Summary

• Canada reinforced key elements of our Afghan engagement during the quarter, and made preparations for large and welcome new deployments of U.S. forces in Kandahar and other Afghan provinces.

• One year after introducing benchmarks, by which Parliament and Canadians can measure results in our six mission priorities, we have made several revisions—refining targets and responding to changing circumstances in Afghanistan.

• Insurgent violence increased during the quarter, and more intense fighting was expected through the summer with an expanding counter-insurgency campaign.

• With the arrival of U.S. army and marine reinforcements, the Canadian Forces concentrated their counter-insurgency operations in Kandahar City and surrounding villages. The objective is to stabilize the provincial capital and nearby villages.

• Trained and mentored by the Canadian Forces, the Afghan National Army in Kandahar continued to demonstrate increasing capacity to plan and conduct operations.

• With Canadian support, the Afghan Ministry of the Interior authorized a major increase in Afghan National Police recruitment, and new positions were allotted to Kandahar province. Canada expanded its program of police training and mentoring.

• Progress was recorded in Canada’s three signature projects: school construction continued; rehabilitation of the Dahla Dam and irrigation system advanced through the inception phase; and polio vaccinations continued with about 369,000 children in Kandahar vaccinated in June.

• A Canadian-supported project to clear landmines and other explosives advanced. Training began for 80 locally recruited deminers in Kandahar, and 270,000 square metres of land were cleared in Kandahar.

• Canadian civilians and soldiers in Kandahar and Kabul supported Afghan preparations for the August 20th presidential and provincial council elections. Candidate nominations concluded and formal campaigning began.