Bomb attack kills Canadian soldier in Kabul

[Chris]

-------------------------------------------------
Bomb attack kills Canadian soldier in Kabul
Last Updated Tue, 27 Jan 2004 9:34:35
KABUL - One Canadian soldier was killed and three others injured in a suicide attack on a convoy in Afghanistan's capital city Tuesday morning, military and police officials said.


"North of King's Palace we had a suicide bomber," said Maj. Jamie Morse, deputy commander of the Royal Canadian Regiment, 3rd Battalion.

"The explosives were strapped to the person's chest. There is one Canadian dead."

Cpl. Jamie Brendan Murphy, 26, of Conception Harbour, Nfld., was killed in the blast.

Military officials said the blast went off around 8:30 a.m. near two Iltis jeeps carrying six soldiers in a convoy. They were on a routine patrol in the western side of Kabul about one kilometre from Camp Julien, the main base housing most of Canada's 2,000 soldiers.

"There was a bump in the road, and when they slowed down to pass over it a terrorist jumped on one of the vehicles and blew himself up," said Ali Jan Askaryar, head of police in the western district of Kabul.

Lieut. Jason Matthew Feyko, 30 of Peterborough, Ont., Cpl. Jeremy Gerald MacDonald, 30, of Burnt Islands, Nfld. and Cpl. Richard Michael Newman, 23, of Heartland, N.B., who were wounded in the attack, were said to have non-life threatening injuries.

One of the injured soldiers was transported to a German medical facility at Camp Warehouse, and two others remain in the care of Canadian medical staff at Camp Julien.

"I am deeply saddened by the tragic incident that claimed the life of Cpl. Jamie Murphy and injured three others," Minister of National Defence David Pratt said in a statement. "Our deepest sympathies are with the families and friends of the victims of this terrible event."

All of the soldiers are members of the International Security and Assistance Force, and are taking part in policing and security operations in Kabul.

One Afghan civilian died and eight others were injured in the attack and are being treated in hospital.

Last October, two other Canadians were killed in Kabul. Sgt. Robert Allan Short, 42, and Cpl. Robbie Christopher Beerenfenger, 29, died when a suspected landmine was detonated under their jeep. Master Cpl. Jason Cory Hamilton, Cpl. Thomas Stirling and Cpl. Cameron Lee Laidlaw were hurt in the incident.

The latest attack comes less than a week after members of a second contingent of Canadian troops began heading to Afghanistan. They will replace the first wave of troops who have been there for the past six months.

Nearly 2,000 men and women from CFB Valcartier are expected to be in Camp Julien by mid-February.



Written by CBC News Online staff

 

[Ditto Much]

Peace keepers are necessary only when peace needs to be enforced against the wishes of others. Every Peace Keeping mission we under take is under the assumption that lives can and will be lost in combat.


Its sad that a fellow country man is dead, its worse that he died on a track of land in afghanistan while on duty as a peace keeper. But its why he was there, and a risk that he knew and a risk that we new.

 

[Littlest Hobo]

I was listening to the radio last night, listening to footage from the soldiers parents and sister. Very, very sad. I hope our guys give some payback X10.

I don't mind Canada helping the US against the Taliban and al Quada, but since the US has no business in Iraq, and their deployment in Iraq is 3-4X that in Afganistan, perhaps this could have been avoided?

Meh, probably not.

 

[Boss Hog]

I think we should clear the fuck out and let the country be the responsibility as the US. Enough of our soldiers being janitors to American foreign policy.

 

[Boss Hog]

I wonder how many Canadians are on "guard the pipeline" duty. Anyone have any info on that?

 

[Subsonic Chronic]

Originally posted by Boss Hog
I think we should clear the fuck out and let the country be the responsibility as the US. Enough of our soldiers being janitors to American foreign policy.

My sentiments exactly. It's so sad that cleaning up after the U.S. is costing our guys their lives. RIP.

 

[OTIS]

But what? According to Ditto, Afghanistan has a new governement and is bouncing along happily?

 

[Ditto Much]

Originally posted by OTIS
But what? According to Ditto, Afghanistan has a new governement and is bouncing along happily?

Compared to the last 300 years of there history...

YES!!!

Compared to the last 30 years...

YES!!!

Compared to the last 10 years...

YES!!!



How about this you tell me when Afghanistan wasn't invaded or in the midst of a civil war for a period of ten years in modern history and I will retract my statements.

Regardless of if you want to blame A or B or C this place has been at war since written history records.

 

[OTIS]

Originally posted by Ditto Much
Compared to the last 300 years of there history...

How about this you tell me when Afghanistan wasn't invaded or in the midst of a civil war for a period of ten years in modern history and I will retract my statements.

Regardless of if you want to blame A or B or C this place has been at war since written history records.

