U.S. Marine Corps Capt. Anthony R. Ward, center, speaks with Afghans about the well-being of their community in Golestan, Farah province, Afghanistan, March 12, 2009. Ward is assigned to the 3rd Civil Affairs Group, which works closely with Marines assigned to Company K, 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Brian D. JonesHard-Core Taliban Using More Insidious Tactics In Kandahar -- The Record
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan - Hard-core elements of the Taliban that moved into Kandahar have imported more insidious tactics to sow confusion among NATO and Afghan forces, according to former insurgent fighters and Canadian army documents.
They are also building bigger roadside bombs to meet the expected crush of American armour vehicles surging into southern Afghanistan as part of U.S. President Barack Obama's renewed emphasis on the war-torn region.
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SCENARIOS-Outcomes Of U.S. Afghan Review -- ALertnet
U.S. President Barack Obama is expected to announce results of a review of U.S. policy in Afghanistan and Pakistan in coming days.
Below are some key points that may emerge from the review, according to Reuters reporting, public comments by U.S. officials and representatives of allied nations.
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General Says NATO Can't Measure Afghan War Performance -- International Herald Tribune
NATO has no reliable way to assess its performance in the war in Afghanistan even as the United States prepares to announce the results of an Afghan strategy review, the alliance's top commander said on Tuesday.
U.S. Army General John Craddock, NATO's supreme allied commander Europe, also told a U.S. Senate panel that some NATO members had the capacity to commit more troops to the war but would not do so for political reasons.
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Lack Of Taliban Election Violence Puzzles Diplomats -- Global TV
KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan - Canadian diplomats are surprised and puzzled by the lack of Taliban attacks during the just completed voter registration process in the volatile Kandahar region in the south of Afghanistan.
"On the whole it was very successful . . . It went far better than we expected," said Ken Lewis, Canada's senior diplomatic representative in this war-ravaged province, which is home to nearly 3,000 Canadian troops. "In the south, there were almost no direct attacks on the process."
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