Afghanistan War Updates -- June 26, 2008

Canadian soldiers ride their tanks as they keep watch at
Arghandab district in Kandahar province June 25, 2008.

From Yahoo News

KABUL, Afghanistan - Militants attacked troops from the U.S.-led coalition patrolling south of the Afghan capital on Thursday, killing three of them as well as an Afghan interpreter.

The nationality of the troops was not released. Coalition and Afghan forces were searching for the attackers, a coalition statement said.

The convoy was attacked as it passed through Saydabad, a district of Wardak province.

A freelance television cameraman filmed what he said was the aftermath of the Thursday attack, about 40 miles from Kabul. The footage showed the burning wreckage of a vehicle on a bend in a mountain road. Militants held up what looked like an M-16 rifle and dragged away a belt of ammunition.

Read more ....

More News On Afghanistan From Other Sources
FACTBOX-Military deaths in Afghanistan -- Reuters UK
22 Taliban killed in attacks on three district centers in eastern Afghanistan -- Long War Journal
Blast kills 3 US-coalition soldiers, 1 interpreter near Afghan capital -- International Herald Tribune
Three Americans Killed in IED Attack in Afghanistan -- ABC News
Taliban driven from two districts in eastern Afghanistan -- M & C
Official: Pakistan Ordered Assassination of Afghan Leader -- New York Sun
Pakistan denies intelligence services backed Karzai attack -- Khaleej Times
Tenth British soldier to die in Afghanistan this month was mine-sweeping Paratrooper -- Telegraph
Afghan and U.S.-led troops kill up to 35 Taliban -- Reuters U.K.
'Several insurgents' killed in Afghan fighting -- CNN
Inside The Afghan Poppy Wars -- CBS News
Good news follows bad in Afghanistan -- Calgary Herald

My Comment: After almost 7 years of fighting .... the conflict appears to be coming to a head. The focus is now on Afghanistan .... not Iraq. The focus is on capturing or killing Al Qaeda and Taliban leaders, not dead-enders in Iraq.

Will this make a difference .... I cannot help but feel that it will. The best and the brightest have been fighting in Iraq. As the war in Iraq starts to calm down ..... their focus will now be on Afghanistan and the border regions .... and Al-Qaeda and their Taliban allies know this.