The day after

A suicide bomber on a bicycle attacked Canadian troops handing out candy to children in southern Afghanistan on Monday, an Afghan official said. A NATO spokesman said the blast killed four soldiers.

The blast in Kandahar province's Panjwayi district happened a day after NATO declared an end to a two-week offensive aimed at driving Taliban militants out of safe havens in the same area.

It seems we have not yet learned that making declarations like an offensive is "over" or "mission accomplished" really doesn't mean much to the insurgents. In fact, it appears to be an opportunity to ignite more hostilities.