Mr. Chair, the Canadian Forces continue to be responsible for Kandahar City and its approaches, notwithstanding that the surge has begun to take place. In fact, I think it's worth noting, and it's a measure of the U.S.'s degree of confidence in the Canadian Forces, that there are actually three battalions under Canadian command in our area of responsibility. Within our area of responsibility, the addition of those forces has significantly improved our ability to conduct the necessary operations.
For example, in the Dand District, where we opened the operations towards focusing on a village approach as opposed to a counter-Taliban one—more of a population-centred approach—one of the U.S. battalions is beginning to go into that particular area and will take charge of it. That will then allow Canadian Forces to focus in “clear” operations. We'll be following a counter-insurgency strategy of “clear, hold and build”. This allows us to shift our focus to clear another area from the insurgents, hold that ground, and then allow the development activity to progress.
Undoubtedly, the surge of U.S. forces, which is progressing apace, is allowing us to put greater emphasis on development inside the area.