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Post by ocelot on Jan 7, 2007 20:26:23 GMT -5
MacKay visits Afghanistan, sees progress Last Updated: Sunday, January 7, 2007 | 1:20 PM ET CBC News Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay arrived in Afghanistan on Sunday for a two-day visit to meet with Canadian troops, diplomats and aid officials.
It's his first visit to the country since May of last year, when he reassured Afghan officials and Canadian troops that Canada's support won't waver.
MacKay visited a vocational training centre in Kabul that was funded by the Canadian government and said it was something that never could have happened in Afghanistan under the Taliban regime, which was ousted by a U.S.-led international coalition of troops in 2001.
Afghan boys take part in carpentry, welding and tinsmith workshops at the Vocational Training Centre for Vulnerable Afghan People, which opened in August.
MacKay stopped to greet a local woman who receives money from the micro-finance section of the centre and told reporters Canadians need to hear more success stories from Afghanistan.
He said he has seen progress around Kabul that would have been unthinkable just a few years ago.
The minister said he also talked to Afghan President Hamid Karzai about ways to fight government corruption and also how to deal with the problems in the training of the Afghan police force. People throughout the country have complained the police are themselves criminals.
Later in the day, MacKay was to meet with Canadian soldiers who are part of the Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) at their base in Kandahar.
After Afghanistan, he will travel to Pakistan to press President Pervez Musharraf to tighten border control. Taliban insurgents and weapons regularly cross into Afghanistan from Pakistan.
Pakistan recently said it may mine its border with Afghanistan, despite objections from that country.
Women, babies killed in bombing MacKay's visit to Afghanistan comes amid more violence in the country. A roadside bombing in Afghanistan killed family members of three generations on Sunday.
The explosion ripped through a vehicle in eastern Afghanistan, killing a woman, her two newborn babies and the children's grandmother.
The father of the twins and the vehicle's driver also were wounded in the blast.
An official says the twins had been born on Saturday and the family was taking them back to their village.
It's not clear why the vehicle was targeted.
Militants usually use roadside bombs to attack Afghan and foreign troops on patrol.
Meanwhile, in southern Afghanistan, two assailants on a motorcycle gunned down a high school principal on Sunday.
Taliban militants have warned teachers they will be killed if they continue to work for the government.
Some 20 teachers were killed last year.
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Post by achebeautiful on Jan 7, 2007 20:48:43 GMT -5
Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay has reassured Afghan officials and Canadian troops that Canada's support won't waver. I think that is very important! Especially when you hear that there are many problems in Afghanistan. But the fight is still very much worth fighting, and the fight is not all militarily fought. Canada's efforts in Afghanistan and solid commitment to it are something that should be made much more of a story than it is. I'm tired and frustrated with hearing about what terrorists are attempting to do in the Middle East, and their unwavering commitment to accomplish it. Tell me more about the strength of those who are working hard (and sacrificing their lives) to build better lives for others! There is nothing easy about peacekeeping efforts. There are just as many dangers, just as many risks involved. I commend the Canadian troops for their good work!
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Post by ocelot on Jan 9, 2007 9:37:48 GMT -5
MacKay tells Pakistan to seek alternatives to mining border with Afghanistan
9 Jan, 9:18 AM ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) - Canada does not support Pakistan's plans to mine parts of its frontier with Afghanistan to combat Taliban and al-Qaida guerrillas, Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay said Tuesday.
Canada's opposition to the proposed Pakistani plan is based on its obligations under the Ottawa Treaty that bans the laying of landmines, said MacKay, who arrived in Pakistan late Monday from Afghanistan.
But MacKay said Pakistan's suggestions that it may also build barbwire fences on sections of its 2,430-kilometre border with Afghanistan could be "a part of that solution" in controlling guerrilla movement.
"There have been experiences with fencing that have been very effective," MacKay said at a joint news conference with his Pakistani counterpart, Khursheed Kasuri.
Some 2,500 Canadian troops are in Afghanistan, most stationed in southern Kandahar province where they are helping battle a stubborn Taliban insurgency. At least 44 Canadian soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan since they began their mission there in 2002.
MacKay told the news conference that he offered Pakistani officials Canada's help in policing the rugged and porous border, such as aerial reconnaissance, training of border guards and a delivery of satellite telephones.
"We want to be co-operative and we want to be constructive in coming forward with solutions that we think are better alternatives," MacKay said.
Kasuri said that Pakistan would "give consideration" to the Canadian suggestions.
But, he added: "We are not backtracking on our desire to control the border."
