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Canadian Commander: Taliban Can't Hide - Eyes Everywhere
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by Karl Gotthardt - albertacowpoke | January 29, 2010 at 03:57 am
354 views | 42 Recommendations | 12 comments
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Brigadier Daniel Menard - Commander JTF Kandahar
uploaded by Karl Gotthardt - albertacowpoke
Troop Surge Working - Offer to Moderate Taliban
Brigadier General Daniel Menard says the Taliban can't hide anymore. Since the surge strategy was approved, Menard says that there are now battalions where there used to be companies. In practial terms they eyes have grown from 100 to 150 soldiers to 1000.
Menard made the statement amidst an offer by Prime Minister Gordon Brown and President Karzai for moderate Taliban to lay down weapons in return for security and money to ensure economic survival. World leaders have pledged $500 Million to a fund to pay Taliban that lay down their arms. The fund is to be used to reintegrate Taliban into Afghan society.
Why the Taliban Can't Hide
Canada's military leaders have asked for additional troops in Kandahar Province since early 2007. The Canadian contingents, numbering some 2800 troops, while an immense contribution by Canada, was not sufficient to have eyes and ears everywhere. It also made 24/7 operations virtually impossible.
President Obama's Afghanistan strategy has increased the troop levels in both Kandahar and Helmand Provinces. According to Brigadier General Menard, this means insurgents "cannot hide anymore,"
"We are 24/7 present," Ménard said. "We live with the population. We have eyes everywhere, day and night. So they cannot hide from us, and they know this."
Menard feels that because of this increase and the establishment of a reintegration fund, the Taliban will find the offer attractive. Because of the 24/7 presence relative security can be provided to the moderate Taliban and their families.
Test for the Karzai Government and NATO's ability to provide security
The effectiveness of the proposed integration program and subsequent success, will rely on the Karzai governments' ability to effectively provide security to the families and Taliban members that chose to lay down their arms.
Training of Afghan Forces and Police is in full force and some estimates indicate that some 300,000 Afghan Security Forces will be trained by mid 2011. Afghanistan's ability to provide it's own security can and will lead to the eventual success. Failure to do so will be devastating.
Time is running out for Taliban insurgents to decide whether to reintegrate into Afghan society, Canada's top soldier in Afghanistan told CBC News on Thursday.
A recent surge in troop levels in southern Afghanistan means insurgents "cannot hide anymore," said Brig.-Gen. Daniel Ménard, the commander of Joint Task Force Afghanistan, which is based in Kandahar and includes more than 2,800 Canadian troops.
"We are 24/7 present," Ménard said. "We live with the population. We have eyes everywhere, day and night. So they cannot hide from us, and they know this."
The extra troops are part of a 30,000-soldier surge that U.S. President Barack Obama announced in December.
"Where we used to have a small company, we now have a full battalion plus," said Ménard. "So 100 people, 50 people in the past, now we have five, six, seven, 800 people.
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Karl Gotthardt - albertacowpoke
Redwater, Alberta, Canada
Recommendations (42)
Spydermonkey
huntsville, Alabama, United States
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Vancouver, British Columbia, Canadamarianmo
Mission, Canada
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The_Cynic
Freddy Beach, Where the deer r, Canada
Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (12)
at 07:03 on January 29th, 2010
ty for this excellent post karl
at 07:12 on January 29th, 2010
Since Karzai only controls Kabul (barely), I don't know that Menard's assessment is accurate, especially in consideration of Afghanistan's modern history.
at 07:35 on January 29th, 2010
I think Daniel's comment is more related to his Area of Operation and Influence which is Kandahar province. Whether or not, eventually, Karzai will be able to extend his reach beyond Kabul remains to be seen. I know the Germans have authorized additional troops for the training mission of the Afghan National Army.
