Afstan: Facts little known in Canada
The Dutch are already there in force and fighting. The French are doing pointy-end things as part of US Operation Enduring Freedom.
Since the Dutch are to be part of the Canadian-commanded Multi-National Brigade in Regional Command (South) under NATO ISAF, I wonder why the Canadian media did not cover this story:
Dutch confident about Afghanistan mission
Helicopters, engineers and armoured infantry are helping make the commander of Dutch troops in southern Afghanistan confident of success in their mission in Uruzgan, where now only an handful of special forces are taking on the Taliban...
Despite parliamentary delays in approving the mission amid a heated national debate about it, Morsink [Dutch force commander] said he believed 80 percent of parliamentarians supported the deployment, “and that is very important for the soldiers”. The political support could prove decisive: Western military officials in Afghanistan think the Taliban will try to play on the doubts of the Dutch public in a bid to force their withdrawal.
The about 800 soldiers who are already in Uruzgan, waiting for the arrival by the end of July of some 550 more, have had been engaged by militants twice in the past weeks. The first time was “quite heavy”, involving rockets, grenades and machine-gun fire, Morsink said, adding the soldiers had coped “extremely well”.
...The commander will have at his disposal six Apache attack helicopters and, in a few months, eight F-16 fighters. “They are my Apaches so nobody can tell me in a case of emergency, ‘I cannot help you.’ I have my own means to help myself,” he stressed. The soldiers also will undergo special training in Kandahar before leaving for Uruzgan. AFP
Note that the Dutch have their own close air support, unlike Canadian troops.
As for the French, this was reported but it was deep in the story so I doubt many Canadians noticed.
...
Two French special forces troops were killed Saturday while fighting the Taliban in Kandahar province, the French Defence Ministry said. No other details were immediately available.
France has had 200 special forces officers in southeast Afghanistan since 2003 as part of the U.S.-led coalition...
Cross-posted to Daimnation!
Since the Dutch are to be part of the Canadian-commanded Multi-National Brigade in Regional Command (South) under NATO ISAF, I wonder why the Canadian media did not cover this story:
Dutch confident about Afghanistan mission
Helicopters, engineers and armoured infantry are helping make the commander of Dutch troops in southern Afghanistan confident of success in their mission in Uruzgan, where now only an handful of special forces are taking on the Taliban...
Despite parliamentary delays in approving the mission amid a heated national debate about it, Morsink [Dutch force commander] said he believed 80 percent of parliamentarians supported the deployment, “and that is very important for the soldiers”. The political support could prove decisive: Western military officials in Afghanistan think the Taliban will try to play on the doubts of the Dutch public in a bid to force their withdrawal.
The about 800 soldiers who are already in Uruzgan, waiting for the arrival by the end of July of some 550 more, have had been engaged by militants twice in the past weeks. The first time was “quite heavy”, involving rockets, grenades and machine-gun fire, Morsink said, adding the soldiers had coped “extremely well”.
...The commander will have at his disposal six Apache attack helicopters and, in a few months, eight F-16 fighters. “They are my Apaches so nobody can tell me in a case of emergency, ‘I cannot help you.’ I have my own means to help myself,” he stressed. The soldiers also will undergo special training in Kandahar before leaving for Uruzgan. AFP
Note that the Dutch have their own close air support, unlike Canadian troops.
As for the French, this was reported but it was deep in the story so I doubt many Canadians noticed.
...
Two French special forces troops were killed Saturday while fighting the Taliban in Kandahar province, the French Defence Ministry said. No other details were immediately available.
France has had 200 special forces officers in southeast Afghanistan since 2003 as part of the U.S.-led coalition...
Cross-posted to Daimnation!
posted by Mark, Ottawa at 10:36 a.m.
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home