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  #91  
Old 25-08-06, 00:21
Steve Guthrie's Avatar
Steve Guthrie Steve Guthrie is offline
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Default Leopards to Afghanistan?

http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/...0-e284cc6a6f1d
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  #92  
Old 25-08-06, 03:15
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i was in iraq, and trust me the attacks really drop off when you have a 60 ton paper weight at the front gate. 7.62mm just dosent do it
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  #93  
Old 25-08-06, 04:17
rob love rob love is offline
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During my last tour in Bosnia back in 2001, we were deployed to the rifle ranges in Glumoc and that all too familiar freight train rumble approached. Out of the blue, a Canadian Leopard raced by, escorted by a couple of wheeled vehicles. Turns out we were using a couple of them in Kosovo as muscle.

I had more to say on the story presented, but have decided to wait and see.
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  #94  
Old 25-08-06, 07:28
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Default Re: Leopards to Afghanistan?

Quote:
Originally posted by Steve Guthrie
http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/...0-e284cc6a6f1d
Gotta have something to carry in our new C17's!


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  #95  
Old 03-09-06, 15:23
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Default Medusa

It is indeed sad to hear about the lost of the British personnel. The aircraft was supporting the latest NATO offensive (Operation Medusa) in the Panjwai region. There are about one thousand Canadian troops taking part in this Operation. The Canadians have being heavily engaged there since July. The Soviets were never ever to get control of the Panjwai, and it is here that the Soviets suffered their final defeat of their War. The Canadians have taken on the hardest nut in Afghanistan.

Cdn. troops launch offensive into Taliban hotbed
Updated Sat. Sep. 2 2006 11:30 PM ET
CTV.ca News Staff
Canadian troops suffered no casualties as they swept into a Taliban hotbed west of Kandahar on Saturday, but a nearby plane crash killed 14 British soldiers.
Canadian combat units, along with other NATO and Afghan forces, have launched a major offensive against insurgents in the violent Panjwai district. The mission is dubbed Operation Medusa.
"It's in an area where Canadian troops have taken casualties," said CTV's Matt McClure on Saturday from Kandahar, ". . . and where they've also been involved in heavy battles trying to take this territory early this year."
Canadian battle group commander, Col. Omer Lavoie, told CTV News that his soldiers have gained the upper hand against the militants despite meeting some resistance.
"We were ambushed en route about four o'clock in the morning. But my platoon . . . dealt with the ambush, engaged and destroyed the enemy, and for the rest of it we moved in here with no resistance," said Lavoie.
"We certainly own the dominating ground now in Panjwai district."
Pro-government forces then proceeded to move into the district, backed by artillery and air support as they prepared to move across the Arghandab River into Pashmul area -- known as the heart of the Taliban stronghold.
The commander of the Canadian contingent said fierce fighting is expected with Taliban guerrillas in this latest mission.
"I think we're talking in the neighbourhood of hundreds" of fighters, said Col. Fred Lewis. "Certainly not thousands, not tens. Might they just fade away? If they're smart, they will."
At least six Canadians have died and 32 were wounded in dozens of bomb attacks, ambushes and pitched battles in the area, according to reports compiled by The Canadian Press.
The area was the scene of a major operation at the start of the summer, known as the Battle of Panjwai.
Commanders then claimed to have broken the back of the insurgency there, but coalition troops withdrew and the Taliban took over again.
Brigadier General David Fraser said this time it's going to be different, and that that they're going to hold this area.
"I don't have any worries as we move forward," said Fraser. "We've got all the resources we need right here. We've got close air support, we've got intelligence, we've got artillery and lots of firepower here. The enemy's got more worries than we do."
He also had strong words for the Taliban.
"You've got three choices," he said. "You can either support the government of Afghanistan or you can leave, or we'll give you the third option."
NATO plane crash
Meanwhile, officials said a NATO aircraft crashed about 15 kilometres west of Kandahar city on Saturday, killing 14 British troops.
The British Defence Ministry said the dead included 12 Royal Air Force personnel, a Royal Marine and an army soldier.
The "aircraft was supporting a NATO mission. It went off the radar and crashed in an open area in Kandahar," said Maj. Scott Lundy, spokesperson for the International Security Assistance Force.
The plane was a Nimrod MR2, capable of carrying a maximum of 25 people with a crew of 12. The aircraft is used for reconnaissance missions.
International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said in a statement the plane had declared a technical problem before it went down.
"Enemy action has been discounted at this stage," the ISAF statement said.
Shortly after the crash, Abdul Khaliq, a purported spokesperson for the Taliban, had claimed insurgents managed to shoot down the plane with a Stinger missile.
A witness in Chalaghor, about 19 kilometres west of Kandahar city, told The Associated press he saw a fire at the back of the plane before it struck the ground.
He added that the impact's explosion "shook the whole village."
With reports from CTV's Matt McClure and The Canadian Press in Kandahar, Afghanistan

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNew...hub=TopStories
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  #96  
Old 03-09-06, 20:33
Vets Dottir
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It's very sad to read that 4 Canadian soldiers were killed and many others injured in that operation today. So many losses happening, for everyone.

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNew...hub=TopStories

Karmen.
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  #97  
Old 04-09-06, 15:14
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Default Another Canadian killed

This time from blue on blue fire from an A-10.

