II. The Context
Overall security in Afghanistan grew worse during the summer quarter.
The violence in Kandahar was punctuated in June by the insurgent attack on Sarpoza prison in the provincial capital, Kandahar City. Most of the prison population—including several hundred Taliban prisoners—escaped as a result. Immediately afterward, insurgents infiltrated into the district of Arghandab north of the city. Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF), supported by Canadian and other soldiers and air crew of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), subdued those insurgents in Arghandab after several days of fighting. This Afghan-led operation served to demonstrate the Afghan National Army’s improving capabilities.
The prison break, and the rising frequency of roadside bombings, suicide attacks and other violence, undermined Kandaharis’ sense of security and confidence in their government. Although insurgents were vulnerable to ISAF and ANSF security operations, insurgents themselves were demonstrating improved tactical leadership and in some cases mounting larger and more complex attacks. In extensive parts of some Kandahar districts, insurgents had complete or nearly complete freedom of movement. For civilian development workers in those areas, freedom of movement remains limited.
Insurgent activities and attacks intensified in other regions of Afghanistan as well. Security in and around Kabul deteriorated during the quarter, and there have been numerous incidents along Afghanistan’s border with Pakistan. The worsening security conditions were attributable in some degree to better organization and communications displayed by Taliban and other insurgent groups operating from bases inside Pakistan.
Nevertheless, events in Afghanistan and abroad presented several positive opportunities for better security, governance and development. In Paris, ministers from Canada and 67 other countries assembled in June for the International Conference in Support of Afghanistan; many announced additional funding for Afghan development. (Canada had earlier announced an increase in our allocation to Afghan development and reconstruction from $1.3 billion to $1.9billion over the years 2001 to 2011.) The Paris conference reinforced international support for the 2006 Afghanistan Compact, the multinational collaboration contributing to Afghan development. Soon after, the G8 countries (again including Canada) reasserted support for Afghan-Pakistani cooperation in securing their common border, and committed aid to border-region development. This G8 action reflected one of Canada’s own priorities for our Afghanmission.
In Kabul, the Government of Afghanistan took action against corruption. A new anti-corruption law was enacted, and an independent anti-corruption commission was established. Also in Kabul, the ANSF assumed authority for security in the capital, replacing ISAF in this role and marking a significant advance in Afghan capacity. And the Afghan President, Hamid Karzai, announced a plan to increase the size of the Afghan National Army from about 65,000 to 122,000 soldiers over five years.
In Kandahar, the United States deployed 800 additional soldiers to the province, significantly reinforcing ISAF there. Sizable additional U.S. reinforcements, as signaled publicly by U.S. authorities, are expected to arrive in Afghanistan beginning in 2009.
And in Ottawa, the Government has announced that we are acquiring helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for deployment to Kandahar. The acquisition and deployment of medium-lift helicopters and UAVs will meet an important provision of the March 13, 2008, House of Commons motion, which set conditions for extending Canada’s military mission in Afghanistan until 2011.
