Posted on 09/05/2006 5:59:26 PM PDT by GMMAC
Canadian troops stay the course on Operation Medusa
CanWest News Service
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
As Canadian soldiers pressed on Tuesday to engage the Taliban in fierce fighting in Afghanistan, federal politicians debated the merits of the mission that has so far claimed the lives of 32 soldiers.
But the insurgents are paying a heavy price too.
Between 50 and 60 Taliban were killed as Canadian troops contained insurgents and continued hitting their positions with heavy Howitzer guns and called in bomb strikes from coalition aircraft, NATO officials said.
Canadian troops detain suspected Taliban insurgents in
the combat zone in Panjwaii, Afghanistan, Sept. 5, 2006.
Five Canadian soldiers have been wounded in new battles
west of Kandahar but their injuries are not considered serious.
Photographs by : CP PHOTO/Les Perreaux
Several suspected militants were captured by Afghan security forces and an attempt by insurgents to break out of their bombarded positions and through the Canadian lines to the south was thwarted by ground troops and attack helicopters.
Five Canadian soldiers on patrol suffered non-serious injuries in a mortar attack about 6:30 p.m., a military spokesman said.
More than 200 insurgents were killed in the opening days of Operation Medusa, designed to clear the Taliban from a defensible stronghold about 30 km west of Kandahar City so that displaced civilians can return to their homes and reconstruction projects can commence.
Hundreds more fled and dozens were captured, but those early successes came at a big cost for Canadian forces
Four Canadian soldiers - Pte. William Jonathan James Cushley, Sgt. Shane Stachnik, Warrant Officer Richard Francis Nolan and Warrant Officer Frank Robert Mellish were killed in close combat with insurgents Sunday.
On Monday, in a friendly fire incident that will be formally investigated only after Operation Medusa wraps up, Pte. Mark Anthony Graham, a former Olympian, was killed and dozens of soldiers wounded about 5:30 a.m. Monday when U.S. fighter jets called in for air support near the front lines strafed them with cannon fire.
Those events led Bloc Quebecois Leader Gilles Duceppe to call on Tuesday for a debate this month on Canada’s broader foreign policy objectives.
The Bloc leader said he thinks Harper is making foreign policy on the fly.
"It is dogmatic. It is based on ‘you’re with me, or against me, the good against the bad.’ And life’s not like that," Duceppe said.
However, Duceppe would not support the demand by NDP Leader Jack Layton to simply bring home Canada’s 2,300 troops from Afghanistan.
© CanWest News Service 2006
PING!
So Canadian troops killed twice as many terrorists today alone as they've received in casualties during the entire multi-year operation.
It's really hard to put a bad spin on that fact.
"(50-60 more Taliban killed)"
Great... 95,782 more to go!
Yep, the Canadian troops are doing quiet well. Bolds well for the future. Now if we can just get some leadership in France.
"Now if we can just get some leadership in France."
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!
Thud
Wow, what a surprise. The VERY FIRST story on the Katie Commie news tonight was the resurgence of the Taleban. The reporter even met with them. The second story, incidentally, was a hit piece on the President's speech today.
God bless the fighting men from Canuckistan!
OH Canada. Press the attack. Fix bayonets. Maximum violence in minimum time. Stay with it. Might boatloads of 7th century sandnazi virgins be at the ready.
Shoot straight and ride fast boys.
-
O, I'm sure there will be some poster,
(with a name like 'cynic5' or 'pessimist5')
who will attempt to do just that.
What do you mean, "incidentally"? More like "organically", "thematically", "consistently", or maybe "tendentiously".
Nothing "incidental" about the venom and perversity spat out by "Canards Be Seething."
http://www.calgarysun.com/comment/index.shtml
Should Canada pull its troops out of Afghanistan?
Yes:
(32.06%)
No:
(67.94%)
Last time the Taliban got 4 or 5 Canadians, the Canuck boys went out at night and took out 20 Taliban...
Time for some end of summer blended Petro-Can Napalm....
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