Canadian killed by friendly fire in Afghanistan
Updated Mon. Sep. 4 2006 7:47 AM ET
CTV.ca News Staff
A Canadian soldier was killed during a friendly fire mishap in Afghanistan on Monday when a NATO warplane accidentally strafed troops.
The death comes just one day after another four Canadian soldiers were killed and six wounded during a major NATO offensive in the volatile Panjwai district of southern Afghanistan.
The friendly fire mishap occurred around 5:30 a.m. when an A-10 Warthog was called in to support soldiers trying to seize a Taliban stronghold along the Arghandab River.
"Canadian troops were very close to enemy lines, air support had been called in and this A-10 Warthog came roaring in. Instead of hitting the Taliban positions, it hit the Canadians very heavily," CTV's Matt McClure reported on Newsnet from Afghanistan.
"We'd told that dozens of others were injured, including these five who are going to be evacuated. Most of the soldiers received light injuries, however, and are expected to return to duty."
The injured troops were evacuated by helicopter, including a giant twin-rotor Chinook.
"It was a scene of absolute chaos this morning at the airport near the hospital. We were there as helicopter after helicopter ferried in the wounded," McClure said.
The identity of the soldier killed in the friendly fire incident was not released.
"This has been a tough hit, but Canadians are continuing the fight and continuing with operation Medusa," Brig.-Gen. David Fraser, the Canadian in charge of NATO forces in southern Afghanistan, said in a statement released Monday.
Fraser told reporters that an investigation has been launched.
"We do have procedures, we do have communications, we do have training and tactics and techniques and procedures to mitigate the risk but we can't reduce those risks to zero,'' he said in a news conference at Kandahar Airfield.
"The Canadian forces and the rest of armed forces of the world and the international community wouldn't be here if it wasn't dangerous.''
NATO said in a statement that the incident occurred after ground troops called for air support.
"Two ISAF (NATO's International Security Assistance Force) aircraft provided the support but regrettably engaged friendly forces during a strafing run, using cannons," the statement said.
Monday's friendly fire incident was the second similar incident since Canadians began operations in Afghanistan more than four years ago.
Four soldiers were killed and eight others wounded in April 2002 when an American F-16 fighter mistakenly bombed Canadians on pre-dawn training exercise.
The recent casualties came as NATO forces launched Operation Medusa, a mission aimed at purging militants from the Taliban stronghold of the Panjwai district west of Kandahar.
Canadian troops met fierce resistance from Taliban fighters early Sunday in fighting that killed four Canadian and wounded six others.
The deaths occurred when the Canadians moved in with light armoured vehicles after NATO forces had pounded enemy positions for more than 24 hours with helicopter gunships, artillery and bombs.
Taliban insurgents put up a stiff fight, using small arms and rocket propelled grenades to defend their positions.
Two of the dead were identified as Warrant Officer Frank Mellish and Warrant Officer Richard Nolan, both of 1st Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment, based at CFB Petawawa.
The names of the other two soldiers killed have not been released at the request of their families.
Despite the casualties, NATO officials are maintaining that the offensive has been a success, estimating that 200 Taliban militants had been killed and 80 seized.
The latest fatalities came as NDP Leader Jack Layton repeated his call for ending the Afghanistan mission in February 2007.
"Young people have stepped forward to put their lives on the line, fulfilling a mission that they were asked to fulfill," Layton told reporters in Toronto.
"What we as Canadians need to do is consider whether this is indeed the right mission for Canada going forward. Our view is that it is the wrong mission."
Prime Minister Stephen Harper did not address the possibility of a troop withdrawal in a statement on Sunday, in which he offered his condolences to the friends and families of those killed.
"We are proud of these soldiers' contribution to bring stability and hope to the people of Afghanistan," said Harper.
"These soldiers lost their lives in the service of their country. Canada is grateful for that service, and saddened by this loss."
In total, 32 Canadian soldiers and one diplomat have been killed in Afghanistan since 2002.
With files from The Canadian Press

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNew...hub=TopStories
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  #98  
Old 10-09-06, 03:03
rob love rob love is offline
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Well, the cats out of the bag now....the Leos are heading to Afghanistan. I kind of thought so since the newspaper article quoted the army as saying the leopards were heading for a fall ex in Wainwright....the fall ex for the Brigade is here in Shilo. In fact it's going on right now, and judging from the amount of smoke from the range fires today, they seem to be having a good time.
They may be a bit dated, but they sure beat a G-wagon for protection.
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  #99  
Old 15-09-06, 22:20
Garry Shipton (RIP) Garry Shipton (RIP) is offline
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Default DND just announced

A troop of four leopards to be flown to Afghanistan next week,with a balance of eleven to follow.
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  #100  
Old 16-09-06, 00:01
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Tanks and 200 more soldiers going to Afghanistan
Updated Fri. Sep. 15 2006 3:14 PM ET
David Akin, CTV.ca News
OTTAWA -- Canada will send tanks and about 200 more soldiers to bolster its presence in southern Afghanistan, an initiative which the military described as "a normal practice" for the kind of situation Canadian soldiers are now facing there.
General Rick Hillier, chief of Canada's defence staff, announced this afternoon that the Forces are strengthening reconstruction and stabilization efforts in Afghanistan.
After getting final approval from Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Hillier has decided to send the following immediately to Afghanistan:
An infantry company from Valcartier, Quebec
A Leopard tank squadron from Edmonton to better protect and enable the Canadian Forces to fight in those areas where Taliban forces have established well-coordinated and determined defences;
Military engineers to manage reconstruction and development projects and,
A counter-mortar capability to locate Taliban forces that are targeting Canadian Forces installations with indirect mortar fire.
The reinforcements are being sent at the request of the Canadian commanders in Afghanistan. Once the additional forces are in Afghanistan, Canada will have about 2,500 troops in the region. Canadian troops will make up well over 10 per cent of all NATO troops in Afghanistan.
"Canadian soldiers face a complex and very demanding mission in Afghanistan," the Department of National Defence says in a statement. "The situation on the ground in Afghanistan recently shifted due to the changing tactics of the Taliban operating in the southern region, where Canadian and NATO troops are seeking to stabilize areas.
"Increased capabilities are needed to provide Task Force Afghanistan Commanders with the most effective tools they required to give them more options in the field of operations. These resources provide greater mobility, protection of our troops, flexibility and precision firepower."

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNew...hub=TopStories
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  #101  
Old 16-09-06, 05:36
rob love rob love is offline
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Apparently C battery here in Shilo is now preparing to head over. They are the mortar battery, and are to go over in that role. Canada cut back on artillery in the last couple of years, and the mortar role was given back to the gunners from the infantry.
And that big brigade ex here has now been quashed; the neccessary elements are heading to Wainwright for training alongside the tankers.

I've been watching convoys come in for the last week or so; some interesting equipment was still heading past the house today for Shilo. Just in time to turn around and head home.

I saw someones phrase once: It's easier to react than plan ahead. This should be the motto for the CF. Not entirely their fault; you can only do so much when un-supportive governments choke you both financially and militarily. The liberals idea of a multi-faceted military is one that can both fight forest fires and look for lost children.
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  #102  
Old 18-09-06, 11:47
Vets Dottir
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Too many more coming home

Quote:

"Multiple" NATO casualties in Afghan suicide blast
Mon Sep 18, 2006 9:23 AM BST

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan (Reuters) - A suicide bomber on a bicycle attacked a NATO patrol in southern Afghanistan on Monday killing several soldiers, Afghan police said, a day after NATO declared the area free of Taliban insurgents.

The Taliban, who have unleashed a wave of attacks on government and foreign troops this year, claimed responsibility for the blast in the Panjwai district of Kandahar province.

Afghan police said a suicide bomber on a bicycle attacked Canadian troops while they were giving out aid.

Several Canadian soldiers had been killed and about a dozen wounded, said a police officer. About 25 civilians, most of them children, had also been wounded, said the officer, who declined to be identified.

NATO said the blast had caused "multiple casualties" among the troops. It did not elaborate except to say there were also civilian casualties.

The Taliban and their militant allies have unleashed a wave of attacks on government and foreign troops this year. Security forces have responded with offensives in the south and east.

