Winter is coming - and Task Force Kandahar is ready!

By Brigadier-General Denis Thompson

Over the last few weeks there has been a change in the air here in Kandahar Province. Clouds are appearing in the sky, the temperatures are approaching what Canadians might actually consider habitable, and we even had a brief rain shower a few mornings ago. All this means one thing: winter is coming — and so is a shift in our approach to operations here in Kandahar.

But before I get to that, I want to quickly take stock of our deployment to date — a state of affairs, if you will. We’ve faced some interesting challenges: Sarpoza, Arghandab, a shift in insurgent tactics, and a perception by many that the security situation is deteriorating in Afghanistan. Yesterday’s events in Kabul underscore this, and many in the international community are acknowledging that we must continue to put serious thought and effort into our approach to these problems.

For every challenge however, there are successes that we don’t hear enough about.

This summer we were able to significantly disrupt the insurgents’ command and control network. Many of their mid- and senior-level commanders were neutralized, including several key IED experts. We also seized multiple IED facilities, weapons caches, and supply nodes. Eliminating their leadership and disrupting their supply lines has a lasting effect on insurgents’ ability to operate in the province.

Afghan national security forces continue to make progress. One of our mentored kandaks is assessed to have the highest level of operational readiness of any in the country. This unit is now conducting successful operations in Helmand Province, where the insurgents’ ploy to seize Lashkar Gah was soundly repulsed. This is reminiscent of the ANA’s quick victory over insurgents in the Arghandab post-Sarpoza, and another indicator of their growing operational capability.

The ANP are starting from further behind, but are making substantial progress as well. Of note is the fact that Kandahar City enjoyed relative calm during Independence Day celebrations, Ramadan, Eid, and several recent gatherings in the environs of the city. The big problem, of course, has been the recent spate of assassinations and attacks, but I have been told that the [Afghan] National Directorate of Security has recently arrested three individuals believed responsible for several of these murders.

Winter is fast approaching, and Task Force Kandahar is focusing on two things. First, we’re going to deepen the level of security in key areas in Kandahar Province, areas where the majority of the population resides: Kandahar City, the districts of Dand, Daman and Arghandab, and portions of Zharey and Panjwayi. Our aim is to increase local perception of security in these areas, and set the conditions for economic growth and the reconstruction and development work my colleague Elissa will speak about momentarily.

Second, we are going to take the fight to the insurgents in areas they consider to be “safe havens.” We have a distinct advantage in that we can continue to conduct operations throughout the cold winter months, while the insurgents are typically limited in the scope of their activities. In the past, many fled to Pakistan during the winter season, but increased anti-insurgent operations along the border region are making this less attractive. My intent therefore, is to deny the insurgents the ability to rest, re-supply, and reconstitute their leadership in Kandahar Province this winter. Doing this will force them further from population centres, limit their ability to conduct large-scale operations, and make it increasingly difficult for them to terrorize the population.

We recently conducted a successful troop rotation, which occurred without major incident. The new units have been on the ground for several weeks now, and I can tell you I am highly impressed with the work of our soldiers thus far. I am highlighting some of their many successes today, not to convince you that everything is rosy in Kandahar Province, but to underscore the excellent effort put forth on a daily basis by members of Task Force Kandahar. I firmly believe they are making a difference here, in spite of difficult conditions, and I want Canadians to know that they have every reason to be very proud.

BGen Denis Thompson is the commander of Joint Task Force Afghanistan. This article was adapted from a presentation he gave to Afghan and Canadian journalists at Kandahar Airfield on 14 November 2008.