Nyalas/RG-31's can be taken out by big enough VBIEDS.
Don't blame the G-Wagon. The troops like them, and they fit down alleys HMMWV's and RG-31's won't.
Posted on 01/15/2006 1:42:20 PM PST by Clive
OTTAWA (CP) - A suicide attacker detonated a car bomb in the middle of a Canadian military convoy in Afghanistan on Sunday, killing the region's senior Foreign Affairs officer and wounding three Canadian soliders.
Defence Department officials identified the dead man as Glyn Berry, 59, a political director posted with the 250-member provincial reconstruction team which is conducting liaison and humanitarian work around Kandahar.
Three Canadian soldiers were wounded in the blast - Pte. William Edward Salikin of 3rd Battalion Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, Cpl. Jeffrey Bailey of 1 Combat Engineer Regiment and Master Cpl. Paul Franklin of 1 Field Ambulance, Lt.-Gen. Marc Dumais told a news conference.
All were based in Edmonton. Their hometowns were not immediately available.
Two of the three were in critical condition with life-threatening injuries, Dumais said. They were expected to be airlifted to a U.S. military hospital in Germany as soon as they could be moved.
"On behalf of the government of Canada and all Canadians, I would like to express my sincere condolences to the family and friends of Glyn Berry," Prime Minister Paul Martin said in a statement.
"I join all Canadians in also wishing ... the three Canadian soldiers who were injured a speedy and complete recovery."
The group was returning to base in enclosed armoured Mercedes jeeps, known as G-Wagons, from a meeting with local leaders. They were about a kilometre southeast of Kandahar when the vehicle-borne bomb exploded.
The attack occurred as the convoy approached a crowded bus stop on the main road to the camp at about 1:30 p.m. local time, or 4 a.m. ET. A U.S. army helicopter evacuated the dead and wounded to the local base hospital.
A second Canadian vehicle was damaged but no other Canadians were hurt. Nine Canadians have been killed in Afghanistan since 2002.
Witnesses said at least two Afghan civilians were killed and 10 wounded.
Kandahar shopkeeper Rahim Gul, who saw the attack, said a sedan blew up as it was passing the convoy.
"The explosion was so big it destroyed one jeep and blew it totally to the other side of the road," he said.
Another witness said a taxi swerved into the convoy and blew up.
Col. Steve Noonan, head of Task Force Afghanistan, said from Kandahar the Canadians, who have disabled potential attackers with gunfire before, had no time to fire on the vehicle or try to prevent the attack.
"They did not see the attacker and they did not have time to react," Noonan said. They knew they were being attacked "when the bomb exploded."
A purported Taliban spokesman, Qari Mohammed Yousaf, called The Associated Press and claimed responsibility, warning that "these attacks will continue for a long time."
"We have many more suicide attackers ready to go," he said. "We will continue this strategy until all foreign forces leave Afghanistan."
There have been about 25 suicide bombings in four months in Afghanistan - a relatively new tactic for Afghan militants and one that has reinforced fears that the country may see more assaults modelled on those in Iraq.
The fighting normally eases during the winter months, when snow blankets the region, but the recent attacks point to a possible new strategy being used by pro-Taliban forces in Afghanistan.
"In any theatre of operations, there's a tactic-counter tactic and adaptation as each side feels each other out," said Noonan.
"There has been a change in tactics from the anti-coalition militia because they were not successful in their previous tactics. We are reasonably comfortable that our reaction to this one will be just as successful ... as the previous campaign."
Canada has about about 650 troops in Afghanistan, nearly all in Kandahar. Ottawa plans to increase the Canadian military presence in Kandahar to 2,000 next month.
The reconstruction team and the main battle group are slated to receive about 43 new Nyala mine-resistant vehicles. Dumais said there is no way to know if they would have made a difference in Sunday's attack.
"It's impossible to be ready for all attacks," said Dumais, the deputy chief of defence staff. "With an explosion of that magnitude, it's not clear that any vehicle would survive or that there wouldn't be any casualties."
Canadian officials have spoken about the dangers the troops face in the volatile southern region of Afghanistan and warned the public to expect casualties.
The recent string of suicide attacks is happening four years after the U.S.-led coalition ousted the radical Taliban regime from power in Afghanistan for hosting Osama bin Laden, the al-Qaida leader believed to be the mastermind behind the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States.
Violence across southern and eastern Afghanistan spiked last year, killing about 1,600 people, the most since 2001.
Berry, who was born in Britain, had served with Foreign Affairs since 1977 before giving his life in what the prime minister called "the pursuit of peace and stability."
He had most recently served as head of the political section of Canada's mission at the United Nations in New York.
The deputy minister of Foreign Affairs, Peter Harder, said Berry had been planning a vacation to celebrate his 60th birthday.