Pakistan announced last week that it would plant mines and build barbed-wire fences at selected areas along its long border with Afghanistan to combat cross-border movement by the guerrillas. Pakistan is not a signatory of the Ottawa Treaty that bans landmines.
Afghan officials have denounced the proposed mining of the border, saying it would not prevent illegal crossings and only hinder free travel by ethnic groups who live on both sides of the frontier.
Pakistan severed ties with the Taliban to become a U.S. ally in the war against terrorism following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks against the United States.
The mining of the frontier is seen as an attempt to stave off western criticism that it is not doing enough to stop the cross-border insurgency.
MacKay said that Pakistan has made "great sacrifices and great strides" in efforts to control its border with Afghanistan. But he added that it was not Pakistan's job alone to stop the Taliban and other combatants from moving across the border.
"Nobody in the international community, in my view, would indicate with any degree of fairness that this is Pakistan's problem alone," MacKay said. "That's not reasonable."
Rebel violence has been particularly high in southern and southeastern Afghanistan in areas along the Pakistani border. In 2006, violence in Afghanistan killed an estimated 4,000 people in the deadliest year since the U.S.-led coalition swept the Taliban from power.
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Post by achebeautiful on Jan 9, 2007 17:10:45 GMT -5
I would be very interested in your thoughts about this, Leona.
Here are mine:
I personally believe Peter Mackay is absolutely right! This seems to me to be a matter of great integrity, and in this instance, he appears to have it. I hope he stands strong against any possible criticism on this matter.
"The mining of the frontier is seen as an attempt to stave off western criticism that it is not doing enough to stop the cross-border insurgency.
MacKay said that Pakistan has made "great sacrifices and great strides" in efforts to control its border with Afghanistan. But he added that it was not Pakistan's job alone to stop the Taliban and other combatants from moving across the border.
"Nobody in the international community, in my view, would indicate with any degree of fairness that this is Pakistan's problem alone," MacKay said. "That's not reasonable."
Mackay is right about this, and people need to have a little (no, a lot) more patience in seeing this thing through to success. There are a lot of men and women who are dedicating and even sacrificing their lives in this effort....and they deserve the time they need to accomplish what they are working so hard for. I'd be willing to bet that the men and women who are doing the hard work are not pushing for extreme measures to see this thing through more quickly.
Let's stand strong against the insurgancy, celebrate the slow and steady progress that is being made, and support the hard work that is being done to make lives better.
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Post by ocelot on Jan 10, 2007 0:58:23 GMT -5
Regarding this I am very proud as a Canadian. Mackay (and the current Canadian government) seem to understand the situation but at the same time refuses to compromise our (Canada's) history and promises that we have made. I'm glad he's asking for patience because it's something we need in times like this, the terrorists are not a regime that you can go in and overthrow quickly. I'm glad he enforced that Pakistan has made great effort to control the border because so often in the media they are blamed for not doing enough when it's the international community that are not doing enough to support them.
I'm happy with the progress in Afghanistan because the Canadian troops there are not only fighting the Taliban and Al-Qaeda but also fighting the image that Western countries have in Islamic nations. They are rebuilding the country at the same time as fighting the terrorists. I'm very proud of what Canada has done there (I can't commit about the US's role because I've mostly heard negative stuff).
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Post by ocelot on Jan 26, 2007 0:25:42 GMT -5
Duceppe wants different focus for Canada's Afghanistan mission
MONTREAL (CP) - Bloc Quebecois Leader Gilles Duceppe says the Harper government should adjust the focus of Canada's mission in Afghanistan to reconstruction.
Duceppe reiterated his support for the international intervention in the wartorn country, saying on Thursday that even a sovereign Quebec would take part in such a mission.
"I've got a lot of admiration for the men and women who are ready to risk their lives to serve their country and help others," he said. "It's for this reason we have to act responsibly and with a lot of determination to pursue our objectives of reconstruction.
"We're asking for changes in the attitude of the Canadian government, so that it will propose a re-balancing of the mission."
Duceppe said Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper should recognize there's an urgency to act because the situation is deteriorating.
"Afghanistan is not another Iraq and we will do everything we can so that Afghanistan does not become another Iraq," Duceppe said during a speech to the Montreal Council on International Relations.
The Bloc leader also called on the government to explain that if Canadian soldiers are in Afghanistan, they are not there to serve American interests or to make war.
Duceppe also said concrete steps should be taken to provide short-term humanitarian aide, road construction and infrastructure before the summer and the next Taliban offensive.
Duceppe said the government should "seriously examine" a strategy to deal illegal drug trafficking.
