The big war against the Taliban really began when the Canadian Forces returned to Kandahar after being deployed to Kabul in 2003. The Taliban began a major offensive that Canadian soldiers did not expect. A record number of attacks against Canadian soldiers had been set. Operation Mountain Thrust was launched in the beginning of the summer in 2006. Daily firefights, artillery bombardments, and allied air strikes took place in the Panjwaii District. The battle was in favor of the Canadians. When the war ended, Taliban flooded back in the Panjwaii District in numbers that had not been seen yet. In September, Canadians launched Operation Medusa in an attempt to clear the area of Taliban fighters from Panjwaii once and for all. After a week, the area was clear. On 15 December 2006, during Operation Falcon Summit, massive Canadian artillery and tank barrages clear pockets of Taliban resistance. From 15 July 2007 to February 2008, the focus was on intimately working with the Afghan army, police and civil administration. Canada has announced that it will withdraw the bulk of its troops from Afghanistan in 2011. There are millions of Canadians who don't want this strategy to continue.
By Sarah Lafleur-Chamberland
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