistent tension in that area, residents said.  Of the migrated people, around 1,500 had taken refuge in the provincial capital of Lashkargah, while the rest had migrated to the neighbouring districts, said tribal elders.  Haji Azizullah, head of a family arrived in Lashkargah said people had started leaving their homes after the last week fighting in the district.  The NATO-led ISAF had bombed Taliban positions in the district last week which resulted in the killing of some 30 militants as well as some local commanders. Taliban had denied the losses and said only civilians had killed in the air strike.  Hanji Abdul Ahad, another tribal elder who migrated from Kajaki along with his family, demanded emergency assistance for the displaced families.  Provincial Governor Asadullah Wafa admitted large-scale migration from Kajaki and said the rural rehabilitation and development department had been assigned the task to conduct a survey about the displaced people.  Director of the department Haji Mohammad Omar Qaane said they had extended emergency assistance to those displaced from Musa Qala and other districts and would soon help the people migrated from Kajaki.



*Unsung heroes of Afghanistan*
Paul Adams, BBC online, 17 Feb 07
Article Link

Nato forces are preparing for a new wave of fighting in Afghanistan. But away from the battlegrounds, local and international schemes are attempting to break the country's cycle of conflict and poverty.  "Would you like to see the Taleban's last stand?" the lady asked.  Well, thanks. Yes. That would be great.  I confess I had not expected anything so conclusive quite so early on in my trip.  Wondering what she could possibly mean, I followed, along one of the wide, dusty tracks that pass for roads in Kandahar's sprawling airbase.  It was not a withering display of firepower, of course, but simply a gaping hole in one of the base's older buildings, caused by an American guided bomb back in 2001.  It had been one of the final acts of the war, destroying what was then a Taleban stronghold in their spiritual heartland ....


----------



## GAP (20 Feb 2007)

*Articles found February 20, 2007*

Canadian actions questioned in killings
Conflicting stories emerge after Afghan beggar, policeman shot 
GRAEME SMITH From Tuesday's Globe and Mail
Article Link

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan — Canadian soldiers have fatally shot an Afghan policeman and a homeless beggar during the latest in a series of bloody incidents that have tarnished the reputation of foreign troops in the city.

The shooting on Sunday night happened after insurgents fired rocket-propelled grenades and smaller weapons at a Canadian convoy, the first such attack within the city limits since Canada took responsibility for security in this dangerous province nearly 12 months ago.

The Canadian military says two people were mistakenly killed in the ensuing gun battle.

“The shootings occurred during the firefight, while we were engaged with the insurgents,” Major Dale MacEachern said.
More on link

Suicide blast wounds 3 U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan
Tue Feb 20, 2007 3:01am ET
Article Link

KHOST, Afghanistan (Reuters) - An Afghan suicide bomber disguised as a doctor blew himself up and injured three U.S. soldiers during a function at a hospital in Khost on Tuesday, officials said.

Khost governor Arsala Jamal told Reuters that a U.S. soldier had seen the bomber acting suspiciously at a gathering of provincial officials and troops under NATO's command.

"The bomber wore a gown and looked suspicious," Jamal told Reuters by phone from the hospital. "An American soldier saw him, fired at him and then the bomber blew up his explosives in which three American soldiers were wounded."

He had no more details.
End

Taliban capture another district in Afghanistan, Govt downplays it
Kabul, Feb 20 (ANI)
Article Link

Around 300 Taliban insurgents captured a remote district in western Afghanistan yesterday, after storming it and forcing out the government forces, a provincial governor confirmed

Bakwa district in the western province of Farah is the second district taken by Taliban after the militants captured Musa Qala in southern Helmand province more than two weeks ago, reported the Daily Times. 

"The district has been captured by Taliban. We've no communication with our people down there," the paper quoted provincial governor Moheedin as saying in an interview with a foreign news agency.

But, he declined giving further details, whether the takeover involved fighting and whether casualties may have resulted.

But, a government official downplayed the significance of the latest capture, saying: "As you know Bakwa is a remote area. There is not a proper police force and it is easy for one to capture it. Capturing a district like this is not a strategic threat but it definitely gives media coverage to the enemy."
More on link

Heroes of fighting in Afghanistan receive medals
Canadian Press Tuesday, February 20, 2007 
Article Link

OTTAWA (CP) -- On a stifling afternoon in Afghanistan last summer, a group of Canadian soldiers came under heavy fire as they attacked a Taliban outpost.

After two senior leaders were hit, Sgt. Patrick Tower took over command. With rocket-propelled grenades going off all around, with machine-gun fire lashing the area, Tower led a medic and a second soldier over 150 metres of bullet-whipped ground to the rescue of the wounded.

He loaded them aboard an armoured vehicle and got them to safety. Four soldiers died that day and more might have been lost but for Towers.

That same summer, Capt. William Hilton Fletcher, Tower's company commander, made a habit of leading under fire, even after two soldiers were shot down beside him.

On Monday, Tower and Fletcher became the first soldiers to receive the Star of Military Valour, second only to the Victoria Cross as a decoration for courage. Four others were awarded the Medal of Military Bravery, the third ranking medal.

The country's awards for military valour were established in 1993, but were never awarded until Monday, when Gov. Gen. Michaelle Jean presented these six to men who performed extraordinary deeds under fire in Afghanistan

Fletcher, of Edmonton, and Tower of Edmonton and Sidney, B.C., were cited for courage and selflessness.

"Sgt. Tower's courage and selfless devotion to duty contributed directly to the survival of the remaining platoon members," his citation read.
More on link

Alleged US spy found beheaded in Pakistan
20/02/2007 - 07:23:49 
Article Link

Suspected Islamic militants beheaded an Afghan refugee they accused of spying for the US, a Pakistani intelligence official said today.

The man’s body, with its severed head and limbs, was found yesterday near Ghulam Khan, a town in North Waziristan close to the Afghan border.

A note found with the body identified the dead man as Nek Amal, from Zozak village in Afghanistan’s neighbouring Khost province. It said Amal was “a spy of America”, the official said.

Afghan refugees from Khost living in Ghulam Khan identified Amal’s body and transported it to Khost for burial, he said.
More on link

Experts say Afghanistan's army doing well in spite of problems
Article Link

(Kabul, Afghanistan-AP) February 19, 2007 - For all its problems - and there are many - the army in Afghanistan looks better to military analysts than the Iraqi army does.

Forces in Afghanistan struggle with old equipment and low pay. Many soldiers desert. But with more than $8.5 billion in American money for security, the Afghans are stepping up recruitment. They hope to have 70,000 soldiers by the end of next year - three years sooner than first thought.

Analysts also think the Afghan army is in a better position to succeed than its Iraqi counterpart. That's because it faces a weaker adversary, and began training more than a year earlier.

The hope is to have Afghanistan defending itself without American and NATO support within 10 years.
End


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## MarkOttawa (20 Feb 2007)

Is Hillier out of line?
Chief of defence is playing a highly unusual public role in promoting the mission in Afghanistan, even bypassing the defence minister to deal directly with the Prime Minister
_Toronto Star_, February 20, 2007 by Michael Byers
http://www.thestar.com/printArticle/183409



> Canada's mission in Afghanistan is failing and Chief of Defence Staff Rick Hillier deserves much of the blame.
> 
> Since becoming Canada's top soldier two years ago, Hillier has pushed the politicians hard. At his own swearing-in ceremony, he criticized Paul Martin for underfunding the military; one month later, he browbeat the Liberal cabinet into volunteering troops for a combat mission to Kandahar.
> 
> ...



Iraq dogs Afghan mission
Toronto Star, February 20, 2007, by James Travers
http://www.thestar.com/printArticle/183408



> Here's a puzzler with life, death and election consequences. Question: What's more threatening to Canada's Kandahar mission than the expected Taliban spring offensive? Answer: Confusing the war in Afghanistan with the war in Iraq.
> 
> The reason rests squarely on modern reality. Troops sent abroad must constantly look over their shoulders at public opinion at home.
> 
> ...



Mark
Ottawa


----------



## The Bread Guy (20 Feb 2007)

*Board of Inquiry members confirmed to investigate the treatment and processing of certain detainees*
Department of National Defence news release NR–07.003, 19 Feb 07
Article Link

General Rick Hillier, Chief of the Defence Staff, has confirmed today the composition of the Board of Inquiry (BOI) to investigate the treatment and processing of detainees by Canadian Forces members in Afghanistan, and the circumstances regarding the transfer of three detainees from a Canadian field element to Military Police at Kandahar Airfield that took place April 6-8, 2006. The BOI will also include a review of the orders, directives and procedures associated with that process.

Lieutenant-General W.J. Natynczyk, Vice Chief of the Defence Staff (VCDS), has been appointed the convening authority to provide the BOI sufficient latitude to go beyond the operational chain of command, therefore allowing for a complete review of detainee handling processes.

The VCDS is responsible for issuing written Terms of Reference (ToR) for the BOI. The ToR will identify the officer that will preside over the BOI, its members and advisors, the security classification or designation and the scope under which the BOI will be responsible for investigating and providing findings and recommendations.

The VCDS has appointed the following members to the BOI: Major-General M.G. Macdonald as the president of the board, Brigadier-General (Retired) G. E. Sharpe and Captain (Navy) P.C. Avis. In addition the BOI will receive guidance on legal, public affairs, medical, military police and training development issues from a number of advisors. Chief Warrant Office W.A. Ford, Chief Warrant Officer J.D. Levesque, will provide operations advice.

A BOI is an administrative inquiry normally convened to examine and report on complex or significant events. It serves to determine, in accordance with the ToR, what occurred, how and why it occurred, looks for problems and proposes solutions to reduce the likelihood of recurrence. The BOI is distinctly different than the ongoing Canadian Force National Investigation Service (CFNIS) investigation. In the case of the CNIS investigation, Military Police trained investigators assess evidence to determine whether or not a criminal offence has occurred, and whether or not there is sufficient evidence to lay charges.

The BOI conducts its work and meetings separate from the ongoing military police investigation conducted by the CFNIS into the same incident. As such, the BOI will be undertaken in a manner that ensures it does not interfere with the NIS investigation.

At the completion of the BOI, a report containing findings and recommendations will be submitted to Lieutenant-General Natynczyk for review after which it will be forwarded to the Chief of the Defence Staff. The findings, results, and recommendations will then be made public, subject to the limitations on the release of information imposed by the Privacy Act and the Access to Information Act.

- 30-



*Foreign fighters filling out depleted Taliban ranks: Canadian commander*
MURRAY BREWSTER, Canadian Press, 20 Feb 07
Article Link

In what may be a mixed blessing, a Canadian commander claimed Tuesday there has been a slide in local support for the Taliban throughout the winter in Kandahar but foreign fighters are now filling the insurgency's depleted ranks.  "We are getting the sense support in traditional strongholds is waning," said Col. Mike Cessford, the new deputy commander of Canadian troops in Afghanistan.  "We are seeing foreign fighters, people not familiar with this area, people not from this area, conducting Taliban operations - which suggests to me that the baseline of support is eroding significantly."  Speaking to journalists after a change-of-command ceremony, Cessford offered no proof of his assertion but his statement comes amid reports that the al-Qaida has reconstituted itself in the lawless tribal areas of Pakistan that border Afghanistan.  There has been much talk in NATO ranks about exactly what role the terrorist network may or may not be playing after a tape was released last week by an al-Qaida production company that purportedly showed its fighters attacking a U.S. base in neighbouring Zabul province.  If foreigner jihadists are reinforcing Taliban ranks in large numbers, it could be a worrying trend for the alliance. Foreign militants are generally motivated by ideology and fight more fanatically than the local hired guns the Taliban usually employs.  Cessford said he wasn't certain whether the foreign fighters belong to al-Qaida. He also wasn't prepared to speculate on their nationality ....



