Major CF operation near Kandahar continues to be ignored by our media/Update: Canwest correction

Quelle surprise. Post from Nov. 17:

Big Canadian operation at Kandahar ignored/Other CF Afstan news/Globeite update: Blackwater

Two days ago:

Canadian soldiers push deeper into insurgent territory in Kandahar

Canadian soldiers are pushing deeper into insurgent-controlled areas southwest of Kandahar city as their commander awaits an expected NATO request that Canada take on greater responsibilities.

The military announced Saturday that Canadian troops had moved into the northern limits of Nakhonay, a town of around 2,000 people in the heart of the volatile Panjwaii district.

This marked a new phase of an operation dubbed Hydra, which started last week with Canadian and Afghan forces taking control of Haji Baba, located northeast of Nakhonay.

Canadian Maj. Ryan Drukowski gives instructions to his troops ahead of siezing Haji Baba, Afghanistan, Nov. 13, 2009. Canadian Forces launched a massive show of strength over the weekend against the insurgent stronghold southwest of Kandahar city, seeking to open a new front in its fight against the Taliban. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Montpetit

"We have spread ourselves into the northern regions of Nakhonay and we have begun presence patrolling in Nakhonay itself," said Maj. Darcy Wright, the acting deputy commander of the Canadian Battle Group.

"We have long suspected Nakhonay as having an insurgent presence."

Canadian soldiers entered Nakhonay on Thursday and have met with little resistance as they begin to secure the area...

While Nakhonay has been the site of three different operations since 2007, the Canadian military is committed to maintaining a presence in the area for the foreseeable future.

Hydra is already one of the largest operations in recent memory, involving 1,000 [emphasis added] of the 2,800 Canadian troops based in the country...

Brig. Gen. Daniel Menard, the new commander of Canadian troops in Afghanistan, hinted last week he could find soon himself responsible for more territory, and have more troops under his command.

He also said his priority will be securing Kandahar city, raising the question of whether there are enough troops to push forward with stabilization projects in Panjwaii.

"There is with any operation we run, especially within counter-insurgency, a balance that we have to have," said Wright.

"You cannot abandon one area and chase a ghost."..

There are also 200 Afghan National Army soldiers taking part...

A good, solid wire service report without our journalists' frequent spin or agenda (and Mr Montpetit has obviously been outside the KAF wire for some of the operation). Pity almost nobody ran it. Here's another story, by Matthew Fisher of Canwest News that none of the chain's papers saw fit to print (via GAP).

Update: Canwest correction--have been informed that Mr Fisher's piece was published on Sunday in the Montreal Gazette, Calgary Herald, Victoria Times-Colonist, Vancouver Province (as a brief) and Vancouver Sun.com. My apologies but neither Google News or Google Web turned them up. Not as almighty as one has become tempted to think.

Upperdate thought: I guess most of our major media think Canada's war in Afstan is for all practical purposes over when they no longer bother to cover what the CF are doing in that war.