The commander of NATO forces in Afghanistan said on Sunday NATO and Afghan government troops had forced Taliban insurgents out of Panjwai district, about 25 km (15 miles) west of Kandahar city, after a two-week offensive codenamed Operation Medusa.

A Taliban spokesman, Qari Mohammad Yousuf, said by telephone the bomb was set off by a young Taliban suicide bomber from Kandahar.

The level of Afghan violence, the most intense since the Taliban were ousted five years ago, has raised concern about the prospects for a country that had been seen as a success in the U.S.-led war on terrorism.

About 130 foreign troops have been killed in Afghanistan this year, most of them Americans, British and Canadians.
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  #103  
Old 18-09-06, 12:11
Vets Dottir
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Here is an update already ...

Quote:
Four NATO soldiers killed in Afghan suicide blast
Mon Sep 18, 2006 11:01 AM BST

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan (Reuters) - A suicide bomber killed four NATO soldiers in an an attack in the Afghan south on Monday, a force spokesman said.

The spokesman did not identify the nationality of the dead. An Afghan police officer said the bomber, who was on a bicycle, attacked Canadian soldiers handing out notebooks and pens to children in Kandahar province.
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  #104  
Old 18-09-06, 18:38
Geoff Winnington-Ball (RIP)'s Avatar
Geoff Winnington-Ball (RIP) Geoff Winnington-Ball (RIP) is offline
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Unhappy Damn

Confirmed four Canadians dead, unknown number wounded. No IDs at present. This makes 36 so far.

Condolences to their families, who must be living in a veritable hell right now.

And RIP, laddies... you did our country proud and will never be forgotten.

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  #105  
Old 18-09-06, 22:36
Geoff Winnington-Ball (RIP)'s Avatar
Geoff Winnington-Ball (RIP) Geoff Winnington-Ball (RIP) is offline
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This link was sent to me this afternoon. It is worth viewing, but DO NOT download unless you have a high speed connection.

http://members.shaw.ca/travner/CFTribute800x600.wmv

Thank you,

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  #106  
Old 18-09-06, 22:45
Vets Dottir
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Extremely sad and emotional.

K.
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  #107  
Old 20-09-06, 20:34
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Hi

Just a few lines to let you all know that my Wife's li'il brother (MCpl in the Reg Force Engineers from Pet) was one of the wounded.

He received a broken arm and multiple fragments to the right side of his body. He will be evac-ed to Germany for further surgery and eventual repatriation to Canada. No suprise as he was also lightly wounded a few weeks ago where he lost his Section Commander. He has been verbally commended for his actions that day.

Not bad for 29 days in-country, eh!!??

He's a good lad and actually wanted to not be sent home. He wanted to finish his tour with his fellow soldiers. Maybe forcing him into the Reserve Engineers so long ago, after watching him sit in my basement and watch my TV and drink my soda, wasn't such a bad idea.

regards
Darrell
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  #108  
Old 20-09-06, 21:06
Geoff Winnington-Ball (RIP)'s Avatar
Geoff Winnington-Ball (RIP) Geoff Winnington-Ball (RIP) is offline
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Default Light Duties?

Darrell, wouldn't light duties be an option, or is he worse off than he says he is? I can understand how a young'un full of p&v would be pissed at being forced out so quickly...
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  #109  
Old 21-09-06, 18:17
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Hi Geoff

I don't think LD's would have done it. I should have said his arm was "shattered" rather than just "broken" and has a temporary metal bar screwed into the exterior of his arm to stabilize it.

His Crew Commander is a friend of mine and confirmed to me via email this AM that the lad had been shipped out. He'll need a bit more surgery in Germany and then be sent back to Canada.

No matter how much he wanted to stay with his mates, it's better that he return and they replace him from the standby pool in Pet.

As I'm training now and leaving myself for Kandahar in the new-year, I'm sorry I won't get to see him as we handover with his Btl Gp. Right now, I plan to get the wife up to see him when he gets in from Germany. His Mother will likely go to Germany to see him too.

regards
Darrell
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  #110  
Old 03-10-06, 22:32
Geoff Winnington-Ball (RIP)'s Avatar
Geoff Winnington-Ball (RIP) Geoff Winnington-Ball (RIP) is offline
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Default Canada in Afghanistan

Thought I'd start this up as a catch-all thread in support of our soldiers.

Watching CTV Newsnet at 1600 LOCAL today, I saw footage of the first of our Leopards deplaning in Kandahar. This will be interesting - it'll be the first time they've been deployed for peacemaking rather than peacekeeping...
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  #111  
Old 03-10-06, 23:12
Alex Blair (RIP) Alex Blair (RIP) is offline
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Default Re: Canada in Afghanistan

Quote:
Originally posted by Geoff Winnington-Ball
Thought I'd start this up as a catch-all thread in support of our soldiers.

Watching CTV Newsnet at 1600 LOCAL today, I saw footage of the first of our Leopards deplaning in Kandahar. This will be interesting - it'll be the first time they've been deployed for peacemaking rather than peacekeeping...
Good topic,J1ff(AS per your personal plate)..
Here is a release 4 hours old...

SPERWAN, Afghanistan — Canadian soldiers faced a series of attacks Tuesday in the volatile region west of Kandahar.
Insurgents have staged attacks including ambushes, rocket attacks and a suicide bombing. No injuries were immediately reported in the incidents.

A G-Wagon jeep was left in flames after a suicide bomber on a motorcycle attacked a Canadian military convoy in on the western side of Kandahar city. Maj. Daryl Morrell, a NATO-led force spokesman, said the bomber rammed his motorcycle into the convoy, killing himself in the blast.

“I was sitting outside my shop,” said a witness, Ali Ahmad. “I saw a motorbike come close to the Canadian convoy and then detonated himself.”

In an earlier attack, a Canadian patrol came under heavy fire along the Arghandab River, just southwest of the scene of heavy fighting in September.



The soldiers of Charles Company returned fire and returned to a makeshift base nearby.

Charles Company lost four soldiers exactly a month ago in an ambush a few kilometres away. The next day, the same company lost another soldier to friendly fire by U.S. warplanes.

Elsewhere, two U.S. and one Afghan soldier died Monday evening during a gunfight with militants in eastern Kunar province, which borders Pakistan, the U.S. military said in a statement. Three U.S. soldiers were wounded in the battle in Pech district, although they were now in stable condition, it said.

About 7,000 Afghan and U.S. troops are operating in eastern Afghanistan as part of Operation Mountain Fury, aimed at wiping out militants and extending the Afghan government’s reach.

Separately, three Afghan border police were killed and three wounded late Monday after Taliban fighters attacked their outpost near the border in the eastern province of Paktika, said provincial Gov. Mohammad Akram Akhpelwak.

