| 0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic. |
 Author
|
Topic: Afghanistan, 3rd Bn, R22R, Part Duex... (Read 4626 times)
|
Mike Blais
SSM (NATO Bar), CPSM, UN-Cyp, CD
Ultimate 2000+ Member
 Offline
Gender: 
Posts: 3250
A ROYAL CANADIAN "NEVER PASSES A FAULT"
|
Cdn soldiers approaching Nov. 11 as participants
By Bill Graveland, THE CANADIAN PRESS
A memorial at Forward Operating Base Wilson in Afghanistan to mark the loss of two soldiers in a roadside bomb in August is shown in Oct. 22, 2007. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Bill Graveland
SPERWAN GHAR, Afghanistan - They've all worn the poppies, marched in the parades and observed a moment of silence on past Remembrance Days.
But this year, many soldiers are seeing something different about Nov. 11. They are living the experience as participants and not just as observers.
At every small Canadian outpost in the Panjwaii, Zhari and Kandahar districts, the soldiers will mark the day of remembrance this Sunday. The biggest event will be at Kandahar Air Field where a permanent memorial bears the names and likenesses of the 71 Canadians who have lost their lives since this conflict began five years ago.
"This time, it's a lot more poignant. I've got reason for it. I've just been in several actions where I consider myself to be a veteran now," said Sgt. Scott Schall of Medicine Hat, Alta.
"Beforehand, I'd never been in anything remotely dangerous."
"You're sort of one of the people they're remembering now and it sort of has a different meaning to be on the other side of the fence. You can't think or fathom what those other people went through until you go through it yourself," he added speaking from atop his tank at Forward Operating Base Sperwan Ghar.
Five soldiers have died during this rotation. The most recent, Cpl. Nathan Hornburg, 24 of Calgary was killed Sept. 24, by a mortar shell while trying to repair a Leopard Tank in southern Afghanistan.
Roadside bombs took the lives of Master Warrant Officer Mario Mercier and Master Cpl. Christian Duchesne on Aug. 22 and of Pte. Simon Longtin on Aug. 19.
It is the deaths that makes the conflict hit home even more.
"Now it is more palpable. We see the effect and the price we have to pay for this operation," said Capt. Patrick Hannan, a staff officer at command headquarters at Kandahar Air Field.
"It's my third tour but in the past I never saw the coffins pass on the airstrip, so there is a price to pay. It's not a given. I still think it's worthwhile."
Hannan's uncle spent time as a prisoner of war in Hong Kong in the Second World War and died a few years after the war ended. His picture and medals were always on display.
Many of the soldiers in this part of the world never met those who have died but feel a kinship nonetheless.
"We lost some friends, if you consider we are part of a big family. I didn't personally know them but it hurts just as bad anyway because you know it's one of your partners in this war," explained Cpl. Stephane Beaulieu, 23, of Valcartier, Que.
"We always do our best to remember it. We always end up doing a parade or commemorating in our own way - remembering those who fell before us and appreciating what they did for us."
Cpl. Jaime Aubuchon of Edmonton, currently serving time as an engineer at Forward Operating Base Masum Ghar said this time of year is a time for remembering and being aware of the dangers.
"We'll have our moments of silence. It will be an important day and we'll get to remember everyone we've lost on this tour and the past. It's like a wake-up call I guess," she said.
Maj. Warren Smith, the battery commander, X Battery - Canadian Battle Group, said he has attended services, marched in parades as a cadet, reservist and regular soldier.
Even he said the emotion and sentiment of this day has changed - perhaps forever - for most of the soldiers serving here and for their friends and families at home.
"It brings it a little closer to home. It's not just memories of a cold November, rainy day, with grey skies and filled with grey-haired veterans around," Maj. Smith reflected.
"There's an awful lot of black-haired veterans around today and some who are no longer with us. So yeah, it does bring it a little closer to home."
|
1RCR 1977-79 Depot (Italy PL), B Coy, Mortars, Pioneers, D Coy (CFB London)
3RCR 1979-82 M Coy, Pipes & Drums, Sigs, Mortars. (CFB Baden-Soellingen)
1RCR 1982-88 Mortars. Dukes, Cyprus-Welfare NCO 84-85, Injured, WO&Sgts Mess, (CFB London)
1988-92 Med-remuster to HELL/ 35 DU, CFB Baden
1992 Medical release. God Bless you all!
Pro Patria
|
|
|
Mike Blais
SSM (NATO Bar), CPSM, UN-Cyp, CD
Ultimate 2000+ Member
Offline
Gender:
Posts: 3250
A ROYAL CANADIAN "NEVER PASSES A FAULT"
|
Military starts using drug dogs to search troops' bags in Afghanistan
23 hours ago
OTTAWA - Canadian military police have started using drug dogs to search troops' bags at Kandahar Air Field after being tipped about soldiers suspected of using heroin, hash and pot, say newly released documents.
Although there were no drug seizures reported, a briefing note says illegal drugs are readily available in Afghanistan and present a "temptation for Canadian troops in the form of personal use and in the form of importation for the purpose of trafficking."
The documents, obtained by The Canadian Press under the Access to Information Act, indicate there were at least five targeted and random searches of soldiers' belongings in June and July at Kandahar Air Field.
The Canadian Forces National Investigation Service, an independent military police unit, used dogs trained to sniff out drugs to search about 90 soldiers and more than 100 barrack boxes.
Military police took the names of soldiers in a convoy that was searched following a tip in July.
The briefing note says that search didn't produce enough evidence to justify charges, but military police were to check their records "for any other indication of illicit drug use/trafficking" among those in the convoy.
It's unclear why military police did the background checks because an e-mail outlining the incident was partly censored.
