Canadian troops will take a more active role hunting down the “detestable murderers and scumbags” of al-Qaeda and the Taliban in southern Afghanistan next year, Canada’s top military officer said in comments published on Friday. Canada is boosting its presence in Afghanistan and by next February there will be 1,500 soldiers in the southern city of Kandahar. General Rick Hillier, chief of the defense staff, said the troops would track down members of the former ruling Taliban and al-Qaeda.Full Story