Dude, I'm fully aware how Afghanistan is really this ignored undefinative non-country used & abused and torn by war.. but in the other thread you made it sound like it's now a retirement destination, where the US has succeeded in forming a new government. I mentioned you should pay better attention to the news.

They may be an inch closer towards stability, but the road is about 1000 miles long, and you'd have to be ultimately naive to believe that the resources needed to effectively turn over that governement & keep it that way are being met, or will ever be met, or ever were intended to be met by the US. Other than Kabul (up until yesterday) that place is a fuckin mess with no recognized governement. I don't care what consitution they signed into law. The only upside I see to this situation is that Afghanistan was effectively thrown into the world spotlight attracting some of the attention it desparately needed, and greater numbers of NGOs. However, this is a mere drop in the ocean of what it really needs to get anywhere. 15 Years from now, guarnateed they'll be making Rambo XII where Osama Bin Laden is once again a freedom fighter fending off the imperial Chinese with his dialysis machine of death.

 

[Littlest Hobo]

Al queda committed the 9/11 hijackings, and the Taliban refused to give them up. I believe they also killed 20+ Canadians. I got no beef with these respective groups feeling the wrath.

 

[OTIS]

^^^ If it were that simple.

 

[Ditto Much]

Originally posted by OTIS


They may be an inch closer towards stability, but the road is about 1000 miles long,

I agree %100

and you'd have to be ultimately naive to believe that the resources needed to effectively turn over that government & keep it that way are being met, or will ever be met, or ever were intended to be met by the US.

They don't have to be, all that has to happen is one generation of students going to school that is larger than its parents generation. The US never said it was going to solve the problems of Afghanistan, it said it was going to get rid of the terrorist camps and the government that supported them. They did do this and as an extra added bonus they delivered food aid (Taliban didn't allow this). I'm not saying that the US provided a solution, just that they finally did what should have been done in 91.

Other than Kabul (up until yesterday) that place is a fuckin mess with no recognized government. I don't care what constitution they signed into law.

Again I agree, however at least they finally got a constitution instead of rule by gone and force. Instead of a religious fanatical government that was totally ineffective and unable to be replaced they now have a puppet regime that will most likely not last long enough to cause any real effect.

Personally I believe that without a wide scale disarmament and border inspection regime lasting 25 - 30 years peace will be never be able to be established. The bonus of the NATO!!!! invasion is the fact that for the first time ever disarmament is actually happening and the borders for the first time ever are actually being patrolled.

Not a good solution I agree, but the real solution is going to take 4 or 5 generations. If we want to sit on our asses it doesn't help either.

The only upside I see to this situation is that Afghanistan was effectively thrown into the world spotlight attracting some of the attention it desperately needed, and greater numbers of NGOs.

The same NGO's that have not been allowed into the country under the previous government. The same NGO's that are largely funded by AMERICANS!!

Without a certain amount of security these aid organizations can't operate as was CLEARLY proven in Somalia not ten years ago. If war lords are taking the food supplies for themselves and if war lords are taking the medical supplies for there own gains than all the NGO's on earth don't make any difference.

Afghanistan has one airport, they have a single major highway that doesn't even come close to uniting the country. Without a large scale invasion how do you propose that we move good around. How do we feed people, how do we ship medicines. I understand your point of view, I just believe that more practical solutions are needed in the short run. And that human lives will be lost performing these actions.

However, this is a mere drop in the ocean of what it really needs to get anywhere. 15 Years from now, guaranteed they'll be making Rambo XII where Osama Bin Laden is once again a freedom fighter fending off the imperial Chinese with his dialysis machine of death.

Your a very jaded individual.

 

[judge wopner]

first off, much respect to our armed forces,
like it or not, they are there in afghanistan and they need our support as long as they are in harms way.

i do agree to the fruitless nature of them being there in the first place. i cant think of one single sucessful UN occupation. this doesnt appear to be faring any better.

the nation is in shambels, and yes a constitution cant hurt but i fail to see how it may help a nation who largely couldnt even read it, let alone put it to use when war lords run much of that nation.

who ever said it was right, that without a full scale invasion or occupation, there will be too many gaps in control and not enough force to cause a much needed change.

i feel extra respect for these men and women out there as they believe in what they are doing
but i dont think our own goverment does, exemplified by the lack of up to date equipment, unclear policy for change, shortages of supplies and small ground force that has been placed in harms way.

i only hope this is over sooner than later,

j

 

[KickIT]

What happened to the Northern Alliance? Are they just another one of the factions that really run the country?

Afghanistan is just like Iraq another US "Shock and Yawn" campaign. Another half-assed foreign relations nightmare by mr. bush.

*c*

 

[OTIS]

Originally posted by Ditto Much

The US never said it was going to solve the problems of Afghanistan, it said it was going to get rid of the terrorist camps and the government that supported them. They did do this and as an extra added bonus they delivered food aid (Taliban didn't allow this). I'm not saying that the US provided a solution, just that they finally did what should have been done in 91.