Meanwhile, NATO said it will take over the command of military operations for all of Afghanistan from the U.S.-led coalition on Thursday. The announcement was made by Daan Everts, the alliance’s senior civilian representative in Afghanistan.

Of the 40,000 foreign troops in Afghanistan, about 8,000 U.S. troops tracking al-Qaida terrorists or involved in air operations will remain outside NATO’s control, officials said.

Canada has about 2,200 soldiers operating in Kandahar province as part of the NATO force.

NATO’s twin roles of combating the growing violence and attempting to extend the reach of the Afghan government are among the most challenging missions the alliance has undertaken in its 57-year history.

Afghanistan in the last several months has seen the largest increase in violence since the U.S.-led invasion ousted the Taliban regime from power in 2001.

A suicide bomber in the capital, Kabul, killed 12 people and wounded more than 40 on Saturday.
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  #112  
Old 03-10-06, 23:20
Alex Blair (RIP) Alex Blair (RIP) is offline
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Default Taliban Jack...

Taliban Jack is mulling over a trip to Afghanistan...

I hope he does go and meet up with those lovey-dovey Taliban critters...His yellow,running dog head would look in place on the end of a Taliban stick...

Layton mulls trip to Afghanistan
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"I don't think credibility on the question of whether the mission is working depends on whether a person has the opportunity to be there," said Jack Layton, who's mulling a trip to Afghanistan.
Photograph by : CP Photo
Ian Bailey, CanWest News Service
Published: Sunday, October 01, 2006 Article tools
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VANCOUVER -- Federal NDP Leader Jack Layton, who wants Canada to pull its troops from Afghanistan, says he wants to visit the war-torn country to get a sense of the situation there.

But Layton told The Province during a trip to Vancouver that he does not need to have been to Afghanistan to be a credible critic of Canada's role there.

"I don't think credibility on the question of whether the mission is working depends on whether a person has the opportunity to be there," Layton said.

"If that was the case, then most Canadians would have to be absent themselves for the debate, and I don't accept that proposition."

Two of four federal party leaders in the House of Commons have been to Afghanistan where 2,200 Canadian soldiers are posted.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper has been. Bill Graham, interim leader for the Liberals, went twice while foreign affairs and defence minister in the former Liberal government.

Layton and Gilles Duceppe, leader of the Bloc Quebecois, have yet to visit.

Layton has called for Canadian troops to leave Afghanistan by next February, slamming the mission there as improperly planned to achieve peace.

The position, strongly endorsed by rank-and-file NDP members at the party's national convention early in September, has put the New Democrats odds with the other three parties in Parliament.

Thirty-seven soldiers and one Canadian diplomat have been killed in Afghanistan since 2002 the latest being Pte. Josh Klukie, from an Ontario-based regiment killed by an explosive device Friday while on patrol near Kandahar. Canada has been involved in reconstruction in Afghanistan and battling remnants of the Taliban and al-Qaida.

Layton said he was invited to Afghanistan by that country's president, Hamid Karzai, when the pair met during Karzai's recent trip to Canada.

"The timing of such a visit is something I'd like to discuss further with the Afghanistan officials and, of course, with our own Foreign Affairs officials here," he said.

Layton said, at this point, his office was working through logistics on the issue, but that he would, among other things, like to talk to elected officials in the country, aid groups, and Canadian troops.

Asked whether he was concerned about his own security, he replied: "Not any more than anybody else would be."

Layton has condemned the effort as a "George Bush-style counter-insurgency war" and called on Canada to pursue humanitarian aid, reconstruction and peace.

He called on Canada to declare it won't abandon Afghanistan, but will stop what isn't working.

"The goal of trying to help resolve conflicts in other than war fighting approaches is, I think, a uniquely Canadian goal in the world," he said.

ibailey@png.canwest.com


© CanWest News Service 2006
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  #113  
Old 04-10-06, 02:10
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Two Canadian soldiers killed in Afghanistan
Updated Tue. Oct. 3 2006 7:42 PM ET
CTV.ca News Staff
Taliban insurgents killed two Canadian soldiers and injured another five during an attack in the Panjwaii district of Afghanistan, Canadian military officials have confirmed.
"Two Canadian soldiers have died as a result of injuries suffered during this attack and five others received non-life threatening injuries," Col. Fred Lewis, deputy commander of Task force Afghanistan, said Tuesday.
Sergeant Craig Gillam and Corporal Robert Mitchell were identified as the two soldiers killed. Both were with the Royal Canadian Dragoons, based in Petawawa, Ont. They are the 38th and 39th Canadian soldiers to die in Afghanistan since 2002.
The soldiers were working to clear a route for a future road construction project when the attack occurred around 4:50 p.m. local time.
"They were members of the surveillance troops," said Lewis. "They were conducting vehicle checkpoints and observation posts at the time."
The patrol managed to return fire after coming under sustained fire from mortars and possibly rocket propelled grenades.
The injured soldiers were evacuated to an alliance medical facility at the Kandahar airfield.
The attack took place about 20 kilometres west of Kandahar City, an area that Canadians troops took from the Taliban just weeks ago. Lewis said the violence was expected as Operation Medusa -- the Canadian-led NATO operation that officials claimed as a major success -- was in its final stage.
"This final phase is the one that the Taliban don't want to lose," said Lewis. "We're in reconstruction and development and we've got to remain vigilant to the Taliban re-infiltrating in the area."
"The Taliban attacks will not deter Canadian efforts to help this country achieve peace and stability and a free and democratic society."
The fighting comes on a day soldiers faced a series of insurgent attacks, including ambushes, rocket fire and a suicide bombing.
A Canadian patrol came under heavy fire along the Arghandab River, just southwest of the scene of heavy fighting in September.
Later in the day, a bomber on a motorcycle attacked a Canadian military convoy in the volatile region west of Kandahar, ramming his vehicle into a G-Wagon. No Canadian casualties were reported in that attack, although three Afghanistan civilians were hurt.
The attacks come on the day the body of Pte. Josh Klukie, 23, killed four days ago after stepping on a booby-trapped anti-tank mine, returned home from Afghanistan to CFB Trenton for a repatriation ceremony. The Thunder Bay, Ont. native served with Bravo Company of the First Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment.
Reinforcements
To deal with the ongoing violence, extra vehicles and firepower have begun to arrive in Kandahar for the Canadian forces.
The first of 15 heavily-armoured Leopard tanks arrived aboard a U.S. military transport aircraft.
Lewis told Canada AM earlier Tuesday that the deployment of the vehicles gives NATO forces a "direct fire capability" in areas of southern Afghanistan where Canadians encountered fierce insurgent resistance during Operation Medusa.
Further, he said a dozen military engineers arrived last week to perform project management and delivery tasks.
Arrangements are also being made to send another 21 Nyalas -- four-wheel-drive vehicles designed to withstand blasts from anti-tank mines -- to Afghanistan.
NATO command to expand
Meanwhile, NATO announced Tuesday that it will assume responsibility for security across Afghanistan beginning Thursday, when it takes over command in the east.
"In two days, on October 5, NATO security assistance will be expanded to all of Afghanistan," NATO's senior civilian representative, Daan Everts, told a news conference.
"And most of the U.S. forces that are still operating on their own command right now in the east will join the overall ISAF organization."
NATO's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) already commands forces in the north, west and south, as well as in the capital of Kabul.
At the end of July, the alliance took responsibility for southern Afghanistan -- where Canadian and British troops in particular have come up against fierce insurgent resistance -- from the U.S.-led coalition.
On Thursday, NATO takes command of 10,000-12,000 U.S. troops in the east.
The troop transfer was expected to take place later this year. But alliance officials said battles with insurgents in the south required the pooling of Canadian, British and Dutch forces with U.S. soldiers.