Defence Department spokeswoman Capt. Julie Roberge said she wouldn't comment on specific searches.
She said the military uses the dogs if it has a "reasonable doubt" there may be drugs at Kandahar Air Field or at one of the forward operating bases.
"As soon as there's a doubt ... of course there's going to be a follow up," Roberge said.
She said the dogs are a "NATO asset" shared among coalition forces. The Canadian military is field-testing its own drug-sniffing dogs in Canada with the intent of eventually using them in Afghanistan, she added.
Liberal defence critic Denis Coderre, who travelled to Afghanistan last month on an unofficial fact-finding trip, said he saw no evidence of drugs nor did he witness any dog searches.
The briefing note raised questions about whether the searches violated soldiers' Charter rights, particularly their expectation of privacy and the right to be secure against unreasonable searches.
But it concludes that targeted and random searches of convoys are an "effective and efficient method" of deterring troops from using or trafficking drugs without negatively affecting operations.
Word of the Kandahar searches follows charges laid last week against an Ottawa-based soldier for allegedly trafficking pot and hashish after an 11-month undercover sting operation by the military police unit.
Master Cpl. Steven Pearson was charged with five counts related to the alleged trafficking and possession of marijuana and hashish dating back to January 2006.
There have been several other high-profile incidents in recent years of alleged drug trafficking within the military.
Four crew members of HMCS Saskatoon were charged this year after a military police unit launched an undercover sting operation targeting the small coastal patrol ship in early 2006.
A court martial for one officer charged with trafficking cocaine and disgraceful behaviour under the National Defence Act has been adjourned until next year.
Two other crew members pleaded guilty and were given suspended sentences and fines, while the third was cleared of one charge and had a second one stayed.
Last year, five soldiers were charged at Canadian Forces Base Gagetown, N.B., under the National Defence Act with trafficking in cocaine, ecstasy and marijuana.
|
1RCR 1977-79 Depot (Italy PL), B Coy, Mortars, Pioneers, D Coy (CFB London)
3RCR 1979-82 M Coy, Pipes & Drums, Sigs, Mortars. (CFB Baden-Soellingen)
1RCR 1982-88 Mortars. Dukes, Cyprus-Welfare NCO 84-85, Injured, WO&Sgts Mess, (CFB London)
1988-92 Med-remuster to HELL/ 35 DU, CFB Baden
1992 Medical release. God Bless you all!
Pro Patria
|
|
|
Mike Blais
SSM (NATO Bar), CPSM, UN-Cyp, CD
Ultimate 2000+ Member
Offline
Gender:
Posts: 3250
A ROYAL CANADIAN "NEVER PASSES A FAULT"
|
Rate of wounded on rise
108 soldiers sent home for treatment in first eight months of 2007
GLORIA GALLOWAY
From Tuesday's Globe and Mail
November 13, 2007 at 4:41 AM EST
OTTAWA — The number of Canadian soldiers who are so badly wounded in Afghanistan that they must be returned to Canada for treatment is on a trajectory to far exceed last year's toll.
During the first eight months of this year, 108 members of the Canadian Forces became eligible for the allowance that is given to wounded military personnel who lose their danger pay because their injuries require them to be removed from the war zone.
When the danger-pay substitute, called the Allowance for Loss of Operational Allowance, was introduced on Dec. 15, 2006, then-defence-minister Gordon O'Connor said he expected 115 soldiers would receive it as a result of injuries in 2006.
So the 2007 tally of 108 by Sept. 1 - obtained by The Globe and Mail using Access to Information legislation - was just seven shy of the number reached in mid-December of last year. And published reports suggest many have been injured since the end of August.
Internet Links
Defence officials refused to explain the increase despite requests over a number of days for clarification.
Although other countries are open about the number of wounded returning from the conflict, Canadian officials are tight lipped.
That means defence analysts are unable to verify the escalation. But some said yesterday it is not improbable that more are wounded because the Taliban has relied heavily this year on bombs and missiles rather than direct combat, which are less precise and could lead to more injuries.
There are also inconsistencies in the way the number of wounded are reported. The Canadian military magazine Esprit de Corps recently reported that, when the military has released numbers of injured, the count has included only those "wounded in action."
When injuries in incidents not directly related to the conflict - such as a truck rollover or an accidental discharge from a firearm - are taken into account, the magazine says the list of Canadians wounded or killed since 2001 tops 600.
The military will not clarify whether the figures released to The Globe include those wounded in action and non-conflict injuries.
"I think it's appalling," said Stephen Staples, president of the Rideau Institute, an Ottawa-based policy group. "The government should be making every effort to have the full cost of this war explained to Canadians. And the casualty rate due to injuries is another human cost of the war."
The number of NATO fatalities across Afghanistan has hit 214 so far this year, 23 more than the total for last year.
There were 38 Canadians soldiers killed last year, compared with 27 so far in 2007.
But the number of injuries has apparently grown.
"There is a hint here that there is more wounded than meets the eye or they don't have an actual picture that they are dealing with. And I think either one of those demonstrates a most serious lapse in judgment," said Dan McTeague, the Liberal MP who successfully campaigned for the introduction of the allowance to replace danger pay.
"I am deeply concerned by the discrepancy and the lack of precision by the Department of National Defence."
Dawn Black, the NDP defence critic, is equally concerned by the Canadian Forces' unwillingness to be clear about the number of wounded.
