Three More Soldiers Killed

[Oleg Bach]

If we dropped a Nuke on Afghanistan China and Russia would not even bat an eye. O there would be all sorts of Upheavel in the UN and blah blah blah. But nobody would dare risk there nation over muslims.

Great thinking as the cloud of radio activity slowly drifts over your house and settles...and your children breath the death - and you can sit and watch them suffer and persih, slowly - As for the UN if you could create a weapon that would de-populate the world..and never have it traced down as lethal or intentional - well these creeps would be high fiving each other secretly in the public washrooms all over New York - what's with people these days...everybody wants to destroy everybody...If you want to wage war - take a flying leap somewhere and leave the rest of us out of it.

[Ontario Loyalist]

Interesting:

The overall picture is that … continuing support for Afghan government and international military has been eroded as … consequences of the not carefully planned night raids," the report says.

Monthly tracking information from the United Nations' human rights unit shows air strikes have been responsible for 25 per cent of all civilian deaths in Afghanistan this year. Coalition forces caused the majority of those civilian casualties.

The report said that the lack of recognition of the victims, apology or compensation has also caused anger and resentment in the local community.

"Ignoring the damage to civilians and lack of transparent and public investigations have contributed to the picture that the international forces are not interested and concerned about their activities causing damage to ordinary people," the document states.

http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2008/12/23/afghan-report.html

[Ontario Loyalist]

Funny how White Doors and M.Dancer suddenly lose interest in the topic when they're proven wrong...

[punked]

One Canadian soldier was killed and three were injured when an improvised explosive device detonated in Afghanistan on Friday.

The incident occurred at about 12:45 p.m. local time Friday in the Zhari District of Kandahar province about 24 kilometres west of Kandahar City, Canadian military officials said.

"The soldiers were conducting security operations in the area when the explosion occurred," Brig.-Gen. Denis Thompson told reporters in Kandahar.

The roadside bomb went off near their vehicle, Thompson said.

http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2008/12/26/solider-dead.html

[wulf42]

Great thinking as the cloud of radio activity slowly drifts over your house and settles...and your children breath the death - and you can sit and watch them suffer and persih, slowly - As for the UN if you could create a weapon that would de-populate the world..and never have it traced down as lethal or intentional - well these creeps would be high fiving each other secretly in the public washrooms all over New York - what's with people these days...everybody wants to destroy everybody...If you want to wage war - take a flying leap somewhere and leave the rest of us out of it.

I agree! the problem is though is that those filthy animal Islamic terrorists want to bring their fanatical religious crap here!

[punked]

I agree! the problem is though is that those filthy animal Islamic terrorists want to bring their fanatical religious crap here!

That is not what Homeland Security says.

The terrorism threat to the United States over the next five years will be driven by instability in the Middle East and Africa, persistent challenges to border security and increasing Internet savvy, says a new intelligence assessment obtained by The Associated Press.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/articl...lB86tAD95A1JLO0

[bush_cheney2004]

That is not what Homeland Security says.

The terrorism threat to the United States.....

.....which is not the same as Canada...last time I checked.

[gordiecanuk]

They are fighting with what they have. Unfortunately we are not. This is Canada's Vietnam.

There's more at stake here than was the case in Vietnam and the so called 'domino theory'. Afghanistan has a huge supply of natural gas, and the Caspian Oil Basin is said by many to be this planet's last great El Dorado. The southern part of Afghan is vitally important as a pipeline route to get that gas and oil westward. When the Soviets went in it was for the same reasons we're being told...fighting terrorism, improving human rights....but everyone knew that was bogus, that's why we boycotted the 80 Moscow Olympics.

[eyeball]

I agree! the problem is though is that those filthy animal Islamic terrorists want to bring their fanatical religious crap here!

Is it really that much of a stretch Muslims might feel the same way about all the crap that's been visited on their part of the world, even in your imagination?

[Ontario Loyalist]

There's more at stake here than was the case in Vietnam and the so called 'domino theory'. Afghanistan has a huge supply of natural gas, and the Caspian Oil Basin is said by many to be this planet's last great El Dorado. The southern part of Afghan is vitally important as a pipeline route to get that gas and oil westward. When the Soviets went in it was for the same reasons we're being told...fighting terrorism, improving human rights....but everyone knew that was bogus, that's why we boycotted the 80 Moscow Olympics.