Obviously Karzai would have to earn the Afghan's Armies respect and be not just seen as a puppet for NATO. Based on some interviews I have seen and documentaries with Brian Stewart, formerly Senior Foreign Editor CBC, it would appear that there is a desire by Afghans for peace and reconciliation, provided security can be provided.
at 08:57 on January 29th, 2010
Until the rampant corruption is addressed I don't see any long term peace there.
From what I read, a lot of the population is not happy with the US backed gov. BECAUSE of the continuation of the old practice of bribes. Thus not supporting Karzai's gov. and without the full support of the people there, the Taliban will keep slinking away in the dark & popping back up later (kinda like roaches)
Change that, and you change the whole game, and put the insurgents on the defensive. That is something we have only done in small pushes, generally the Taliban are attacking when & where they like.
at 09:28 on January 29th, 2010
Agreed full stop. The ball is in the Karzai government court to win the trust of the people and also provide for their security.
at 08:58 on January 29th, 2010
Canada's troops are tops but fielding 2,800 out of a population of 30 million plus in one of the richest countries in the world? That's a bit weak and not fair on the guys over there. We should have the capability to put 15,000 minimum in this kind of operation. I would even go the extra mile and say we should be as capable as we were when we had a population of 15 million: so that would make an ability to put 50,000 plus in this operation.
at 09:26 on January 29th, 2010
Iffy, to put that many troops in the field requires the support of the Canadian public. The Canadian Forces was send on peacekeeping mission after peacekeeping mission after World War II.
If my recollection is correct, when I joined the Military in 1964, the Canadian Forces numbered around 120,000. We had 5000 some odd troops in Westphalia as part of 1 (BR) Corps. This changed when Trudeau halfed our NATO commitment and cut the Armed Forces back to about 80,000 in 1969. The peacekeeping missions kept coming.
The Forces were further cut while we took on the former Yugoslavia, at one time with two battlegroups.
I think at present we have about 62,000 in the CF. Only about 15,000 of those are combat troops, or rather in land units.
A commitment like Afghanistan requires one battalion in the field, one training, and another one just returning. That is one third of our infantry.
At present some 2000 to 2500 are also deployed in Haiti.
Bottom line a greater commitment in Afghanistan, requires and increase in the Canadian Forces manpower ceiling and I don't think the political will is there.
at 09:50 on January 29th, 2010
I am amazed it is down to 62,000! Wow! Something isn't right with that: it's not like the country doesn't a) have enough people (we have had more serving in the past), b) nor have the cash: Canada has plenty. I think it is sad because the forces train people very well and Canada could do with more of its citizens having served for 5 years at some point in their career.
at 10:10 on January 29th, 2010
It's a difficult problem Iffy. It takes the will of the electorate and the will of politicians to increase this. I think General Hillier was effective in getting some heavy lift aircraft approved. At least it gave us the ability to respond to Haiti quickly. We used to rent Antonov's from the Russians and Ukrainians to deploy our troops.
at 11:06 on January 29th, 2010
I think he is overly optimistic. The Taliban is still strong and are dedicated to victory. Not to mention Canada will soon be withdrawing.
at 11:27 on January 29th, 2010
Thanks for this report. It's not just a matter of warm bodies in uniform. There has to be equipment for them and more importantly there has to be some status and money in being in the military. A country like Canada has always relied on a 'citizen army' which is a far different type of society than a 'career army'. It is a matter of choice about what kind of society that we want. I hope we never have to have a warrior class apart from the citizenry.
at 11:40 on January 29th, 2010
Equipment is definitely a showstopper. While I don't have the figures for putting a soldier into Afghanistan for Canada, the US estimated that each additional soldier would cost them about $1Million. That cost would included equipment, maintenance, deployment and redeployment, rations, fuel ammunition. The list goes on and on.
The citizen army exists and was also neglected for years. It became a great resource when Canada became involved in the Former Yugoslavia. As an example a Sergeant recently killed in Afghanistan was also a school teacher in the Edmonton area.