Taliban in Trouble

Canadian forces in Afghanistan seem to have a large Taliban force surrounded:

NATO's commander in southern Afghanistan, Canadian Brig.-Gen. David Fraser, toured the front lines yesterday and said NATO has no intention of allowing the Taliban to escape.

"We've got the Taliban surrounded," Fraser said. "We don't want to squeeze them out. We're around them, and they've got choices to make."

Lavoie says the Taliban are engaging in a "last stand" in the symbolically important birthplace of the movement.

A defeat could have national implications, he said.

Front-line officers expect much tougher days ahead, with hard-core Taliban elements dug in, well-armed and waiting for the final NATO push toward the Arghandab River.