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNew...hub=TopStories
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  #114  
Old 04-10-06, 02:23
Alex Blair (RIP) Alex Blair (RIP) is offline
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Default Update on John's article...

Insurgents kill 2 Canadians
Oct. 3, 2006. 07:47 PM
CANADIAN PRESS


SPERWAN, Afghanistan — Emboldened insurgents killed two Canadian soldiers and wounded five others Tuesday in a series of attacks on ground the Canadians took from the Taliban just weeks ago.
The soldiers were providing security for road construction and holding an observation post in the Taliban heartland about 20 kilometres west of Kandahar city when they came under attack from insurgents armed with rocket-propelled grenades and assault rifles in the late afternoon.

Canadian military officials identified the dead as Sgt. Craig Paul Gillam and Cpl. Robert Thomas James Mitchell, both members of the Royal Canadian Dragoons based in Petawawa, Ont.

“They were members of the surveillance troops,” Col. Fred Lewis, deputy commander of the Canadian contingent, told reporters in Kandahar. “They were conducting vehicle checkpoints and observation posts at the time.”

Two of the wounded soldiers were reported in serious but stable condition. All were evacuated to Kandahar Airfield, the main coalition base, and described as having “non-life-threatening injuries.”

Lewis said the casualties were probably caused by mortars or rocket-propelled grenades. “The injuries right now: there don’t seem to be any sort of bullets involved,” he said.

But the attack happened shortly before dark, so further checks at the site will have to wait until Wednesday, he said.

The attack on the small group of soldiers prompted a quick response.

“Almost immediately other forces responded to it, treated and medevaced the casualties, and carried on with the operation,” said Lt.-Col. Omer Lavoie, the ground-level commander of Canada’s fighting force.

Two U.S. soldiers were also wounded nearby. It was not clear whether they were hit by the same group of insurgents or in a separate ambush.

The fighting comes exactly one month after the launch of Operation Medusa, the NATO operation led by Canadian troops that officials boasted killed hundreds of Taliban. NATO and Canadian officials said they had driven insurgents out of the area west of Kandahar city and had done serious damage to the ability of the insurgents to mount attacks.

Lavoie said the latest attacks are a shift back to familiar insurgent tactics after the Taliban were devastated in a more conventional fight.

“They’ve learned they can’t take us on head-to-head in a conventional battle, so they’re going back to typical insurgent tactics, (roadside bombs) and hit-and-run tactics,” Lavoie said.

The attack on the observation post was the last in a series aimed at Canadians on Tuesday.

The soldiers of Charles Company were the first to come under fire in the morning as they pushed along the Arghandab River, a few kilometres west of the deadly attack that would come hours later.

Insurgents fired mortars, rockets and automatic weapons at Seven Platoon of Charles Company, the unit that was hit with a deadly ambush Sept. 3.

The soldiers and their Afghan army counterparts returned fire and emerged unscathed.

“Luckily, they’re not very good aim,” said Warrant Officer Ray Macfarlane, a senior platoon leader.

Closer to Kandahar city and a few hours later, a suicide bomber on a motorcycle attacked a Canadian convoy, setting a G-wagon jeep aflame. The suicide bomber died; no one else was injured.

Local civilians and soldiers have said Taliban have quietly seeped back into the area.

“The Taliban has threatened (civilians) with their lives from any kind of association with the coalition,” said Maj. Steve Brown, commander of Charles Company.

“They’ve gone back to the tactic that has consistently worked for them, that is to infiltrate and conduct guerrilla-type operations. Now they’re back at it threatening people and their property. That’s consistent with this enemy.”

Macfarlane said he saw unarmed young men whom he suspected were insurgents as his troops and Afghan Army units moved along the river. As they returned toward their camp, the shooting started.

The insurgents have learned how to exploit the Canadians’ rules of engagement to escape attack, Macfarlane said. Those rules cannot be disclosed under the embedding agreement that allows The Canadian Press to travel with Canadian soldiers on their missions.

“They’re smart. I wouldn’t say I respect them, but they’ve learned to play to our weaknesses,” Macfarlane said.

Two suspected Taliban members were detained in the morning clash.

A Canadian soldier died last week in a mine explosion on a road that the Canadians have cut through fields to avoid such attacks.

The soldiers killed Tuesday were protecting a similar road-building project aimed at avoiding improvised explosive devices — roadside bombs.

The spate of violence came on Oct. 3, a day of the month that has proved deadly for Canadians recently.

On Sept. 3, the Taliban ambushed Macfarlane’s Seven Platoon, killing four soldiers and wounding several more. The next day, the company was accidentally strafed by a U.S. warplane, killing another soldier and wounding more than 30.

On Aug. 3, four soldiers of the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry died nearby in a roadside bomb and firefight.

The foiled rebel ambush Tuesday in the rocky, dry river bed of the Arghandab River was a test of resolve for soldiers of Seven Platoon who were still recovering from the Sept. 3 attack.

“Honestly, the troops performed extremely well in combat, better than I expected,” said Macfarlane.

Macfarlane said he saw no signs of fear or hesitation among the troops.
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Old 04-10-06, 02:32
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Geoff Winnington-Ball (RIP) Geoff Winnington-Ball (RIP) is offline
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Damn.

My heart is with their families this eve.