*Canadian general urges troops to use restraint following civilian shootings*
MURRAY BREWSTER, Canadian Press, 20 Feb 07
Article Link

Canadian commanders in southern Afghanistan are still looking for the right balance between protecting their soldiers from the Taliban and safeguarding the lives of civilians who get caught in the crossfire.  Brig.-Gen Tim Grant said Tuesday that he has spoken to his battle group commander about the rash of civilian shootings since fresh Canadian troops arrived in the region earlier this month.  "Every time that we injure a civilian, it is devastating to us, it's devastating to the families and it's something we have to stop," he told reporters following a change of command ceremony, where the 2nd Battalion Royal Canadian Regiment officially took over operations in Kandahar.  "It's a clear priority of mine that we reduce the number of rounds fired and that we protect the people as we go through the city, particularly," he said ....



*Afghan Forces Retake Town Briefly Held By Taliban*
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
Article Link

Afghan security forces backed by NATO troops are reported to have retaken control of a small town in western Afghanistan that was briefly seized by Taliban militants.  Farah Province Governor Mohidin Khan was quoted by the Associated Press as saying about 200 Afghan police and soldiers moved into the town of Bakwa early today and faced no resistance.  Khan said some NATO forces also took part in the operation.  "There is now security there, and there isn't any problem," Afghan Interior Ministry spokesman Zamarai Bashari said today. "There is no damage to the main district office, and there are no casualties among civilians. Security forces are currently in the district."  Taliban fighters were reported to have moved into the town on February 19 ....



*Documents show troops will be in Afghanistan in 2011, NDP MP says*
DANIEL LEBLANC, Globe & Mail, 20 Feb 07
Article Link

The NDP accused the government yesterday of harbouring a hidden agenda in Afghanistan, pointing to internal documents showing planned rotations for the Canadian Forces in Kandahar into 2011.  But the government said the Canadian Forces are simply engaged in contingency planning and that no plan is in the works to extend the mission beyond 2009.  An undated briefing document prepared for Chief of the Defence Staff General Rick Hillier shows plans to send the Royal Canadian Regiment to Afghanistan in February, 2010, and the Royal 22nd Regiment in August of that year.  "The Minister of National Defence has refused the NDP request to set a time for debate and a vote on whether or not to extend the mission in Afghanistan beyond 2009," New Democratic Party MP Dawn Black said during Question Period.  "The Chief of the Defence Staff is already way ahead of the government. The CDS has detailed plans going until 2011 for deployments. Will the minister tell the members of the Canadian Forces and their families what General Hillier has planned for them?" ....



*Liberal senator wins dubious 'Teddy' award*
CTV.ca, 20 Feb 07
Article Link

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation has named Liberal Senator Colin Kenny as winner of the federal "Teddy" award -- an honour bestowed upon what the federation calls the worst offender when it comes to government waste and overspending.  The CTF claims to be a non-profit, non-partisan advocacy group which fights for lower taxes, and greater government accountability  ....  In a tongue-in-cheek, Oscars-like ceremony, the CTF awarded Kenny for "Best Comedic Performance by an Unelected Official" for his starring role in "Letters & Bills from Dubai".  Last year, the senate's National Security and Defence Committee (of which Kenny was the head) was accused of misspending public funds following a $138,000 overseas trip that included a stop at a luxury hotel in Dubai.  The defence committee went with the intent of visiting Canadian troops in Kandahar, but they were prevented from going into Afghanistan by military commanders who said the situation was too dangerous. Kenny and four other senators remained in Dubai, where they investigated port security and spent C$311 a night on rooms at the Renaissance Hotel.  Kenny and his committee were unanimously cleared of the allegations, but the CTF said:  "Documents clearly show that military officials told them in advance that a film shoot in Afghanistan was not an option. Undeterred, the star of the film leads the crew onwards where they stay in a luxurious hotel in Dubai for 7 days even though only one three-hour shoot is scheduled. The hotel bill? A cool $30,000." ....



*NATO split in Afghanistan*
Vanessa Mock, Radio Netherlands, 20 Feb 07
Article Link

Cracks are emerging within NATO in Afghanistan, after Canada last week criticised some allies for not pulling their weight. A bruising report by the Canadian Senate said all the fighting was being left to just a handful of countries while others focussed exclusively on reconstruction. The report also urgently calls for more troops in the south of the country, a demand that in the past days has been repeated by President Bush. But so far that call has not been heeded, despite predictions that the Taliban is preparing for a major spring offensive against NATO troops.  These are anxious days for NATO troops. Reports are streaming out of Afghanistan that the Taliban is growing fast and is preparing a violent assault on foreign troops in the Spring.  Some 37,000 NATO troops are currently posted in the country, but many are engaged in reconstruction work in the North, far removed from the heavy fighting in the South ....



*UN mission in Afghanistan expands presence to foster stability – envoy*
UN News Centre, 19 Feb 07
Article Link

Responding to Afghanistan's need for greater stability, the United Nations Assistance Mission in the country (UNAMA) has established new offices in the provinces, its chief said today.  “Over the past months I have opened offices in Kunar, Badghis, Zabul and Khost,” Tom Koenigs, the Secretary-General's Special Representative in Afghanistan, told a press briefing in Kabul. “On Saturday last I opened our newest office in Nimroz province. In the coming months we will open further offices in Daikundi and Ghor. And maybe others will follow.”  With the new expansion, UNAMA will nearly double the number of its offices to significant effect, Mr. Koenigs observed. “This outreach to the provinces reflects a critical need. Afghanistan needs stability, it needs peace, governance and development.” ....



*Afghan Lawmakers Approve Amnesty For War Criminals*
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 20 Feb 07
Article Link

The upper house of Afghanistan's parliament -- the Meshrano Jirga -- approved a controversial bill today that rules out legal proceedings for war crimes committed by Afghans during the last 25 years, RFE/RL's Radio Free Afghanistan reported.  The upper house, which has many warlords as members, approved the bill by a reported vote of 41 to 16. The lower house -- also dominated by individuals alleged to have been involved in war crimes -- approved the bill last month ....  The document still needs to be approved by Afghan President Hamid Karzai to become law.  Karzai's spokesman has said that he will not sign the bill. But according to Afghanistan's Constitution, the lower house of parliament can override a presidential veto if a bill is supported by two-thirds of the legislators.  A translation of the bill reads that "all political parties and belligerent groups who fought each other during the past two-and-a-half decades...will not be pursued legally or judicially." ....



*UN official arrives in Afghanistan to review aid effort*
UN News Centre, 18 Feb 07
Article Link

A senior United Nations humanitarian official today began a five-day visit to Afghanistan to see how the world body can better deliver relief aid to the war-torn country.  During her fact-finding mission, Margareta Wahlström, the Assistant Secretary-General for the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, will be looking at how to ensure civilians are better protected and how to best provide support and aid to people in areas that are affected by conflict, the UN said.  Ms. Wahlström will be visiting Kandahar province to see how projects are progressing there ....


----------



## The Bread Guy (21 Feb 2007)

*Liberals back Afghan mission until 2009*
Campbell Clark, Globe & Mail, 21 Feb 07
Permalink

The federal Liberals will support Canada's NATO mission remaining in southern Afghanistan until 2009 but call for another country to take over afterward, according to sources in the party.  Split between hawks and doves, Stéphane Dion's opposition party has hammered out its long-promised common-ground position that includes signalling to allies that Canada will give up the leadership of the Kandahar-based NATO mission at the end of its current tour, two years from now.  When he took the reins of the Liberal Party in December, Mr. Dion said he would have little patience for a rising Canadian death toll unless the mission achieved better results. But he also faced a faction of MPs, including deputy leader Michael Ignatieff, who adamantly oppose early withdrawal.  Tomorrow, Mr. Dion will deliver an address in Montreal outlining his party's new position. Liberal sources said the key elements have been hammered out in meetings of MPs over several weeks ....



*Canadians rue spate of civilian shootings*
By MURRAY BREWSTER, Canadian Press, via London Free Press, 21 Feb 07
Article Link

Canadian commanders in southern Afghanistan are still looking for the right balance between protecting their soldiers from the Taliban and safeguarding the lives of civilians who get caught in the crossfire.  Brig.-Gen Tim Grant said yesterday he has spoken to his battle group commander about the rash of civilian shootings since fresh Canadian troops arrived in the region this month.  "Every time that we injure a civilian, it is devastating to us, it's devastating to the families and it's something we have to stop," he said after a change of command ceremony, where the 2nd Battalion Royal Canadian Regiment officially took over operations in Kandahar.  "It's a clear priority of mine that we reduce the number of rounds fired and that we protect the people as we go through the city, particularly," he said ....



*Amnesty slams Canada over Afghan detainees*
Paul Koring, Globe & Mail, 21 Feb 07
Article Link

Canada's practice of turning detainees over to Afghan security forces, widely accused of torture and abuse, violates international law and the Charter of Rights, Amnesty International and the British Columbia Civil Liberties Association say.  The two groups will Wednesday file an application in Federal Court in Ottawa seeking judicial review of the military's controversial policy. Named as respondents in the action are Defence Minister Gordon O'Connor, General Rick Hillier, Canada's Chief of the Defence Staff, and Attorney-General Robert Nicholson.  The legal action will be announced today by Alex Neve, Amnesty International Canada's Secretary-General, and Shirley Heafey, a B.C. Civil Liberties Association board member.  “There's a very strong chance of it winding up in the Supreme Court,” said Paul Champ, who is acting on behalf of Amnesty and the BCCLA.  The case will raise significant constitutional issues, including whether Canadian soldiers fighting abroad are legally bound by the Geneva Conventions even if generals insist that “enemy combatants” aren't entitled to Geneva rights, and whether Charter guarantees of due process extend to captives apprehended on battlefields halfway around the world ....



*France defends its military contribution in Afghanistan*
Mike Blanchfield, CanWest News Service, 20 Feb 07
Article Link

France says it is not abandoning its Canadian ally in volatile southern Afghanistan and has chided Canada’s Senate for publicly suggesting that.  The French embassy in Ottawa this week sent a letter to Liberal Senator Colin Kenny after the upper chamber’s national security and defence committee, which he chairs, criticized France and Germany in a report for not sending troops to southern Afghanistan, where Canadian soldiers are battling the Taliban insurgency.  While Canadian politicians and military officials have complained in recent months some of their NATO allies are not pulling their weight in southern Afghanistan, they have refrained from singling out specific countries.  But French officials decided they could not stay silent after Kenny’s committee crossed that line.  “The general message that we want to send is that France has not turned a blind eye to Canada’s call for help,” said a senior French diplomat ....


*UK seeks more NATO hardware for Afghanistan*
Reuters, 20 Feb 07
Article Link

Britain accused its NATO allies on Tuesday of failing to send enough troops and hardware to fight Taliban guerrillas in southern Afghanistan.  "This is a real test of the resolve and of the credibility of NATO and I'm not sure that every NATO member understands the significance of that," Kim Howells, the Foreign Office minister responsible for Afghanistan told parliament.  "If they did then I'm sure they'd be far more ready to put more troops and more assets down into the south where the real battle is going on at the moment," he said.  He added: "I know of countries that have helicopters that might as well be parked up in leading European airports for the amount of good they are doing in some parts of Afghanistan."  NATO has a force of more than 30,000 troops in Afghanistan and many countries have contributed, but the brunt of most fighting has been borne by U.S., British, Canadian and Dutch forces deployed in the restive south ....


*Italian foreign minister urges communist allies to back government action in Afghanistan*
Associated Press, via International Herald Tribune, 21 Feb 07
Article Link

Italy's foreign minister urged the government's communist partners Wednesday to back his plans to keep troops in Afghanistan, a policy that has exposed deep rifts in the ruling center-left coalition.  Massimo D'Alema outlined the government's foreign policy priorities in a wide-ranging, hour-long address to the Senate, where the center-left forces have a minimal majority. The upper house was scheduled to vote on the government's guidelines for foreign policy later in the day.  The vote is not a confidence vote, but is a crucial political test for Premier Romano Prodi's government, which has been in place for less than a year. Its outcome is uncertain, as some senators from the far-left have indicated in recent days they would not support the government.  D'Alema warned radical leftists Tuesday that the government might resign if it loses the vote.  Italy has 1,800 troops in Afghanistan. Prodi has agreed to keep the troops there, resisting calls from Communists to pull them out and a NATO request to increase them ....



