Inquiry finds Glyn's death in Afghanistan 'not preventable'
Meagan Fitzpatrick CanWest News Service Tuesday, October 23, 2007
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OTTAWA -- There was no way to prevent the death of a Canadian diplomat in Afghanistan, a report by National Defence has concluded.
A board of inquiry report released Tuesday determined that the death of Glyn Berry and the serious injuries suffered by three Canadian soldiers in 2006 were the result of "unpredictable hostile action."
Mr. Berry, a diplomat with the Department of Foreign Affairs, and the soldiers were traveling in a four-vehicle convoy of "G" Wagons, on Jan. 15, 2006, when they were attacked by a suicide bomber in Kandahar.
National Defence launched an inquiry soon afterwards to investigate the factors that contributed to the death and injuries and to make recommendations on how to improve "general operational readiness."
The five-member board interviewed more than 50 witnesses and reviewed 18 different reports on the deadly incident.
"The board found that the death and injuries were incurred as a result of hostile action (i.e a suicide bomber) in a special duty area. The dead and injured personnel were clearly on duty at the time of the attack. Equally certain, the death and injuries were attributable to military service and service to the government of Canada," the report states. "The incident was not preventable."
The board makes nine recommendations, among them is the suggestion that "G" Wagons be tested against improvised explosive devices (IED) to determine if any modifications are required. The board did say, however, that the witnesses they interviewed expressed confidence in the "G" Wagon, that it handles well on the road and provides adequate protection.
"Nonetheless, in high-risk areas or in more open country, more heavily armoured vehicles (e.g. Nyala) would be preferable," the report said.
The board said it heard from witnesses many recommendations to improve pre-deployment training. They suggested more emphasis is needed on how to drive in dangerous regions (speed manoeuvres for example), crowd control, and on how to handle chaos and stress in situations where there are mass casualties and severe injuries.
"The board of inquiry findings and recommendations are conclusive," said Gen. Rick Hillier, chief of the defence staff, in a statement. "I am confident that the board members have met their objectives and that their recommendations will help to reduce the likelihood of similar attacks in the future against Canadians in Afghanistan."
Gen. Hillier is currently in Afghanistan visiting Canadian troops.
Mr. Berry is the only Canadian diplomat that has been killed in Afghanistan. Seventy-one soldiers have died.
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