5 More Canadian Soldiers Injured March 3, 2006

[Britney Spears]

Why are CDN soldiers being targeted?  I think A-Q and Taliban sympathizers think they can Spanish-ize CDN public support and then in turn force the CDN government to withdraw from A-stan.

What ever do you mean by this?

 

[vonGarvin]

It has been argued by some that Spain withdrew from Iraq after one of it's planes crashed killing 75 (or so?) soldiers coming back from Iraq. So the idea would be, the Taliban tries to kill/injure as many Canadians as possible in a very short time to 'encourge' us to withdraw.

Keep safe over there and "git 'er done", as it were.

That plane crashed in May 2003 (25th or 26th) en route from Afghanistan.  I landed there on the 26th, and that was the first we had heard of it.  I think the original poster was thinking of the Madrid Subway bombings, days before their election, one which the ruling party was thought to have well in hand.  A few bombs go off, people react by voting "the other way", and then the Spaniards left Iraq.

 

[Britney Spears]

You mean like how after the Madrid bombings, which brought down the ruling Aznar goverment because they had tried to blame it on the ETA while it was obviously an Al Qaeda action, Spain dramatically increased it's troop prescence in Afghanistan while withdrawing its troops from the completely unrelated war in Iraq that the majority of Spaniards opposed?

Somehow I doubt that was what he meant.  :

 

[dutchie]

well, to add my 2 cents, I think that Canadians have been targetted only because they are western. I don't think your average AQ/Taliban distinguishes between British, US, Canadian, Aussie, etc. - we are all infindels and equally threatening to them. The fact that Canada has taken over in that region and is (I assume) patrolling way more than before will inevitably lead to an increase in attacks.

I only hope that this increase in risk/casualties doesn't scare the genral public. It is a little disconcerting to think that your average Candian Joe still doesn't understand that what we are doing in Kanadahar is NOT peacekeeping. Coming from the perspective of peacekeeping, if that is what the average Canadian thinks we are doing, than I can see them being a little alarmed. Once you realize this Canada is taking a more offensive and less neutral stance, the attacks don't seem quite so alarming.

Any word on the names of those hit in the latest attacks?

 

[Pea]

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20060301/afghan_canada_bomb_060303/20060303?hub=TopStories

 

[Michael Dorosh]

I think it is time for scorched earth!!!!!!!!!!!

Well, that was certainly interesting.  Makes me wonder what George Wallace edited out of your post.

I would be interested in knowing
a) what you mean by scorched earth
b) what your understanding of Canada's objectives are in Afghanistan
c) how you feel your new "scorched earth" policies would effect these changes

Assuming of course, that wasn't just some childish off-the cuff-remark that is really best done in private rather than on a public forum where you've identified yourself as a 37 year old male with 18 years of military experience and the rank of Warrant Officer.

 

[Michael Dorosh]

[quote author=Card_11
[/quote]

"One soldier was critically injured but he will survive, said Dr. Scott Taylor, the head orthopedic surgeon at the Canadian hospital at Kandahar."

Damn, that dude's everywhere, isn't he?

Come to think of it, his bio at wikipedia seems rather malnourished - how come on one's gone to flesh it out? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scott_Taylor

 

[Guy. E]

Scorched Earth:

An old computer artillery game using various weapons from Nukes to Napalm.

 

[tomahawk6]

The LAV has proven to be very survivable in the IED/VBIED threat environment.

http://www.strategypage.com/gallery/articles/military_photos_2004101123.asp

 

[043]

Well, that was certainly interesting.  Makes me wonder what George Wallace edited out of your post.

I would be interested in knowing
a) what you mean by scorched earth
b) what your understanding of Canada's objectives are in Afghanistan
c) how you feel your new "scorched earth" policies would effect these changes

Assuming of course, that wasn't just some childish off-the cuff-remark that is really best done in private rather than on a public forum where you've identified yourself as a 37 year old male with 18 years of military experience and the rank of Warrant Officer.

Yeah, I am bitter, very bitter.............but hey, I guess what is happening is okay and no one is allowed to get pissed off. I have seen first hand the effects of Insurgents, enemy, scumbags, whatever you want to call them. And while I agree with what people say about how it isn't everyone who is against us, I still say, and will always say, you can't trust anyone.  For example, are you going to trust an interpretor??? I think you would be very naive if you did. Are you going to trust a cleaner??? Nope. Are you going to trust the contractor that gets hired to fill the hesco? Nope. So when I say scorched earth, I am pissed off and on a rant. Experience, smexperience. If your not pissed, your not human. People can say what they want about Somalia but when we showed up at a village and told them "on such and such a day, the UN passed a resolution saying that you were not allowed to have wpns or ammo and that in 5 minutes we are coming door to door to confiscate such items, and proceeded to go door to door, room to room, cupboard to cupboard, pot to pot, bag of rice to bag rice....it was very effective! Same as when the looters were shot.......never had another incident after that. Shock action does work..........of course Canada would not authorize it however it is very effective.

So yeah, slam me all you want, it's a free world and opinions are free to be voiced. It is mine and if you dont like my views, oh well. I am sure I am not the only one who feels the same way.

Chimo!

 

[043]

Well, that was certainly interesting.  Makes me wonder what George Wallace edited out of your post.

I would be interested in knowing
a) what you mean by scorched earth
b) what your understanding of Canada's objectives are in Afghanistan
c) how you feel your new "scorched earth" policies would effect these changes

Assuming of course, that wasn't just some childish off-the cuff-remark that is really best done in private rather than on a public forum where you've identified yourself as a 37 year old male with 18 years of military experience and the rank of Warrant Officer.

