Afstan: Different ways of viewing the glass

1) Canwest News Service: Taliban invisible but for bombs: No Combat

KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, AFGHANISTAN - Fighting has dropped off to zero in the province of Kandahar this year, according to the outgoing commander of the Canadian battle group here.

"In the past two months, the enemy has not had any direct contact with the coalition and I have no trouble with that," Lieutenant Colonel Alain Gauthier said yesterday while discussing what he described as an improved security situation in Panjwaii and Zahri districts, where most of the fighting with the Taliban has been concentrated since Canadian forces returned to a combat role in Kandahar two years ago.

However, there continues to be a high number of casualties caused by improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and suicide attacks. Asked about this, Lt.-Col. Gauthier said: "That announces the end of the reign of the Taliban."

The colonel commanded a battle group that had been built around the 3rd battalion, the Royal 22nd Regiment, popularly known as the Van Doos. A large number of the battle group boarded aircraft for Quebec late yesterday after handing over responsibility for defending Kandahar to a Manitoba-based battle group.

"We maintained the initiative," Lt.-Col. Gauthier, who also served with the Van Doos in Timor, said in explaining his unit's strategy. "We didn't allow the repositioning of the supplies and weapons of enemy combatants."..

2) Globe and Mail: AFGHANISTAN: FACING THE UGLY TRUTH

Dramatic increases in bloodshed, a growing insurgency fuelled by local grievances, serious shortfalls in troops and equipment. The situation is bleak. Still many seem to agree: The worst is yet to come...

In fact not much new in the article (which has a whole mass of graphics and charts in the print version that are very hard to grok--they're almost easier to fathom at p. 5 of the online version); see this post from a month ago:

Critically reviewing Afstan