While BFQs shout “Quit!”, the foolish try to look wise, and the fuck-os set off human bombs, good men wearing Maple Leafs are moving forward:
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan — It’s one of the basic tenets of counter-insurgency, and it’s being deployed aggressively in the dangerous regions southwest of Kandahar city: drive out the enemy, make the area safe for the locals, and then stay there as long as you can.
Creating a base of operations and making it secure is considered one of the first major rules in defeating groups like the Taliban. As part of the Afghan effort, Canadian forces have cleared a handful of villages in the Dand and Panjwaii districts in recent months and simply moved in.
The hope is that as that military “footprint” continues to grow, the effect of marginalizing insurgents will grow with it.
“At the end of the day, the approach that we took is pure counter-insurgency,” said Lt.-Col. Joe Paul, 42, the commander of Canada’s battle group in Afghanistan, known as Task Force Kandahar.
So it really works, huh? You bet it does. You can bet your next cup of Tim Hortons it does.
We’ve said many times before– this war is ten steps forward and nine back. But the tenth step is the one that counts, the one that sticks.
