I believe he should address the nation, I'm tired of this cloak and dager stuff. Address this country as a leader please. Merci sa va Harper. I bolded the part that concerns me, I don't like be given a time line by the very people our troops are helping. It reeks of ingratitude.
OTTAWA: Prime Minister Stephen Harper is being urged to address the nation about Canada’s role in Afghanistan as the death toll grows.
The deaths, including two more in the past week for a total of 39 Canadian soldiers and one diplomat, are the price of leadership that comes with playing a significant role in global affairs, Harper said.
Speaking in Calgary while receiving the Woodrow Wilson Award for public service, he said Canada is making progress in rebuilding Afghanistan.
Canadians want a clear, confident and influential role in a changing, dangerous road, Harper added.
An all-party Senate committee wants him to address the country on television to better explain Canada’s work in the war-torn country.
Meanwhile, Harper told U.S. President George W. Bush in a phone call that Canada will make an official protest over the treatment of Maher Arar. The Canadian citizen was deported from New York to be tortured in a prison in his homeland in Syria.
Funerals were held Friday for the five people crushed by concrete from a collapsed overpass in Laval, north of Montreal.
Killed last weekend were Sylvie Beaudet, her companion Jean-Pierre Hamel and his brother, Gilles, along with Mathieu Goyette and Veronique Binette.
Six others were injured when a viaduct gave way and tons of concrete fell onto the highway. An investigation continues into what caused the collapse and the maintenance of the busy bridge.
Meanwhile, Canadian soldiers leaving Edmonton for Afghanistan this week will face the most intense service yet, according to their commander.
"We’ll be subjected to a degree of operational tempo not yet experienced in the Canadian Forces," Col. John Vance told 122 troops, who are expected to begin their long journey to Afghanistan Thursday morning.
"It will be an unrelenting pace of preparation, support and recovery."
The Edmonton Garrison-based soldiers will provide tank and mechanized support for troops already fighting in the war-torn country.
Vance said the increased armour will bring heightened expectations.
"The very reason we are deploying tanks, armoured engineer vehicles and armoured recovery vehicles is that they offer a measure of protection to their crews and the people they support that is unparalleled in theatre," said Vance.
All tanks and squadrons heading to Afghanistan will come from Edmonton, according to CTV’s David Ewasuk, "meaning a heavy rotation coming soon and lasting for at least the next few years."
Despite the danger the troops will face, many were eager to deploy and begin their mission. They were initially scheduled to leave Tuesday rather than Thursday. "I’d rather be getting on the plane right now to get it over with, but it gives a little more time with the family, so it’s all right," Cpl. Michael Currie, a tank crew member, told CTV Edmonton.
Afghan forces strength serious issue for Canadian troops
Canadian military officials in Afghanistan have grown concerned in recent weeks over the level of support provided by Afghan security forces in reconstruction efforts.
Lt.-Col. Omer Lavoie told reporters that without sufficient support from Afghan forces, the Panjwaii district has grown even more volatile for Canadian soldiers.
"The real challenge is getting sufficient numbers of both the Afghan national army and Afghan national police forces in the area to support the operations that we’re conducting," said Lavoie.
Canadian troops said they were impressed with the abilities of the Afghan security forces during NATO’s Operation Medusa, the large-scale offensive aimed at driving Taliban fighters from their strongholds in the southern part of the country.
But the Afghan forces face shortages of equipment and weapons. Manpower is also an issue for positions that are extremely dangerous and don’t pay well.
Since the Afghan mission began four years ago, 40 Canadian soldiers and one diplomat have been killed.
In a similar time span, over 800 Afghan security personnel have been killed, according to NATO figures.
Canadian soldiers said it’s difficult to know who the enemy is, as the Taliban have been known to pose as farmers and plant roadside bombs.
The insurgency hasn’t been strictly among Taliban militants, but their sympathizers as well.
Cpl. Alexander Darroch said securing the border is critical to helping Afghans police their own country.
"We’re going to have to close down the borders and get the Afghan security forces on their feet, so they can do the job and we’re just sitting back supporting them," said Darroch.
"I think they kind of pulled back. We haven’t seen them in probably about two weeks."
Gen. David Richards, NATO’s top commander in Afghanistan, told the Associated Press this week that there has been a noticeable surge in violence along the eastern border with Pakistan since that country’s government signed a so-called peace agreement in early September with Taliban allies in the Waziristan region.
Lt.-Col. Fahid Ahmadi of the Afghan army agreed that the country’s forces need to show that they can keep the peace, so "people can be convinced that we don’t allow bad guys, the enemy of Afghanistan, to come back and destroy their houses."
