Canadian soldiers 'prepared to kill'
Afghanistan 'a dangerous environment,' says general who will command troops
JEFF SALLOT
From Friday's Globe and Mail
03 Feb 06
OTTAWA — Canadian soldiers are ready to kill and die in Afghanistan if need be to keep that country from ever again becoming a nest for terrorists, says the general who will command the troops in Kandahar.
"This is a dangerous mission. This is a dangerous environment," Brigadier-General David Fraser said yesterday. "And I cannot reduce the risk to zero."
But the 2,200 Canadians he will lead are extremely well trained and have excellent equipment, he said. "We will do our best to come back with everyone."
The general did not want to spell out the rules his soldiers will follow in deciding when they can use lethal force. Rules of engagement are considered a military secret. But he made it clear that the troops can engage in offensive operations to deal pre-emptively with a threat.
"Can I defend myself? Yes. Can I take offensive action? Yes."
At another point, he said, "We are prepared to kill if we have to."
But killing is the "last thing I want to do," Gen. Fraser said, emphasizing the humanitarian aspects of the mission.
The Canadian contingent, which will be fully deployed by the end of this month, will become the backbone of a larger international force that is helping the Afghan central government establish its authority in Kandahar province, a former Taliban stronghold. In the summer, Gen. Fraser and his Canadian troops will take on the lead role in the southern province, which has been the domain of U.S. forces since the fall of the Taliban regime in 2002.
U.S. troops have been suffering heavier casualties recently during counterinsurgency operations in parts of the province. In addition, international forces have been encountering ever more powerful homemade bombs. A Canadian diplomat was killed and three soldiers seriously wounded in a suicide bomb attack in the province last month.
"This is not a nice place," Gen. Fraser said during a media briefing at National Defence Headquarters.
But he did not believe this indicated that the security situation in the province was deteriorating. Rather, it may mean that the Afghan government and international forces are more successful now in taking the fight to the enemy.
The Canadian contingent is officially designated as a Provincial Reconstruction Team with a mandate to monitor security, promote the policies and priorities of the Afghan government and to help improve local security forces. In addition to the 2,200 soldiers it will include a couple of RCMP advisers to the local Afghan civil police.
Afghanistan is the leading recipient of Canadian foreign aid, with Ottawa pledging more than $600-million in assistance during this decade.
Canadian soldiers were among the first to join U.S. forces in attacking al-Qaeda terrorist camps in eastern Afghanistan after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on New York and Washington. More than 6,000 Canadians have served a tour of duty in Afghanistan since then.
Eight have died, including four Canadian soldiers who were accidentally killed when an American fighter pilot bombed them, mistaking their nighttime training exercise for anti-aircraft fire.
Despite the dangers, Gen. Fraser said he thinks the Canadian public fully supports this expanded Afghan mission. He compared his troops to the Canadian Olympic gold-medal hockey team. "My soldiers are pumped about going over there."