"I suggested last spring to study the possibility of buying the poppy harvest and using it to make medication."
"That's something which is already done in other countries, notably India," he said.
"The British Medical Association has recommended that Afghan opium be used to make diamorphine, which would help fill a shortage of this medication."
Duceppe got high marks for his speech from political scientist Louis Balthazar.
"Canada has a right to be there and Duceppe didn't challenge that . . .It was courageous on the part of Duceppe to defend the intervention when 65 per cent of Quebecers are against it," Balthazar said in an interview.
He also said Harper has to do a better job promoting the mission.
"He (Harper) has to explain to the Canadian population why we are there, what we expect . . .there must be more of a democratic debate," said Balthazar, who teaches at Laval University in Quebec City.
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Post by achebeautiful on Jan 26, 2007 16:21:12 GMT -5
I think that Canada's role in Afghanistan is admirable and commendable. They are risking their lives in a violent part of the world for the betterment of humanity; not only the Afghan people but also the Western world as we now know it.
What is so hard for people to understand about this? And why is there always such a great need to "explain it better"? Sometimes I think that the people who are doing the hard work, the right work, always have to be on trial for whatever they do. I'm not sure I understand why. I am trying very hard to see the best in people, but sometimes I wonder what people really believe in. Exactly what are the alternatives to what Canada is now doing in Afghanistan? Let me just come right out and say it.....Canada is doing a fantastic job there!They are doing everything they committed to, and doing it especially well! What is to explain any better?
As far as his comments about not fighting combatively, or serving U.S. interests, well, fine. By now, I don't think anyone really expects anyone to help serve the U.S.A.'s "evil" interests. And as far as fighting a war, I will say this: everyone who is living in freedom today had someone fight a war so that it could be so. And nobody advancing the peace effort and good works being done can do so without someone fighting hard to make that road possible.
This is quite bothersome to me:
I'll give Duceppe minimal credit for defending the "intervention when so many are against it", but real courage would have been to say that the effort being done by Canada is a good one, and should receive the full support of all Canadians.
There is nothing more that needs to be promoted in what they are doing than to search it out for yourself and see. Anyone who wants to really know what is being done can find out. Mostly those who need an explanation are those who are against what is being done. That puts those people on one side of the issue, and they would be more honest if they would just admit it.
A democratic debate? About what exactly? Look, the more this stuff is explained, the more it is refuted. Explanation is not the issue at all. What Harper needs to do is continue following through with the good work that is being done by Canada. The people who need endless explanations about that need to do some soul searching. Maybe they should do the explaining for a while. Like, for instance, explain what is so hard to understand about all of this? Explain why rebuilding a country and helping them to see freedom and security from a violent, hostile, terrorist Taliban needs convincing?
All I can say is, keep fighting the good fight Canada!
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Post by ocelot on Mar 7, 2007 0:36:42 GMT -5
Canadian soldier killed in Kandahar in friendly-fire shooting: sister HALIFAX (CP) - A young reservist who volunteered to go to Afghanistan because he wanted to improve the lives of poor Afghans was killed Tuesday in an apparent friendly-fire shooting at the NATO base in Kandahar.
The family of Cpl. Kevin Megeney said the soldier was reportedly in his tent when he was shot.
"It was friendly fire, that's all I know," his sister Lisa said through tears from the family home in Stellarton, N.S., as military officials briefed relatives about the incident.
Megeney, 25, had been in Afghanistan since Dec. 8. The Defence Department said Megeney died from a gunshot wound shortly after 7 p.m. in Kandahar, but the military would only characterize his death as an accidental shooting.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper issued a statement expressing sympathy to the soldier's family, adding: "We thank the Canadian Forces for their commitment and their tremendous contributions.
"The Government of Canada and Canadians stand proudly behind them. We will be forever grateful for the sacrifice of Corporal Kevin Megeney."
Lisa said her younger brother was excited to be going to the war-torn country, despite fears among family members that he might be injured.
"He said that he was going to help people," she said. "He wanted to turn things around, so the Afghans could live like we live. . . . He took so much pride in it."
Lisa said the family received a call Tuesday morning from someone at his base indicating that he had been shot in his left lung, but that he was still alive.
"He was yelling for someone to call his mother," she said.
The youngest of three siblings had volunteered to go to Afghanistan in the fall as part of the militia with 1 Battalion of the Nova Scotia Highlanders, a regiment that saw generations of the Megeney family enlist.
The red-headed corporal signed up with the reserves when he was 17, almost the same age his father Dexter was when he joined the military.