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Old 04-10-06, 02:33
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http://www.thestar.com/static/PDF/06...ion_medusa.pdf

The story of C Company
Sep. 30, 2006. 05:44 AM
MITCH POTTER
MIDDLE EAST BUREAU

PANJWAII DISTRICT, Afghanistan—One must turn back time several generations to find Canadian soldiers in the state that Charlie Company finds itself today. Not since the Korean War has a single Canadian combat unit been so cut to pieces so quickly.
Either of the two events that rocked their world in the dust-caked hills of southern Afghanistan one month ago might qualify as the worst day of their lives. That they came back-to-back — one disastrous morning followed by another even worse — is a matter of almost incomprehensibly bad fortune.
The epic double-whammy — a perfect Taliban ambush of unprecedented intensity, followed one day later by a devastating burst of "friendly fire" from a U.S. Air Force A-10 Warthog — reduced Charlie to a status of "combat ineffective." They were the ones to fire the opening shots of Operation Medusa. But even as the massive Canada-led assault was gathering steam they were finished.
The soldiers left standing are not the same today as the ones who deployed to Afghanistan with nothing but good intentions barely seven weeks ago, as part of 1st Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment, based in Petawawa, Ont.
A few are emotional wrecks, too fragile still to speak of what transpired during that fateful Labour Day long weekend. Others bleed anger from their every pore.
Some cling to wounded pride, anxious for it to be known that if not for enormous self-sacrifice, the volume of Canadian blood shed these two mornings would have been vastly greater.
Others are disillusioned, having come to regard their work in Afghanistan as a mission impossible. And others still are more driven than ever to succeed, if only to lend greater meaning to the loss of their fallen Canadian brothers.
The survivors of Charlie Company are closer now than they were before. And the other thing they have in common is a need to tell their story, which they do today for the first time.

The White School was the objective, and not for the first time. A full month earlier the 1st Battalion of the Edmonton-based Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, on the tail end of their six-month deployment, encountered serious Taliban resistance from the single-storey building. It was a hub of Taliban activity, but on the morning of Sept. 3, as Charlie Company's 7 Platoon bore down on the building, only the Taliban knew what a hub it was.
In hindsight, some of the soldiers acknowledge their "spidey sense" was tingling. It was quiet that day. Possibly too quiet, as the platoon motored through fields of ripening marijuana plants, each taller than a man.
The engineers went first, using an armoured bulldozer to open two breaches through barriers between the pot fields. A clear path to the school was opened, and into it went four LAVs and a G-Wagon, the lightly armoured Mercedes-Benz jeep that many of the Canadians in Kandahar have come to despise as a "bullet magnet."
Approaching left to right, the Canadians lined up 50 metres from the school, like ducks in a row. Sitting ducks, it would soon become clear.
"All hell broke loose," says Master Cpl. Allan Johnson of Owen Sound, in command of the LAV known as 3.1 Alpha.
"It was dead quiet. And then I saw a guy jump up on a roof. Maybe he was giving a signal to the other Taliban.
"All I know is the entire area just lit up. We were taking fire from at least two sides, maybe three, with everything they had. Rocket-propelled grenades, small-arms fire, the works.
"It was the cherry-popper of all cherry-poppers. And once we started taking casualties, we moved up to provide cover fire. Our cannon didn't stop from that point on."
The LAV from 2 Combat Engineer Regiment was the first hit, sustaining a bull's-eye RPG strike beneath the gunner's turret. The radio call announced injuries. It was the day's first fatality — Sgt. Shane Stachnik, 30, of Waskatenau, Alberta.
Seconds later the G-Wagon exploded, with an RPG blasting through its passenger-side windshield, instantly killing Warrant Officer Rick Nolan, 39, of Mount Pearl, Nfld. Suddenly, 7 Platoon had lost its leader.
Cpl. Richard "Doc" Furoy, 32, of Elliot Lake, Ont., one of the company medics, was sitting directly behind Nolan inside the stricken G-Wagon, where he suffered light shrapnel injuries. He barely remembers the chaos that followed.
"Everything in the world came down on us and then, whoomp, the G-Wagon went black. I sort of lost consciousness. I could still feel the spray of gunfire, I could feel the concussion of the rounds inside my chest. But I couldn't hear anything," Furoy told The Star.
"At some point, somebody butt-stroked me with their rifle to snap me out of it. I came back into the present, got my wits about me. I knew I was needed. I checked on the Warrant Officer (Nolan). He was dead."
Thus began a firefight that lasted a full 3½ hours. As crews dismounted to retrieve the dead and wounded, the Canadian LAV gunners let fly into the marijuana fields with turret-mounted 25mm cannon and C6 fire. Each vehicle burned through at least two "uploads," representing more than a thousand rounds of firepower. 3.1 Charlie went through three uploads of suppression fire before pulling back from its original position, the last to leave the battlefield.
But there were more complications when the guns of one of the LAVs, 3.1 Bravo, either jammed or ran dry. Its crew compartment now loaded with casualties, Bravo reversed through the marijuana at 35 km/h, only to crash into a four-metre-deep irrigation ditch. Immobilized, its hydraulic rear ramp jammed shut against the ditch, Bravo took two direct RPG hits before its occupants were able to break open an emergency escape hatch.
With the tops of the pot plants snapping off around them as the Taliban barrage continued, many of Bravo's crew managed to make their way to 3.1 Charlie. Into a crew compartment designed for a maximum of eight, they stacked themselves like cordwood, the injured laid out on the laps of the untouched, and raced for cover.
Every battle plan includes a CCP, or casualty collection point. But in the frenzy of that Sunday morning the Canadians adapted their plan, moving their casualties to the nearest point of cover they could find — an armoured Zettelmeyer front-end loader belonging to the combat engineers.
And it was there that arguably the most tragic death of the day occurred. Warrant Officer Frank Robert Mellish, 38, of 8 Platoon was not meant to be in the teeth of battle that day. But when Mellish, a native of Truro, N.S., learned that fellow Warrant Officer Rick Nolan was dead, he stepped up to help retrieve the body. They were best friends.
Moving from the rear guard, more than 1.8 kilometres from the White School, Mellish made it as far as the Zettelmeyer when he was caught in a storm of shrapnel and died. Now 8 Platoon, too, had lost its leader. And in the same barrage, Sgt. Major John Barnes suffered a concussion, taking another key player out of the fight.
The day's fourth and final fatality fell next — Pte. William James Cushley, 21, of Port Lambton, Ont., taking shrapnel to the head. And if it seemed the worst was behind Charlie Company, it wasn't. As work continued on sorting out the wounded, the cab door of the Zettelmeyer popped open and its bleeding driver stuck his head out, shouting, "I'm ****ing hurt, too" before slamming shut the door to await rescue.
The Canadians had left three stricken vehicles on the battlefield, but were far enough back now to call in air support to renew a bomb assault on the sources of the ambush. And what they saw next gave chills to the entire company.
"In the middle of all this chaos, we see this big, black ****-off bomb coming toward us," said Cpl. Rodney Grubb, 25, of Kitchener.
"It was like a big, black steel football. It hit the ground and bounced and bounced and bounced. I hit the ground thinking, `Okay, we're done.' And then I got back up. The bomb just came to a stop. It didn't go off."
The 500-pound, laser-guided bomb had come from the belly of a U.S. warplane. What saved the Canadians from its explosive force was a safety mechanism designed to disarm the device when it strays from its intended co-ordinates.

