Posted on 10/15/2004 5:02:06 AM PDT by Clive
Canadian soldiers attached to the Afghan National Army (ANA) have stirred up a hornet's nest in Kabul by being too efficient.
They've "discovered" a huge Soviet ammunition dump a few kilometres from Camp Julien with the potential of obliterating the camp, as well as most of Kabul.
That may sound like hyperbole, but I was with the Canadians who discovered the cache -- soldiers (mostly Princess Pats and combat engineers) who are training and working with the ANA and consider themselves to have the best job in the army.
In the dusty foothills, 10 minutes drive from Camp Julien (population 2,000), 82 buried bunkers, each 20 metres long, housed thousands of Soviet FROG missiles (one step down from Scud missiles), and every variety of rocket and mortar shells.
Some of the FROG missiles were still in their original cases. Some heaped in the open. Some stacked to the roof in the unlocked, open bunkers. Much of the ordnance had warheads removed to collect the explosive for homemade bombs -- or for blasting at a nearby quarry.
"Unbelievable!" was Maj. Brian Hynes' reaction when he saw them. "We (troops of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF)) have been here some two years, and no one knew this was at our back door. Unbelievable."
In truth, the Soviet bunkers were well-known in an area supposedly under control of the Afghan Militia Force (AMF) -- not to be confused with the ANA. The AMF is paid by various warlords and so their loyalty is to them.
The hero of the discovery was combat engineer Sgt. Mike Mazerolle of New Brunswick, who has run the observation post for eight days with ANA soldiers. They watch the valleys leading to Kabul.
He saw people to his rear so he investigated and found the 82 bunkers "loaded with ordnance, and here I am sleeping next to a FROG!"
He informed his boss, Maj. Hynes and -- eureka -- the cache was discovered.
Many of the rockets, missiles and shells had been pried open for the explosives, which are used peacefully to blast mountain rock into gravel, and by those who want to make bombs that disrupt Kabul.
"These bunkers have been known for two years but no one bothered to check them," said Maj. Hynes.
"To me, that's incompetence."
"To me it's criminal," said Sgt. Power, who works with the major in training the ANA.
I've never seen anything like it. The feeling is that AMF soldiers were selling access to the dump or permitting friends to enter it.
Littered with burned out Soviet military vehicles, the whole area is a junk pile strewn with every sort of live ammunition, fuses, unexploded shells, rockets, etc., all supposedly under the authority of Belgian troops (at the moment), who ignored it.
In the midst of examining the bunkers and taking photos, a Swedish UN guy, a French major and a German colonel arrived to make a fuss and order the Canadians to leave. The French major insisted his government had a deal with the Afghan government for the area, and ISAF had no business being there.
This cut little ice with Maj. Hynes, who is responsible -- not to the commander of Camp Julien, Col. Jim Ellis -- but to the ANA, which has now moved in to secure the site.
The French major was clearly bluffing, hadn't checked the bunkers and got a classic Canadian roasting from Maj. Hynes -- who was supported by a German general who was also appalled at the laxity.
"Now we've stirred up the hornet's nest," grinned Maj. Hynes. "Good. Now we may get some action."
"I feel foolish that for eight days we've been watching our front, when at our back all this was going on and nobody cared," said Sgt. Mazerolle.
The only country that perhaps might be more worthless than the French.
Damned Frogs!
Canada has troops?
The headline in today's Montreal papers: Canadian Military Strength Doubled!
Great article... especially nice to read about a Canadian dressing down a French officer. Wish I'd been there.
Him and Ter-AY-zah.
This French colonel is probably in for some French roasting too...Hasn't a French general taken over ISAF forces recently ?
If we can find a way to get John Kerry elected, we'll see the sensitive nuanced War Canada wants so badly.
I had to check and make sure this wasn't Steyn satire.
I'm stuned.
Wow! You think the same thing may be going on in Iraq re WMDs? < /sarcasm >
Why "No WMD" in Iraq may well still be premature. Covering every square foot of a country the size of California looking for a few truck loads of stuff is a monumental task.
what ARE these guys? the Sargeant Shultz's of the coalition? (I see NOTHING!!)
this is what Kerry wants us to trust our safety to. whatta buncha nutcases!
Most Canadians outside Montreal have little respect for the French. There's little doubt the Canadian soldiers at that sight enjoyed the dressing down given.
Would have loved to see that!
A great big ole "good job" goes out to Sgt. Mike Mazerolle.
Has he consulted TahRayZa for advice on that? She knows what it's like.
sKerry's precious allies - the UN, the French, and the Germans.
People, let's not confuse the Canadian military with it's government. One wants to destroy the other. Canadian military is and can be more capable but are stifled by a government that is threatened by it.
I have my issues with the Canuckistanians, but the continental Eurinals are from a whole 'nother plane of hell.
>Great article... especially nice to read about a Canadian dressing down a French officer. Wish I'd been there.<
Yeah, that would have been a sight to see. I wonder how much trouble the French have understanding Canadian. Their pronounciation is quite different from the classic French taught in schools.
One would hope, but he'd probably get roasted for losing the argument.
This article gives insight to the in fighting that occurs with multi-national forces.