Megeney had been training at Camp Aldershot in Nova Scotia for six months before deploying to Afghanistan, the same base where his father once trained.
The young man, who his sister describes as "generous beyond anybody I've ever known," followed in a long line of relatives who served in the military in the First and Second World Wars, with two of his uncles being members of the historic Black Watch.
"I am bursting with pride as I sit here and write about the military history from both sides of our family," Lisa wrote in a website she created for her brother. "And it occurs to me Kevin's going to be just fine, because he comes from a long line of Heroes."
By late Tuesday night, Lisa had updated the website with an entry that reads, in part: "I can't think of any words to describe the pain I feel right now. My heart feels numb. I can't accept the fact that he is never coming home."
The site features dozens of photos of friends, relatives and Megeney's girlfriend. The soldier is pictured beaming as he celebrates a birthday or bids his family farewell before heading out to Afghanistan.
"He loved to make people laugh," said his sister.
Lisa said she heard from her brother twice a week through e-mails and phone calls. In his last message Saturday, she said he wanted friends and family to know that he "was OK and that he loved them and missed everybody."
Megeney's death brings to 45 the number of Canadian soldiers killed in Afghanistan since 2002. A Canadian diplomat has also lost his life in Afghanistan.
Six Canadian soldiers have been killed in accidental or friendly-fire incidents since 2002.
Canada has about 2,200 soldiers involved in Afghan operations, mainly in the southern Kandahar region.
The military wouldn't release any details of the circumstances of Megeney's death, but Col. Mike Cessford said in Kandahar the shooting was not the result of enemy action.
"We are looking hard at this," said Cessford, deputy commander of Task Force Afghanistan.
"No further details are available at this time regarding the exact circumstances surrounding this accident, however, enemy action has been ruled out."
National Investigation Service officers were investigating the incident.
Cessford would not comment on reports that Megeney died as a result of a friendly-fire incident.
Megeney, an infantryman, was part of the base security platoon.
Megeney's death comes as British-led forces supported by Canadian, American and other coalition troops launched an offensive Tuesday to drive the Taliban out of Helmand province. Canada's Leopard tanks have been deployed for action.
NATO says Operation Achilles will eventually involve 4,500 NATO and 1,000 Afghan soldiers - one of the largest multinational forces fielded in a single operation in Afghanistan.
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Canadian death toll in Afghanistan: 45 soldiers, one diplomat
(CP) - Since 2002, 45 Canadian soldiers and one Canadian diplomat have been killed in Afghanistan. Here is a list of the deaths:
2007
March 6 - Cpl. Kevin Megeney, 25, of Stellarton, N.S., a member of 1st Battalion of Nova Scotia Highlanders, killed by accidental shooting at NATO base in Kandahar.
2006
Nov. 27 - Chief Warrant Officer Bobby Girouard, his battalion's regimental sergeant major, and Cpl. Albert Storm, both of Royal Canadian Regiment based in CFB Petawawa, killed when suicide car bomber attacked their Bison armoured personnel carrier on outskirts of Kandahar City.
Oct. 14 - Sgt. Darcy Tedford, based at CFB Petawawa, and Pte. Blake Williamson from Ottawa killed in ambush west of Kandahar.
Oct. 7 - Trooper Mark Andrew Wilson of Royal Canadian Dragoons, based in Petawawa, Ont., killed when his armoured vehicle hit by roadside bomb in Panjwaii district.
Oct. 3 - Sgt. Craig Gillam and Cpl. Robert Mitchell of Royal Canadian Dragoons, based in Petawawa, Ont., killed in series of mortar, rocket attacks just west of Kandahar City.
Sept. 29 - Pte. Josh Klukie of First Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment, based in Petawawa, Ont., killed by explosion in Panjwaii while on foot patrol.
Sept. 18 - Pte. David Byers, Cpl. Shane Keating and Cpl. Keith Morley, all of 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry based in Shilo, Man., and Cpl. Glen Arnold, 2 Field Ambulance, based in Petawawa, Ont., killed in suicide bicycle bomb attack while on foot patrol in Panjwaii.
Sept. 4 - Pte. Mark Graham, based at CFB Petawawa, killed when two NATO planes accidentally strafed Canadian troops in Panjwaii district.
Sept. 3 - Sgt. Shane Stachnik, Warrant Officer Frank Robert Mellish, Pte. William Cushley and Warrant Officer Richard Francis Nolan, all based at CFB Petawawa, Ont., killed in fighting in Panjwaii district.