Despite their idiotic rhetoric, and war drum beating.. you're right, they never intended to solve the problems there. But there's some serious implications about bombing the shit out of a country killing thousands of civilians, and not intending to follow through on the clean up. You can't just wash your hands of a country you indirectly & directly helped destroy the shit out of. That's my point.. there is a huge responsibility the US is dodging right now, and until it's recognized. Expect more peacekeepers to die, and nothing to be accomplished.

Originally posted by Ditto Much

Not a good solution I agree, but the real solution is going to take 4 or 5 generations. If we want to sit on our asses it doesn't help either.

My point is it's being done half ass, there was never any intention to help the country get back on it's feet, it's only value to the US was a quick target to release some post 9/11 angst.. those cards are clearly showing themselves now. Right now they'll do their best for public relations sake, but it's far from what's needed.

Originally posted by Ditto Much

The same NGO's that have not been allowed into the country under the previous government.
The same NGO's that are largely funded by AMERICANS!!

Your cracked.. even a night school teacher of mine I had 6 years ago was part of an NGO operating in Afghanistan.
In the latest attacks it's been announced for the first time that NGO's are now considered enemy soft targets by the resistance because they are for the first time seen as a supporting element to the installed government. You should have listened to the CBC this morning, they had an interview with the director for the NGO safety in Afghanistan on. Again, pay attention to the news.

Originally posted by Ditto Much

Without a certain amount of security these aid organizations can't operate as was CLEARLY proven in Somalia not ten years ago. If war lords are taking the food supplies for themselves and if war lords are taking the medical supplies for there own gains than all the NGO's on earth don't make any difference.

YOUR RIGHT. SO GIVE THE PEACEKEEPING THE RESOURCES IT NEEDS! They do not have what they need to accoplish this at all! The peacekeeping elements in afghanistan are undermanned, underfunded, and undersupplied! Up until now, the only place that was even remotely secure was Kabul, now that has gone to shit. All NGO's are in a state of house arrest and most operations are being kept to their absolute minimum levels.

Originally posted by Ditto Much
Afghanistan has one airport, they have a single major highway that doesn't even come close to uniting the country. Without a large scale invasion how do you propose that we move good around. How do we feed people, how do we ship medicines. I understand your point of view, I just believe that more practical solutions are needed in the short run. And that human lives will be lost performing these actions.

I understand the loss of human life that will occur getting a country to walk on a new set of legs, but ignoring the ideology conflict for now.. without the resources needed, what will eventually happen is the forces will pull out, and conceed the country back to the groups that will continue to fight over it.

Originally posted by Ditto Much
Your a very jaded individual.

As opposed to expecting Afghanistan to go anywhere in it's current state? Yea, I gues I am jaded, I like to use the word realistic.

 

[Ditto Much]

nope your just being an armchair critic.

 

[OTIS]

 

[~atp~]

I don't see what boobies have to do with anything.

 

[OTIS]

Other than pointing out the irony of Ditto's last comment.. I'm also calling him a tit.

 

[Boss Hog]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/2017044.stm

 

[OTIS]

Pipeline?! Wha' happen to the democracies.1

 

[~atp~]

Anyone interested in the history of this, should check this: http://www.flora.org/library/wtc/flandersj2.html

 

[Boss Hog]

Yes and as the link mentions, read "Resource Wars" by Klare as well, it lays out a fantastic map of coming geostrategic wars. It was written before 9/11 and mentions a lot of this.




Jesus Christ this stuff is so obvious it hurts. And yet you have some people still denying the bigger picture. I don't understand you people. At all. Go back to bed.

 

[OTIS]

I do think Afghanistan's role was more than that of just a facilitator of a pipeline.. I think attacking the poorest nation on earth (which held a 9/11 scapegoat) was a predicatble step in the strategy implemented by the washington chickenhawks, regardless of it's value as a pipeline holder becasue it does two very important things, it creates credibility for War that they can use as leverage to pressure other nations, and it appeases the immediate post-9/11 angst and want for bloodthirsty vengance. Ultimately I think the Pipeline motive was secondary, and a side benifit for the oil pirates.

 

[Subsonic Chronic]

Originally posted by Littlest Hobo
Al queda committed the 9/11 hijackings, and the Taliban refused to give them up. I believe they also killed 20+ Canadians. I got no beef with these respective groups feeling the wrath.

The Taliban had tried to negotiate handing over Osama Bin Laden to a 3rd neutral country instead of the U.S. so that he could be tried before an international war crimes court. That was not good enough for Bush and they invaded anyway. OBL got away free.

Afterall, how would Bush have been able to continue his war on terrarrr if they had actually captured OBL and tried him before an international court?

The world would have been a better place of course, but the U.S. population could not have continued buying this Orwellian "endless war" crap that they're still on about now, 3 years after the initial attacks.