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Canadian military rethinks Afghan tactics
The Canadian military says it is reviewing how it operates in Afghanistan, after its first week in charge of coalition troops in the southern part of the country ended with an axe attack on an officer during a meeting with villagers and the return home of the remains of two soldiers killed in a traffic accident.

Captain Trevor Greene, 41, was flown to a U.S. military hospital in Landstuhl, Germany, where he was in serious but stable condition yesterday after a man surged from a crowd, shouted "Allahu akbar" (God is great) and swung an axe at the back of the officer's unprotected head.

In a sign of respect, the officer had removed his helmet and put down his rifle as he sat down Saturday to discuss reconstruction needs with tribal elders in Shinkay, a village 70 kilometres north of Kandahar. Other Canadian soldiers immediately shot and killed the attacker. A gunfight erupted but no other Canadians were hurt.

Hours later, Master Corporal Timothy Wilson of Grade Prairie, Alta., became the 11th Canadian soldier to die in the Afghan conflict since 2002. MCpl. Wilson had been in the Landstuhl hospital since the LAV-III armoured carrier in which he was riding collided with a taxi and flipped over near Kandahar on Thursday.

Corporal Paul Davis, 28, of Bridgewater, N.S., was killed instantly in the same crash. Their caskets, draped in Canadian flags, were flown yesterday to CFB Trenton, Ont., to a guard of honour and the skirl of a bagpipe. Defence Minister Gordon O'Connor, Chief of the Defence Staff General Rick Hillier, Governor-General Michaëlle Jean and relatives watched as the coffins were removed from the plane and placed in hearses.

In hindsight, there were clues that the Canadians were being set up when they entered Shinkay, platoon leader Capt. Kevin Schamuhn told journalists by satellite phone. He recalled that the soldiers saw local children being hustled away minutes before they sat down.

"Undoubtedly we are going through a process of understanding security," Colonel Tom Putt, deputy commander of Canadian forces in Afghanistan, told Canadian Press. "We have to keep [meeting local leaders]. It's how we do it that we don't know yet."

The attack was particularly brazen, considering that the Canadian visitors were expected to be protected by the local rules of hospitality, said military analyst David Rudd, president of the Canadian Institute of Strategic Studies. "You have to strike the right balance between being accessible and looking for your security."

Mr. Rudd noted that the attack, which ended with the assailant being shot immediately at close range, will signal that Canadian soldiers are no pushovers. "The Taliban are probably under the assumption that non-U.S. troops are not as resilient," he said. "Shows of strength will be at least respected."

For military commanders, the ambush against Capt. Greene underlined the need to be vigilant during humanitarian visits and other outreach activities.

"All incidents are examined and our tactics, techniques and procedures constantly evolve in order for Canadian Forces personnel to defend themselves against these threats," said National Defence spokesman John Morris.

In Ottawa yesterday, Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay said his government could consider holding a parliamentary vote or debate on whether Canada should extend its nine-month commitment to Afghanistan.

"The previous commitment did not come to Parliament in the form of a formal vote. There was a take-note debate," Mr. MacKay told CTV's Question Period yesterday when he was asked whether there should be a vote. "We are contemplating this issue very seriously. It's always preferable before troops are deployed to have a vote."

Prime Minister Stephen Harper has dismissed opposition calls for a parliamentary debate and vote on the current Afghan deployment, saying that would amount to a lack of support for Canadian troops already in the war-torn country.

Mr. MacKay also said it is important that Ottawa not waver in its support for the troops in Afghanistan. "We have to be 100-per-cent behind them," he said. "We do not want to undermine any confidence in our soldiers by backing away from that commitment."

Capt. Greene, a reservist from Vancouver, was a lieutenant at the time of the attack. His promotion, which had been approved before the incident, came yesterday.

Before his fatal accident, MCpl. Wilson had specified that his organs be donated should he die.

"Although his death is a terrible tragedy, I hope that his tremendous gift will provide a better life from the many recipients who benefit from this," his wife, Daphne, -- who was with her husband when he died -- said in a statement.

Posted by: lotp 2006-03-06
http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=144628