Aug. 22 - Cpl. David Braun, based at Shilo, Man., killed in suicide bomb attack in Kandahar City.
Aug. 11 - Cpl. Andrew Eykelenboom, 23, of Comox, B.C., stationed with 1st Field Ambulance, based in Edmonton, killed in suicide attack.
Aug. 9 - Master Cpl. Jeffrey Walsh, 33, of Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, based in Shilo, Man., killed by apparent accidental discharge of rifle.
Aug. 5 - Master Cpl. Raymond Arndt, 31, of Loyal Edmonton Regiment, killed when large truck collided head-on with his G-Wagon patrol vehicle.
Aug. 3 - Cpl. Christopher Reid, 34, of 1st Battalion of Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, based in Edmonton, killed by roadside bomb. Three other members of same battalion killed in rocket-propelled grenade attack by Taliban forces west of Kandahar: Sgt. Vaughan Ingram, 35, Cpl. Bryce Keller, 27, and Pte. Kevin Dallaire, 22.
July 22 - Cpl. Francisco Gomez, 44, of Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, based in Edmonton, and Cpl. Jason Warren, 29, of Black Watch, Royal Highland Regiment of Canada, based in Montreal, killed when car packed with explosives rammed their armoured vehicle.
July 9 - Cpl. Anthony Boneca, 21, reservist from Lake Superior Scottish Regiment based in Thunder Bay, Ont., killed in firefight.
May 17 - Capt. Nichola Goddard, artillery officer based in Shilo, Man., with 1st Royal Canadian Horse Artillery, killed in Taliban ambush during battle in Panjwaii region. She was first Canadian woman to be killed in action while serving in combat role.
April 22 - Cpl. Matthew Dinning of Richmond Hill, Ont., stationed with 2nd Canadian Mechanized Brigade in Petawawa, Ont., Bombardier Myles Mansell of Victoria, Lt. William Turner of Toronto, stationed in Edmonton, and Cpl. Randy Payne, born in Lahr, Germany, stationed at CFB Wainright, Alta., all killed when their G-Wagon destroyed by roadside bomb near Gumbad.
March 29 - Pte. Robert Costall of Edmonton, machine-gunner, killed in firefight with Taliban insurgents in Sangin district of Helmand province.
March 2 - Cpl. Paul Davis of Bridgewater, N.S., and Master Cpl. Timothy Wilson of Grande Prairie, Alta., killed when their armoured vehicle ran off road in Kandahar area.
Jan. 15 - Glyn Berry, British-born Canadian diplomat who had served with Foreign Affairs Department since 1977, killed in suicide bombing near Kandahar.
2005
Nov. 24 - Pte. Braun Woodfield, born in Victoria and raised in Eastern Passage, N.S., killed when his armoured vehicle rolled over near Kandahar.
2004
Jan. 27 - Cpl. Jamie Murphy, 26, of Conception Harbour, Nfld., killed in suicide bombing while on patrol near Kabul.
2003
Oct. 2 - Sgt. Robert Short, 42, of Fredericton, and Cpl. Robbie Beerenfenger, 29, of Ottawa, killed in roadside bombing southwest of Kabul.
2002
April 17 - Sgt. Marc Leger, 29, of Lancaster, Ont., Cpl. Ainsworth Dyer, 24, of Montreal, Pte. Richard Green, 21, of Mill Cove, N.S., and Pte. Nathan Smith, 27, of Tatamagouche, N.S., all killed when U.S. F-16 fighter mistakenly bombed Canadians on pre-dawn training exercise. Eight other Canadians wounded in friendly-fire incident.
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Post by ocelot on May 8, 2007 16:12:18 GMT -5
Canadians detonate bomb at side of Afghan road Updated Tue. May. 8 2007 2:18 PM ET
Associated Press
SPIN BOLDAK, Afghanistan -- Canadian military engineers fought fire with fire Tuesday as they safely detonated a crude roadside bomb in a cloud of flame and smoke near this border town in southern Afghanistan.
The soldiers of Engineer Squadron, attached to the Royal Canadian Dragoons, tried in vain to use a remote-control robot to split apart the device -- a rusty bucket packed with explosives and wired to a black battery box.
After severing the wires from a distance, the engineers and a team of explosive experts dispatched from Kandahar Airfield used their own high-powered explosive to reduce the device to little more than bits of rubble.
When it was over, all that was left was a hot, blackened crater in the middle of a parched, barren tract of land just a few kilometres from the Pakistan border.
As soldiers examined the charred hole, section commander Sgt. Dave Camp beamed with the satisfaction of a job well done.