Establishing that presence is of critical importance in the coming weeks, according to Richards. He said Afghans are likely to switch their allegiance to resurgent Taliban militants if there are no visible improvements in people’s lives in the next six months.
OTTAWA: Prime Minister Stephen Harper is being urged to address the nation about Canada’s role in Afghanistan as the death toll grows.
The deaths, including two more in the past week for a total of 39 Canadian soldiers and one diplomat, are the price of leadership that comes with playing a significant role in global affairs, Harper said.
Speaking in Calgary while receiving the Woodrow Wilson Award for public service, he said Canada is making progress in rebuilding Afghanistan.
Canadians want a clear, confident and influential role in a changing, dangerous road, Harper added.
An all-party Senate committee wants him to address the country on television to better explain Canada’s work in the war-torn country.
Meanwhile, Harper told U.S. President George W. Bush in a phone call that Canada will make an official protest over the treatment of Maher Arar. The Canadian citizen was deported from New York to be tortured in a prison in his homeland in Syria.
Funerals were held Friday for the five people crushed by concrete from a collapsed overpass in Laval, north of Montreal.
Killed last weekend were Sylvie Beaudet, her companion Jean-Pierre Hamel and his brother, Gilles, along with Mathieu Goyette and Veronique Binette.
Six others were injured when a viaduct gave way and tons of concrete fell onto the highway. An investigation continues into what caused the collapse and the maintenance of the busy bridge.
Meanwhile, Canadian soldiers leaving Edmonton for Afghanistan this week will face the most intense service yet, according to their commander.
"We’ll be subjected to a degree of operational tempo not yet experienced in the Canadian Forces," Col. John Vance told 122 troops, who are expected to begin their long journey to Afghanistan Thursday morning.
"It will be an unrelenting pace of preparation, support and recovery."
The Edmonton Garrison-based soldiers will provide tank and mechanized support for troops already fighting in the war-torn country.
Vance said the increased armour will bring heightened expectations.
"The very reason we are deploying tanks, armoured engineer vehicles and armoured recovery vehicles is that they offer a measure of protection to their crews and the people they support that is unparalleled in theatre," said Vance.
All tanks and squadrons heading to Afghanistan will come from Edmonton, according to CTV’s David Ewasuk, "meaning a heavy rotation coming soon and lasting for at least the next few years."
Despite the danger the troops will face, many were eager to deploy and begin their mission. They were initially scheduled to leave Tuesday rather than Thursday. "I’d rather be getting on the plane right now to get it over with, but it gives a little more time with the family, so it’s all right," Cpl. Michael Currie, a tank crew member, told CTV Edmonton.
Afghan forces strength serious issue for Canadian troops
Canadian military officials in Afghanistan have grown concerned in recent weeks over the level of support provided by Afghan security forces in reconstruction efforts.
Lt.-Col. Omer Lavoie told reporters that without sufficient support from Afghan forces, the Panjwaii district has grown even more volatile for Canadian soldiers.
"The real challenge is getting sufficient numbers of both the Afghan national army and Afghan national police forces in the area to support the operations that we’re conducting," said Lavoie.
Canadian troops said they were impressed with the abilities of the Afghan security forces during NATO’s Operation Medusa, the large-scale offensive aimed at driving Taliban fighters from their strongholds in the southern part of the country.
But the Afghan forces face shortages of equipment and weapons. Manpower is also an issue for positions that are extremely dangerous and don’t pay well.
Since the Afghan mission began four years ago, 40 Canadian soldiers and one diplomat have been killed.
In a similar time span, over 800 Afghan security personnel have been killed, according to NATO figures.
Canadian soldiers said it’s difficult to know who the enemy is, as the Taliban have been known to pose as farmers and plant roadside bombs.
The insurgency hasn’t been strictly among Taliban militants, but their sympathizers as well.
Cpl. Alexander Darroch said securing the border is critical to helping Afghans police their own country.
"We’re going to have to close down the borders and get the Afghan security forces on their feet, so they can do the job and we’re just sitting back supporting them," said Darroch.
"I think they kind of pulled back. We haven’t seen them in probably about two weeks."
Gen. David Richards, NATO’s top commander in Afghanistan, told the Associated Press this week that there has been a noticeable surge in violence along the eastern border with Pakistan since that country’s government signed a so-called peace agreement in early September with Taliban allies in the Waziristan region.
Lt.-Col. Fahid Ahmadi of the Afghan army agreed that the country’s forces need to show that they can keep the peace, so "people can be convinced that we don’t allow bad guys, the enemy of Afghanistan, to come back and destroy their houses."
Establishing that presence is of critical importance in the coming weeks, according to Richards. He said Afghans are likely to switch their allegiance to resurgent Taliban militants if there are no visible improvements in people’s lives in the next six months.