I can see by your profile that you too have quite a bit of Operational Experience!

 

[SHELLDRAKE!!]

We all knew the day would come where the taliban would try a direct ied on a lav and I am glad it stood up to the challenge. I spent almost every day of my tour in a lav as an op party and always felt safe. Now if we could just get the air sentries and guys in the turrets protected better.

Not sure if it has been looked at yet but I was thinking VBIED's might be less effective if we as Canadians practiced the American policy of keeping vehicles well away from our convoys.

 

[043]

We all knew the day would come where the taliban would try a direct ied on a lav and I am glad it stood up to the challenge. I spent almost every day of my tour in a lav as an op party and always felt safe. Now if we could just get the air sentries and guys in the turrets protected better.

Not sure if it has been looked at yet but I was thinking VBIED's might be less effective if we as Canadians practiced the American policy of keeping vehicles well away from our convoys.

I was thinking along the same lines as you wrt VBIED's but I am unfamiliar with current TTP's. How do they deal with traffic circles?

 

[SHELLDRAKE!!]

In Kabul we had no choice but to sit in bumper to bumper traffic and just hope that if we can't get anywhere, a VBIED would be stuck elsewhere in traffic too.

I am guessing the commanders in Khandahar have also thought of this and hopefully are speaking with the Americans about new possibilities.

I can't remember any recent VBIED's being driven into American convoys recently, so maybee the taliban have (as a result of American convoy policy) just had to resort to ied's in parked vehicles or roadside.

 

[MJP]

I can't remember any recent VBIED's being driven into American convoys recently, so maybee the taliban have (as a result of American convoy policy) just had to resort to ied's in parked vehicles or roadside.

It still happens on a regular basis to the Americans as well, it's just not a media scrum everytime for them as it is for us.

We all knew the day would come where the taliban would try a direct ied on a lav and I am glad it stood up to the challenge. I spent almost every day of my tour in a lav as an op party and always felt safe. Now if we could just get the air sentries and guys in the turrets protected better.

Not sure if it has been looked at yet but I was thinking VBIED's might be less effective if we as Canadians practiced the American policy of keeping vehicles well away from our convoys.

Who says we don't already do that?

VBIEDs vehicles have two main ways of hitting....one being come across opposing lanes and hit convoys as they pass them and the other being sitting on the side of the road and pulling into a convoy as they pass.  Very rarely do they rear attack as no coalition force allows vehicles to approach them from the rear at any sort of speed.

Both types are very hard to deal with as anyone over here can attest to the roads are congested with all sorts of civilian traffic and narrow to boot.  Troops have to be constantly scanning and reaction times have to be fast to be able to deal with suicide bombers. 

 

[couchcommander]

Sorry, few questions here.

It looks to me from pictures that the LAV III hit had some type of add on armour package on it.. is it similar to the packages that I've seen used on Coyotes before? And secondly, was the LAV III still mobile after it was hit (looks like it was hit right on the second wheel, right side, and damage was mostly confined to that area.. though the other tyres are popped..) ? 

Oh, and combat camera has some pictures of you guys practicing with 81mm mortars... i thought they were gone (hopefully not)??

Wishing a speedy recovery to all the injured!

 

[Korus]

I can't remember any recent VBIED's being driven into American convoys recently, so maybee the taliban have (as a result of American convoy policy) just had to resort to ied's in parked vehicles or roadside.

Canada just greatly increased it's number of troops in Kandahar, and took over from the main American Task Force, TF Gun Devil in the area. Basically, more Canadians on the road, less Americans, so we're naturally going to provide a larger target, per se. As was mentioned previously, the Americans were getting hit too.. Canadian media just didn't make a big deal about it...

 

[Michael Dorosh]

I can see by your profile that you too have quite a bit of Operational Experience!

Yes, that's why I come here - to look to those of you with overseas experience for a better understanding of the world and the Army I belong to.  Imagine my surprise to see a WO posting about "scorched earth".  Sorry - which tour was it where that was one of your ROE's?  I'd like to add the term to the glossary on my website, now that I know it is a Canadian operational method.  As a personal aside, I think it's great that you come here to share your experiences like this.

You know, so that moms and dads and girlfriends of guys overseas can get a hint of what we really think and be comforted that we're every bit as racist and intolerant as they feared.  Kill 'em all and let God sort 'em out, eh? 

I think we're all better served by saving ranting for the mess, quite frankly, and putting on something more of a public face here.

 

[Lost_Warrior]

Maybe because we are occupying "There" country...

No one is "occupying" anything.  Canadian Forces are there at the request of the government of Afghanistan.

 

[043]

Yes, that's why I come here - to look to those of you with overseas experience for a better understanding of the world and the Army I belong to.  Imagine my surprise to see a WO posting about "scorched earth".  Sorry - which tour was it where that was one of your ROE's?  I'd like to add the term to the glossary on my website, now that I know it is a Canadian operational method.  As a personal aside, I think it's great that you come here to share your experiences like this.

You know, so that moms and dads and girlfriends of guys overseas can get a hint of what we really think and be comforted that we're every bit as racist and intolerant as they feared.  Kill 'em all and let God sort 'em out, eh? 

I think we're all better served by saving ranting for the mess, quite frankly, and putting on something more of a public face here.

hahahahahahaha