"I think the issue is, why the lack of transparency, what's to hide here?" Ms. Black asked. "Canada is involved in a combat mission. We know that Canadian Forces personnel are getting injured in this mission. Why would you be hiding what the numbers are?"
|
1RCR 1977-79 Depot (Italy PL), B Coy, Mortars, Pioneers, D Coy (CFB London)
3RCR 1979-82 M Coy, Pipes & Drums, Sigs, Mortars. (CFB Baden-Soellingen)
1RCR 1982-88 Mortars. Dukes, Cyprus-Welfare NCO 84-85, Injured, WO&Sgts Mess, (CFB London)
1988-92 Med-remuster to HELL/ 35 DU, CFB Baden
1992 Medical release. God Bless you all!
Pro Patria
|
|
|
ranrad
Ron [Andy] Andrews
Ultimate 2000+ Member
Offline
Gender:
Posts: 2156
|
Well, to me ,this is just more proof of what our gov thinks of it s soldiers... the "face " of gov is far more important... by that i mean what the public is shown to shape their thoughts on the whole deal...and also proof that a lot of bureaucrats need to be " retired".....and if this is not enough proof for the public , and the PM, one is reminded of the debacle that has just happened, whereby the PM was NOT given important mail , addressed to him only, which has created a real conundrum for him and the office of the PM....more bureaucratic blunder?? I think not.. it is another bureaucrat who thinks they have the power to do whatever the want....i wonder what the PM and PMO are going to do about that one.. its real close to home...ranrad
|
RCAF,CAF, converted RCR?,1RCR 74-77 CD: SSM (Nato);CPSM,;UN-Cyp.; UN- Golan
|
|
|
Mike Blais
SSM (NATO Bar), CPSM, UN-Cyp, CD
Ultimate 2000+ Member
Offline
Gender:
Posts: 3250
A ROYAL CANADIAN "NEVER PASSES A FAULT"
|
Rinky dinky parlez vous....
French won't relieve Canadians in Kandahar
France beefs up commitment in Afghanistan, but won't send troops into Taliban territory
Peter O'Neil
The Ottawa Citizen
Friday, November 16, 2007
PARIS ? France is looking to step up its efforts in Afghanistan, but will likely stop short of any major commitment to replace Canada's troops in Kandahar, an official said here yesterday.
There has been some speculation in the Canadian media suggesting that France might provide relief for countries like Canada, which must decide what role it will play after its current commitment is met in early 2009.
But Frederic Desagneaux, deputy spokesman for French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, sought to lower expectations that the French might relieve the Canadians.
"I wouldn't go as far as that," he told CanWest News Service on the eve of today's meeting here between Mr. Kouchner and Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Maxime Bernier.
He said France, following through on President Nicolas Sarkozy's promise to remain fully committed to Afghanistan, has already taken steps to increase its involvement.
The French military has moved six Mirage fighter jets to Kandahar to support NATO troops. It has also expanded efforts to train Afghanistan's military.
"So our effort is increasing," he said. "We are really eager to contribute as much as we can to the comprehensive efforts by NATO in the context of Operation Enduring Freedom."
Canada has been pressuring allies such as Germany and France, which have troops in relatively peaceful areas such as Kabul, to share more of the heavy -- and dangerous -- load in southern Afghanistan.
France currently has roughly 2,000 soldiers in Afghanistan on security and reconstruction missions, most placed in and around relatively safe Kabul.
But the French government is sensitive to the criticism and has privately noted that France -- with roughly double Canada's population -- is doing more than its share globally with an estimated 10,500 troops on NATO- and European Union-mandated missions in the Balkans, the Middle East and Africa.
But Mr. Desagneaux balked when asked if France would consider, for instance, moving its troops from Kabul to Taliban-infested Kandahar in the country's south.
"You must consider that France is also heavily or very actively engaged on overseas fields," he said.
"We are reinforcing our presence in Afghanistan, we are open to many new possibilities. But it must be considered against this general context of the French military engagements overseas, which are very, very broad."
Mr. Desagneaux said the two ministers will discuss international hotspots such as Iran, Pakistan, Darfur, Burma and the Middle East. Bilateral issues on the table include celebrations next year to mark the 400th anniversary of the founding of Quebec City.
Mr. Kouchner, co-founder of the international aid group Doctors Without Borders, was a Socialist party supporter in the 2007 French presidential elections.
But he was recruited by the right-of-centre Mr. Sarkozy as part of an attempt to broaden the new government's coalition and public appeal.
Mr. Kouchner has been controversial as foreign minister, using the word "war" while discussing options to deal with Iran.
"We will negotiate until the end. And at the same time we must prepare ourselves ... for the worst," he said.
"The worst, it's war ...."
November 16, 2007
Cdn soldiers fire on vehicle, kill one civilian
By Bill Graveland, THE CANADIAN PRESS
Ahmad Zia, 12, who was shot accidentally by Canadian troops in Kandahar is transferred to Canadian medics for treatment at the military hospital. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Dene Moore
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan - An Afghan civilian was killed and a second seriously injured when Canadian troops fired on a taxi that ignored visual warning signs to stop, military officials said Friday.
"We deeply regret the loss of innocent civilian lives and a full investigation is being carried out," a spokesman for the International Security Assistance Force said of Thursday's incident in Kandahar city.
"ISAF reserves the right to self-defence, but every effort is made to avoid risk to civilian life while also dealing with the potential insurgent threat posed by vehicle-born suicide bombers," said Wing Commander Antony McCord.
"Afghan citizens are urged to comply with . . . warning signs in order to prevent these incidents," added McCord, the ISAF spokesman for Regional Command South at Kandahar Air Field.
Military officials said both men shot in Thursday's incident were taken to hospital, but one died.
The second injured man was transferred to the Multinational Medical Unit at Kandahar Air Field where he underwent medical treatment, and was expected to be discharged.
Canadian military officials confirmed the incident but had no immediate comment.
The Canadian military's rules of engagement allow for what's called escalation of force. Troops first shout warnings, then fire warning shots into the ground or into the air. Only when a person fails to heed those warnings are they allowed to take aim.