"It was a good day,'' Camp said. "It's gone, and done, and nobody got killed.''
The device, which was reported Monday by a commander with Afghanistan's National Directorate of Security, was found above ground and well away from the road -- unusual for an improvised explosive device, or IED, in Afghanistan.
That suggests whomever built the device was still in the process of preparing it when they were spotted, said Camp. It's also possible it was placed there in an effort to learn about Canadian tactics, he added.
"I'd have to say it was something that was in progress,'' he said. "It's an awful waste of valuable resources on their part to just let it go for the sake of watching us ... it was the start of something.''
Also Tuesday, a Canadian patrol that included soldiers from 2nd Battalion of the Royal Canadian Regiment and members of the Afghan National Army was attacked near the village of Howz-e-Madad, about 30 kilometres west of Kandahar city, a Canadian Forces spokesman said.
''The patrol was engaged by multiple insurgents using small arms and rocket-propelled grenades,'' Lieut. (Navy) John Nethercott said in a statement.
The engagement lasted about three hours, the statement said. There were no Canadian or local Afghan casualties, and no word on how many Taliban insurgents were killed.
A similar attack lasting about six hours happened in the area on Monday, with no Canadian casualties reported.
In the last month, Canadian troops have reported a marked decline in the level of sophistication of many of the explosive devices they encounter, a sign that Taliban know-how and resources have been severely depleted in their ongoing battles with coalition forces.
"The stuff is there, but the talent and the knowledge base is fast disappearing,'' Camp said.
"The people that are coming in to replace them don't have as much experience, and it's taking them a bit longer to figure out.''
Canadian soldiers are back in the Spin Boldak district in a major way, in part to discover the routes insurgents may be using to move back and forth with relative ease across the Pakistan border.
It's all part of an effort to disrupt the flow of Taliban resources into the country and up into those areas where they prefer to engage coalition forces: Helmand province and the Maywand, Panjwaii and Zhari districts of Kandahar province, west of Kandahar city.
"Not even a year ago, the only people in Panjwaii were the Taliban and it was outright war,'' Camp said.
"Now you go, and there's little girls going to school. That says a lot right there -- not just little boys, but little girls going to school. To drive up and down those roads, there's a lot of kids, and a lot of them are waving.''
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Post by ocelot on Jun 10, 2007 8:13:19 GMT -5
More Taliban suspects allege abuse Last Updated: Saturday, June 9, 2007 | 11:40 AM ET CBC News The Foreign Affairs Department has adjusted upward the number of detainees who have alleged they were abused after being captured by Canadian forces in southern Afghanistan and transferred to Afghan jails.
There are now six abuse allegations, a spokesman for Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay said late Friday.
Andre LeMay said the department has been keeping track of reports since Canada signed a new detainee monitoring agreement in May.
On Wednesday, MacKay and Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day told a joint parliamentary meeting that four allegations of abuse involving Taliban suspects had been reported.
Day said the four prisoners making the claims showed no visible signs of abuse. Taliban fighters have been coached to allege mistreatment while in detention, he added.
LeMay said the Afghan government will be working closely with the country's Independent Human Rights Commission to investigate the claims.
The latest revelation could boost a legal challenge by Amnesty International and the B.C. Civil Liberties Association, which have applied to Federal Court for an injunction to halt the transfers.
They argue that Canada could find itself complicit in torture if it knowingly hands prisoners over to authorities who will abuse them.
The first two claims, which surfaced in April, set off bitter opposition attacks against the Conservative government of Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
After two weeks of contradictory explanations, the Conservatives signed a revised transfer agreement with Afghanistan that allows Canadian officials direct, private access where the condition of detainees can be checked.
The initial agreement, inked by the former government under Paul Martin in the early weeks of the 2005-06 election, did not provide such access.
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Post by achebeautiful on Jun 10, 2007 13:58:28 GMT -5
In my opinion, Peter MacKay, Andre LeMay and Stockwell Day should not even bother to respond to any of this in the media. They are never going to win a Public Relations war on this topic.
Besides, if they should say anything at all, it should be to put the onus back onto the Taliban with regards to the subject of "known" abuse (as apposed to "alleged" abuse). I mean, come on! These Taliban go around the Middle East and "recruit" (I would call it "force") small boys into their company, where they indoctrinate and train them to hate and kill. For the rest of these young boys lives, their whole essence is that of violence, hatred and war.
And what to say of their treatment of women? It is disturbing, and I am outraged about it! From female genital mutilation, to rape, wife beating and forced marriages.....now that is ABUSE!
