NATIONAL NEWS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY / SOMMAIRE DES NOUVELLES NATIONALES
ADM(PA) / SMA(AP)
August 4, 2009 / le 4 août 2009
MINISTER / LE MINISTRE
Repatriation Ceremony Planned For Slain Soldiers
Defence Minister Peter MacKay and CDS Gen Walt Natynczk are expected to attend a repatriation
ceremony today at CFB Trenton in honour of Sapper Matthieu Allard and Cpl Christian Bobbitt who
were killed Saturday by a roadside bomb (P. Yutangco: TStar A07).
CDS / CEM
No related coverage. / Aucune couverture pertinente.
CANADA IN AFGHANISTAN / LE CANADA EN AFGHANISTAN
Repatriation Ceremony Planned For Slain Soldiers
Sapper Matthieu Allard, a 21-year-old member of the 5th Combat Engineers Regiment, died alongside
Cpl Christian Bobbitt in a roadside bombing on Saturday. Sapper Allard's identity had initially been
withheld through the weekend so his father could be notified. BGen Jonathan Vance, commander of Task
Force Kandahar, described Sapper Allard as a shy young man who nonetheless always volunteered to
serve. The bodies of Sapper Allard and Cpl Bobbitt are scheduled to arrive this afternoon at CFB Trenton
(L. Perreaux & O. El Akkad: G&M A11; P. Yutangco: TStar A07; M. Fisher: Gaz A9, Ctz A3, NP A6,
WStar C3, RLP B6, EJ A9, CH A3, VProv A18, VTC A9; M. Fisher & S. Sharafyar: VSun B1; D.
Moore: HS A7, LFP B4, OSun 11, TSun 18, WSun 11, CSun 12, ESun 24, HCH B2, CG B8).
Geneva Bobbitt, the aunt of recently slain Canadian soldier Cpl Christian Bobbitt, told reporters
that her nephew went to Afghanistan determined to help civilians, but it was not long before the young
soldier’s idealism ran up against harsh reality. A couple of hours before Cpl Bobbitt died, Ms. Bobbitt
says her nephew sent messages home “to thank the good Lord” for allowing him to get through some
close calls after a bloody month. Ms. Bobbitt said that thoughts of helping Afghans had long since shifted
to hope of survival (L. Perreaux & O. El Akkad: HCH B2).
Columnist Mercedes Stephenson: Combat engineers are the unsung heroes of the war in
Afghanistan and on Saturday we lost two of Canada's finest. Cpl Christian Bobbitt and Sapper Matthieu
Allard, both of the Fifth Combat Engineer Regiment serving with the Second Battalion, Royal 22e
Regiment Battle Group. We must not only grieve. We must remember their fellow engineers who, at this
very moment, are on the roads of Kandahar, walking slowly toward armed monsters, quietly calculating
how they can render the IEDs harmless to fellow soldiers and the little Afghan girl watching from the side
of the road (NP A10).
Identification du 2e soldat tué
Le sapeur Matthieu Allard, identifié lundi comme étant l'autre militaire canadien tué par un engin explosif
dans le cadre de la mission en Afghanistan, samedi, a laissé le souvenir d'un jeune homme plein de bonté,
qui avait demandé conseil à sa famille avant de joindre les Forces armées canadiennes. Le soldat de 21
ans, basé à la garnison Valcartier, près de Québec, a péri en même temps que son collègue du 5e régiment
de génie de combat, le caporal Christian Bobbitt, âgé de 23 ans. Les autorités militaires ont mis plus de
temps à révéler son identité car sa famille devait d'abord être avisée de la tragédie survenue dans le
district de Zhari, à l'ouest de Kandahar (Qt 14, Dr 13, Dv A3, Sol 4, Pr A9).
Canadian Improvement Efforts At Kandahar Prison
Corrections Canada staff have been mentoring the staff at Sarposa prison in Kandahar City since 2007
Ongoing construction projects at Sarposa were planned and are being monitored by the Canadian Forces
Specialist Engineering Team. Ken Lewis, the representative of Canada in Kandahar, cited the prison as
one of Canada’s successes in Kandahar province. According to Mr. Lewis, Canada’s role is to help
Afghans develop the infrastructure and expertise to guide their country into the future “without telling the
Afghans what laws they should have, within reason” (D. Moore: LFP B4, HCH B2).
