Canada's soldiers use lethal force
Commandos target Afghanistan rebels
Sat Sep 17 2005
By Stephen Thorne
OTTAWA -- Canadian special forces soldiers in southern Afghanistan have killed Taliban and al-Qaida rebels over multiple operations in recent months as they work secretly in small units, military sources say.
The modest contingent of troops from Joint Task Force 2 is an integral part of coalition efforts to stem the tide of insurgency that has risen since campaigning began for tomorrow's parliamentary elections.
JTF2 commandos have joined counterparts from the United States and some British Commonwealth countries, such as Australia, in fighting that has claimed more than 1,200 lives in six months, say the Canadian defence sources.
Authorities wouldn't -- or couldn't -- put numbers on the dead.
Some engagements are long-range; others are close-in. Some involve a degree of infiltration into enemy compounds and "behind enemy lines" -- though no lines really exist in the mountainous and desert terrain where they operate.
The commandos, some of whom speak a smattering of area dialects, often work in collaboration with locals who know the lay of the land.
Deadly games
Using specialized weapons and equipment, Canadian snipers have played their deadly cat-and-mouse games at night and in the 50-degree heat of Afghan summer days.
Many of their victims, whom the chief of defence staff recently called "murderers and scumbags," never knew what hit them, one source told The Canadian Press.
Beyond acknowledging that JTF2 is in Afghanistan, defence officials and the federal government have maintained their usual strict silence about the unit's exploits.
They plan a briefing on Tuesday in which Defence Minister Bill Graham has promised military authorities will provide a few more details about what JTF2 has been up to since it deployed to Kandahar earlier this summer.
Defence sources who spoke on condition of anonymity confirmed that the highly trained commandos are bringing their full repertoire to bear in Afghanistan.
Canadian special forces have maintained an almost-constant presence in Afghanistan since Ottawa first sent troops to the former terrorist haven in early 2002.
-- Canadian Press
Commandos target Afghanistan rebels
Sat Sep 17 2005
By Stephen Thorne
OTTAWA -- Canadian special forces soldiers in southern Afghanistan have killed Taliban and al-Qaida rebels over multiple operations in recent months as they work secretly in small units, military sources say.
The modest contingent of troops from Joint Task Force 2 is an integral part of coalition efforts to stem the tide of insurgency that has risen since campaigning began for tomorrow's parliamentary elections.
JTF2 commandos have joined counterparts from the United States and some British Commonwealth countries, such as Australia, in fighting that has claimed more than 1,200 lives in six months, say the Canadian defence sources.
Authorities wouldn't -- or couldn't -- put numbers on the dead.
Some engagements are long-range; others are close-in. Some involve a degree of infiltration into enemy compounds and "behind enemy lines" -- though no lines really exist in the mountainous and desert terrain where they operate.
The commandos, some of whom speak a smattering of area dialects, often work in collaboration with locals who know the lay of the land.
Deadly games
Using specialized weapons and equipment, Canadian snipers have played their deadly cat-and-mouse games at night and in the 50-degree heat of Afghan summer days.
Many of their victims, whom the chief of defence staff recently called "murderers and scumbags," never knew what hit them, one source told The Canadian Press.
Beyond acknowledging that JTF2 is in Afghanistan, defence officials and the federal government have maintained their usual strict silence about the unit's exploits.
They plan a briefing on Tuesday in which Defence Minister Bill Graham has promised military authorities will provide a few more details about what JTF2 has been up to since it deployed to Kandahar earlier this summer.
Defence sources who spoke on condition of anonymity confirmed that the highly trained commandos are bringing their full repertoire to bear in Afghanistan.
Canadian special forces have maintained an almost-constant presence in Afghanistan since Ottawa first sent troops to the former terrorist haven in early 2002.
-- Canadian Press
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