Harder said Berry's wife Valerie talked "touchingly" about how committed her husband had been to the Afghan mission and how "he felt he was making a difference working with real people to change lives."
"We've lost a colleague and a friend," he said.
Martin said Canada's work in Afghanistan will continue.
Conservative Leader Stephen Harper also expressed his condolences on behalf of his party, saying Canadians serving abroad put their lives on the line every day in the name of freedom and democracy.
"For that, we are very grateful," Harper said. "This incident is a reminder that we cannot take our security for granted - that those who serve face dangers we can only imagine.
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ping
Car bombs come to Kandahar. Zarqawi MO.
No ...I think it has to do with that Khadr kid...
I don't follow.
The Khadr kid is in Canada on trial I think..... and his sister just returned for the region and had a laptop with all kinds of AQ goodies on its hard drive...the Canadian government has seized said laptop...so I think this was a message to the Canadian gov. from the Khadr family AQ and Taliban friends.
Many grateful thanks for his service. May his family be comforted. I am thankful for a true friends sacrifice.
OK. But I was refering more to the tactics employed, which was a major part of the story. I'm not saying that Zarqawi was directly behind this, but that his influence is being felt more strongly in the Afghan theater in terms of tactics.
It's too bad this happened. At least with regard to Afghanistan, Canada has been reliable.
I agree..
Nyalas/RG-31's can be taken out by big enough VBIEDS.
Don't blame the G-Wagon. The troops like them, and they fit down alleys HMMWV's and RG-31's won't.
Extra Territorital Elements have been coming in from Iraq for several months now, to share lessons learned and pass on IED-building tips. Most suicide bombers are ETE's. Pashtuns don't really buy the 72 virgins BS.
This attack was planned to put the liberals in power again. They know martin and the liberals want lower military funding. Harper wants much more spending for the military. Martin talks out of two sides of his mouth going after harper as a warmonger while there are troops in harms way. Martin talks about how canadians are in peace efforts in a war zone. Martin's govt just deported to send free a known al quida terrorist that the u.s wanted.
Paul Martin is a disaster in the war on terrorism and now the terrorists are rewarded by this anti u.s left wing nut staying in power.
This attack coming right before the election shows the taliban want martin to win. Martin is very bad for the coalition always going after Bush. Martin plays right into their hands going after israel at the un too. Martin is the number one bush basher out there of course they want martin to win. They called the AP saying this will continue. This attack will show martin as pm for the next week attending the funeral and giving him stature of imcumbency that the opposition doesn't have.
I am now resigned to the liberals never being out of power. Paul Martin reminds me so much of clinton with his fakeness it is scary.
Agreed.
And good riddance to the Iltis. After sad experience with them patrolling from Kabul, the Canadian Forces did not think them to be even worth bringing them home and transferring them to the Crown Assets Disposal Corporation, so they are being left in Afghanistan for whatever use the Afghans may wish to make of them.
Canada hasn't been reliable on anything. Paul Martin is ten times worse than chirac. His govt just sent loose a terrorist that in 2000 was planning to blow up LAX.
He is always playing the anti american fear card. How america is such a warmonger. He bashed harper for supporting the iraq war when that lying fraud martin supported it at the begginning too.
Martin had an ad saying harper would military in the streets.
Harper wanted to increase the military funding and increase the effort in afganistan.
Martin's govt is always voting against israel at the un. After the top hamas leader was killed martin's foreign minister said how wrong isreal was.
I hope Bush never ever returns one more call from that lying martin again. Martin has bashed bush unbelievably. Martin can't be allowed to use bush the way he has in this election and not have to pay the cost. No more relations with a martin govt.
U.S should have sent the ambassador home. Martin has some never attacking a friendly neighbor like us. We were attacked on 9/11 and that piece of garbage attacks our country. U.S has never gone after canada in an election. So in return we get spit on by Martin. We are their number one trade partner and they get to be protected by the number 1 superpower and in return we get bashed by martin.
After Martin wins Bush has to play hardball. He can't get away with using us like that. Send the ambassador home and punish the govt. No more trash in michigan. No more beef. More softwood fines. No more cooperation in the war on terror for sending that al queda terrorist overseas to be freed that the u.s wanted in custody for planning to bomb us in 2000 in lax.
Just as Clinton did to the US military, Martin cut back Canada's military to the bare bones. They weren't even able to muster the airpower to protect their own troops in Afghanistan. The bad, evil US has to do it for them.
http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/story.html?id=420aa1ba-bde0-4f0c-a369-080d17073b6b&k=67952&p=2
Most Americans don't know it, but the CF and the US Armed Forces have worked closely together for decades. They were in Germany with us 20 years ago. They've been with us in OEF from the beginning. A very large proportion of their Navy has been in the Indian Ocean since OEF started. Yes, their military is small and underfunded, but what there are of them are good folks.
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