*Suicide attacker in doctor’s coat strikes Afghan hospital*
Gulf Times (QAT), 21 Feb 07
Article Link

A suicide bomber dressed as a doctor wounded two US soldiers at an Afghanistan hospital yesterday, while officials said a US and Afghan soldier died in other suspected Taliban-linked violence.  The attacker tried to enter a room at the hospital, in eastern Khost city, where doctors and Nato-led troops had gathered for a ceremony to open a new emergency ward built by the alliance, the interior ministry said.  Two Nato-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) soldiers were injured in the blast, the ministry's press office said. ISAF confirmed a suicide attack involving its forces, but had no details.  "He was shot by police. As he fell down he exploded his bombs which injured two Nato soldiers," the ministry said, adding that one Afghan man was also "very slightly injured".  There was no claim of responsibility but most suicide blasts here last year were linked to the extremist Taliban movement, waging an insurgency after being toppled by a US-led invasion in 2001 ....

*Suicide bomb wounds six US soldiers in Afghan hospital*
Kuwait Times, 21 Feb 07
Article Link

An Afghan suicide bomber disguised as a doctor blew himself up at a hospital in southern Afghanistan yesterday, wounding six Americans.  Khost Governor Arsala Jamal told Reuters that US soldiers opened fire on the man who was acting suspiciously as he and US officers attended a function in the hospital.  The Taleban have warned they will dramatically step up suicide attacks this year after suffering heavy losses in conventional pitched battles in 2006. The guerrillas claimed responsibility for the hospital attack and for the killing of a US soldier in fighting on Monday in the eastern province of Kunar, bordering Pakistan. He was the tenth US soldier to die this month ....



*Taliban set to ramp up bomb attacks in spring, NATO spokesman says*
ALISA TANG, Associated Press, 21 Feb 07
Article Link

NATO-led forces will face "hard fighting" this spring in Afghanistan's volatile south and west, where the Taliban is gearing up for increased suicide and roadside bomb attacks, an alliance spokesman said Wednesday.  The insurgents will focus their efforts on reducing Afghans' support for their government, said Col. Tom Collins, spokesman for NATO's International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan.  "The enemy is making preparations to ramp up their activities in the spring," Collins told reporters, noting that such an increase in attacks has been a trend in recent years - as the harsh winter weather breaks and snows melt on mountain passes used by militants.  "We know that there are concentrations of Taliban forces in some areas of the south," he said, listing Uruzgan, Kandahar and Helmand and the southwestern provinces of Farah and Ghor.  Military operations would take place where the Taliban were impeding efforts for reconstruction and development, Collins said. He expected militants to launch attacks, mainly suicide and roadside bombs.  "We do expect some hard fighting in selected areas," Collins said.  Insurgency attacks occur almost daily in the lawless southern provinces, once a former stronghold of the Taliban where the government wields little power. Last year saw the bloodiest upsurge in violence since the hardline regime was ousted in late 2001 for hosting al-Qaida ....



*Fifty-five insurgents join Afghan gov't*
Xinhua (CHN), via www.chinaview.cn, 21 Feb 07
Article Link

Fifty-five militants including two suicide bombers have laid down their arms and joined the government-backed peace program in Afhanistan, a local newspaper reported Wednesday.  "With the initiative of Strengthening Peace Commission (SPC) 55 militants including two suicide bombers loyal to Taliban and Hekmatyar-led Islamic party the Hizb-e-Islami gave up resistance and joined the government on Tuesday," Daily Afghanistan writes.  The two suicide bombers, who did not want to disclose their names, told the newspaper that Taliban imparted training to them for three months and sent them into Afghanistan to target Afghan and NATO forces.  Taliban movement, they said, had trained tens of hundreds of youths to carry out suicide attacks in Afghanistan ....



*Women forced to quit work because of insecurity*
IRIN News Service (UN), 21 Feb 07
Article Link

Jamila Niyazi has received several death threats as principal of Lashkar Gah girls' high school in the southern Afghan province of Helmand. Niyazi, who oversees 7,000 girls, is a target for ultra-conservative elements, including Taliban insurgents, who use propaganda, coercion and violence to spread their influence.  In 'night letters' delivered to her doorstep, followed up by threatening phone calls, the Taliban have repeatedly warned Niyazi to close down her school on the grounds that girls should not leave their homes.  She is not alone. Increasing insecurity in the southern province of Helmand, where the conflict between the anti-government elements and the international forces has intensified in recent months, has been pushing more and more women out of the workforce back into their homes.  The Afghan Ministry of Interior, which is responsible for security, agrees that safety has deteriorated, but says it does not have enough personnel to deal with the problem. Ministry spokesman Zemarai Bashary said "there is no special unit for the protection of women", but noted that "all citizens have the same rights".  Soraya Sobhrang, a member of the Afghan Human Rights Commission, however, feels "women are the first who are victimised when there is no rule of law or security". Reports from Helmand reveal that "young girls are unable to go to school and hospitals due to fear" ....



*US orders review into treatment of wounded troops*
Matt Spetalnick, Reuters, 20 Feb 07
Article link

The Bush administration ordered a review on Tuesday of the care of wounded U.S. troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan after reports that many face neglect in the Army's medical system.  Democrats controlling Congress demanded a thorough investigation and promised legislation after a Washington Post series exposed deteriorating conditions for hundreds of outpatients at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, the premier U.S. military hospital.  The controversy poses a public relations problem for President George W. Bush, who has spoken often of America's debt to military personnel wounded in the wars, visited the hospital's wards and honored military amputees at White House functions.  The White House expressed concern at conditions for veterans after reports that many suffering physical and psychological problems lived in shoddy housing on or near the sprawling complex and faced long battles with Army bureaucracy.  "I can tell you that we believe that they deserve better," White House spokesman Tony Snow told reporters. "Of course, there's outrage that men and women who have been fighting have not received the outpatient care."  "We need to make sure that whatever problems there are get fixed," he added.  The Pentagon said an independent panel would look into outpatient care and administrative processes at Walter Reed and the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland ....


----------



## GAP (22 Feb 2007)

*Articles found February 22, 2007*

Canadians pay Afghan farmers for land lost  
Updated Thu. Feb. 22 2007 8:32 AM ET Associated Press
Article Link

PATROL BASE WILSON, Afghanistan -- Money, it seems, does not buy peace of mind, especially for war-weary Afghan farmers, who have over the last couple days received C$938,000 in compensation for land bulldozed by Canadians to build a road west of Kandahar. 

For refugees returning to their homes in Zhari district after being driven away months ago by heavy fighting, the money is welcome recompense, but there is still a deep sense of unease. 

"We're very disappointed about the insecure situation in this region,'' said Bismalah, a farmer with a deeply lined face, who returned to his land three weeks ago. 

"The only thing we need is security. This is our wish. If the Canadians give us hundreds of thousands, millions of dollars, but we are living in an insecure situation, we don't like money; we like security.'' 

In order for Bismalah and roughly 55 other farmers to get their money, they had to pass through a security cordon that included personal searches, armed escorts into the base and a display of Canadian military firepower in the form of a pair of Leopard C2 tanks. 

For Shafikahn, a somewhat more affluent landowner, it was an illustration that the peace around here was tenuous at best and the recent decision to flee his home a second time was justified. 

"Half of our family is still living in the city so we decided to move back to the city,'' said the remarkably tall farmer who could only guess his age to be between 40 and 48 years. 
More on link

Taliban Claims It Used Surface-To-Air Missile To Down Helicopter  
Thursday February 22, 2007 (0344 PST)
Article Link

KABUL: Taliban fighters using Surface-to-Air Missile 7 (SAM 7) brought down a coalition CH-47 Chinook helicopter in south-eastern Afghanistan on Sunday, according to high-level Taliban sources speaking to Adnkronos International (AKI). 
According to the sources, who provided AKI with exclusive documents and video CDs, the attack on the helicopter marks the start of the Taliban spring uprising and the use of more sophisticated weapons in their fight against foreign forces. Coalition forces said aircraft crashed killing eight people because it had "a sudden, unexplained loss of power and control". 

The Taliban sources told AKI that they would be using more advanced missile technology in their upcoming attacks. The militant group had acquired the surface to air missiles in 2005 and had arranged for a training programme for its fighters. 
More on link

Al Jazeera journalists released in Afghanistan  
Thursday February 22, 2007 (1155 PST)
Article Link

 KABUL: One British and three Afghan journalists working for Al Jazeera Television were released after they captured by Taliban militants in southern Province of Helmand in Afghanistan, held overnight and released yesterday, one of the team said.

Talking to mediamen, Al Jazeera producer Qais Azimy said. "We were captured by Taliban. They behaved well with us, Today before evening we were released."

The Kabul office of the Qatar-based satellite channel said earlier it lost contact with the television crew on Tuesday and was told by the Taliban they had been captured. The office asked for the information not to be released until the team was safe.

A Taliban spokesman said the four had "entered our area without Taliban permission" and were "taken into custody" near the town of Gereshk. The movement's leadership had decided to release the journalists, spokesman Yousuf Ahmadi said before they were freed.

Helmand has seen fierce battles this month between coallation forces and the Taliban, which has kidnapped and sometimes executed several Afghans and foreigners since being toppled from power in 2001.
More on link

Three ISAF soldiers killed in Afghanistan   
KABUL, Feb 22 (KUNA) 
Article Link

The NATO-led ISAF in Afghanistan announced on Thursday the death of three of its soldiers in combat and non-combat operations in different parts of the country over the past 24 hours.

According to a NATO statement, one soldier was killed in southern Afghanistan on Wednesday in a combat operation. The statement did not give further details on the exact location of the operation and its nature.

Another ISAF soldier died in a non-combat operation in the eastern zone, said the statement.

The eastern zone of Afghanistan comprises the provinces of Nangarhar, Kunar, Nuristan and Laghman.
More on link

Australia Says It May Send More Troops to Afghanistan  (Update1) 
By Gemma Daley and Ed JohnsonFeb. 22 (Bloomberg)
Article Link

Australia may deploy more troops in Afghanistan to help the North Atlantic Treaty Organization battle Taliban insurgents and is sending a team to evaluate requirements, Defense Minister Brendan Nelson said today. 

Australians shouldn't be surprised ``if we did decide we need to increase our numbers there,'' Nelson told Sydney Radio 2UE. He declined to comment on a report in the Australian newspaper that the national security cabinet will next month approve doubling the size of the contingent. 

Australia has 550 soldiers in Afghanistan, including 110 personnel belonging to a CH-47 Chinook helicopter detachment that provides logistical support to coalition partners, according to the Defense Department's Web Site. 

NATO expects a renewed offensive by insurgents in coming months and has appealed to allies to commit more troops and resources. The future of Italy's 1,800-strong contingent in Afghanistan could be in doubt after lawmakers yesterday failed to back a motion supporting Italian participation in the NATO mission, prompting Prime Minister Romano Prodi to resign. 

Prodi has been under pressure from the Green Party and the Party of Italian Communists to draft an exit strategy for the troops in Kabul and Herat. 
More on link



Afghanistan ambassador says Pakistani army has power to counter terrorism, extremism  
By Barry Schweid ASSOCIATED PRESS 2:49 p.m. February 21, 2007
Article Link

WASHINGTON – Afghanistan's ambassador said Wednesday that real power in Pakistan is in the hands of that nation's army and it is capable of countering extremism and terrorism along the countries' border. 
“The real institution in charge is the military,” Said Tayeb Jawad said in an interview, sidestepping an assessment of the effectiveness of Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf. 

Afghanistan long has criticized Pakistan and its president as not cracking down on training camps on its side of a long border with Afghanistan. 
Pakistan, by contrast, says it is working hard to counter terrorism. On a visit to Washington last September, Musharraf won praise from President Bush. “We are on the hunt together,” Bush said, referring to Osama bin Laden, leader of the al-Qaeda network, and other terror chiefs. 

