Without any shadow of a doubt the ISAF troops who drew the "short straw" were those who from the outset were assigned PRT responsibility for the Southern Afghan Provinces of Uruzgan (Netherlands & Australia); Kandahar (Canada & UK SF) and Helmand (UK, Denmark & Estonia). The "lead" nation in each Province appears in Bold.

It has been in those Provinces that the reconstruction work has been perceived as being the greatest threat to whatever support base the Afghan Taleban have. Region South has seen the worst of the fighting and the greatest number of incidents and ISAF casualties.

Two NATO nations have now withdrawn their combat troops the Netherlands and now Canada, both did superb work in their respective Provinces, the Dutch PRT effort in Uruzgan was considered to be the most effective in the whole of Afghanistan and resulted in unprecedented co-operation with the local inhabitants who formed their own militias to keep the Taleban out and the flow of intelligence from residents enabled Australian Special Forces teams to act effectively against insurgent forces and commanders operating in the area. The Canadians too did sterling work in what is considered to be the "home of the Taleban" in 2010 we were promised the greatest of battles and a crushing defeat at the hands of the Taleban in Kandahar Province after they had been thrown out of Marjah - To date that battle has never materialised and the reconstruction work has proceeded apace.

In Helmand in 2006 the then British Defence Secretary John Reid said that the British would perform their work without having to fire a single shot - The Taleban declaration of war on their efforts made short work of that prospect (Helmand has since proved to be the bloodiest Province in Afghanistan). By the summer of 2006 the Taleban of Mullah Omar had had four years to rest, regroup and organise. All in all down in the 13 District Province of Helmand with its population of some 1.3 million people the Taleban were faced by 3,300 strong British element, around 1,000 Danes and a company of Estonian troops the ISAF strength in combat troops amounted to less than 700 men. Afghan Government "control" was restricted to only three of Helmands thirteen Districts

In the Summer and Autumn of 2006 the Taleban at full strength failed spectacularly to defeat, dislodge or drive out those 680 men as they sought to extend the writ of Afghan governance in Helmand. On the night of the 31st December, 2006 things changed and set a pattern that has been followed every year since. I had talked to my son on Christmas Day and he said he would call on New Years Day. I heard nothing further from him until the 12th of January 2007. The first ISAF Winter Offensive had started on the 31st December when 3rd Commando Brigade attacked and drove the Taleban away from the Kajaki Dam in Operation Clay. Year in year out the Taleban promise Spring & Summer Offensives, none of which ever materialise. ISAF can fight 12 months of the year, the Taleban cannot.

The situation in Helmand and in Kandahar now is that since the "McChrystal Surge" pushed through by his replacement General David Petraeus and reluctantly agreed to by Barack Obama in 2009, Helmand and Kandahar finally got the troop numbers needed to capitalise on previous successes. Another important factor has been the arrival on the scene of the Afghan National Security Forces. 20,000 men of the USMC were "surged" in stages into Helmand and Kandahar Provinces along with over 15,000 men of the ANA and ANPF, they joined the 12,000 ISAF troops already operating in Helmand.

This prompts the observation that if the Taleban at full strength could not defeat 4,000 men in 2006, how on earth do they think they will defeat 47,000 now?

Monitoring incidents and activity reports issued by ISAF and from what is reported in the press over the period of a month (May/June) the conclusion that could be drawn and demonstrated throughout all of Afghanistan's 34 Provinces and 388 Districts was that the country was 97% peaceful and this supposedly is at the height of the Taleban's "fighting season".

I am sure that all who have worked with the Canadians down in Kandahar (my son did on two of his four tours so far) appreciate what they have done and wish them well - Thanks and Safe Home - You played a "Flanker" much appreciated - Well Done.