Category: Asia

Damn. This makes twice in one day that I’ve been outdone. I must be getting old or something.

This time it was John Gleeson at the Winterpeg Sun who outdid me. I was thinking up a response to several emails I’ve gotten lately when I came across John’s article which pointed out, amongst other things:

The Afghanistan mission, exactly as it now stands, was a commitment made by successive Liberal governments. It’s not open to the kind of debate that’s raged for years about whether JFK would have escalated in Vietnam as his successor did — Harper was handed this file and his position of seeing it through is a mere continuation of the Liberal position.

There are those on both sides of the political spectrum who would like to spin it another way — either to depict Harper as more stalwart than the ethically shaky Grits or as a willing pawn of the Bush White House. Neither view, however, stands up to scrutiny. Harper’s motion to extend the mission by two years, which narrowly passed a Commons vote in May with only 30 Liberal MPs onside, was inevitable, given the Liberals’ stepped-up commitment last year.

The full article, which you can see here, is definitely worth the read. It both asks hard questions and states blunt truths, even if I don’t agree with his final conclusion. Check it out and see for yourselves.

I have to admit it, this isn’t something that I thought I’d be writing about. I probably should have expected it sooner or later though, given the nature of today’s menagerie of wee technological beasties. Even worse, I’m not sure what my opinion on this is (which is definitely a strange land for me to be in). What’s got me so befuddled, you’re wondering.

Numerous media sources (starting, it seems, with the TO Sun) are in something of an uproar about some home videos made by some of our soldiers in Afghanistan that have ended up on the net. I’m not sure if I should be posting this in the “Stupidity” category or not. Here’s why:

I’m of two minds on this one; really. On the one hand, as the old saying goes, loose lips sink ships. On the other, the Canadian public seems to be in dire need of a severe wakeup call as to just what soldiers really do. We’ve had our collective heads nestled so far up our national backside for so long now that is seems that we have no idea what a soldier’s job really is.

I’ve been going over the footage at youtube.com (yes, that’s where it is and no, I dont feel like a loose-lipped bugger; it’s already out there) and it seems like it could be educational to a great many. Our boys are conducting themselves in a manner that would make any soldier proud.

And, in my opinion, should make us proud, too.

So take a look at it, make up your own mind, and let us know what you think. Comments to follow, I’m sure.

UPDATE:
Okay, kids. After numerous emails and a comment or two, I’ve decided to post links to the vids in question so people can make up their own minds. Like I said before, this stuff has been out there for some time now so I don’t feel like I’m giving away anything the rest of the world doesn’t already know. Here are the links (I still can’t get the embedded video to work without totally buggering up the layout of the site):

1. An undated forefight in Afghanistan
2. A short vid of pre-deployment training (the soldiers in Canadian uniform are training for Afghanistan deplpoyment, the men with the ski masks and AK-47’s are also Canadian soldiers attempting to simulate the conditions in Afghanistan.)
3. A firefight from July 8, 2006 (Troops from Alpha Company, 2nd Platoon, “Red Devils” from Edmonton, Canada engage in a fierce firefight with Taliban insurgents on July 8, 2006 in Panjawi, Kandahar Province in southern Afghanistan.)
4. A July 13, 2006 dawn raid on a Taliban compound ( Troops from Alpha Company, 2nd Platoon, “Red Devils” from Edmonton, Canada conduct a dawn raid on a Taliban compound on July 13, 2006 in Hydarabad, Helmand Province in southern Afghanistan.)
5. Canadian soldiers being ambushed on July 15, 2006 ( Troops from Alpha Company, 2nd Platoon, “Red Devils” from Edmonton, Canada are ambushed as they conducted battle damage assessment in the village on July 15, 2006 in Sangin, Helmand Province in southern Afghanistan. Also known as the “I can’t believe that guy’s not dead” video.)
6. Four part video of an undated firefight ( Operation ZAHAR, joint Afghan National Army/ Coalition Forces security operation to remove Taliban forces from the Zjarey District 25km West Kandahar, Afghanistan.)
7. More footage from Operation ZAHAR
   
8. A two part video, also undated
   
9. There’s also a few user compilations and some rather moving tribute videos, along with a few “support our troops” vids.

Well, there they are. This is just a sampling of what I was able to fine in only one site. There’s a lot more out there. The question is: is footage like this a help or a hinderance? I haven’t had time to look at them all yet, but I haven’t found anything of any real tactical value to the enemy yet. So what do the rest of you think? Comments to follow, I’m sure.

Everybody’s favourite moving target, Osama bin Hidin’, hacked up his latest hairball and boy, was it a doozy. I don’t know whether to file this in the humour section or not.

In the newly released audio tape, the world’s most well known compulsory spelunker fawningly praised the Baghdad Beheader, the Zarkster, calling him everything from “one of our greatest knights and princes,” to “a symbol for our great Islamic nations,” to “an absolutely fabulous chap with a magnificent little bum.”

His burblings continue with the tired old threat to Western nations that “We will continue to fight you and your allies everywhere, in Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia and Sudan to run down your resources and kill your men until you return defeated to your nation,” etc, etc, bibbity, bobbity, bullshit.