Careful now, by posting the truth you're bound to upset a number of the pro-war faction here...

[Ontario Loyalist]

I agree! the problem is though is that those filthy animal Islamic terrorists want to bring their fanatical religious crap here!

Right, so... how exactly does our sending troops to Afghanistan change Canada's immigration policy? Unless you think that all Muslims should be exterminated, Islam will always exist, and so long as Islam exists, there will always be Islamic extremism. And the latter will always exist wherever Islam exists because it is not an idea that has to be transmitted from one fanatic to the next; it can come about through a warped interpretation of the existing sacred texts. So in that respect, the Afghan mission is useless. Maybe it is leading to the defeat of an organized, identifiable terrorist group, but it will never bring an end to terrorism or make us complete safe from a terrorist attack.

[gordiecanuk]

Careful now, by posting the truth you're bound to upset a number of the pro-war faction here...

A tasty lie is often preferable to a nasty truth Ontario...anyone pointing it out, call them un-patriotic.

[Jerry J. Fortin]

More will die, we are at war.

[August1991]

At this time, this US media video clip seems appropriate.

There's more at stake here than was the case in Vietnam and the so called 'domino theory'.

The stakes in Afghanistan are similar to Vietnam. It is one battle in a larger war. We in the West who defend an individual's freedom to choose must prevail.

We cannot win every battle but we must fight and defend this principle. Vietnam was one battle in a larger war, and Afghanistan is the same.

I sense that this battle in Afghanistan is an opening gambit in a much larger, longer and complicated war than the Cold War. Whatever it is, we Westerners must prevail. People such as Galileo and Voltaire would expect no less.

These young soldiers deserve our complete support, and our respect.

Edited December 28, 2008 by August1991

[gordiecanuk]

At this time, this US media video clip seems appropriate.

The stakes in Afghanistan are similar to Vietnam. It is one battle in a larger war. We in the West who defend an individual's freedom to choose must prevail.

We cannot win every battle but we must fight and defend this principle. Vietnam was one battle in a larger war, and Afghanistan is the same.

I sense that this battle in Afghanistan is an opening gambit in a much larger, longer and complicated war than the Cold War. Whatever it is, we Westerners must prevail. People such as Galileo and Voltaire would expect no less.

These young soldiers deserve our complete support, and our respect.

We're obviously not fighting for democracy and human rights...if that were the case we wouldn't be enjoying friendly relations with so many undemocratic nations which abuse human rights.

Anyone who honestly believes that probably believed the Soviet Union when they said they were fighting to free Afghanis from opression and to improve women's rights...Most knew they were after their resource, natural gas and oil, that's why the US hired, trained and backed the likes of Bin Laden....I guess it depends on who it is dispensing the Kool Ade which determines whether people will drink.

[Riverwind]

I sense that this battle in Afghanistan is an opening gambit in a much larger, longer and complicated war than the Cold War.

The battle in Afghanistan is about nothing more than establishing a civil society in a country that has never really had it. A worthy cause in iteself but otherwise irrelevant to Canada or anyone outside of the immediate neighborhood.

Whatever it is, we Westerners must prevail. People such as Galileo and Voltaire would expect no less.

Western society has nothing to fear from Islam. Even the 9/11 bombings were trivial pin-pricks in the larger culture and economic picture. If western democracies fail it will come from within because there is no external threat with the strength to damage them. Trying to paint Islam as a real threat gives the terrorists more credence than they deserve and blinds us to the real problems facing our society, Edited December 28, 2008 by Riverwind

[August1991]

The battle in Afghanistan is about nothing more that establishing a civil society in a country that has never really had it. A worthy cause in iteself but otherwise irrelevant to Canada or anyone outside of the immediate neighborhood.

I disagree. A civil society in Afghanistan will possibly take five or ten generations but that's not the mission. NATO's mission in Afghanistan is to ensure that Afghanistan is not a threat (or a place to provide a threat) to us in the future. Ensuring this is part of a large war. NATO is making plain to people around the world that we will defend our freedom.

