Col. Geoff Parker, the Canadian commander killed in Tuesday's massive suicide attack in Kabul, was preparing to take up a central role in a new NATO strategy to win Afghan hearts and minds.

Parker, 42, was poised to become second-in-command at the Stability Division of Regional Command South--a civilian-led office at Kandahar Airfield that aims to defeat the Taliban not with bullets but with the rapid rollout of humanitarian aid, development, governance and rule of law.

Read the entire Toronto Star article here.