The Canadian convoys are an imposing site as they travel the highways of southern Afghanistan.
The lead vehicle usually straddles the centre line and a constant honking of the horn warns those in front to yield.
It is common to see cars in Kandahar drive into the ditch when a convoy goes through.
This week's incident was likely to inflame tensions between the public and coalition forces.
A spate of civilian shootings last winter contributed to a backlash against NATO troops.
And a protest in late September saw Afghans in the Zhari district spill into the street to chant "Death to Canada."
Although known Taliban sympathizers were part of that crowd, ongoing civilian deaths, including the shooting of a man and the wounding of an eight-year-old child on Oct. 2, have angered ordinary citizens in Kandahar.
The rising number of civilian casualties has prompted calls in the past from the Afghan National Police to have military convoys escorted by local authorities.
The proposal would require the Canadians to share convoy times and routes with Afghan authorities, something that makes the military nervous because of security concerns.
|
1RCR 1977-79 Depot (Italy PL), B Coy, Mortars, Pioneers, D Coy (CFB London)
3RCR 1979-82 M Coy, Pipes & Drums, Sigs, Mortars. (CFB Baden-Soellingen)
1RCR 1982-88 Mortars. Dukes, Cyprus-Welfare NCO 84-85, Injured, WO&Sgts Mess, (CFB London)
1988-92 Med-remuster to HELL/ 35 DU, CFB Baden
1992 Medical release. God Bless you all!
Pro Patria
|
|
|
Mike Blais
SSM (NATO Bar), CPSM, UN-Cyp, CD
Ultimate 2000+ Member
Offline
Gender:
Posts: 3250
A ROYAL CANADIAN "NEVER PASSES A FAULT"
|
Afghan dies in shooting involving Canadian convoy
Updated Fri. Nov. 16 2007 3:18 PM ET
CTV.ca News Staff
An investigation is underway after an Afghan man died, and another was injured in a shooting involving a Canadian convoy just outside Kandahar city on Thursday.
Military officials said a taxi had approached an International Security Assistance Force convoy and ignored visual warnings to stop.
Warning shots were fired and troops then carried on with their patrol, ISAF said in a written statement.
The two Afghan men in the taxi were seriously injured and treated at a hospital where one later died.
The other man was transferred to a medical unit at Kandahar Air Field where he underwent medical treatment. He is expected to be discharged shortly.
"We deeply regret the loss of innocent civilian lives and a full investigation is being carried out," said Wing Commander Antony McCord, an ISAF spokesman for Regional Command South.
"ISAF reserves the right to self defence, but every effort is made to avoid risk to civilian life while also dealing with the potential insurgent threat posed by vehicle born suicide bombers. Afghan citizens are urged to comply with the warning signs in order to prevent these incidents."
The Canadian military confirmed the incident but did not release a comment.
Canadian convoys are usually led by one vehicle that drives in the middle of a road and honks its horn to alert traffic to yield.
But convoys in Kandahar province, regularly dealing with ambushes and roadside bombs, have been involved in friendly fire.
On Oct.4, a convoy fired on a truck driving with its headlights off, which turned out to be an Afghan National Police patrol.
Later that evening, the convoy fired on another truck, which belonged to a private security company employed by other coalition countries based at Kandahar Airfield.
On Oct. 2, Canadian troops accidentally shot and killed an Afghan man and injured a young boy Tuesday in southern Afghanistan when they approached a Canadian re-supply convoy on a motorcycle in downtown Kandahar.
Another Afghan civilian was killed in late September and several others were injured in a road traffic accident involving Canadian troops in Kandahar.
"Afghan citizens are urged to comply with . . . warning signs in order to prevent these incidents," McCord said on Thursday.
During the summer, Afghan elders raised safety concerns about military convoys cutting through Kandahar city.
In response to the rising number of civilian casualties, Afghan National Police have suggested Canadian convoys share times and routes and be escorted by local authorities.
|
1RCR 1977-79 Depot (Italy PL), B Coy, Mortars, Pioneers, D Coy (CFB London)
3RCR 1979-82 M Coy, Pipes & Drums, Sigs, Mortars. (CFB Baden-Soellingen)
1RCR 1982-88 Mortars. Dukes, Cyprus-Welfare NCO 84-85, Injured, WO&Sgts Mess, (CFB London)
1988-92 Med-remuster to HELL/ 35 DU, CFB Baden
1992 Medical release. God Bless you all!
Pro Patria
|
|
|
Mike Blais
SSM (NATO Bar), CPSM, UN-Cyp, CD
Ultimate 2000+ Member
Offline
Gender:
Posts: 3250
A ROYAL CANADIAN "NEVER PASSES A FAULT"
|
Crap!
Roadside bomb kills coalition troops TheStar.com - World - Roadside bomb kills coalition troops
MCPL YVES GEMUS/DND HANDOUT
Sunrise is seen from a Canadian patrol base in Afghanistan in this 2006 file image.
Three others wounded
Nationality of soldiers not released
November 17, 2007
Bruce campion-smith
ottawa bureau
and associated press
OTTAWA - Two coalition soldiers and their interpreter were killed this morning in southern Afghanistan when their vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb.
Three other soldiers were injured in the blast, according to a statement from the International Security Assistance Force.
They are being treated at an ISAF medical facility. Their conditions were not released.
The nationality of the troops has not yet been released. However, there are more than 2,000 Canadian soldiers serving in southern Afghanistan.
“ISAF troops contend with the threat of (bomb) strikes on a daily basis, but our soldiers continue to improve the security situation and make a very real and positive difference to the lives of normal hardworking Afghan people,” said Wing Commander Antony McCord, a spokesman for Regional Command South.