Western society has nothing to fear from Islam. Even the 9/11 bombings were trivial pin-pricks in the larger culture and economic picture. If western democracies fail it will come from within because there is no external threat with the strength to damage them. Trying to paint Islam as a real threat gives the terrorists more credence than they deserve and blinds us to the real problems facing our society...

Western society (individual freedom) has faced a variety of threats in the past. In general, the rule is that we should take threats seriously and face them early.

Riverwind, I lived several years in the Middle East and I travelled in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union (prior to 1991). I spoke to ordinary people who had to live with various restrictions. The threats are different but they amount to the same thing: an individual is not free to choose.

This freedom to choose is the great thing of western society.

Anyone who honestly believes that probably believed the Soviet Union when they said they were fighting to free Afghanis from opression and to improve women's rights...Most knew they were after their resource, natural gas and oil, that's why the US hired, trained and backed the likes of Bin Laden....I guess it depends on who it is dispensing the Kool Ade which determines whether people will drink.

I happen to see a difference between the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and the NATO decision to remove the Taliban regime and eradicate al-Qaeda.

gordiecanuk, do you?

----

Once again, returning to the OP, the young Canadian women and men in Afghanistan deserve our complete support. Our children and grandchildren will thank their efforts.

Edited December 28, 2008 by August1991

[Jerry J. Fortin]

The Afgan wars are indeed more important than many believe. Not one single group has ever effectively taken over this tiny poor nation. From Alexander to the Americans, nobody but the Afgans wins.

Strangely, the nation is fully capable of supporting itself. It is cultural differences that shake us up and prevent us from seeing the potential of this nation.

[Riverwind]

Riverwind, I lived several years in the Middle East and I travelled in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union (prior to 1991). I spoke to ordinary people who had to live with various restrictions. The threats are different but they amount to the same thing: an individual is not free to choose.

During the cold war the USSR had the conventional military strength to invade any number of European countries. Fortunately, the NATO alliance backed up nuclear weapons ensured that never happened. The USSR was never a threat to the US or Canada (aside from the threat of a mutually destructive nuclear war) and democracy and freedom here was never at risk.

The Islamic world does not even have the conventional military that the USSR did and cannot hope to accomplish anything more than the occasional bombing. Our freedom is not at risk and trying to claim it is undermines the other good arguments for our being in Afghanistan.

BTW: I realize that people living at the time had reason to believe that the USSR was a bigger threat than it actually was. However, we do have the advantage of hindsight today and should not repeat the mistakes of the cold war by inflating terrorist problem to the status of a war of equals.

Edited December 28, 2008 by Riverwind

[Jerry J. Fortin]

Islam knows no nation, it is a nation under God. Islam has no organized authority, it has scholars and followers. There are many more "sects" than most people know about. In virtually all cases these sects are a power and authority unto themselves. Who speaks for Islam?

The very real threat is that extremists exist in ALL societies, Islam included. The difference with Islam is no single group can control them, that control is literally against their religion. No control equals no effective means of governance, which in turn means there is simply no way to address issues with Islam in any sort of diplomatic means. That limits non-Islamic cultures options.

It is like having to reach politic agreements on a street to street basis here. This is a street fight on a global scale folks. Gang warfare if you like, but warfare nonetheless.

Our functional options are limited, and any means of recourse is limited.

[Smallc]

Two Canadian soldiers were killed by a roadside bomb west of Kandahar city on Saturday, bringing to three the number of Canadian troops killed there since Friday.

Warrant Officer Gaetan Joseph Roberge and Sgt. Gregory John Kruse were on a security patrol in the Panjwai district around 12:15 p.m. local time when the explosion occurred.

An Afghan police officer and Afghan interpreter were also killed in the blast about 25 kilometres west of Kandahar city.

Three Canadian soldiers were wounded and airlifted to the hospital at the Kandahar Airfield. They are listed in good condition. An Afghan interpreter suffered minor injuries and was treated and released from hospital.

"There are no words to properly express our sorrow at this moment. Every one of our soldiers is very dear to us. They are our friends and our brothers," the Canadian commander of coalition forces in Kandahar, Brig.-Gen. Denis Thompson, said Sunday.

CBC