But Jawad said the army holds the cards. “The army is a powerful and capable institution to reduce the influence of extremism and also to fight terrorism and extremism effectively,” the diplomat said. 
More on link


----------



## The Bread Guy (23 Feb 2007)

*Karzai asks Canada, Italy not to withdraw*
Dawn.com (PAK), 22 Feb 07
Article Link

President Hamid Karzai urged Italy on Thursday not to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan, after the Italian government resigned because of a parliamentary defeat over its plan to keep its 2,000 forces in the volatile country.  Karzai, whose own shaky grip on Afghanistan is under threat from resurgent Taliban rebels, also urged another key contributor to the NATO security force, Canada, to stay the course.  “My message to the countries helping us in Afghanistan, to Canada, to Italy, is that the Afghan people, the Canadian people and the Italian people are in the same fight, a fight for the security of our lives today and tomorrow,” Karzai told reporters after meeting NATO's Secretary-General, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer in Kabul ....



*First Regional Security Committee meeting held in Kandahar*
ISAF news release # 2007-122, 22 Feb 07
Article Link

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan (22 February) – Yesterday, the Regional Security Committee (RSC) held its inaugural meeting at Kandahar Airfield. The meeting was attended by Maj Gen Ton Van Loon, Commander, ISAF Regional Command South, Maj Gen Rahmatullah Raufi, Commander 205th ANA Army Corps, Maj Gen Afmatullah Zazai, Southern Regional Chief of Police and Col Wahidi, National Directorate of Security.  The aim of the RSC is to solve security issues.  Ton Van Loon said that the meeting, “was a major step forward to building on the ongoing successful co-operation between ISAF and the Government of Afghanistan security forces in the Southern Region.”  “By working together through committees such as this, we will have a better understanding of how to best support the Government of Afghanistan and its people,” he added.



*Most Canadian Support Troops In Light of Recent Investigation Into Afghanistan Abuses*
But Canadians Remain Split On The Continued Military Effort In Afghanistan
Ipsos-Reid news release, 22 Feb 07
Permalink to news release, tables of results

In the light of the recent launch of an investigation into allegations that Canadian soldiers may have mistreated detainees in Afghanistan, a new Ipsos Reid poll reports that most Canadians (63%) are sceptical that the Canadian public will ever really find out what happened. Many (37%), though, believe that investigation will get to the bottom of the issue.  Whatever the investigation’s finding might be, it appears as though Canadians’ support for their troops’ actions and behaviour in Afghanistan is unwavering:
* 73% agree that “whatever is reported back, it is probably an extremely isolated circumstance and not widespread among the Canadian forces”;
* 63% agree with the statement “I don’t believe that our Canadian troops are involved with torturing combatant prisoners”; and
* 86% agree that “our armed forces are doing a good job in Afghanistan”.
In fact, a good proportion of Canadians (39%) say they “don’t have a problem with our Canadian troops roughing up or manhandling combatant and Taliban prisoners because it’s a war zone”.  But while support for the actions and behaviour of Canada’s troops in Afghanistan is high, support for the military effort in Afghanistan is middling ....


*Canadians split over staying until 2009:  poll*
Jack Aubry, CanWest News Service, 22 Feb 07
Article Link

A new national poll indicates Canadians remain overwhelmingly supportive of their troops and the job they are doing in Afghanistan, although they are split over the government's decision to extend the mission until 2009.  Conducted exclusively for CanWest News Service and Global National, the Ipsos Reid poll was released yesterday as human-rights groups petitioned the Federal Court of Canada to stop Canadian soldiers from giving up control of prisoners captured during fighting in Afghanistan.  Amnesty International wants Ottawa to put a stop to transfers of detainees until the court reaches a decision on the constitutionality of surrendering captives to foreign governments.  Involving a random group of 1,000 respondents from Feb. 15 to 19, the survey found 53% support for the Canadian military sticking it out until its tour of duty ends in 2009 because they believe Afghanistan is too important to abandon ....


*Canadians split on mission, but strongly support troops*
Paul Koring, Globe & Mail, 23 Feb 07
Article Link

Four in 10 Canadians think it's okay for Canadian soldiers to beat their captives in Afghanistan and nearly two-thirds doubt investigations into alleged detainee abuse will uncover the truth, according to an Ipsos-Reid poll released yesterday.  As three probes into allegations of detainee abuse gear up in both Ottawa and Kandahar, the poll results provide a revealing glimpse of a Canadian public torn over the Afghanistan military mission, yet strongly supportive of the troops.  More than a third (37 per cent) of respondents said they believe Canadian troops "are involved with torturing" prisoners.  They were asked last week, just days after General Rick Hillier, the Chief of Defence Staff, and the independent Military Police Complaints Commission announced multiple investigations into allegations that detainees were abused by Canadian troops in April, 2006.  The poll found Canadians have little faith in the investigations. Nearly two-thirds of respondents (63 per cent) rejected the proposition that the investigations "will really find out what happened."  "There's a general skepticism in the public," said John Wright, an Ipsos-Reid senior vice-president ....



*Compensation deal reached with Afghan farmers*
Graham Thomson, CanWest News Service, 22 Feb 07
Article Link

This week a special Canadian convoy arrived here carrying a strongbox loaded with cash - 40-million Afghanis, the equivalent of $1 million Cdn, for more than 50 delighted farmers.  The cash was the compensation they had been promised ever since Canadian combat engineers, in the heat of battle, bulldozed a four-kilometre road through the region so troops could more safely travel to and from the neighbouring Panjwaii district, the site of vicious fighting between Canadian soldiers and the Taliban last summer and fall.  The million dollars was just a small part of the price Canadians actually paid for building what used to be dubbed Ambush Alley.  Six Canadian soldiers were killed working, guarding or patrolling the construction of this strategic route that became for a time the front line in the fighting between the Canadians and the Taliban ....


*They have cash, but no peace*
Canadian soldiers pay Afghan farmers for land lost to building of road
Murray Brewster, Canadian Press, via Hamilton Spectator, 23 Feb 07
Article Link

Money, it seems, does not buy peace of mind, especially for war-weary Afghan farmers, who have over the last couple days received $938,000 in compensation for land bulldozed by Canadians to build a road west of Kandahar.  For refugees returning to their homes in Zhari district after being driven away months ago by heavy fighting, the money is welcome recompense, but there is still a deep sense of unease.  "We're very disappointed about the insecure situation in this region," said Bismalah, a farmer with a deeply lined face, who returned to his land three weeks ago. The only thing we need is security. This is our wish. If the Canadians give us hundreds of thousands, millions of dollars, but we are living in an insecure situation, we don't like money; we like security."  In order for Bismalah and roughly 55 other farmers to get their money, they had to pass through a security cordon that included personal searches, armed escorts into the base and a display of Canadian military firepower in the form of a pair of Leopard C2 tanks ....



*Comment:  A bleak Afghanistan report*
Victoria Times Colonist, 23 Feb 07
Article Link

 ....  The latest Senate defence committee report is billed as "a hard look at a hard mission." It's a valuable addition to what has been a disappointingly empty and unfocused public discussion.  The report, focused on Canada's efforts in Kandahar, is discouraging. It acknowledges the Afghanis' need for help and the threat to Canada should the Taliban return to power.  But the committee, which visited Afghanistan in December, identifies serious problems that could mean the sacrifices being made are in vain ....


*Getting back on track*
This is Canada's mission, so let us ensure we tackle it Canada's way
Taylor Owen & David Eaves, Toronto Star, 23 Feb 07
Article Link

....  Militarily, the killing of even one civilian can do great strategic harm, turning entire villages against us. The Taliban use these casualties to great effect, so that some Afghans now fear international forces more than those who brutally ruled over them.  We need to rethink our counter-insurgency strategy, by relying less on military force, and more on innovative local interactions.  As a start, we must curtail the use of air strikes, resume the policy of compensating civilian casualties and determine how our forces can best support reconstruction.  Most importantly, we need to ensure effective governance .....



*More UK troops for Afghanistan*
BBC online, 23 Feb 07
Article Link

A substantial number of extra British troops are to be sent to Afghanistan, the BBC has learned.  Defence Secretary Des Browne will give details of the new deployment to the House of Commons on Monday.  The UK has been reluctant to add to its 5000-strong force in the country, as it has reinforced several times already.  Shadow defence secretary Liam Fox said the move showed that British forces were too "overstretched" to carry out duties in both Iraq and Afghanistan.  British forces are in Afghanistan as part of Nato's International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) ....


*Reports: Britain to increase troop levels in Afghanistan*
Associated Press, via International Herald Tribune, 23 Feb 07
Article Link

Britain will send an extra 1,000 soldiers to bolster its force in Afghanistan, a move that will be announced in the coming days, the Guardian newspaper reported.  Defense minister Des Browne is expected to address Parliament on Monday to provide lawmakers with details of the deployment. The increase is to come less than a week after Prime Minister Tony Blair announced that Britain will be withdrawing 1,600 of its soldiers from Iraq in the coming months.  A Defense Ministry spokesman would not comment on the report but said force levels in Afghanistan were constantly under review to make certain commanders have the troops they need. If any changes are made, they will be announced to Parliament, he said.  Britain has more than 5,000 soldiers in Afghanistan, concentrated in the volatile southern Helmand province. In all, NATO has about 35,000 troops in the region ....



*Former Mujahedeen Stage Rally in Kabul*
Associated Press, via Guardian Online (UK), 23 Feb 07
Article Link

Police tightened security and searched cars entering Kabul on Friday as thousands of former mujahedeen gathered for a mass rally to support a proposed amnesty for Afghans suspected of war crimes during a quarter-century of fighting, officials said.  International rights groups have condemned the proposed amnesty, which has been passed as a resolution by both houses of parliament. President Hamid Karzai must decide whether it should be made into a law.  It covers the leaders of the mujahedeen, or holy warriors, who fronted the anti-Soviet resistance in the 1980s and plunged the country into a civil war in the early 1990s that cost tens of thousands of lives.  Security was tight Friday morning for the planned rally at Kabul's National Stadium, with aid agencies advising their foreign employees to stay off the streets.  Lawmaker Mustafa Kazimi, a former mujahedeen leader, promised there would be no violence. ``It's not a gathering to seek revenge but to promote unity. It's a sign of democracy in Afghanistan,'' he said ....


*Afghan warlords plan pro-amnesty law demonstration*
Agence France Presse, 22 Feb 07
Article Link

Afghan warlords Thursday announced plans for a demonstration in Kabul in support of a controversial bill that would give amnesty for crimes committed during the country's years of conflict.  The planned demonstration on Friday at the Kabul sports stadium comes after the upper house of parliament approved the legislation on Tuesday.  The lower house passed the bill in January, but President Hamid Karzai, whose agreement is needed for the bill to become law, has yet to sign it.  "In the gathering, the people will show their support for the jihadi leaders and for the amnesty bill," said Waqif Hakimi, spokesman for Jamyat Islami, one of the Islamist factions involved in the country's 1992-1996 civil war.  "It will be huge. I think 50,000 people will attend." ....


*Afghan commanders rally for amnesty*
Al Jazeera English, 23 Feb 07
Article Link

Kabul police are tightening security as thousands of former fighters gather for a mass rally to support a proposed amnesty for Afghans suspected of war crimes during a quarter-century of fighting, officials said.   International rights groups have condemned the proposed amnesty, which has been passed as a resolution by both houses of parliament.  Hamid Karzai, the Afghan president, must decide whether it should be made into a law.  It covers the regional commanders of the fighters, who fronted the anti-Soviet resistance in the 1980s and plunged the country into a civil war in the early 1990s that cost tens of thousands of lives.  Security was tight on Friday morning for the planned rally at Kabul's National Stadium, with aid agencies advising their foreign employees to stay off the streets ....


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## GAP (23 Feb 2007)

*Articles found February 23, 2007*

SAS to boost troops in Afghanistan
23rd February 2007, 6:30 WST
Article Link

Australia is preparing to send more SAS troops to Afghanistan to help fight the resurgent Taliban forces and answer US requests for more help in the war against terror. 
   
Defence Minister Brendan Nelson said yesterday that an ADF advance team was already assessing conditions in Afghanistan and Australians should not be surprised if we had to increase our presence in the country. 
   
He said the Taliban “was starting to regrow like a weed”, echoing analysts who believe the former government is making alliances with local warlords and opium-growers in remote areas of Afghanistan. 
   
