KANDAHAR, Afghanistan - Canadian troops and their commanders say the Afghan army remains a work in progress, despite the success of a recent operation in Panjwaii.
The sweep through rural Kandahar marked a significant milestone for the army that Canada has been training for the better part of four years.
The Afghans were able to plan and execute the entire security operation on their own, without any input from NATO -- one of the conditions set out by Ottawa for next month's withdrawal of Canadian soldiers from combat.
Canadian and U.S. troops participated in the operation, supporting Afghan patrols in troublesome areas such as Zangabad.
Capt. Simon Ouellet, the leader of Alpha Company's 13 platoon, says they've managed to get the Afghans more organized than they were before.
Battle group commander Lt.-Col. Michel-Henri St-Louis says it's not fair to expect individual Afghan soldiers to be as capable as their western counterparts