Furthermore, this:
"LeMay said the Afghan government will be working closely with the country's Independent Human Rights Commission to investigate the claims.
The latest revelation could boost a legal challenge by Amnesty International and the B.C. Civil Liberties Association, which have applied to Federal Court for an injunction to halt the transfers.
They argue that Canada could find itself complicit in torture if it knowingly hands prisoners over to authorities who will abuse them."
This is so very political, and these organizations are once again proving it. It enrages me that they continue to go to bat for the people who are the abusers in the first place! If they really cared about human rights and civil liberties, then why are they not revealing the terrible things that happen to people by these people before it ever gets to this?
The Taliban is not worthy of a response to any of this, and Canada should not feel the need to answer for it to a world that largely has remained uninvolved. Progress is being made, and continues to be made, in Afghanistan. There are setbacks along the way. There always are. But Canada, with it's remarkable and courageoues military involvement, is helping to not only make the world a better place, but also freeing women and children in Afghanistan from a very hostile environment.
It would be nice if, rather than answering to "accustions of abuse" from "known abusers", Canada would be responding to worldwide appreciation for all that they are doing.
If the media can't get it right, allow me:
Thank you Canada! Keep up the good work!
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Post by ocelot on Jun 25, 2007 11:32:04 GMT -5
Soldier remembered as 'happiest man in NATO' Last Updated: Friday, June 22, 2007 | 12:37 PM MT CBC News The fiancée of one of the Canadian soldiers killed this week in Afghanistan said he strongly believed in the mission and was described by his colleagues as the "happiest man in NATO."
Anna Thede described Pte. Joel Wiebe, 22, as someone with a great sense of humour who loved to joke around and made people laugh.
"Joel was a very giving person who was always ready with smile and a joke and he always wanted to cheer up his friends," Thede said in Edmonton, surrounded by Wiebe's family.
"His army buddies often called him the happiest man in NATO."
Wiebe, along with Cpl. Stephen Frederick Bouzane and Sgt. Christos Karigiannis, were killed Wednesday when their unarmoured all-terrain vehicle hit a roadside bomb near the town of Sperwan Ghar, southwest of Kandahar, as they were transporting supplies on a well-travelled route to a checkpoint near a base.
All three were from the Edmonton-based Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry. Since Canada began the mission to Afghanistan in 2002, the regiment has lost 27 soldiers — nearly half of the country's total losses, of 60 troops and one diplomat.
Yet Wiebe had no reservations about joining the more than 2,000 other Canadian troops deployed as part of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan, Thede said.
She said Wiebe had wanted to be a soldier since he was a child.
"He strongly believed in the mission to which Canada is committed to in Afghanistan and he was dedicated to that mission's success," she said.
Thede said the two were set to be married next February and had gotten engaged four hours before Wiebe got on a bus to be deployed to Afghanistan.
It was Wiebe's first deployment.
The three soldiers were scheduled to return home in August.
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Post by achebeautiful on Jun 26, 2007 11:00:07 GMT -5
"The fiancée of one of the Canadian soldiers killed this week in Afghanistan said he strongly believed in the mission and was described by his colleagues as the "happiest man in NATO.""
Why is it so often that the ones putting their lives on the line over there are the ones who strongly believe in what they are doing? Are they brainwashed? Or do they know and see something that the media refuses to tell us?
Thank God for this soldier and his sacrifice. God bless his fiancee.....
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Post by ocelot on Jun 26, 2007 22:39:38 GMT -5
I really believe in the mission in Afhganistan and I'm always happy to see a positive story coming from it (through most of them are from the Canadian Press). To me, this is a very important battle because through befriending and helpig the Afghan people we start to build a road away from terrorism. As much as I don't like the situation in Iraq the US needs to keep its commitment because there's every possibility that if they abandon Iraq could turn to what Afghanistan was like on 9/11.
I am very thankful for every soldier that risks his life for the better of the world and they need to get the credit they deserve. We are not respecting our troops right now.
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Post by ocelot on Jun 26, 2007 22:45:13 GMT -5
Bond between Canadian, Afghan soldiers grows
By STEPHANIE LEVITZ
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan (CP) - On the first night Capt. Bryce Morawiec met his Afghan National Army counterpart on the rocky hillside of Ma'sum Ghar, he pulled out a tattered photo of his family that he kept in the pocket of his military uniform to show his new colleague.
Capt. Safiullah admired it, then offered to show Morawiec a picture of his own. He reached into his pocket and whipped out a cellphone, flipped it open and pressed play on a digital movie.
