Their blood is as important as ours

From Michael Yon, Hiatus Corpus:

"Our people in Tarin Kot (along with the Dutch and Aussies) are outnumbered. Several of the bases I saw seemed vulnerable to catastrophic attack as the enemy continues to strengthen. This didn’t say much for the unguarded places at which I was staying at night. Kabul might be relatively safe, but Southern Afghanistan is dead man country."

"Despite these reports, the obvious dangers our troops face isn’t making a big footprint in the news back in the US. When I say “our troops”, I mean that Canadian, Australian, British, French, Italian and Dutch and other blood of our allies is our blood. Their blood is as important as ours. And where are our friends the Indians?"

This is an important piece, you need to read it.

Posted on: May 22, 2006 , by newyank • Trackback
Filed in: Afghanistan, Counter Terrorism, Media Bias, al-Qaeda . • No Comments • .

Canadian Soldier Dies Defending Outpost

March 30th, 2006: Murray Brewster at the CBC commemorates the brave actions of Private Robert Costall, 22, of Thunder Bay, Ontario, who died heroically while helping to defend a forward operating base northwest of Kandahar, Afghanistan. One American soldier (name withheld by US Dept. of Defense) was also killed during the firefight.

“Pte. Robert Costall, 22, of Thunder Bay, Ont., died Wednesday in fighting off the attack, becoming the first Canadian soldier killed in Afghanistan in the kind of head-to-head combat that is more the forte of western armies than Taliban militants, who have often used guerrilla tactics.

Three Canadian soldiers were wounded in the firefight that went on for hours in the desert sands northwest of Kandahar. In addition, a U.S. serviceman and at least eight Afghan National Army soldiers died in the battle.”

Full story at the CBC website. Fox News also has the story and more here.

Posted on: May 18, 2006 , by newyank • Trackback
Filed in: Afghanistan, Canada, al-Qaeda . • No Comments • .

First-ever Canadian female soldier killed in Afghanistan

The first female Canadian soldier was killed during a fiefight with Taliban insurgents 24 kilometres west of Kandahar city in Afghanistan. Our prayers go out to the family of Capt. Nichola Goddard, and our Canadian brethren. The Canadian Press has the full story.

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan (CP) - Canada suffered its first-ever death of female combat soldier during a lengthy firefight with Taliban insurgents Wednesday evening. The Canadian Press has the full story.

Capt. Nichola Goddard, of 1st Royal Canadian Horse Artillery based in Shilo, Man., was killed in action at 6:55 p.m. local time, 24 kilometres west of Kandahar city, said Brig.-Gen. David Fraser, commander of the multinational brigade based in Kandahar.

Goddard, 26, of Calgary, was married, with no children.

The Jawa Report has another angle on the story here.

As Americans, we need to commend our Canadian cousins to the north for their committment and bravery in Afghanistan and other hotspots around the world. The war in Afghanistan is just beginning and I’m willing to bet there’ll be plenty more firefights that lie ahead for coalition troops.

Posted on: May 18, 2006 , by newyank • Trackback
Filed in: Afghanistan, Canada . • No Comments • .

War in Afghanistan, Canadian-Style

I don't think Americans are shown enough media coverage of the brave fighting being done by our coalition partners in the greater war on terror. Mitch Potter of the Toronto Star has written a great 8 part series called "War: Canadian-Style", that tells the story of Canadian soldiers combating the forces of islamic-extremism in Afghanistan:

SOMEWHERE NEAR GOMBAD, AFGHANISTAN - Eyes are watching tonight as the blackness settles in on the barren mountaintop. Eyes that seek Canadian blood. They have been watching for weeks, from the very first moment Alpha Company of the First Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry Battle Group made its presence known in the high hills of the Shawali Kot region of northern Kandahar Province.

Everyone can feel the eyes.

"Tonight is different, something weird is going on," a Canadian soldier announces tersely, his face drawn with tension.

He points toward the distant shadows of the western valley below, where telltale car headlights push through the darkness. He points to the eastern valley opposite, and here too the single headlamp of a motorbike can be seen flickering along a goat path. All of this movement is wrong, because nothing in these war-ravaged valleys moves after dark. The night means danger, a time for the ethnic Pashtun villagers to stay indoors and wait for daylight. Those who defy the darkness are the dangerous ones.