There was little sleep that night for Charlie Company, which withdrew to safety and watched with grim satisfaction from the top of the Arghandab escarpment as the air and artillery bombardment of the White School and the lines of Taliban ambush were renewed. Some of the men remember hearing the burp of American A-10 Warthog Gatling guns as they bore down on the White School.
"I'm convinced someone was watching over us. The amount of bullets that were flying, I just don't know why some of us are still here," said Pte. Daniel Rosati, 27, of Woodbridge.
"It was the way people stepped up and covered each other. Everyone stepped up."
And now, their blood was up. Charlie didn't want ramp ceremonies for the fallen. They wanted payback.
"Your adrenalin wears off, but all you want is to be in that turret and hit those guys as hard as you could," said one of the company's gunners.
New orders came down. In the morning Charlie Company was to return to the battlefield to perform "a feint" — to create the appearance of another punch into the ambush, but this time with the intention of drawing out the insurgents.
At daybreak, the company had only begun to stir when the fireworks erupted. In the nanosecond between the speed of light and the speed of sound, they saw, but did not hear.
"There were sparks in the dust, like the sparklers you wave on Canada Day," said Sgt. Brent Crellin, of Yorkton, Sask. "And then we heard the burp of the gun. And then we felt sick."
The A-10 Warthog did not deliver a full burst that morning. But so lethal is its seven-barrel Gatling gun that even the aborted strafing reduced 8 Platoon, Charlie Company, to almost nothing. Of the nearly 40 men in 8 Platoon, only eight were left standing.
Dead was Pte. Mark Anthony Graham, 33, of Hamilton, a former Olympian and described by many as "the biggest, strongest guy in the company." And among the wounded was Maj. Matthew Sprague, the company commander.
Pte. Greg Bird, 34, also a Hamiltonian, was saved by nature's call. He stepped away just moments before the strafing.
"I was caught with my pants down. And when I came running, it was a complete gut-kick. Five minutes before, my head was on my pillow. When I found my pillow, there were pieces of shrapnel in it.
"We were fired up and ready to go and suddenly my platoon was in ruins."
Everyone in Charlie Company describes the scene as a kind of slow-motion horror film — bleeding men everywhere, some crawling, some moaning.
Within minutes, every available shred of medical aid was converging on the site. And within minutes again, the company medics had run dry on QuickClot, a coagulation-speeding agent that burns even as it saves lives.
U.S. soldiers and Afghan National Army regulars joined in the rescue effort. In some cases, the lesser injured were seen to be treating the worse-off, even as they themselves bled.
"It was a total effort from everyone on the ground, Canadian, American, Afghan, it didn't matter," said Bird. "The response saved lives. Whatever you felt about the attack, you pushed it away and just started helping any way you could."
Most of the survivors of Charlie Company are forbidden from speaking about the U.S. Warthog attack, having already testified at a board of inquiry that has yet to pass judgment. Canadian and American military officials were in attendance during the testimony, taken at Kandahar Airfield.
But privately, the soldiers say they are gratified to know that the A-10 pilot "owned up to the error" immediately upon landing the aircraft. In stark contrast to the 2002 friendly fire episode that cost Canada its first four casualties in Afghanistan, they say, this pilot is taking responsibility.
"It shows you how incredibly deadly the Warthog is," said one soldier. "There aren't very many situations in life where a one-second mistake can do this much damage. That's what this aircraft can do. I know nothing can make this right. But I also know the pilot will have to live with this for the rest of his life."

A punch so hard, followed by a punch even harder, makes one wonder how Charlie Company can stand today. But stand they do.
Following the A-10 strike the company returned to Kandahar Airfield, saying goodbye to the fallen five in a ramp ceremony, along with the worst among the injured, who were flown out of Afghanistan for further treatment. But barely 36 hours later they were back in the field, returning to Panjwaii.
And there, according to the company's regulars, some payback was had. All told, Charlie Company believes itself responsible for as many as 200 of the more than 1,000 Taliban insurgents that NATO officials say died during Operation Medusa.
As the operation wound down, Charlie Company managed to get a closer look at the battlefield. There in the marijuana fields they found the telltale signs of an insurgency that, for whatever reason, chose to field itself conventionally this one time. Among the accoutrements were reinforced trenches flanking the lines of ambush.
The Canadian soldiers also retrieved the flak jacket of fallen Pte. Cushing and buried it in situ. A cross was staked there in his memory, and a second cross for Warrant Officer Mellish.
Today Charlie is still out there, having pushed farther west to a location that has not yet been given a name — and cannot be identified for publication, even if we knew what to call it.
The ranks have changed dramatically. A captain is now a major, and so on down the chain of command, as the company reconstitutes in real-time to face whatever comes next. It is four months still before they rotate home to Canada, but most cannot see that far down the line. Many are focusing on their three-week mid-tour leave.
And what, after such a battering, do they make of the mission today? It is a touchy question. Very touchy. So touchy, in fact, that although The Star has a notepad filled with the names and ranks of the soldiers who spoke to the question, we have chosen to withhold their identities. After all it has endured, Charlie Company hardly deserves the added grief of answering for the sin of outspokenness.
What do they make of the mission?
One soldier answered plainly, "I plead the fifth" — borrowing an Americanism to absolve himself from comment, lest he incriminate himself.
Another answered, "Hearts and minds? **** that. This is not peacemaking, this is a war for us." One soldier went so far as to answer "You don't," when asked how this war will be won. "It's like squashing an idea. How do you do that?"
But many, perhaps even a majority, hold to a different view. In the words of one turret gunner: "Now that your friends have died, you don't want to walk away for nothing."
They all loathe New Democratic Party leader Jack Layton. Each, to a man, interprets Layton's stand on Afghanistan as an expression of indifference for their lives. But in almost the same breath, they say they need help. Canada's ratio of boots on the ground versus behind-the-wire support personnel at Kandahar Airfield frustrates this front-line. "The numbers are backwards. More combat, less support is what we need," said one section leader.
Capt. Ryan Carey, 35, a native of Oakville, is not surprised to hear the complaints. Like all of Canada's commissioned officers in Afghanistan, he is acutely aware that the real battle ahead will be political, not military.
"We lost amazing people. The experience and the personalities of the men who died, they just can't be replaced," he said.
"And if the result is a harder attitude on the part of some of these guys, I don't agree with it. But I understand it. You're not going to win this thing with a group of grunts who just went through this and then turn around to ask them to do hearts and minds.
"We still think everyone approaching us wants to kill us. We have no choice but to plan for a fight right till we leave."
But Carey, like the rest of Charlie Company's newly ascended leadership, doesn't see more troops as the answer. Not more foreign troops, in any event.
"More Canadians? Is that not just like giving candy to the Taliban? I think what we need is more ANA soldiers. At the end of the day it is the Afghans, with lots of backing for reconstruction, who are going to turn this thing. Not the people who point the weapons."

http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/Con...l=968793972154
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  #117  
Old 06-10-06, 14:54
Geoff Winnington-Ball (RIP)'s Avatar
Geoff Winnington-Ball (RIP) Geoff Winnington-Ball (RIP) is offline
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Default Ok, what's the real story here?

