The Canadian Army in Afghanistan: Volume II, Part 1: Counter-Insurgency in Kandahar

The Canadian Army's involvement with Afghanistan after the 9-11 attacks in 2001 was as dramatic as it was historically significant. The conflict was Canada's first war since Korea in the 1950s and was the first counterinsurgency campaign undertaken by the Army. Acts of valour by Canadian men and women, not seen outside of the pages of Second World War history books, once again became commonplace. Canada was now up against a new type of enemy, global in scope, agile and adaptable.

Twenty-four Canadians, among nearly 3000 other people, were killed in the 9-11 attacks by Al Qaeda, an organization that hid behind a shield provided by the Pakistan-supported Taliban movement. Once the Taliban were removed from power by Operation ENDURING FREEDOM, renewed fighting among factions had to be avoided. Some form of governance had to be established before the international community would invest in reconstruction efforts. Al Qaeda was itself in the process of being defeated in Iraq, countered in Somalia, challenged in the Philippines, and confounded in its attempts to destroy civilian airliners throughout the world.

The coalition reconstruction effort in Afghanistan led by the International Security Assistance Force was a tempting collection of fragile targets and there were plenty of aggrieved elements that could be employed by the adversary as proxies in such a fight. Afghanistan was one front in Al Qaeda's war, while it became the only front left for a renewed Taliban and their allies.

Protecting the Afghanistan reconstruction effort was a necessary part of confronting Al Qaeda, the Taliban, and their allies. It was crucial that the coalition create space and time for Afghans to recover from two decades of violence. In order to achieve this goal it was vital that the insurgency be thwarted from attaining its objectives. These volumes explain how the Canadian Army's soldiers succeeded against all odds in doing so.