“Our thoughts at this time are with the families and friends of those who have been killed or injured in today's incident," he said in the ISAF statement.
Today, a series of clashes in southern Afghanistan left 33 suspected Taliban militants dead, while a suicide bomber in the east wounded a NATO soldier, officials said. At least four police officers also died in fighting.
Twenty-three Taliban militants were killed during a U.S.-led coalition operation aimed at disrupting a weapons transfer in southern Afghanistan, the coalition said today.
A truck apparently full of Taliban weapons exploded during the operation in Helmand province’s Garmsir district. The coalition said it didn’t know what caused the truck to explode.
Coalition troops detained 11 people suspected of being part of a weapons running operation.
Meanwhile in Kandahar province, Canadian and Afghan troops battled militants in Zhari district today, leaving at least 10 suspected militants dead, said provincial police chief, Sayed Agha Saqeb.
Authorities recovered the bodies of four of the dead militants alongside their weapons and ammunition, Saqeb said. There were no casualties among the Canadian and Afghan troops, he said.
Separately, a suicide bomber on a motorbike attacked a NATO convoy in Nagarhar province’s Chaparhar district today, wounding an alliance soldier and two civilians, officials said. The bomber was killed in the blast, said Noor Agha Zuwak, a spokesman for the provincial governor.
While in the western province of Ghor, at least four police were killed Friday after militants attacked them during a police operation in Shahark district, Gen. Shah Jahon Noori, the provincial police chief, said today.
Noori also said an unknown number of police were missing after the attack and that five were wounded.
Afghanistan has seen record levels of violence this year. More than 5,800 people have been killed in insurgency-related violence in 2007, according to an Associated Press count based on figures from Western and Afghan officials.
|
1RCR 1977-79 Depot (Italy PL), B Coy, Mortars, Pioneers, D Coy (CFB London)
3RCR 1979-82 M Coy, Pipes & Drums, Sigs, Mortars. (CFB Baden-Soellingen)
1RCR 1982-88 Mortars. Dukes, Cyprus-Welfare NCO 84-85, Injured, WO&Sgts Mess, (CFB London)
1988-92 Med-remuster to HELL/ 35 DU, CFB Baden
1992 Medical release. God Bless you all!
Pro Patria
|
|
|
Mike Blais
SSM (NATO Bar), CPSM, UN-Cyp, CD
Ultimate 2000+ Member
Offline
Gender:
Posts: 3250
A ROYAL CANADIAN "NEVER PASSES A FAULT"
|
elsewhere...
Fighting leaves 33 Taliban dead in Afghanistan
Updated Sat. Nov. 17 2007 7:16 AM ET
The Associated Press
KABUL -- A series of clashes in southern Afghanistan left 33 suspected Taliban militants dead, while a suicide bomber in the east wounded a NATO soldier, officials said Saturday. At least four police officers died in a separate clash.
Twenty-three Taliban militants were killed during a U.S.-led coalition operation aimed at disrupting a weapons transfer in southern Afghanistan, the coalition said Saturday.
A truck apparently full of Taliban weapons exploded during the operation in Helmand province's Garmsir district. The coalition said it didn't know what caused the truck to explode.
Coalition troops detained 11 people suspected of being part of a weapons running operation.
In Kandahar province, meanwhile, Canadian and Afghan troops battled militants in Zhari district on Saturday, leaving at least 10 suspected militants dead, said provincial police chief, Sayed Agha Saqeb.
Authorities recovered the bodies of four dead militants alongside their weapons and ammunition, Saqeb said. There were no causalities among Canadian and Afghan troops, he said.
In the western province of Ghor, meanwhile, between four and nine police were killed Friday after militants attacked them during a police operation in Shahark district, Gen. Shah Jahon Noori, the provincial police chief, said Saturday.
Noori said an unknown number of police were missing after the attack and that five were wounded.
Separately, a suicide bomber on a motorbike attacked a NATO convoy in Nagarhar province's Chaparhar district on Saturday, wounding an alliance soldier and two civilians, officials said. The bomber was killed in the blast, said Noor Agha Zuwak, a spokesman for the provincial governor.
Afghanistan has seen record levels of violence this year. More than 5,800 people have been killed in insurgency related violence in 2007, according to an Associated Press count based on figures from Western and Afghan officials.
|
1RCR 1977-79 Depot (Italy PL), B Coy, Mortars, Pioneers, D Coy (CFB London)
3RCR 1979-82 M Coy, Pipes & Drums, Sigs, Mortars. (CFB Baden-Soellingen)
1RCR 1982-88 Mortars. Dukes, Cyprus-Welfare NCO 84-85, Injured, WO&Sgts Mess, (CFB London)
1988-92 Med-remuster to HELL/ 35 DU, CFB Baden
1992 Medical release. God Bless you all!
Pro Patria
|
|
|
|
|
Mike Blais
SSM (NATO Bar), CPSM, UN-Cyp, CD
Ultimate 2000+ Member
Offline
Gender:
Posts: 3250
A ROYAL CANADIAN "NEVER PASSES A FAULT"
|
Death toll in Afghanistan
CanWest News Service
Seventy-three Canadian soldiers and one diplomat have been killed since the Canadian military deployed to Afghanistan in early 2002.
April 17, 2002: Sgt. Marc D. Leger, Cpl. Ainsworth Dyer, Pte. Richard A. Green and Pte. Nathan Smith were killed by friendly fire when an American fighter jet dropped a laser-guided 225-kilogram bomb on the soldiers during a training exercise near Kandahar. All served with the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry Battle Group.
