They Also Serve

Canada takes command in southern Afghanistan:

A Canadian general took command of coalition forces in southern Afghanistan on Tuesday.

Control was passed to Brig.-Gen. David Fraser in a ceremony at the Kandahar air base, where U.S. Gen. Karl Eikenberry had been in charge.

There are 2,200 Canadians in the multinational force responsible for southern Afghanistan that also includes British, Dutch and U.S. soldiers.

The force's mission includes supporting reconstruction efforts, but Eikenberry offered a dire warning for his successor: "There will be an increase in violence in the spring, and we can forecast an increase in violence in the summer."