Do you remember a story last year. A bunker was discovered underneath the airport in former East Berlin. It was full of gassed up, ordnance laden Luftwaffe aircraft.
All this in a busy airport in the middle of a large city, yet we know beyond all shadow of any doubt that there are no WMD in all of Iraq. Uhhhhuh.
True.. and I hope the Canadian emphasized the differences.
Global test grades
France D-
Belgium F
Canada A+
Bump
< insert French joke here. >
Those Belgians...they're so....EEEEEEEEVVVVVVEEEEELLLLLLL
HAHA Shameless Austin Powers reference. :P
They're not allowed to carry weapons in Afghanistan.
Yep, it's always a messy business when you don't have a single line of command and no political interfering. WW2 or the Korean War should have engraved this concept in the mind of every politician and military leader. Oh well, I guess it's something that needs to be taught every time.
I don't think this colonel's carrer is going to be all that great, though. As far as I know there is no special French (or any other country's) "special jurisdiction zone" anywhere in Afghanistan. Problem is, we're not facing a homogeneous government yet, the local warlords still wield large powers and they might be tempted into negotiating special agreements. I would not be surprised if poppy production is on the rise again in some warlord-controlled parts, for example.
A twofer, thanks again Clive
Double Regards
alfa6 ;>}
Maj. Hynes used the media publicity here to make sure something was done about the problem and that follow-up would be required. Got to like it.
"To me, that's incompetence."
I've never seen anything like it. The feeling is that AMF soldiers were selling access to the dump or permitting friends to enter it.
In the midst of examining the bunkers and taking photos, a Swedish UN guy, a French major and a German colonel arrived to make a fuss and order the Canadians to leave. The French major insisted his government had a deal with the Afghan government for the area, and ISAF had no business being there.
The French major was clearly bluffing, hadn't checked the bunkers and got a classic Canadian roasting from Maj. Hynes -- who was supported by a German general who was also appalled at the laxity.
Don't you just love it, a guy who has only been on the job for 8 days finds out that the local Afgan Military Force is selling access to a military weapons dump to the local warlords while the Belgians, the French and Germans look the other way(althought the German must have been riped a new one by his German superior officer who was also appalled)
Gee, I wonder if they had their hands out too?............sarcasm
Great post. Insightful. Thanks.
congrats Canada >>>> good work
/Fictional Musing Section
The UN Swede, the French major, and the German colonel were bought-off to providing security for the AMF's IED-mart warehouse. They undoubtedly got a stipend to keep unwanted eyes away from the FROGs and other UXO.
One of the three was probably stupid enough to put the money in a bank, or to actually spend some before they got out of theater. Should be relatively easy to check out the theory.
FROGs are big stuff. Check out:
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/russia/frog-3-specs.htm
And you'll see that the maximum payload of the FROG 3/4/5 is up to 800lbs. That's a really big, big IED.
The AMF and the bought-off ISAF guys probably thought that the ANA would be either to chicken to take on the AMF, or too incompetent to find 82 bunkers right under their noses. Maybe the AMF's plan was to switch the payola from the Swede/Frenchman/German to the ANA once it was discovered. This would explain the "get off my turf" attitude of the multi-nationals.
/End of Fictional Musings Section
/Honest Appreciation Section
I have been really upset with the Canadian government for quite some time. Their stance on Iraq is inexcusable. Their attitude about G. W. is very "Axis-of-Weasels".
But it is a really great thing that a Sgt. from New Brunswick had the honesty and integrity to:
a) Find the stash
b) Do the right thing once he had the information
For two years (pertaining to this particular bunker site), nobody else did that...
Yup, and we have that there indoor plumbing too.
And the delusional morons among us (http://www.freerepublic.com/forum/a3884b6792a1c.htm) continue parroting the "Where's the WMDs?"
In sheer volume, the storage volume described here is enough to house every WMD in the world and possibly enough to destroy all the inner planets and, that other such storage bunkers exist both in Afghanistan and Iraq is a practical certainty.
Yet people still look at me with a straight face and tell me if there were really Iraqi WMD our troops would have discovered them by now. [scoff!]
Major stupidity overload.
Belgium? The delusional little weasels that would "judge" their betters? WFT?
What are they doing in Afghanistan?
Way too much here to address. Incredulity is too mild a word.
Congratulations, Canucks!
With luck, the Canadian referred to the Frenchman as a baby seal (evil grin).
adding the "S" at the end makes it sound like there's more than one. Your sentance should read:
"Canada has troop?"
Of course, that can be treated with cheap Canadian medicine and it will clear up in no time.
French General = American Waiter.
FYI, the Canadian snipers are some of the best in the world.
You managed a singular feat here Arkie. I've see ambiguous statements before, thousands of them, but this has got to be the first amtriguous statement I have ever seen!
(Is there such a word?)
I just love people who post answers, completely oblivious to the fact that the question may be buried dozens or hundreds of posts prior, and require the use of the most sophisticated Ouija Board that Free Republic issues, to figure out WTF the sad sack is talking about!
Credit where credit is due, and all that. The longest confirmed sniper kill in this region was an incredible kill by a canuck. I won't try to go from memory but it was an unbelievably long shot.
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