Foreign Policy & The National Interest
A number of analysts and former senior diplomats are saying that Prime Minister Harper's approach to
foreign policy, at times appearing more designed to win support among minority groups in Canada than to
court support abroad, could jeopardize Canada's national interests. Paul Heinbecker, a former Canadian
ambassador to the UN, was quoted as saying: “The attempt to win over minority groups (is) a very active
policy, and it is one that is legitimate enough so long as it does not start to hamper our international
relations and affect our national interests.” Canadian military historian David Bercuson asserts Canada's
frequent criticisms of Russia on human rights, on its treatment of its neighbours, and on Arctic
sovereignty could impair Canada's efforts in Afghanistan. Professor Bercuson, director of the University
of Calgary’s Centre for Military and Strategic Studies, was quoted as saying: “At some point, we need to
let it go," in reference to Mr. Harper's Cold War-style rhetoric directed at the Kremlin. Canada and its
allies in Afghanistan rely on Russian goodwill and assistance to get equipment and supplies crucial in
fighting the Taliban and al-Qaida (P. O’Neil: VSun A9).
New NATO Secretary-General Supports Dialogue With Taliban
Anders Fogh Rasmussen became NATO Secretary-General on Monday, pledging to prevent Afghanistan
from once more becoming the hub of international terrorism. Mr. Rasmussen, who has a four-year term in
office, said that the long-term goal was to “move forward concretely and visibly with transferring lead
security responsibility in Afghanistan to the Afghans.” The 56-year-old former Danish prime minister
also said that he would support dialogue with moderates within the Taliban (P. Siuberski: G&M A11).
Pin Ups For Troops
Two years ago, Jennifer Merriam teamed up with Donna and Bryce Giroux to launch “Pin Ups for
Troops”, an idea adapted from a Facebook project started by a woman in Alberta. The trio thought many
soldiers would not have access to the social networking site, so they created postcard-size photos that
resemble pinup pictures popular in the Second World War. The group has shipped more than 3,000
postcards to troops in Afghanistan (J. Miner: LFP A4, KWS 9).
IEDs: Comment
Dene Moore (analysis): Improvised explosive device. A decade ago, the words had no place in the
common Canadian lexicon. But since 2002, when Canada first joined the international coalition at war
with the Taliban in Afghanistan, 67 of the 127 Canadian soldiers who have died there have been killed by
IEDs. Military officials have estimated that 60% of IEDs are located and defused before they have a
chance to kill or maim soldiers or civilians, yet the number of IED incidents in Afghanistan has increased
three-fold in the past two years, according to June statistics from the Joint Improvised Explosive Device
Defeat Organization in Washington, D.C. And the number of attacks could well reach new heights this
month, as presidential and provincial council elections near (LFP B1, KWS 12, ESun 24, HCH B2).
Dene Moore (analysis) : Alors que les engins explosifs improvisés (EEI) n'étaient pratiquement
connus que des militaires il y a dix ans, leur nom fait désormais partie du lexique des Canadiens. Depuis
que le Canada s'est joint à la coalition internationale dans la guerre contre les talibans d'Afghanistan, en
2002, 67 des 127 soldats canadiens qui ont perdu la vie dans la mission ont été tués par des EEI. Le
sapeur Matthieu Allard, 21 ans, et le caporal Christian Bobbitt, 23 ans, du 5e Régiment du génie de
combat basé à Valcartier, au Québec, ont été les dernières victimes du conflit. Ils ont été tués samedi par
l'explosion d'une bombe artisanale. Même si les EEI étaient connus des Forces canadiennes avant qu'elles
fassent autant de morts en Afghanistan, la phase d'apprentissage pour y faire face a tout de même été
ardue (Dv A4).
Technology & Rural Afghanistan: Comment
Trooper Cory Rogers, member of the Lord Strathcona’s Horse tank squadron in Afghanistan, in an op-ed:
Being based out here in what is more or less a rural part of southern Afghanistan sometimes feels like I
have gone back in time. The combination of war and the limited natural resources seems to have kept this
country in the mid-Dark Ages. I certainly credit the Afghan people with making do with what little they
have, their building materials limited to mud and sticks, along with simple farming equipment such as
scythe and spade. Although technological progress in rural Afghanistan appears to be at a standstill, the
way in which the people live is a proven and successful way of life. It will no doubt be passed on for
generations to come, no matter the century or world around them (EJ A3).