There are 550 Australian soldiers in Afghanistan after a group of 200 SAS Commandos completed their mission last September. The main deployments are a reconstruction team in the dangerous southern province of Oruzgan and two Chinook helicopters and their crews. 
   
The SAS deployment was successful in reducing the Taliban’s influence in Oruzgan province and was involved in several heavy firefights with Taliban soldiers. 
  
Fighting in Afghanistan is seasonal with Taliban forces holing up in remote mountains during winter snows and increasing attacks in the spring thaw. An SAS deployment could be in Afghanistan for the most crucial months of this year. 
More on link

A bleak Afghanistan report  
Times Colonist Published: Friday, February 23, 2007 
Article Link

 What if we're losing in Afghanistan, or at best waging a well-meaning but ultimately doomed effort?

The latest Senate defence committee report is billed as "a hard look at a hard mission." It's a valuable addition to what has been a disappointingly empty and unfocused public discussion.

The report, focused on Canada's efforts in Kandahar, is discouraging. It acknowledges the Afghanis' need for help and the threat to Canada should the Taliban return to power.

But the committee, which visited Afghanistan in December, identifies serious problems that could mean the sacrifices being made are in vain.

It's always difficult for foreign troops to fight local insurgents. Even if they represent a repressive force such as the Taliban, they are countrymen and Canadian troops are invaders.

The insurgents know the land and the people and can dispense both aid and retribution. They know that time is on their side. "Invading armies can only spend so much time on foreign soil before patience and money run out at home," the Senate report notes.

Even military victories can be political defeats. When our troops call in air support, innocent villagers die. At worst, the survivors become enemies; at best they conclude that our presence is making their lives more difficult. All this is especially true in Afghanistan, the report notes, where successive foreign invaders have been driven out over almost two centuries. The prudent course for Afghanis is to wait out the conflict.
More on link

300 troops could be sent to Afghanistan
February 23, 2007 04:33pm
Article Link

AUSTRALIA has the capacity to send up to 300 more troops to Afghanistan, Foreign Minister Alexander Downer says.

The Government is considering bolstering its commitment in Afghanistan and may send special forces to the war-torn nation ahead of an expected surge in activity by the Taliban in the northern hemisphere spring.

A small group of military officers has been sent to Afghanistan to assess the security environment before advising if more Australian troops should be deployed to Oruzgan province.

Mr Downer said Australia had the capacity to increase it troops.

"If we were to send a small number of additional forces to Afghanistan we could certainly do that," he said.

"Two hundred, three hundred, that sort of number."
More on link

U.S. can't stay for long in Afghanistan: Hekmatyar
By Sayed Salahuddin Reuters Thursday, February 22, 2007; 12:11 PM
Article Link

KABUL (Reuters) - An Afghan warlord on a U.S. wanted list has said the United States does not have the capacity to stay for long in Afghanistan and he predicts it will pull out at the same time as it withdraws from Iraq.

Denouncing the United States as "the mother of problems," Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, a former prime minister whose forces operate in southeastern areas near Pakistan, said Afghanistan's turmoil would not end until U.S. forces left the region.

"As long as America remains in Afghanistan and in the region, war and problems will continue," he said in a copy of a video tape obtained by Reuters on Thursday.

"I can say with full assurance and confidence that America does not have the ability to stay for a long period in Afghanistan...," he said.

Wearing a black turban, the bespectacled and heavily-bearded Hekmatyar said America's allies had sent troops to Afghanistan and Iraq out of fear of Washington.
More on link

Canada urged to stick it out in Afghanistan
Updated Fri. Feb. 23 2007 9:11 AM ET CTV.ca News Staff
Article Link

During a lightning visit to Afghanistan, NATO's secretary general urged Canada to stick with its commitment to the war-torn nation until the job is done. 

Jaap de Hoop Scheffer and the alliance's supreme commander, U.S. Gen. John Craddock, made a brief stop at Kandahar Airfield Friday to consult with military officials. 

De Hoop Scheffer called on Italy and Canada not to withdraw their troops, echoing an impassioned plea he made Thursday during a meeting with Afghan President Hamid Karzai. 

The message came as the Opposition Liberals said they were committed to ending Canada's combat commitment in February 2009, if they form the next government. 

It also came as news emerged that the Italian government was deeply conflicted over the nation's plan to keep forces in Afghanistan. 

De Hoop Scheffer chose his words carefully when responding to the Liberals' position on Afghanistan, said CTV's Tom Clark, reporting from Kandahar. 
More on link


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## GAP (24 Feb 2007)

*Articles found 24 February, 2007*



"Afghanistan will soon be in a position to defend itself"  
Saturday February 24, 2007 (0122 PST
Article Link 

ABU DHABI: Afghan Defence Minister General Abdul Rahim Wardak believes the country will soon be in a position to defend itself as its national army continues with reforms to restore its genuine military traditions. 

In an exclusive interview with Gulf News, General Wardak, who was in the UAE to attend the International Defence Exhibition 2007 (Idex 07), said Afghanistan will be able to defend itself without US and Nato support when commitments for reforms, assistance and regional cooperation are implemented. 

The minister said it depends on foreign assistance, Nato, US and other allies` support as well as reforms in the Afghan National Army (ANA), which is being rebuilt from scratch. 

"It depends on how well Afghans do their part, improve the army and restore genuine military traditions. I`m committed to it. The Afghan National Army is becoming disciplined, balanced, national-oriented, professional and cohesive. There have been big successes over the years," the minister said. 

He added that Afghanistan needs the support of its friends, friendly countries, allies and neighbours to help restore stability in the region. 

General Wardak, who is a former mujahideen commander who fought the former Soviet Army on various fronts, also said there is growing popular support among people for the Afghan Government and the Afghan National Army. He said people across the country have been gathering support and joining the national army to fight Taliban and other terrorist outfits. 
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Canadian forces want more than just to keep the peace
A military at war with peacekeeping
Feb 24, 2007 04:30 AM James Travers National Affairs Columnist
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OTTAWA–Canadian soldiers are fighting something in Afghanistan beyond the Taliban, opium warlords and entrenched corruption: They are struggling with an image of themselves the military loathes and the country loves.

Led by Rick Hillier, arguably the most aggressive and political chief of the defence staff ever, the armed forces, particularly the army, are tearing down the dated poster of Canada as the world's peacekeeper. The clear signal flashing home from Kandahar is that Canadians in war zones are combat-ready troops who can also keep the peace, not do-gooders who in a pinch can be pressed into action.

No doubt public perception trails international realities. Once able to boast that this country invented peacekeeping and always formed its vanguard, Canada fell from its United Nations pedestal in the '90s after bad experiences in Bosnia, Zaire and, most of all, Somalia.

As former Liberal foreign and defence minister Bill Graham diplomatically puts it: "Our military, to some level, lost faith in the UN to command those missions."

That wasn't all that changed in the decades after the fall of the Berlin Wall. Many small conflicts and the big threat of Islamic fundamentalism emerged from the Cold War. So did a political and military consensus that it was time for Canada to reassert its international place.

Those factors contributed both to Hillier's swift promotion and to Canada's 2005 decision to dispatch a provincial reconstruction team south to Afghanistan's worst neighbourhood. In trumping rivals for the top job, Hillier sold to then-prime minister Paul Martin the vision of a tough, nimble military and that Afghanistan was the right place at the right time to demonstrate that new capacity to help stabilize failed and failing states.

If anything, the fit was too perfect. While Martin had reservations about Afghanistan and forced a commitment from Hillier to reserve enough strength to intervene elsewhere, the Kandahar mission was an opportunity to define changing priorities while repairing the diplomatic damage done by Canada's refusal to join the U.S. invasion of Iraq.

But that last giant step away from traditional peacemaking and into post-modern conflict resolution and democracy-building was then – and continues to be – accident-prone. Put bluntly, Canada bit off more than it could chew.
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'We have absolutely no reason to give up'
GRAEME SMITH From Saturday's Globe and Mail
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KANDAHAR, AFGHANISTAN — The tension in Kandahar city grew so intense last summer that a strange thing happened on a clear day in late August. An explosion engulfed a Canadian convoy in flames, and the intense heat slowly detonated the ammunition inside one of the armoured vehicles, causing bursts of staccato noise that sounded like a gunfight.

Residents had been expecting the war in southern Afghanistan to sweep into the city itself, and the sound of bullets convinced many people that the Taliban had finally invaded. They ran through the streets, screaming at their neighbours to flee.

Shopkeepers were still cleaning up the charred debris from that explosion the next morning, Aug. 23, when the city's elders, politicians, aid workers and other notables sat down for cups of green tea. They didn't gather to talk about the previous day's violence, or to discuss the problem of Taliban digging bunkers just outside the city limits. They were looking at a much bigger picture: trying to imagine the future of Kandahar city.

Over the next two days, as the radio buzzed with news of war and birds chirped in the well-tended gardens around their meeting hall, the city planners sketched an outline for the next five years. They assumed the Taliban would be beaten, or at least pushed away from the city. They hoped that foreign donors would keep their promises.

In the end, they produced a 35-page document that calls for a "prosperous, beautiful, well-developed Kandahar city," a place transformed from a jumble of mud-brick warrens into a modern centre with paved walking paths, electric buses and public Internet kiosks.

The sheer optimism of the vision — recycling plants, sports facilities and tree nurseries — seems almost naive, but the official in charge of planning says it's feasible.

"We have a dream," said Mohammed Rahim Rahimi, head of Kandahar's economy department. "Afghanistan will be the best country in Asia."

Exactly one year after Canada took responsibility for Kandahar, many Canadians are expressing deep skepticism about that dream. Canadian troops fought the biggest battles of their generation to protect this dusty city on the other side of the world, losing 45 lives and spending $2.3-billion in Afghanistan so far, and the broad outlines of the country's plight have hardly changed: It remains terribly poor, and plagued by a vicious insurgency. This week, Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion called for Canada to give up the mission in Kandahar by 2009 at the latest, saying the whole approach was flawed.
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]Article Link

Afghanistan condemns ban on TV channels by Pakistan 
Saturday February 24, 2007 (0122 PST)
Article Link

KABUL: Afghanistan condemned the ban slapped on its four TV channels by the government of Pakistan. 
The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA), the body controlling media in Pakistan, had banned Ariana, Shamshad, Tolo and Milli Television in that country. 

Commenting on the step, Foreign Ministry spokesman Sultan Ahmad Bahin said it was against the international principles of freedom of expression. He said there were no restrictions on transmissions of Pakistani media in Afghanistan. 

The Ministry of Information and Culture, in a statement, condemned the step and said this was not the first time that Pakistan was imposing ban on Afghanistan TV channels. 

The statement said such practices were unacceptable in the global village. It hoped the international community would join the protest by the Afghan government. 

Meanwhile, a statement released from the freshly-formed SAFMA-Afghanistan office, said the step would create problems for the people of Afghanistan and Pakistan in getting access to information. 
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Russian Foreign Minister arrives in Kabul  
Friday February 23, 2007 (1245 PST)
Article Link

KABUL: The Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov arrived in Kabul the capital city of Afghanistan, today, to hold talks with President Hamid Karzai, the Foreign Minister and other senior officials of Afghan Government. 
According to the Afghanistan Foriegn Ministery, Lavrov would discuss Russia's contribution regarding Afghanistan's reconstruction and its role in traing the country's Anti-Narcotics Police Force. 

Lavrov's visit to Afghanistan was scheduled last month but was cancelled due to prevailing bad weather.
End

Czech government approves donation of ammunition to Afghanistan  
Friday February 23, 2007 (0352 PST)
Article Link


Czeh Republic: The Czech government the other day approved to donate 20,000 automatic rifles and 650 machine guns, worth of 30 million crowns (1.4 million U.S. dollars) to Afghanistan. 
The Defense Ministry said the arms were redundant, which would contribute to the international efforts to achieve security and improve democracy in the region. 

Czech military pointed out that it was more expensive to liquidate than to donate the great amount of redundant weapons , which were from the previous cold-war period in Europe. 

