...to make up for my delinquency:

1) Canada's latest fallen - two military engineers:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/can...1aUfeePNoMTinQ
- were killed by a (second) IED while securing the area following another (first) IED blast

2) How Canadian special forces are helping fight the IED fight:
http://www.thestar.com/printArticle/665009
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blogspo...in-afstan.html
http://milnewsca.wordpress.com/2009/...uicide-bomber/

3) Commentary on how Canadian public support for the mission could have been higher now if more politicians communicated more about the "why":
http://www.canada.com/news/History+b...370/story.html
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/674568

4) From davidbfpo's spotted blogger, BruceR (a former OMLT trainer/mentor with the Canadian Forces), some interesting insights re: why growing and deploying the ANA isn't working as planned:
http://www.snappingturtle.net/flit/a...02.html#006459
http://www.snappingturtle.net/flit/a...31.html#006485
http://www.snappingturtle.net/flit/a...31.html#006486

5) Canadian and US Officers' Paper on UAVs Over K'har: "The key to successful employment of the UAV is the relationships formed between UAV pilots and the ground personnel directing the aerial surveillance and strikes performed by the aircraft, articulation of priorities, and building and sharing a detailed intelligence picture."

6) My assessment (humble crystal balling, really) of the wording of the Parliamentary Motion regarding the future of Canada's mission in AFG (motion wording mentions being out of KANDAHAR by end of 2011, not out of AFGHANISTAN):
http://milnewsca.wordpress.com/2009/...r-or-afg-2011/