Hillier (Canadian Chief of Defense Staff) Whisked Away After Roadside Bombing

CTV.ca ^ | March 10, 2006 | CTV.ca News Staff

[NorthOf45]

Hillier whisked away after roadside bombing

CTV.ca News Staff
March 10, 2006

Canada's top soldier was helping with work on the ground in Afghanistan Friday when a roadside bomb went off just 800 metres from where he was chatting with a village elder.

Gen. Rick Hillier, the chief of the defence staff, was whisked away in an armoured vehicle. A U.S. Blackhawk helicopter picked him up from the army's forward operating base in Gumbad, and took him to Kandahar.

The blast lightly damaged a Canadian Bison armoured vehicle, used as an ambulance. However, no one was hurt in the attack.

"I'm pleased to say that the occupants of the vehicle, although somewhat frightened by the whole experience, are fine," Maj. Scott Lundy, in Kandahar, told CTV Newsnet Friday.

Friday's blast comes as Canadian troops launch a large operation to increase their presence in Taliban and insurgent-held areas, such as Gumbad, which is about 10 kilometres down a road known for bombings.

CTV's Steve Chao, reporting from Kandahar, said the area is known as the heart of Taliban country. It has a lot of high mountains and ambush areas where insurgents can attack coalition forces.

"This is an area known to be a holding area, if you will, for insurgents," Chao told CTV Newsnet.

"What (Canadians) want to do eventually is take control of the rural, isolated areas that traditionally the Taliban and al Qaeda and all the insurgents have had a strong foothold in."

The mission, code-named Operation Peacemaker, is not about taking prisoners, but rather about establishing communications with Afghan communities and elders.

"The focus of this operation is actually to engage the local population, including the village elders, and speak with them about the fact that we will be patrolling more regularly in the area," said Lundy. "Show them that we mean them no harm."

The operation is commanded by Lt.-Col. Ian Hope, who leads the Canadian task force in Kandahar.

Before the bomb went off, Hillier, Hope and Capt. Kevin Schamuhn were chatting with Haji Mohammed Nabi, the village elder in Kundalan. They were trying to urge his people to abandon sympathies for Taliban insurgents.

However, Hope said Hillier was not the target of Friday's blast.

Kundulan is just a few kilometres down the road from Shingai, the scene of an axe attack last week that seriously wounded Capt. Trevor Greene.

Schamuhn was sitting beside Greene when the attack happened, and was one of three soldiers that shot the attacker dead. However, during Friday's chat he removed his helmet.

He admitted that having extra security around on Friday helped him relax during the meeting.

Canadians have increasingly been on guard for attacks, after weeks of being the targets of roadside bombings, and rocket attacks.

Despite that, Chao said every soldier he has talked to remains dedicated to the mission in Afghanistan.

"Everyone we spoke to speaks about the commitment - this belief in themselves that they are actually fighting for Canadians in Afghanistan by freeing up the livelihood of the Afghans."

"Giving them freedom. Eventually it will reduce the chance of attacks in Canada itself."

With files from The Canadian Press

[NorthOf45]

It must kill the troops to remain PC. At any rate, some visuals ...


Chief of Defence Staff Rick Hillier is seen here in this file Canadian Forces photo.


Capt. Kevin Schamuhn, (second left) Lt.-Col. Ian Hope (centre) and General Rick Hillier (top right) chat with village elder Haji Mohammed Nabi (left) Friday, March 10, 2006 in Kundalan, a small village in Afghanistan, moments before a roadside bomb blew up near a Bison armoured vehicle. No one was injured. (CP / Les Perreaux)


Warrant officer Brian Gauthier of Gibbons, Alta., (left) Cpl. Craig Tucker of Bay Bulls, Nfld. and Sapper Jordan Berry of Hamilton, Ont. (right) prepare to move out on Canada's major operation in northern Afghanistan. (CP / Les Perreaux)

[NorthOf45]

Canadian Military Ping

[carl in alaska]

You know, he looks like Bill Parcells (American football coach) in his younger days. That's a good sign, because Parcells is a great football general.

[rahbert]

double minor penalty for setting up of bomb...

[Cannoneer No. 4]

The mission, code-named Operation Peacemaker, is not about taking prisoners, but rather about establishing communications with Afghan communities and elders.

US and Coalition Forces had to name their Operations easily translatable Dari or Pastun words. And where is your ANA?

Watched The National on the computer last night. Pretty good. CBC is like PBS with commercials, but on the computer you can fast forward the commercials.

[fanfan]

[GMMAC]

Lest anyone have any illusions as to the the true left leanings of the Canadian "Bourquenews" site, note that it's now linking to the CBC's coverage of this same story using the bold, all upper case headline "HILLIER SKEDADDLES".

Yet, when one follows Bourque's link, CBC is entitlingits story "Hillier flown from Afghan village after bomb blast".

Gotta hand it to Pierre Bourque: it's tough to top the CBC's habitual bias but he somehow today he's managed to - LOL!

[Squawk 8888]

CTV tends to provide far better news coverage than the CBC. Their national newscast and live stream are available at http://www.ctv.ca

[NorthOf45]

This I know ... as a Jets fan. : )

[kanawa]

If he's playing those games then it's time to remove his link from my home page.

[Snowyman]

Bourque is a big supporter of Chretien. Anything that could damage Martin got headlines during the election. Had nothing to do with supporting the CPC. Just crapping on Martin.

[GMMAC]

Sorry about my illiterate post on Bourque.
I was hurrying to go out the door & the result is pretty obvious.

While I knew Bourque to be a Chretienista Liberal, aside from - as might be expected from same - crapping on the Martinites any chance he got, he did seem to give reasonably fair coverage to the Gomery Inquiry & related "Librano$" type issues.

Likely as they become further mired in Opposition - not to mention the reality of actually being out of power setting in, we'll see more & more of the supposedly "good" ones showing the true hypocrisy & lack of personal integrity which led them to the Liberal Party in the first place.