Oct. 2, 2003: Sgt. Robert Alan Short and Cpl. Robbie Christopher Beerenfenger were killed and three others injured when their Iltis jeep struck a roadside bomb outside Camp Julien near Kabul. They were from the Third Battalion Royal Canadian Regiment.
Jan. 27, 2004: Cpl. Jamie Murphy died and three soldiers were injured by a suicide bomber while patrolling near Camp Julien in an Iltis jeep. All were members of the Royal Canadian Regiment.
Nov. 24, 2005: Pte. Braun Scott Woodfield, Royal Canadian Regiment, was killed in a traffic accident involving his light-armoured vehicle (LAV III) northeast of Kandahar. Three others soldiers suffered serious injuries.
Jan. 15, 2006: Diplomat Glyn Berry was killed and three soldiers injured by a suicide bomber in Kandahar. They were patrolling in a G Wagon.
March 2, 2006: Cpl. Paul Davis died and six others were injured when their LAV III collided with a civilian taxi just west of Kandahar during a routine patrol. The soldiers were with the 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry.
March 5, 2006: Master Cpl. Timothy Wilson of Grande Prairie, Alta., succumbed to injuries suffered in the LAV III crash on March 2 in Afghanistan. Wilson died in hospital in Germany.
March 28-29, 2006: Pte. Robert Costall was killed in a firefight with Taliban insurgents in the desert north of Kandahar. A U.S. soldier and a number of Afghan troops also died and three Canadians were wounded. Costall was a member of 1st Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, based in Edmonton.
April 22, 2006: Four soldiers were killed when their armoured vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb near Gombad, north of Kandahar. They were Cpl. Matthew Dinning, stationed at Petawawa, Ont.; Bombardier Myles Mansell, based in Victoria; Lieut. William Turner, stationed in Edmonton, and Cpl. Randy Payne of CFB Wainwright, Alta.
May 17, 2006: Capt. Nichola Goddard, a combat engineer with the Royal Canadian Horse Artillery and Canada's first female combat death, killed during battle against Taliban forces in the Panjwai region, 24 kilometres west of Kandahar.
July 9, 2006: Cpl. Anthony Joseph Boneca, a reservist, with the Lake Superior Scottish Regiment based in Thunder Bay, Ont., was killed as Canadian military and Afghan security forces were pushing through an area west of Kandahar City that had been a hotbed of Taliban activity.
July 22, 2006: A suicide bomber blows himself up in Kandahar, killing two Canadian soldiers and wounded eight more. Cpl. Francisco Gomez, an anti-armour specialist from the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry in Edmonton, was driving the Bison armoured vehicle targeted by the bomber's vehicle. Cpl. Jason Patrick Warren of the Black Watch in Montreal was riding in the vehicle.
Aug. 3, 2006: Cpl. Christopher Jonathan Reid, with the 1st Battalion of the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, based in Edmonton, died overnight when a Canadian Light Armoured Vehicle, or LAV-3, was struck by a roadside bomb. Later the same say, three more Canadian soldiers were killed during a separate attack with rocket propelled grenades near Kandahar city. According to a DND website late Thursday, Sgt. Vaughn Ingram of the 1st Battalion Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, and Cpl. Bryce Jeffrey Keller of the 1st Battalion Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry were also killed. The fourth dead soldier was not identified. Several other Canadian soldiers were injured in the attack.
Aug. 5, 2006: Master Cpl. Raymond Arndt, of the Edmonton-based Loyal Edmonton Regiment, was killed Aug. 5 when a G-Wagon making a supply run collided with a civilian truck.
Aug. 9, 2006: Master Cpl. Jeffrey Scott Walsh, based out of Shilo, Man. with the second batallion of the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, was conducting routine operations along Highway One near the Zhari district centre, about 20 kilometres west of Kandahar city was he was shot in a "weapons related accident" unrelated to enemy fire about noon Wednesday, just days after arriving in Kandahar to begin his tour of duty.
August 11, 2006: Cpl. Andrew James Eykelenboom with the 1st Field Ambulance based in Edmonton, was killed when his vehicle was hit by a suicide bomber.
August 22, 2006: Canadian Corp. David Braun, a recently arrived soldier with the second battalion of the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, was killed by a suicide bomber outside the gates of Camp Nathan Smith in Kandahar City. The soldier, in his 20s, was a native of Raymore, Sask. Three other Canadian soldiers were injured in the afternoon attack.
September 3, 2006: Warrant Officer Richard Francis Nolan, Warrant Officer Frank Robert Mellish, Sergeant Shane Stachnik, and Pte. William Jonathan James Cushley, all based at CFB Petawawa, west of Ottawa, were among four soldiers killed in fierce fighting in southern Afghanistan. Several more soldiers were wounded.
September 4, 2006: Pte. Mark Anthony Graham, a member of 1st Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment, based at CFB Petawawa, Ont., killed and dozens of others wounded in a friendly fire incident involving an American A-10 Warthog aircraft.
September 18, 2006: Four soldiers were killed when a suicide bomber riding a bicycle detonated explosives in the Panjwai area. Cpl Shane Keating, Cpl Keith Morley and Pte. David Byers, 22, all members of the 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry from Shilo, Man and Cpl. Glen Arnold, a member of the 2 Field Ambulance, from Petawawa, Ont. were killed in the attack that wounded several others.
September 29, 2006: Pte. Josh Klukie was killed by an improvised explosive device, while he was conducting a foot patrol in the Panjwaii district in Kandahar province.
October 3, 2006: Sgt. Craig Gillam and Cpl. Robert Mitchell of the Royal Canadian Dragoons, based in Petawawa, Ont., killed in series of mortar, rocket attacks just west of Kandahar city
October 7, 2006: Mark Andrew Wilson of the Royal Canadian Dragoons, based in Petawawa, Ont., was killed when his armoured vehicle was hit by a roadside explosion in the Panjwaii district.