In early March, the Czech government is to decide on the donation of 12 transport and combat helicopters to the Afghan military. 
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Prime minister quits on Afghanistan vote  
Friday February 23, 2007 (0352 PST)
Article Link

ROME: Prime Minister Romano Prodi resigned after radical, anti-American senators demanding Italy withdraw troops from Afghanistan failed to support the center-left government, setting off an unexpected political crisis. 
Mr. Prodi, a former Christian Democrat and former president of the European Commission, looked grim as he formally quit during an audience with President Giorgio Napolitano hours after the government was defeated by two votes on its Afghanistan policy in the upper house, where any chance for a majority would be razor thin. 

The president, who asked Mr. Prodi to carry on in a caretaker capacity, may ask the prime minister to hold a full confidence vote in both houses of parliament, perhaps after a Cabinet reshuffle, political commentators said.
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No threat from Taliban, says Karzai  
Saturday February 24, 2007 (0122 PST)
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KABUL: Downplaying the threat of Taliban spring offensive, President Hamid Karzai has said he can not believe that 10,000 fighters were waiting for the winter to end to launch big attacks against his government and the US-led coalition forces in Afghanistan. 
"Who is this Taliban commander Hayatullah Khan who made this claim? I have never heard his name and probably you also don't know him," said the president in an interview with Pajhwok Afghan New at his sprawling Gul Khana or Presidential Palace. 

The previously unknown Hayatullah Khan, claiming to be a Taliban commander, announced recently that 10,000 fighters were ready to take part in the "spring offensive" against the foreign forces in Afghanistan. 

President Karzai argued the Taliban can not launch an offensive, whether in spring or any other season, without assistance from the outside. 

Pointing out that Taliban attacks in Afghanistan had registered decline in recent months, Karzai said Pakistan had taken steps to stop the militants' infiltration from across the border. 

"We have seen an improvement in the situation. My government is happy with some of the measures adopted by Pakistan in this regard. But we feel Pakistan needs to do more to tackle the problem," he stressed. 
More on link


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## GAP (26 Feb 2007)

*Articles found February 26, 2007*

Lives lost, lessons learned
By GLORIA GALLOWAY David Bercuson, Alexander Moens, Wesley Wark, Scott Taylor and Richard Martin
Monday, February 26, 2007 – Page A4 
Article Link

Five years ago this month, the first Canadian soldiers arrived in Afghanistan to begin their first real combat mission in decades. The deployment came after nearly 10 years of cuts by a federal government that was more focused on deficit reduction than military expansion. As they grappled with the transition from peacekeeping to conventional warfare, the Canadian Forces have learned many hard lessons, particularly about the state and capabilities of its equipment. GLORIA GALLOWAY describes some of the more pointed examples.


Lesson No. 1. Transport

The problem: People and supplies must travel far from their base camps over dangerous roads to reach the outposts where Canadians patrol. The Taliban know that trucks heading to the front will eventually return, setting a perfect stage for an ambush. So Canada, which has no heavy-lift helicopters in the theatre, must borrow rides from allies such as the Americans and Dutch
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Helicopters Thunder Across Afghanistan Territory
By: Tim King Salem-News.com  DISPATCHES FROM AFGHANISTAN
Article Link

The helcopters fly fast and low is because a fast moving target is difficult to hit when it is close to the ground.

(KABUL, Afghanistan) - The thunderous blades of U.S. Army helicopters mean many things to soldiers at war.

Sometimes the sound means an infantryman is approaching battle, while other times the deafening roar is the sound of rescue and evacuation.

These helicopters making an approach in an Afghanistan mountain valley carry combat troops that are on the move. This CH-47 Chinook was also my ride back to the Afghanistan capitol, Kabul.

The Blackhawk helicopter represents the new technology in place in the U.S. military. Blackhawks are used in a number of combat roles and they are also widely used in military and civilian rescue operations.

The CH-47 Chinook helicopter is used primarily for troop transport. Afghanistan is a high country and the extra elevation limits the capabilities of these aircraft. While the twin overhead blades of the CH-47 are powerful, these helicopters fly very low to the ground, often lower than nearby mountaintops. 

Aircraft in war often fly in pairs for protection, and the crewman aboard this helicopter wastes no time after getting airborne in locking and loading his machine gun. Increasing hostilities in Afghanistan and Iraq have put aircrews on high alert and the recent loss of a helicopter like this one in a similar location in recent weeks is a reminder of how vulnerable they are to everything from groundfire to mechanical failure. 
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Harper to announce $200M in aid for Afghanistan
Updated Sun. Feb. 25 2007 3:14 PM ET Canadian Press
Article Link

OTTAWA -- Prime Minister Stephen Harper will announce about $200 million in reconstruction aid for Afghanistan in an effort to demonstrate that Canada's mission there is making a positive difference in people's lives.

As Canada marks the official one-year anniversary this week of its mission in Kandahar, government sources say the prime minister will make the announcement Monday at an event on Parliament Hill.

It comes in the final phase of a frosty Afghan winter, and a relative peace that's expected to melt over the coming weeks as pro-Taliban fighters descend from the mountains to resume their bloody insurgency.

Before those dispiriting images of flag-draped coffins return to Canadian television sets, the prime minister hopes to remind the country of the more uplifting things being accomplished.

"Progress is being made,'' said one government official.

"We're investing more funds in order to ensure that we keep on building more schools, more hospitals, to ensure the standard of living rises for the Afghan people.''

Harper declared several weeks ago that he would soon make a "significant announcement'' about Canada's next steps in Afghanistan, and he also promised to table a report in Parliament about the mission's successes and ongoing challenges.

If the single greatest challenge is winning over Afghan hearts and minds, a multitude of observers has cited the slow pace of construction as the most nagging impediment to success in Kandahar.

NATO's former commander in Afghanistan -- British Gen. David Richards -- has warned that Afghans could rebel en masse against foreign troops unless they see a tangible difference in their lives soon.

Canada has already pledged about $1 billion over 10 years to rebuilding Afghanistan.

However, much of the money so far has gone to longer-term or more abstract projects, including economic development programs and good-governance projects like training judges.
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Canadians Think Hillier Should Speak His Mind
February 26, 2007  (Angus Reid Global Monitor) 
Article Link

 Many Canadian adults believe their chief of defence staff should be able to express his views freely, according to a poll by Angus Reid Strategies. 58 per cent of respondents think Rick Hillier is entitled to speak his mind publicly, regardless of political implications.

Conversely, 30 per cent of respondents think Hillier, as the chief of defence staff, should not make public statements that could have political implications, and 12 per cent are unsure.

Earlier this month, Hillier criticized former Liberal governments for under-funding the military, and referred to the 1990s as a "decade of darkness" for the Canadian Armed Forces. Hillier justified his comments, declaring, "I describe things as accurately, as clearly, as bluntly and as frankly as I possibly can and that’s what I’ve done. We’ve gone through a decade of darkness and we’re starting to come out of it and that’s a description of the Canadian Forces. Like it or not, that’s the description."

Former cabinet minister and current Liberal parliamentarian Denis Coderre expressed dismay at Hillier’s allegations, claiming the chief of defence staff has become "a prop" for the Conservatives.

Canadians renewed the House of Commons in January 2006. The Conservative party—led by Stephen Harper—received 36.3 per cent of the vote, and secured 124 seats in the 308-member lower house. Harper leads a minority administration after more than 12 years of government by the Liberal party.

Polling Data

As you may know, Rick Hillier, Canada’s chief of defence staff, recently criticized former Liberal governments for under-funding the military. Hillier also referred to the 1990s as a "decade of darkness" for the Canadian Armed Forces. Which of the following statements comes closest to your view?
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After Afghanistan policy defeat, Italy's PM gets new chanceBy SILVIA ALOISI  Reuters News Agency Monday, February 26, 2007 – Page A14 
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ROME -- Romano Prodi, given a second chance to prove that he can govern Italy, scrambled for support yesterday ahead of a vote of confidence this week that he must win to stay on as Prime Minister.

Mr. Prodi resigned last week after suffering an embarrassing defeat in the upper house over plans to keep 1,900 soldiers in Afghanistan. But Italy's President asked him on Saturday to stay on and put his majority to the test in parliament.

Mr. Prodi needs to prove he has enough support in both chambers of parliament to keep his government afloat. The votes are expected to take place on Thursday and Friday.

While his fractious Catholics-to-communists coalition has a comfortable majority in the lower house, in the 315-seat Senate the bloc is effectively level with the opposition, forcing him to court outside senators for support.

Mr. Prodi appeared to have won the backing of two extra senators, an independent and a Christian Democrat who served as deputy prime minister in Silvio Berlusconi's previous, centre-right government.

Barring defections, that raises Mr. Prodi's support to 158 elected senators, against 156 for the opposition, the centre-left says. The Senate speaker traditionally does not take part in votes.
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Rice says US is concerned about al-Qaida comeback in Afghanistan-Pakistan area
The Associated PressPublished: February 25, 2007
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WASHINGTON: The White House is pressuring Pakistan to crack down on al-Qaida and Taliban operatives in the lawless border area with Afghanistan that President George W. Bush recently said was "wilder than the Wild West."

The move comes amid growing concern in Congress and the administration that terrorist forces are regrouping in the border area and preparing for a spring offensive in Afghanistan.

Vice President Dick Cheney made a surprise visit to Pakistan on Monday for talks with President Gen. Pervez Musharraf on efforts to stabilize Afghanistan.

Cheney praised Pakistan's contribution in the war against terrorism but also "expressed U.S. apprehensions of regrouping of al-Qaida in the tribal areas and called for concerted efforts in countering the threat," Musharraf's office said.

"He expressed serious U.S. concerns on the intelligence being picked up of an impending Taliban and al-Qaida 'spring offensive' against allied forces in Afghanistan," the statement said.
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Tom Clark's Afghanistan Blog
Updated Sun. Feb. 25 2007 3:44 PM ET Tom Clark, CTV News
Article Link

Sunday Feb. 25: There were a number of reasons why I couldn't write here yesterday, but the best ones were: first, there was no power at the Base for most of the day; and second, when it did come back on, we came under a rocket attack. I don't know which was more inconvenient, but it all made for a rather unproductive day. 

In case anyone studies ballistics for a hobby, the rockets, as best we can tell, were Katusha 107 mm. For those who don't have a clue what that means, they're old Soviet leftovers, fired from a tube arrangement as far as eight kilometres away, but they still pack a punch, and make a hell of noise if you're close, and I was. But no one was hurt, and everyone here pretty much just shrugged when it was over. 

Big Daddy (cameraman Al Stephens, see Sunday Feb. 18 entry, below) and I went to a place just down the road today that was stark, quiet, eerie, and that quite literally changed the world. It was the former home and compound of Osama bin Laden, the place where the attacks of 9/11 were planned and plotted. 

It's a massive place, surrounded by 10-foot high thick walls, and sits right on the edge of the Red Desert, an endless expanse of... well... red sand. 

The place was bombed heavily by the Americans back in 2002, but much of it still stands. 

To one side is a ghost town of some two hundred houses, home to the elite of al Qaeda. In the central courtyard, one side was a massive warehouse for weapons of all kinds, another side a garage for vehicles, and standing above it all, a very large three-storey tower that was the personal domain of bin Laden, one of his wives and one of his families. Out back, there is an instantly recognizable al Qaeda training camp, the obstacle course still in tact. 
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Intelligence report reassesses threat of al Qaeda
By Sean Rayment LONDON SUNDAY TELEGRAPH February 26, 2007 
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LONDON -- Al Qaeda has established a foothold in most countries across North Africa and the Middle East and poses a far graver threat to Britain than previously thought, according to a report being circulated among British security departments. 
    Titled "Extremist Threat Assessment," the document, which was drawn up this month, also predicts that Afghanistan will supersede Iraq as the main location for terrorists planning violent acts against the West. 
    The secret intelligence document says that the number of locally based Islamist terrorists involved in plotting suicide attacks against "soft" targets in Britain could number more than 2,000. 
    The document, which has been circulated to the MI5 counterintelligence service, Scotland Yard, the interior ministry, Cabinet officials and the Ministry of Defense, says al Qaeda has grown into a worldwide organization with a foothold in virtually every Muslim country in North Africa, the Middle East and central Asia. 
    It says the terrorist group's influence extends from North Africa, including Egypt, through to Lebanon, Turkey and Jordan, and into Somalia and Sudan. Al Qaeda is "resilient and effective" in Iraq, its "operating environment and financial position" in Pakistan has improved and a new group had emerged in Yemen. 
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Afghanistan has reached the breaking point: report
By Our Correspondent  WASHINGTON, Feb 25
Article Link

US efforts to stabilise Afghanistan are `misguided’ and have contributed to growing unease among the population, says a report prepared by a Washington think-tank and funded partly by a US government agency.