The following in the Toronto Sun today.

http://www.torontosun.com/News/Canad...63768-sun.html

Quote:
Danger pay cut for hurt soldiers

Wounded trooper's dad furious with army skinflints

By KEVIN CONNOR, TORONTO SUN

PICTURE CUTLINE -- Bill Hunter holds a picture of his soldier son Jeffrey Hunter, badly wounded in a Taliban attack on Monday. Jeffrey awoke from anesthesia yesterday and learned that his danger pay for serving in Afghanistan has been cut because he's in hospital. (CRAIG ROBERTSON, SUN)

Bill Hunter has never been as angry and upset as when he learned the Canadian military pulled his son's danger pay after he was seriously wounded in Afghanistan during a Taliban attack.

Jeffrey Hunter, 23, with the Royal Canadian Dragoons based at CFB Petawawa, suffered serious leg injuries during a missile ambush that killed two of his fellow soldiers Tuesday.

He was flown to a military hospital in Germany for surgery.

"(Yesterday) he came out of surgery in pain and on morphine and he was told his danger pay has ended. He was prepared to sacrifice his life for his country and this is how they treat him," Hunter, a retired Toronto policeman, said yesterday at his home in Aurora.

"The danger hasn't ended. He could lose a leg and may never walk again."

BONES SHATTERED

The bones in one of Hunter's legs were shattered and he suffered extensive shrapnel damage in the other. More surgeries will be required.

"It's unbelievable (the government) doesn't support our troops. I'll never speak to anyone with the Dragoons again," Hunter said.

"When Jeffrey called (yesterday) he was confused and said he just didn't understand why."

Danger pay for a tour in Afghanistan is tax-free and worth up to $25,000.

Pulling a soldier's danger pay after he or she is hurt in the line of duty is outrageous, Liberal MP Dan McTeague, the consular affairs critic, said.

"The whole purpose of danger pay is just that and then we cut it because they are wounded. We owe these soldiers their money."

'NOT SURE WHY'

The family liaison for the Dragoons wouldn't comment on Hunter's case yesterday.

Public affairs at CFB Petawawa confirmed once a soldier is injured he loses his danger pay.

"I'm not sure why and we don't make the policy, but when the guys come back they lose their pay," said 2nd Lieut. Chris Stachura.

National defence spokesman Karen Johnstone said she was unaware that injured soldiers lose their danger pay and it would take time to uncover the policy reasons for such a move.

Hunter is scheduled to return to Canada tomorrow.

"(The Dragoons) told us they would pay for our family to go to Ottawa to see him. It's unbelievable. Now they have told us we have to pay our own way," Hunter said.
From the perspective of those on the inside, what's the true story here? Does our support for these laddies effectively end once they're off the line?
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  #118  
Old 06-10-06, 15:34
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Darrell Zinck Darrell Zinck is online now
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Hi

My 2 cents:

We only get that particular pay when we're in Theatre. It's not like the Military is "failing to support the troops". That's a groundless assumption.

He should not get that pay if he's not in theatre.

I fail to see the source of the Father's anger. This has been how it's been in the Canadian Military since the Riel Rebellion. If you're not there, you don't get it. Period.

Think of it this way; You work for a Corporation that pays you extra for a specific function. You are not employed in that function. Should you recieve that pay? If he did get it, I could see the other side of the coin in that someone else would scream blue murder that we were getting money for nothing.

The lad is wounded. I'm sorry but that's not reason enough to get $ you don't deserve. He'll get plenty of other $ from VAC ( a Govmt org!!) etc. These are rules known to every one of us well in advance.

Before anyone dares to bark at me; remember my Wife's Brother is in the exact same boat and I know for a fact he agrees with me as I spoke to him last nite.

Quote:
..."It's unbelievable (the government) doesn't support our troops. I'll never speak to anyone with the Dragoons again," Hunter said...
There's "the Government" and then there's "the Military". Big Friggin' difference. It's obvious this man has little understanding of things Military. I'm sure he's spouting off due to the trauma of having his son injured and all but it's a baseless accusation. Why would he never talk to my Regt again??

regards
Darrell

Last edited by Darrell Zinck; 06-10-06 at 15:49.
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  #119  
Old 06-10-06, 15:46
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Darrell Zinck Darrell Zinck is online now
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Hi

The Brother in law:



Quote:
"Every day I thank God I'm alive and I've got a plan to carry on with my duties."
http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/n...e45e03&k=82202

regards
Darrell
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  #120  
Old 06-10-06, 15:46
Alex Blair (RIP) Alex Blair (RIP) is offline
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Default No Change.....

Quote:
Originally posted by Darrell Zinck
Hi

My 2 cents:

We only get that pay when we're in Theatre.

He should not get that pay if he's not in theatre.

I fail to see the source of the Father's anger. I really doubt his boy, the soldier, agrees with his Dad. This has been how it's been in the Canadian Military since the Riel Rebellion. If you're not there, you don't get it. Period.

Think of it this way; You work for a Corporation that pays you extra for a specific function. You are not employed in that function. Should you recieve that pay? If he did get it, I could see the other side of the coin in that someone else would scream blue murder that we were getting money for nothing.

The lad is wounded. I'm sorry but that's not reason enough to get $ you don't deserve.

Before anyone dares to bark at me; remember my Wife's Brother is in the exact same boat and I know for a fact he agrees with me as I spoke to him last nite.

regards
Darrell
Darrell...
Pay and allowances policys haven't changed in this aspect since I got out 30 years ago...
While I hate to see any of our troops hurt and am wearing my red shirt today,there has to be rules and regs and discipline..
When on TD(Temporary duty) certain pay and allowances apply...when you are off that TD ,the goodies stop..
Jump pay and flight pay is the same .,..when no jump ..no fly..no pay..
Our normal pay and allowances continue,so would the wounded members...
So nothing has really changed..
God bless our troops.
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Alex Blair
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