"I just sat back, and I thought, oh the irony, this is great," said Morawiec, a member of the Operational Mentor Liaison Team working alongside the Afghan soldiers in Afghanistan.
"I am going to have a great time here."
Four months later and the two soldiers are thick as thieves, throwing parties for the birth of Morawiec's son, and grieving together the loss of both Afghan and Canadian troops.
The growing bond between the liaison team and the Afghan troops under its tutelage has come about since Afghan President Hamid Karzai complained of a communication breakdown between coalition and Afghan soldiers, a problem he holds responsible for the mounting civilian death toll over the last two months.
The point of this unique collaboration - a first for Canadian troops abroad - is for the mentor liaison team to be the link between Afghan soldiers and Canadian battle groups, using the local knowledge of the former and the power of the latter to fight insurgents on the ground.
"How it looks on the ground is sometimes pretty confusing, but it works," said Capt. Stephen Good, who acted as the liaison between the Afghan army's second battalion and India Company during the recent Operation Season, a joint effort to route out insurgents targeting police checkpoints in Zhari district.
Video of the four-hour firefight of Operation Season shows Afghan and Canadian troops squatting in wadis, planning the phases of the operation. Air strikes were eventually called in to end the battle. Fifteen Taliban were killed and the operation was heralded as a success by the military.
Good says he doesn't see the communication problems raised by Karzai.
"It's always two-way communication," he said. "Almost every day I'm in with the company commander; we're talking future operations, where they see everything going."
Members of the mentor liaison team and the Afghan army live, eat, and sleep together when they work at Ma'sum Ghar, about 40 kilometres west of Kandahar. But all are aware it's a tenuous bond, thanks to the constant motion of army life. New Canadians rotate in every six months. Afghan soldiers get transferred. Soldiers from both sides get killed.
"I was going to write a letter to Canada to ask if Col. Eyre could stay another year, but I was worried about his family," joked Gen. Khair Mohammad of the 1st Brigade of the Afghan National Army.
Lt.-Col. Wayne Eyre, commanding officer of the liaison team, and Mohammed have worked together for three months, since Canada took over mentoring brigade headquarters from the Americans. They meet almost daily, going over upcoming operations and discussing concerns.
Eyre called it an increasingly rewarding and fascinating job, one that requires him to draw upon all he knows of Afghan culture and history, coupled with his Canadian military training.
"We can't mirror-image ourselves," he said.
"To try and create an army in our own image, exactly like us, with the same sort of western standards, thought processes and the like, is not going to work here."
Safiullah, the weapons commander being mentored by Morawiec, said the benefits of learning battle tactics and operations from Canadians has been immeasurable, but it's the larger picture he's glad to have seen.
"We are all human beings," he said through an interpreter. "Canadians love their families, they love their children and wives. And we too love our children and our wives."
The state of Canada's mission in Afghanistan rests on a eventual parliamentary decision on whether to leave on the NATO-mandated deadline of February 2009, or remain in the country in some form.
Gen. Rick Hillier, chief of Canada's defence staff, has said that training the Afghan army as the deadline approaches has become Canada's top priority.
"What we need are people," said Eyre. "Robust mentoring. At the end of the day, we equip the man, not man the equipment."
Five kandaks, the Afghan term for battalion, currently make up the Afghan National Army command for Kandahar and Uruzgan provinces, 1st Brigade. In July, Uruzgan will receive its own.
A full brigade of five kandaks would have 3,200 soldiers, but the fighting force of 1st Brigade now sits at around 2,300.
Eyre is optimistic the number will rise to at least 3,000 by 2009.
The numbers don't mean much to some local Afghans, who are skeptical about the Afghan army's ability to fight on its own, now or by 2009.
"If an operation is going to be started at any village, if the ANA takes the support of NATO or ISAF, then they can operate that village," said Noor Ahmed, 32.
"The ANA at least has to get training for 10 to 15 years more, then they could stand up at their feet."
Mohammad, the commander of 1st Brigade, is keenly aware of the shortcomings facing his soldiers.
"We have a lot of training experts, all the soldiers being trained by OMLT, but we have some problems," he said.
"We don't have modern vehicles, weapons, air support. If we had these things we'd be able to conduct operations."
Canada isn't responsible for outfitting the Afghan army. That falls to the Americans, though Hillier has opened the door to providing some supplies.
"I don't think we'll be able by (2009) to provide security by ourselves to the people of Kandahar," said Mohammad.
"Myself and the people of Afghanistan are asking the people of Canada to stay for longer in Afghanistan."
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