Dear Binky:

On behalf of the loyal Canadian soldiers of Her Majesty Elizabeth the Second (by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom, Canada and Her other Realms and Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith), serving in Afghanistan, please allow me to extend to you this most sincere and heartfelt invitation:

Having heard of your earnest desire to make our acquaintance, we feel obligated, as servants of a tolerant and accommodating nation (a reputation which we humbly submit is well earned on our part), to assist you in this endeavour in any and all ways at our disposal.

As you are no doubt aware, we have been in Afghanistan for some time now and, we give you our word on this, we have been eagerly looking forward to making your acquaintance as well but, sadly (and we must confess to great embarrassment on our part over this unpardonable oversight, which we are certain is no fault of yours), we seem to have lost your address. Do forgive us. But we are certain that such a benevolent fellow as yourself can easily bear in mind how very busy we have been and excuse such a minor oversight.

Please inform us as to your whereabouts (this can be done with little trouble on your part, via such simple means as a note passed to any Coalition soldier that you may happen to bump into) and we give you our word as soldiers that we will arrange the introduction that you desire with all haste.

No, no need for you to come to us; we understand how extremely busy you must be and the dreadful constraints which that must place upon your valuable time. Just sit back, relax, enjoy the stalactites (or stalagmites, if that be your preference), and we will gladly take care of all the bothersome little logistic details of promptly arriving (we promise not to be tardy) to introduce ourselves in a proper manner before blowing your sorry arse to confetti.

We await your response with great eagerness and anticipation.

Sincerely,

• 1st Battalion Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry
• 2nd Battalion Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry
• 1 Combat Engineer Regiment
• 1 Royal Canadian Horse Artillery
• 12 Regiment Blinde du Canada
• 408 Tactical Helicopter Squadron

PS – No need to supply refreshments. Time and distance permitting, we will bring coffee and timbits. We promise.

Okay, I know some people are going to think that this is corny, but I don’t give a damn. Tim Hortons has finally opened up shop in Kandahar and our men and women on the ground are finally getting to enjoy a little taste of home. Yes, it was Boston creams and double-doubles at the double on Thursday. Maple dips, too.

Officials said that Thursday’s opening a “soft-opening” ahead of a formal ribbon-cutting dog and pony show set for Saturday, Canada Day. Previously, everybody said that the outlet wouldn’t open until then but I guess when a few hundred heavily armed Canucks want some Timbits, you give ’em to them.

“Big deal,” some might say; “it’s just a doughnut shop.”

No, it isn’t. When you’re thousands of miles away from your hearth and home, in a hostile land replete with bad guys who are trying to kill you, each and every little piece of home that you can lay your hands on is worth its weight in Klondike gold. The Yanks already had a Burger King, Subway and Pizza Hut, but it just isn’t the same.

None of these really say “Canada” the way that Timmy’s does though, do they? And let’s face it, when you miss home, it’s the littlest things that gnaw away at you the most. Mom’s cooking, your favourite chair, your dog, your other half’s annoying habits, your bone-headed brother in law’s dumbass jokes… the list goes on and on. I could babble on about this until the Leafs win the Cup, but it’s probably better to let our soldiers speak to it themselves:

“I am so happy; I’ve been waiting five months for this place to get here. Now it is finally here. I’m ecstatic!” – Pte. Janice Magrath of Edmonton

“This is good for morale. It’s a bit of home, just having a bit of Canada here. It’s incredible.” – Warrant Officer Mark Pickford, 1PPCLI

“It is a really nice change of routine. It is something to look forward to when you come back in from the forward operating bases. They might need a drive-through though, eh?” – Master Cpl. Mike Schmidt

Okay, I screwed up. I admit it. For some time now, I’ve been trumpeting on the net about how Canadian snipers are the best shots in the world. I didn’t get that part wrong, but I did flub the details; I told everyone that would listen that in March of ’02, during Operation Anaconda in Afghanistan’s Shahikot Valley, MCpl Arron Perry (hailing from Moncton and serving with 3 PPCLI) had set the record for the longest combat kill in history by taking out an enemy at a range of 2430m, beating the old record of 2250m held by USMC sniping legend Carlos Hathcock since the Vietnam war. I got it wrong.

Perry did set a record in Afghanistan, but it was for a kill from 2310m away, beating Hathcock’s record by 60m. Some days later, Cpl Robert Furlong (a son of the Rock also serving in 3 PPCLI) scored the 2430m kill. Those who want to know more can check out the May 15 issue of MacLean’s for more details. It’s a pretty good article that details not only their acomplishments in the field but also the shafting that they got when it was all done (also known as The Great Who-Pooped-On-The-Scumbag Bruhaha).

Canada had two sniper teams in the Shahikot Valley that earned the US Bronze Star, the highest award the American military can bestow upon a non-American soldier. The men on those teams were MCpl Graham Ragsdale, MCpl Perry and Cpl Dennis Eason on one team and Cpl Furlong, MCpl Tim McMeekin and American Sgt Zevon Durham on the other.