Canada in Afstan: All the News That's Fit...

...to Ignore almost completely by our media. On Friday, Dec. 10, the government released its "sixth quarterly report on Canada’s engagement in Afghanistan" (see here for previous one).

CP ran this story. Meanwhile neither the Globe and Mail nor the Ottawa Citizen published a word--NOT ONE WORD--about the latest report in their Dec. 11 print editions. As for the rest of the major Canadian media, this is the result of a Google News search using "stockwell bloodiest afghanistan"; here are the results using "stockwell polio afghanistan". This is what appears from the CP story on the Toronto Star's website, no idea if it appeared in print.

What almost incomprehensibly irresponsible "journalism". It's all detainee all the time, all politics, and screw trying any longer even pretending to cover the subtance of this country's most important foreign and defence policy commitment. DISGRACEFUL. AND, NOW, ALL TOO TYPICAL.

From the original CP story:

Federal cabinet report says quarter ending Sept. 30 was Afghanistan's bloodiest

It was the bloodiest summer yet in Afghanistan's bloody, eight-year-old war, the federal cabinet said Friday as it declared military action alone will not solve the country's complex problems.

The government's sixth quarterly report on Canada's engagement in Afghanistan says 223 allied soldiers were killed during the three months ending Sept. 30, which included national elections.

Among the dead were 30 allied soldiers killed in combat in Kandahar, including 11 Canadians.

"No question about it ... there was an increase in incidents of violence and security-related matters," said Trade Minister Stockwell Day, who chairs the cabinet committee on Afghanistan...

"Eight years since the allied ouster of the Taliban regime, the Afghanistan balance sheet presents both pluses and minuses," the report says.

"The latest coalition analysis acknowledged that the insurgents have seized the initiative, both in the armed conflict and by creating a crisis of confidence among the populace through the equally important 'silent war' of fear, intimidation and persuasion.

"At the same time the widely acknowledged fraud in the landmark presidential election poses an equally serious crisis of credibility within Afghanistan and in nations whose soldiers are fighting and dying on Afghan soil."..

"Canada's approach recognizes that Afghanistan cannot create the conditions for sustainable peace through military means alone," the report said.

"An Afghan-led reconciliation process is needed to weaken the insurgency, heal communal divisions, and foster sustainable peace."..

The report also noted:

-The Afghan army assumed more responsibility for security in Kandahar City and surrounding villages, where Canadian troops train and mentor Afghan soldiers.

-Seven more schools were built under Canada's supervision, bringing the total number completed to 12, with another 21 under construction.

-More than 880,000 children were vaccinated against polio [in September alone, in Kandahar and two other provinces].

-More than 500 Afghans in key districts of Kandahar had received microfinance loans [in the quarter covered], already exceeding the program target.

Pretty decent bit of reporting on a fairly honest and balanced government report (full text here). Pity almost nobody had the chance to read the story. One does wish the story had carried some of these details, of which most Canadian remain sadly unaware:

...
A significant number of U.S. forces arrived in Kandahar province during this reporting quarter, vastly changing the environment in which many Canadians are working. Three extra infantry battalions were stationed in the province, more than doubling the number of coalition forces available for security-related tasks. In addition, a U.S. Military Police battalion arrived in Kandahar City to assist in mentoring ANP units in the region. This influx was accompanied by a concentration of Canadian Forces into a much smaller area of operations focused primarily on the major populated areas in and around Kandahar City [including Arghandab district after a short absence]. This vastly increased security presence, accompanied by a similar boost in American civilian efforts, will undoubtedly assist the Canadian-coordinated governance and development initiatives throughout Kandahar province and support moving Canadian priorities forward in the months to come.

This bit on the Dahla Dam [see also Upperdate here] is rather revealing in the minimal precision on real progress achieved:

...
The three-year, $50-million rehabilitation of the Dahla Dam with its canals and associated irrigation system is a second Canadian signature project and one of the highest development priorities of the Afghan government. Completion will mean reliable delivery of water to an area supporting four out of five Kandaharis, with the irrigation encouraging farmers to shift from opium poppies to legal high-value crops like pomegranates. In the quarter, Canadian project engineers tackled technical aspects of the project, and a manufacturer for the gates and weirs of the irrigation canals was identified...