October 14, 2006: A storm of gunfire and rocket-propelled grenades killed Sgt. Darcy Tedford of Charles Company, 1st Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment, based in Petawawa, Ont. and Pte. Blake Williamson, also based in Petawawa, in southern Afghanistan. Three others are expected to recover from their wounds.
November 27, 2006:Two Canadian soldiers, Chief Warrant Officer Albert Storm and Sgt. Maj. Bob Girouard, were killed on the outskirts of Kandahar on Monday when a suicide car bomber attacked a convoy of military vehicles. The soldiers were members of the Royal Canadian Regiment based in Petawawa, Ont. They were in an armoured personnel carrier that had just left the Kandahar Airfield base when a vehicle drove up to it and detonated explosives.
March 6, 2007: Cpl. Kevin Megeney, 25, a reservist from Stellarton, N.S., and a member of 1st Battalion Nova Scotia Highlanders is the 45th Canadian military death in Afghanistan since 2002. Megeney was shot through the chest and left lung in what's believed to be a "friendly fire" incident.
April 8, 2007 : Six Canadian soldiers died in southern Afghanistan as a result of injuries sustained when the vehicle they were travelling in hit an explosive device. The men were identified as Sgt. Donald Lucas, 31, of Burton, N.B., Pte. Kevin Kennedy, 20, of St. Lawrence, Nfld., Cpl. Aaron E. Williams, 23, of Lincoln, N.B., and Pte. David R. Greenslade, 20, of Saint John, N.B., Cpl. Christopher P. Stannix, 24, of Dartmouth, N.S., and Cpl. Brent Poland, 37, of Sarnia, Ont.
April 11, 2007 : Master Cpl. Allan Stewart, 30, and Trooper Patrick James Pentland, 23 - both of the Royal Canadian Dragoons, based in Petawawa, Ont. - died after their vehicle hit a roadside bomb in an area about 38 km west of Kandahar City.
April 18, 2007: Master Cpl. Anthony Klumpenhouwer. A special operations soldier died in an accident when he fell while climbing a communications tower.
May 25, 2007: Corp. Matthew McCully. An infantryman killed when a road-side bomb exploded near him during Operation Hoover, a major operation to clear out Taliban.
May 30, 2007 : Master Cpl. Darrell Jason Priede was the 56th Canadian service member killed since 2002 in Afghanistan, his death coming less than a week after another corporal lost his life to a roadside bomb.
June 11, 2007 : Trooper Darryl Caswell, 25, was killed when the armoured vehicle he was driving was ripped apart by an improvised explosive device en route to a remote NATO base in Afghanistan since 2002.
June 20, 2007: Sgt. Christos Karigiannis, Cpl. Stephen Frederick Bouzane and Pte. Joel Vincent Wiebe, all of 3rd Battalion Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, were killed when their vehicle hit a roadside bomb near a forward-operating base at Sperwan Ghar, west of Kandahar.
July 4, 2007: Six Canadian soldiers were killed when a roadside bomb hit their vehicle. Capt. Matthew Johnathan Dawe, Cpl. Cole Bartsch ,Cpl. Jordan Anderson , Capt. Jefferson Francis and Pte. Lane Watkins, all of 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, based in Edmonton, and Master-Cpl. Colin Bason, a reservist from The Royal Westminster Regiment. The identity of the other casualty has not been released.
August 19, 2007: Pte Simon Longtin was killed early Sunday by a roadside bomb, becoming the first member of Quebec's storied Van Doos regiment to die while serving in Afghanistan.
August 22, 2007: Master Cpl. Christian Duchesne of the 5th Ambulance company and Master Warrant Officer Mario Mercier of the 2nd Battalion, Royal 22nd Regiment (the Van Doo) based in Valcartier, Que., were killed when their vehicle hit a roadside bomb.
September 24, 2007: Cpl. Nathan Hornburg, 24, of the King's Own Calgary Regiment died in heavy mortar fire and four other NATO troops were wounded as part of Operation Good Soldier in the Panjwai District of Afghanistan.
November 17, 2007: Cpl. Nicholas Raymond Beauchamp, of the 5th Field Ambulance, and Pte. Michel Levesque, of the Royal 22nd Regiment, both based in Valcartier, were killed when a roadside bomb exploded near their LAV-III armoured vehicle in Zhari district.
|
1RCR 1977-79 Depot (Italy PL), B Coy, Mortars, Pioneers, D Coy (CFB London)
3RCR 1979-82 M Coy, Pipes & Drums, Sigs, Mortars. (CFB Baden-Soellingen)
1RCR 1982-88 Mortars. Dukes, Cyprus-Welfare NCO 84-85, Injured, WO&Sgts Mess, (CFB London)
1988-92 Med-remuster to HELL/ 35 DU, CFB Baden
1992 Medical release. God Bless you all!
Pro Patria
|
|
|
Mike Blais
SSM (NATO Bar), CPSM, UN-Cyp, CD
Ultimate 2000+ Member
Offline
Gender:
Posts: 3250
A ROYAL CANADIAN "NEVER PASSES A FAULT"
|
New casualties as poll reveals Taliban making dramatic gains in turf, power in Kandahar
November 18, 2007
Mitch Potter
Toronto Star
KABUL–The Canadian death toll in Afghanistan rose by two yesterday amid the disclosure of grim new findings that suggest the resurgent Taliban is making dramatic territorial gains in the pivotal struggle for Kandahar.
A majority of Afghans in the embattled southern province believe that Canada's footprint is shrinking as Taliban insurgents "make the rules" of travel through greater swaths of territory, according to a survey conducted by the Senlis Council, one of the few Western research organizations still travelling Kandahar's risk-prone roads.
