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Kandahar Peaceful Enough For Reconstruction To Begin
While the Taliban threat persists, Canadian soldiers have made enough progress in Kandahar province for the international community to plan new health clinics, roads and other aid projects for the troubled region, a top military commander says.Hard fighting and patrolling by Canadian and Afghan troops have put the Taliban on the run, allowing for a switch in priorities to reconstruction, said Lt.-Col. Ian Hope, commander of the Canadian battle group. "In Kandahar province the Taliban are on the defensive," Hope said Thursday. "We have been able to organize and attract large donors back to Kandahar province and we are going to see in the next few months considerable sums of money being dedicated to improving economics and social infrastructure." Such aid projects are considered to be key in winning the support of the local people, many of whom are mistrustful of both the Taliban and the long-term commitment of the international community in Afghanistan. Posted by: Anonymoose 2006-07-07 |
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