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Afghan rebels using Iranian arms: Canadian defense minister (particularly concerned over IEDs)
AFP on Yahoo ^ | 12/25/07 | AFP

Posted on 12/25/2007 7:55:52 PM PST by NormsRevenge

MONTREAL (AFP) - Canadian Defense Minister Peter MacKay on Tuesday identified Iran as the origin of weapons used by rebels against the international coalition in Afghanistan.

"We have asked the Iranians to deal with the problem because it is very hard to cut the supply lines when you have, in another country, people who are providing the arms for use against Canadian forces and others" in the 39-nation NATO-led International Security Assistance Force, he said.

Speaking during a visit to the military base at Kandahar broadcast on Radio-Canada television, MacKay said Canada was particularly concerned about improvised explosive devices from Iran which have fallen into the hands of Taliban rebel forces.

Most of the 73 Canadian soldiers who have died in Afghanistan since 2002 were killed by such explosives.

MacKay, accompanied by Canadian Chief of Defence Staff General Rick Hillier, made a surprise visit to Kandahar Tuesday to celebrate the Christmas holiday with some of the 2,500 Canadian troops in the country.

Relations between Ottawa and Tehran, in a poor state ever since the death in 2003 of Iranian-Canadian journalist Zahra Kazemi while in detention in Iran, worsened with the expulsion of the Canadian ambassador to Tehran in early December.

Shortly after MacKay's press conference, rockets were fired toward the military base but caused no damage, Radio-Canada reported.

Two rockets were fired toward the base during MacKay's last visit to Afghanistan on November 6.


TOPICS: Canada; Crime/Corruption; Foreign Affairs; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: afghan; arms; canadian; defenseminister; ieds; iranian; rebels; taliban

1 posted on 12/25/2007 7:55:54 PM PST by NormsRevenge
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To: NormsRevenge

The question of the day is: What is Canada prepared to do about this?


2 posted on 12/25/2007 8:18:42 PM PST by Perdogg (Fred Thompson for President)
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To: Perdogg

Could you live without Molson’s Ale?


3 posted on 12/25/2007 9:09:58 PM PST by TigersEye (Be the answer to someone else's prayer.)
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To: TigersEye
I remember when I was in college 20 years ago, I got so drunk off of Molson
4 posted on 12/25/2007 9:14:24 PM PST by Perdogg (Fred Thompson for President)
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To: NormsRevenge
I appreciate Canada's commitment in Afghanistan. Their Soldiers deserve the utmost respect.

They are making a fuss about this and, yet, did nothing when one of their citizen's was kidnapped, raped, tortured and murdered by the regime in iran.

It's like they had democrats running their government or something.

Oh...never mind.

5 posted on 12/25/2007 9:27:33 PM PST by Eagles6
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To: Perdogg
It has been nearly thirty since I've had one. LOL

I guess that answers what Canada can do about it. (just kidding Canada, eh?)

I will have to say that so far it has been Iran doing all the offending. For the sake of balance in the world that probably ought to change.

Relations between Ottawa and Tehran, in a poor state ever since the death in 2003 of Iranian-Canadian journalist Zahra Kazemi while in detention in Iran, worsened with the expulsion of the Canadian ambassador to Tehran in early December. (and now the IEDs)

6 posted on 12/25/2007 10:10:49 PM PST by TigersEye (Be the answer to someone else's prayer.)
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To: NormsRevenge

What? Are they just learning what we have been saying for years?


7 posted on 12/25/2007 11:37:02 PM PST by garylmoore (Faith is the assurance of things unseen.)
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