The report notes that Afghans are beginning to disengage from national governing processes and lose confidence in their leadership. "Dramatic changes are required in the coming weeks, or 2007 will become the breaking point.”

The report based in part on 1,000 interviews with ordinary Afghans notes that conditions in Afghanistan have deteriorated markedly since 2005.

“Since then, conditions in Afghanistan have deteriorated into the `danger zone’,” warns the report titled “Breaking Point: Measuring Progress in Afghanistan.”

“Afghan ability to meet needs and interests has not improved since 2005, despite more money spent, more projects implemented, and more time passed.”

The report, by the non-partisan Centre for Strategic and International Studies and funded in part by the US Agency for International Development, underlines violence and government corruption as two major concerns of ordinary Afghans.
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Pakistan Fed Up With U.S. And Allies On Afghanistan
Contributed by: 4Canada Sunday, Feb 25, 2007 04:30 AM Haroon Siddiqui 
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Pakistan tired of hearing it's not doing enough on Taliban and Al Qaeda, says Haroon Siddiqui

PESHAWAR–Those who invaded Iraq claiming it had weapons of mass destruction and have been blaming Iran and Syria for the murderous mess in Iraq, are also the same people now blaming Pakistan for the mess in Afghanistan. 

They say Pakistan is aiding and abetting the Taliban and Al Qaeda. Maybe it is. But U.S. President George W. Bush and Afghan President Hamid Karzai have offered little or no proof. 

The American media are running a parallel campaign, hurling a more serious allegation, that the Pakistan army is extending logistical help to the Taliban and Al Qaeda. Most such stories are based on unnamed sources.

The New York Times, which in the pre-Iraq war days carried phony WMD stories, is back practising the same sort of discredited journalism. 

In a Washington-datelined story last week on ostensible Al Qaeda camps in North Waziristan, I counted 20 attributions to unnamed "American officials," "intelligence officials and terrorism experts," "American analysts," "counterterrorism officials," etc.

The assertions of Pakistani involvement have been repeated so often they have become part of the received wisdom of many Canadian politicians, editorial writers and pundits as well. I do not know and have not been able to ascertain whether Pakistan is guilty or not. But, given the track record of those making the allegations, we should be skeptical.

In the circumstances, it is useful to know what the Pakistanis, from President Pervez Musharraf down, have been saying. 
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Television gaining ground in Afghanistan: survey 
New York, Feb. 26 (PTI)
Article Link

Television is gaining ground in Afghanistan as the most important news and entertainment source in urban areas despite continued difficulties with security and reconstruction, according to recent media surveys in the war-torn country. 

"Television use and importance is rising most quickly in Kabul, where socio-economic conditions are better than in the rest of the country, and among young people aged 15-24," the surveys conducted by Washington based media and public opinon research organisation, InterMedia. 

"From 2005 to 2006, television access in the city rose from 59 to 78 percent. Even urban residents who can't afford to buy a television set have greater access to places where TV is available-others' homes, cafes and work places. 

"However, due to problems with infrastructure, mainly a lack of consistent electricity and little disposable income, television's appeal is more socially desirable than affordable for many Afghans," the survey found. 

In a country where 84 per cent of the population is rural, the urban-rural split is pronounced: nationwide only 37 per cent of Afghans claim to watch TV weekly, compared to 89 per cent in Kabul. 
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AFGHANISTAN: TALIBAN ATTACKS SIGNAL START OF SPRING OFFENSIVE  
Ron Synovitz 2/25/07 A EurasiaNet Partner Post from RFE/RL 
Article Link[/color]


Taliban fighters have launched a series of attacks this month across western, southern, and eastern Afghanistan -- signaling that their expected spring offensive is now under way.

NATO officials say the Taliban has concentrated forces in at least five southern and western provinces of Afghanistan -- Helmand, Kandahar, Farah, Uruzgan, and Ghor.

NATO spokesman Colonel Tom Collins says militants in those areas are preparing to carry out attacks in those provinces as part of an "expected spring offensive."

Offensive Under Way?

But Taliban commanders say they began their spring offensive on February 2 when militants seized the town of Musa Qala in Helmand Province.

Militants continue to control Musa Qala, which is about 25 kilometers from a key reconstruction project in southern Afghanistan, the Kajaki hydroelectric dam.
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## MarkOttawa (26 Feb 2007)

Posts at _The Torch_:

Afstan: Yet more UK forces
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blogspot.com/2007/02/afstan-yet-more-uk-forces.html

Bring back the Iltis
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blogspot.com/2007/02/bring-back-iltis.html

Mark
Ottawa


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## GAP (27 Feb 2007)

*Articles found February 27, 2007*


Cdn. soldiers accidentally kill Afghan civilian
Updated Tue. Feb. 27 2007 7:49 AM ET CTV.ca News Staff
Article Link

Canadian troops on Tuesday were involved in another civilian shooting in Afghanistan, in the third such incident this month..

It happened when an Afghan male driving a white Toyota approached Canadian soldiers as they formed a security cordon around a broken-down armoured vehicle. 

Army spokesperson Maj. Dale MacEachern said the driver of the vehicle failed to heed warnings to stop. 

He said the vehicle blew past one checkpoint manned by Afghan National Police and accelerated towards Canadian vehicles. That's when troops shot and killed the driver. One passenger was also wounded. 

In a separate incident, a militant with explosives strapped to his chest blew himself up on a crowded street, injuring three bystanders. 

No Canadian troops were in the area. 

Just last week, Canadian Forces ordered troops to use more restraint before firing to avoid killing civilians accidentally. Canadian soldiers killed a civilian and a member of the Afghan National Police following an attack on a Canadian convoy on Feb. 18.

Canada has about 2,500 soldiers based in Afghanistan, mostly in the Kandahar region. Since the mission began in 2002, 44 Canadian soldiers and one diplomat have been killed in Afghanistan. 
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Afstan: ISAF fighting forces to be up 7,300/7,300  
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Article Link

At the Riga Summit last November NATO commanders were saying they needed some 2,500 extra troops for southern Afstan. Well, it seems they have got them--and quite a bit more--from the usual contributors.

Total ISAF forces are being increased by what amounts to one brigade of Brits and one of Americans. The Brits are sending three additional battalions of infantry (that's brigade strength, plus others), for a total of 2,200 more troops:

1st Battalion Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters (announced Feb. 1)
1st Battalion Royal Welsh Fusiliers
1st Battalion Scots Guards (latter two announced Feb. 26).

More on UK units deploying here.

The US, for its part, is sending an additional brigade combat team, the 173rd, of 3,200 soldiers. One battalion of US troops will be based alongside Canadians at Kandahar.

So that's 5,400 more UK and US troops than a few months ago. All the extra Brits plus one American battalion will be in the south, total almost 2,900.

And 1,000 Poles are now scheduled to arrive in Afstan in April.

The Minister of Defense confirmed on Wednesday that Polish troops could be located anywhere that they are needed in Afghanistan, raising the possibility that Polish troops will be dispatched to the most dangerous regions.

"Everyone realizes that this is not a simple mission and that experience of the Canadian army were not the best [emphasis added]," said Aleksander Szczyglo, Minister of Defense. However, he admitted that the troops would be dispatched in Afghanistan by the beginning of April and the final decision on the location of bases is already made. Over half of domestic troops will be located in the most dangerous areas of the country, with the Minister stressing that Poland was one of the few countries that did not request any limitations to location and use of its troops in Afghanistan...

Moreover, Australia may be doubling its strength in the south to 900 soldiers.
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Cheney Safe After Attack on Air Base in Afghanistan (Update5 
By Brendan Murray Feb. 27 (Bloomberg) 
Article Link

Vice President Dick Cheney was unhurt when Bagram air base in Afghanistan came under attack during his visit, U.S. military spokesman David Accetta said. At least 19 people were killed in the incident, Associated Press said. 

The attack occurred at the front gate to the base, the spokesman said. Cheney, who stayed at Bagram overnight, is ``fine,'' his spokeswoman Lea Anne McBride said. 

The incident took place at 10:30 a.m. Afghan time and the base was placed on temporary alert, Accetta said. One U.S. solider and two Afghans were among those killed in what was a suicide attack, Agence France-Presse said, citing the U.S. military said. The Taliban said it was responsible for the assault, Sky News reported. 

Cheney stayed at the base after bad weather delayed his talks with Afghan President Hamid Karzai. Cheney is visiting Afghanistan and Pakistan this week to press the countries to improve security along their border to prevent a resurgence of the Taliban and al-Qaeda. 

The U.S. is concerned about countering al-Qaeda's attempts to re-establish training camps and an anticipated spring offensive by the Taliban launched from the remote mountainous region along Pakistan's 1,510-mile-long (2,430 kilometer) border with Afghanistan. 

The U.S. and Italian ambassadors to Sri Lanka was injured today when artillery shells landed at an air force base during a visit to the east of the country. The Sri Lankan military blamed the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam for the attack. 
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Gov't flounders in north Afghanistan
Tuesday, February 27, 2007 · Last updated 12:51 a.m. PT By FISNIK ABRASHI ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER
Article Link

PUL-E-KHUMRI, Afghanistan -- The disarmament of Afghanistan's illegal private militias has ground to a halt and the price of weapons in the country's relatively quiet north is skyrocketing - a sign of the embattled central government's failure to assert its control, Afghan and Western officials say.

This mountainous, ethnically diverse region has been spared the intense violence in the past year that has rocked the south and the east, where the Taliban has staged a violent comeback, launching scores of suicide bombings and brazen guerrilla attacks on Afghan, U.S. and NATO forces.

But the relative calm has not helped President Hamid Karzai's government extend its influence here, despite the presence of NATO security forces.

"No (provincial) governor has stayed for more than three or four months in the job because there are powerful people and networks" who force them out, said Habibullah, a car mechanic in Pul-e-Khumri, the provincial capital of Baghlan, where the top Kabul-appointed administrator was replaced three times during 2006.

Ethnic Tajik and Uzbek warlords from the Northern Alliance that helped the U.S. defeat the hardline Taliban regime still dominate and local citizens are increasingly seeking guns for self-protection because of rampant criminality and distrust of the police, residents say.

The price of a Russian-made AK-47 assault rifle has risen in the past three years from $100 to $400, officials and local commanders said.
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Flight to Afghanistan
Hassan Haydar      Al-Hayat     - 27/02/07
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Tony Blair's decision to withdraw a third of the British troops stationed in the South of Iraq may be seen as a late response to the demands of the majority of the British, who were opposed to the war from the beginning, they remained steadfast in this opposition, even after the eruption of the war, and they still demand a full withdrawal from Iraq.

However, the real reason behind the decision does not lie in a sudden sensitivity by the prime minister to the anti-war demonstrations, as he has shown a callused indifference toward these protests, shunning them when they were at their climax. It was rather a combination of factors that reflect the ruling Labor Party's desire to ensure a smooth succession of Blair in June that will keep the conservatives' hands off power and re-arrange Britain's foreign policy priorities.

It is probable that the Labor politicians will choose Treasury Secretary Gordon Brown to fill the vacancy at No. 10, Downing Street, after the departure of Blair in May. The potential successor, however, must face David Cameron, the conservative opponent, who is being steadily favored in opinion polls, the last of which gave him 43% of the votes compared to 34% for Brown in an indication of the decline in the overall backing for the Labor party.
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NZ mulls more Timor, Afghanistan troops
Tuesday Feb 27 13:35 AEDT
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New Zealand will consider raising its troop levels in East Timor if it is required, its defence minister says.