The widening security gap is matched by an equally disturbing political gap, with a majority of Afghans polled indicating they are losing faith in the fledgling government of President Hamid Karzai, the Senlis research shows.
The findings, disclosed to the Toronto Star ahead of a news conference to be held in London on Wednesday, came as two Canadian soldiers and their Afghan interpreter were killed in a roadside bomb attack near Bazar-e-Panjwaii, 40 kilometres west of Kandahar City.
The deaths of Cpl. Nicolas Raymond Beauchamp, 28, of the 5th Field Ambulance in Valcartier and Pte. Michel Lévesque, 25, of the Royal 22nd brought to 73 the number of Canadian soldiers killed since troops were deployed in Afghanistan five years ago.
The identity of the interpreter was not released, as is customary, in order to safeguard his family against further attack by Taliban insurgents.
The soldiers were travelling in a light armoured vehicle when it struck a land mine on a road north of Bazar-e Panjwaii. Three other Canadian soldiers wounded in the attack were transported to hospital at Kandahar Air Field. Their injuries are not considered life threatening, a Canadian Forces official said.
The soldiers were conducting a "targeted security operation" in support of Afghan National Army troops at the time of the attack, shortly after midnight yesterday, said Col. Christian Juneau.
"This is an extremely difficult time for the families, friends and colleagues of those who have lost their lives or have been injured today," Juneau said in a statement.
"On behalf of all the members of Joint Task Force, I would like to convey my most sincere condolences to the families of our lost comrades."
In Ottawa, Prime Minister Stephen Harper paid tribute to the dead and wounded, calling them "all exceptional Canadians who deserve the gratitude and respect of this nation. The actions of these brave soldiers have brought hope to the Afghan people." Harper also extended his sympathies to the family of the Afghan interpreter.
In its survey of Afghan views on the continuing struggle against the Taliban, the Senlis Council mobilized its staff of 50 to conduct 1,000 interviews across the country, including 250 in and around Kandahar City. Among the findings:
Armed Taliban checkpoints are becoming more commonplace in areas throughout the province, with a particularly high concentration of Taliban fighters in control of the town of Khakrez, northwest of Kandahar City, since September. Survey respondents also said Taliban recruiters have infiltrated refugee camps in the region.
Afghan residents and shopkeepers have all but evacuated the once bustling road to Lashkar Gar, a key artery leading to neighbouring Helmand province, citing fears of Taliban ambush.
Afghan workers displaced by Taliban encroachment have spilled into Kandahar City in search of day labour, increasing tensions by driving wages down. The current rate for day labour in the area is less than 180 Afghanis, about $3.50 Canadian.
Worsening relations between rival Pashtun tribes have contributed to a further weakening of Karzai's standing in his home province, with some sub-tribes feeling under-represented in the government.
Afghan poll respondents say many families have been terrorized into contributing to both ends of the struggle, placing one son with the Afghan National Army and another with the Taliban.
The Taliban is gaining grassroots political support by cleverly exploiting Afghan anger over civilian casualty counts throughout southern Afghanistan.
Efforts to obtain comment from the International Security Assistance Force about the Senlis survey findings were unsuccessful. Earlier in the day, a military statement on yesterday's deadly land mine explosion expressed overall confidence in the trajectory of the NATO-led security effort.
"ISAF troops contend with the threat of (bomb) strikes on a daily basis, but our soldiers continue to improve the security situation and make a very real and positive difference to the lives of normal, hardworking Afghan people," said Wing Cmdr. Antony McCord, a spokesperson for Regional Command South.
Norine MacDonald, the Canadian-born president and chief field researcher of the Senlis Council, said the findings are "in no way a criticism of the Canadian military.
"As we digest this new trove of data, we are putting together a number of recommendations and the biggest one is to point the finger at our NATO allies," MacDonald told the Star in an interview in the Afghan capital.
"It is becoming clear there are insufficient troops to secure Kandahar province. That is not Canada's problem. We've been doing our fair share – many would say more than our fair share.
"So this is not a criticism of the people of Kandahar, or the Karzai government, or the Canadian military. It is the rest of our NATO allies. These countries voted to create stability. Nevertheless, where are they now?"
Senlis, an international foreign policy think-tank that normally focuses on counter-narcotics policy, avoided the question of poppy cultivation in its new study. Instead, it directed its staff to capture the widest possible range of Afghan views on security and political developments in Kandahar, Helmand, Kabul and Nangarhar provinces.
MacDonald, who travels between the organization's four field offices clad in traditional Afghan clothing to minimize risk, said she came away from her latest journey to Kandahar "deeply depressed."
"We – the international community – have a grassroots political problem in Kandahar. There is a huge distance between the people and us. And all that distance provides ripe recruitment ground for the Taliban, who are playing into people's legitimate political grievances."
MacDonald said she was distressed to discover that despite increases in spending by CIDA, the Canadian government's foreign aid branch, Senlis Council researchers "were unable to find a single community leader, either in the rural areas or the city, who was aware of a Canadian food program in Kandahar."
But the single most stinging comments from Afghan respondents, MacDonald said, focused on civilian casualties, particularly those caused by air strikes targeting Taliban insurgents. Because such civilian deaths are so rarely tabulated, the Taliban is free to wildly inflate perceptions of injustice among everyday Afghans.
"My hope is that with greater support from our NATO allies, there would be a greater opportunity for ground operations and less reliance on air strikes," she said.
"But as things stand, we are giving the Taliban a fantastic political opportunity to turn people against us. They are trying very hard to create the impression that Canada and its allies have broken their covenant with the Afghan people. And we need to get w | | | |
Logged