Defence Minister Phil Goff said New Zealand is also considering a request to boost troops in Afghanistan ahead of an expected northern offensive.

New Zealand currently has about 116 troops deployed on provincial reconstruction work in Bamiyan province in Afghanistan, and 150 defence force personnel in East Timor.

But Mr Goff said it was possible troops levels in East Timor might have to rise in the future.

"Clearly there is a level of violence between different regional groups and gangs within the community that do cause some concern," he told reporters.

"At the moment 150 troops on the ground seems about right but we need to see if there are further demands that might require other aspects of our defence force personnel."

Any decision would be taken by Cabinet after consultation with the United Nations and other countries in the joint peacekeeping force.

Peacekeepers were deployed to East Timor last May amid political unrest and bloody violence in the tiny nation.
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Tom Clark's Afghanistan Blog
Updated Mon. Feb. 26 2007 2:11 PM ET Tom Clark, CTV News
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If you think that you may have a phobia of being in a small enclosed space with people you don't know and can't understand, relax. It's not as bad as you think.

It happened to me today.  

Big Daddy, myself, and our colleague from the Canadian Press, Murray Brewster, decided we would take a little road trip. There were some old Russian barracks we wanted to see, and beyond them the remains of Taliban and al Qaeda installations. 

So we went "outside the wire," in other words beyond the gates of the Kandahar Base, to meet Jojo, my Afghan driver, interpreter, and all-around nice guy. Jojo is in his early twenties, so he drives fast and talks even faster.  

We all piled into his car and bumped along something that is called a road, by the locals, but I think that just speaks to their sophisticated sense of humour. 

At length, we came upon two interesting things all at once. On one side, there was what could only be described as a vehicle killing ground, a vast area of burned out, bombed out old Soviet tanks, trucks, even a mobile radar station. On the other side was a four-story tower that was home to an Afghan Army check point.

So we stopped. 

It all went quite well, so well in fact that the guards invited us in the tower for tea. The Afghans are very hospitable people, when they're not shooting each other, and it would be rude to decline, even though tea drinking can take an awfully long time. 

Big Daddy was the first to bail, with the entirely plausible excuse that he wanted to get video of the Soviet wasteland while the light was just right. Murray, no fool, mumbled something about helping out, and quickly fell in with BD. Jojo then said he better go too... just in case. That left me, and six grinning Afghan soldiers.

Inside, tea was poured in an awful silence. Bread was offered wordlessly. I had to say something. Not knowing a word of Farsi, I plunged in with something remarkably stupid like... "So you guys like it out here?" No one understood of course, but I got what I figured was a considerate reply from the commander, in Farsi. We all grinned. Here was a great challenge.

And so for the next half hour we all made up sign language, Pig Latin and anything else we could think of to communicate.

When my fair-weather colleagues returned, they were somewhat perplexed to find me chatting amiably with the soldiers on the front steps.

With a wave we were off, and I said to no one in particular in the car how easy a language Farsi is to pick up. 
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Improve foreign aid by revitalizing CIDA
 TheStar.com - opinion - February 25, 2007 
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Can you name Canada's minister of international co-operation, who is responsible for the $3.1 billion aid budget dispensed by the Canadian International Development Agency? If you can't, don't feel bad because CIDA does not command a particularly high-profile cabinet post.

In fact, despite its significant budget, CIDA does not even warrant its own statute outlining its role and responsibilities, but is covered by a single paragraph in the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Act.

The upshot of CIDA's second-class status is that the agency has neither the power to set its own policies nor a well-defined mandate with clear objectives. And according to a report last week by the Senate committee on foreign affairs and international trade, this absence of purpose is clearly evident.

While the report focuses on the deplorable state of sub-Saharan Africa and on the manifold causes of the region's failure to share in economic growth that has swept most of the world over the past 40 years, CIDA comes in for special attention. 

"Since its inception in 1968," the report says, "CIDA has spent $12.4 billion in bilateral assistance to sub-Saharan Africa, with little in the way of demonstrable results. CIDA is ineffective, costly and bureaucratic." 

To make the most effective use of every development dollar, the committee recommends Ottawa adopt either the approach used by Denmark and the Netherlands, or follow Britain's lead.

Under the model adopted by Denmark and the Netherlands, Ottawa would kill off CIDA and integrate responsibility for development assistance into the overall policy framework of the Department of Foreign Affairs. 
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## GAP (27 Feb 2007)

*Articles found 27 February, 2007*

This is an interesting blog while Tom Clark is in Afghanistan....excellent writer.
Tom Clark's Afghanistan Blog
Updated Tue. Feb. 27 2007 3:49 PM ET Tom Clark, CTV News
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Tuesday, Feb. 27: If you need a dose of optimism, then you have to go to the Syed Bacha school.

It is the poorest, most overcrowded, most wonderful place I have ever seen.

To find it you have to go just five minutes down the road from the massive NATO base near Kandahar. Then look for the old apartment buildings that were bombed by the Americans in 2002.

Go to the one that was the most badly damaged, the one that a bomb almost cut in two, and there, amid the rubble, you'll find the place that 500 children call school.

There is no running water, no electricity, no heat. There is no library, the chalk boards are all broken, and there's not a single piece of sports equipment.

And yet against some of the longest odds you can imagine, this place is brimming with hope. 

At first, it doesn't make sense. After all, the teachers are horrendously underpaid; fifty dollars a month. Sometimes there aren't enough teachers, so the older students are told to teach the younger ones. There's no more computer classes because that teacher died in a bomb attack by the Taliban last summer. Even when there were classes, the schools only computer stayed in its box because there was no electricity to run it. The students had to imagine what it could do. 

But its when you meet the kids that it all starts to fall in place. They love being here. 

They are excited about learning, excited about their futures. One after another they came up to me and announced that they want to be a doctor, or a teacher, or a pilot, or a carpenter. Their optimism seems to be without limit.

Now here's the amazing part. Given the almost total deprivation of material goods, when I asked them what they wanted most for their school, the first answer was unanimous; more teachers, teachers that will "teach harder," teachers for subjects they've only heard about, like biology and chemistry.

Of course they need so much more. They live in a bombed out garbage strewn wasteland, with no level ground for a game of soccer, and only one slide for a playground.

So far, not many have come to help, except for some Canadian soldiers who have quietly given what they could in the way of pens pencils and paper.

So much of this could be fixed, of course. A few bulldozers from the base, five minutes away, could transform the place within days, and a bit of help from overseas could fill the rooms with books, and the playground with equipment. Heck, how difficult would it be for NATO to just build them a proper school? They're neighbors after all. 

But it wouldn't be charity if that happened. It would only be an attempt by the rest of the world to share in just a bit of the magic created by the teachers and kids of the Syed Bacha School.
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Afghan police push to provide convoy security
Updated Tue. Feb. 27 2007 3:19 PM ET CTV.ca News Staff
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A civilian shooting in Afghanistan on Tuesday by Canadian troops is highlighting an ongoing push to have local authorities handle security for foreign military convoys. 

On Tuesday, an Afghan male driving a white Toyota approached Canadian soldiers as they formed a security cordon around a broken-down armoured vehicle. 

Army spokesperson Maj. Dale MacEachern said the driver of the vehicle failed to heed warnings to stop and was shot dead after accelerating in the direction of the troops. 

Tuesday's shooting is the fourth time this month that troops have shot dead an Afghan civilian. 

Abdul Quadar Noorzai, the regional program manager of the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission, is pushing to have Afghan authorities handle security on convoys. 

Although the Afghan National Police did have a checkpoint at the site of Tuesday's incident, Noorzai said that foreign troops, Afghan forces and civilians are not co-ordinated well enough. 

Noorzai told the Canadian Press that it would be "better to let Afghan Army or Afghan police handle security on convoys. If they were to let the chief of police know when they are moving between places, it would be great." 

Last Friday, Kandahar police chief Asmatullah Alizai put forward the proposal in a meeting with Canadian military officers. 

However, such a move would require Canadians to disclose convoy times and routes with Afghan authorities. 
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U.S. doubtful about Taliban bombing-Cheney claim
Updated Tue. Feb. 27 2007 5:21 PM ET CTV.ca News Staff
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The U.S. White House says it's too soon to say whether the Taliban knew that Vice President Dick Cheney was at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan when a suicide bomber attacked outside the main gates.

At least 23 people died in Tuesday's bombing, which happened at 10 a.m. local time at the base located about 60 kilometres north of the capital of  Kabul.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the bombing and claimed Cheney, who was in the region on an unannounced visit, had been the target at the Bagram base.

Tony Snow, the White House's press secretary, said it was an isolated attack and not indicative of  Taliban strength.

U.S. Major William Mitchell said Cheney was far from the site of the blast and called the Taliban claim "far-fetched."
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Pakistan girl was to be poker debt bride
Updated Tue. Feb. 27 2007 11:41 AM ET Associated Press
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KARACHI, Pakistan -- Police are seeking 10 men, including several tribal elders, accused of pressuring a Pakistani woman to hand over her teenage daughter as payment for a 16-year-old poker debt, officials said Tuesday. 

In the latest case highlighting how conservative customs threaten women's rights in Pakistan, Nooran Umrani alleges that, despite paying off her late husband's debt of $165, she was threatened with harm if she failed to hand over her daughter, Rasheeda. 

The 17-year-old was to be surrendered as a bride for the son of Lal Haider, the man who won the card game years before, Umrani told reporters on Monday in Hyderabad, 100 miles northeast of Karachi. 

Umrani said her husband was a gambler who ran up the debt at a poker game when Rasheeda was 1 year old. He promised Haider that he would get Rasheeda in lieu of payment when she grew up, the mother said. 

Koral Shah, a Hyderabad police officer, said both families belong to the Umrani tribe of Pakistan's impoverished Baluchistan province. 

He said a group of elders from the tribe came to Hyderabad in January to investigate the case and had ruled that, under tribal custom, the girl should be married to Haider's 23-year-old son Abdul Ghani. 
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Goff Reveals SAS Work in Afghanistan      
12:24 pm, 28 Feb 2007    
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 Defence Minister Phil Goff has disclosed that SAS troops operating in Afghanistan in 2002 captured up to 70 people who were then passed on to other powers.

But he says the Defence Force understands none of those detained are now in the hands of the United States or any other country with troops in Afghanistan.

New Zealand has had three deployments of the special forces soldiers to Afghanistan as part of the United States-led war on terror to track down Al Qaeda members, but none are there now.

Strict secrecy surrounded their activities at the time.

Mr Goff has given some details of their work in a letter to Parliament’s foreign affairs, defence and trade select committee.

Between 45 and 60 SAS troops at a time served for a year from the end of 2001 and then in two six-month stints in 2004 and 2005.

On several occasions they were involved in direct action, his letter says. None were killed but some were injured during the fighting.
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Shifting Afghan gears
Feb 27, 2007 04:30 AM 
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As Canada's bid to help Afghanistan rolls into a sixth year with only mixed success, Prime Minister Stephen Harper's government is still struggling to strike the right balance of military action, diplomacy and reconstruction aid.

Prodded by Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion, who last week urged a withdrawal of combat troops from Kandahar in 2009 and more aid for the region, Harper yesterday acted on two fronts, stepping up aid and sounding a tough diplomatic note.

Canada will double aid to $200 million this year and next, reflecting the public's wish to help rebuild the shattered country, not just have our 2,500 troops fight the terrorist-friendly Taliban there. This is a welcome, if modest, shift in gears.

The money will pay salaries for police, teachers and health workers. In addition, it will fund microcredit programs, road building and mine clearing, and will seek to reduce the heroin trade.

Whether it will buy much goodwill in Kandahar for our beleaguered troops is open to question. Few Afghans will see a "Made-in-Canada" stamp on this aid because it will flow through international agencies. 

Even so, it is in Canada's best tradition to increase aid to President Hamid Karzai's regime, and ease out from military combat duty as conditions permit.

The bleak, and thin, "progress report" tabled in Parliament yesterday by the Conservative government on Canada's "difficult and dangerous" mission to deliver security and foster development underscores how much remains to be done.
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