OTHERS / AUTRES
Federal Funding For The Canadian Forces: Comment
Columnist Nigel Hannaford: Just when things were starting to look tight for the Canadian Forces, the
federal government has come to the rescue with several large funding announcements. A billion dollar
vehicle replacement and refurbishment program to fix up or buy new LAV, novel approaches to personnel
and, above all, money will make the difference. The Conservative government deserves some preliminary
applause for at least moving things in the right direction. And, the priority attached to getting the army
back on eight wheels is far-sighted. It means Canada will have an option it presently does not. The
extension of its mission to Afghanistan beyond 2011, something Parliament may well wish to consider
closer to the time, for all manner of good and sufficient reasons (CH A10).
Section: News
Byline: Precious Yutangco
Outlet: The Toronto Star
Headline: Close friends in life, slain soldiers make their final journey together
Illustrations:
 Sapper Matthieu Allard, killed Saturday by roadside bomb.
Page: A07
Date: Tuesday 04 August 2009
Source: Toronto Star; With files from The Canadian Press
The bodies of two fallen Canadian soldiers are to make the now- familiar trek down the Highway of
Heroes from CFB Trenton to a Toronto coroner's office this afternoon.
Sapper Matthieu Allard, 21, and Cpl. Christian Bobbitt, 23, who were based in Valcartier, Que., were
killed Saturday by a roadside bomb in Zhari district, west of Kandahar city.
The two combat engineers with the 2nd Battalion of the Royal 22nd Regiment had dismounted from their
vehicle to secure the area after an initial blast, when another improvised explosive device detonated,
Brig.-Gen Jonathan Vance said.
Another soldier was seriously injured but is in stable condition in hospital.
Maj. Yannick Pepin, commander of the 51 Field Engineering squadron, said Allard and Bobbitt were
good friends.
"They were always together," he said Sunday after a ramp ceremony honouring the men at the NATO air
base in Kandahar.
He described Allard as a hard-working team leader.
"If you didn't say stop, he'd always continue working."
Combat engineers are on the forefront of the deadliest aspect of the war in Afghanistan - clearing roads of
deadly improvised bombs.
"The roads in Kandahar are heavily travelled by Afghans and soldiers like Christian and Matthieu work
tirelessly under extremely hazardous conditions to try and prevent restrictions to the freedom of
movement of Afghans, so that they can begin to live more normal lives," Vance said.
Soldiers disrupted two bomb-making factories the same day Allard and Bobbitt died, Vance said.
"I assure you that hundreds of thousands of Kandahar citizens are deeply grateful for the work of soldiers
like Christian and Matthieu."
The repatriation ceremony begins at 2 p.m. at CFB Trenton.
Expected at the service will be Governor General Michaelle Jean, Defence Minister Peter MacKay and
Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Walt Natynczk.
Back to Top
Section: International News
Outlet: The Globe And Mail
Byline: LES PERREAUX AND OMAR EL AKKAD
Headline: Young soldier had mature approach
Page: A11
Date: Tuesday 04 August 2009
He was one of the younger soldiers to die in Afghanistan, but his family says Sapper Matthieu Allard
approached the decision to join the army and the Afghan mission with maturity and determination.
The 21-year-old member of the 5th Combat Engineers Regiment died alongside his friend, Corporal
Christian Bobbitt, in a roadside bombing on Saturday.
Both men worked to clear mines and booby traps in Afghanistan.
Sapper Allard's identity was withheld through the weekend so his father, René, who was working in
Mexico, could be notified and return home.
Sapper Allard grew up in Val d'Or, a mine and forestry town in Northern Quebec, where his father works
in the mining industry.
His family, which includes two younger brothers and his mother, Christine, supported his decision to join
the army on March 29, 2007, after he had completed school, his aunt, Therèse Allard, said.
``It's what he loved to do, it's what he wanted to do,'' she said.
``He consulted his father, his grandmother, but he's the one who decided. He made his choice, nobody
pushed him.''
Janine Rivard-Allard, the soldier's grandmother, said they had a quiet chat before he decided to go to
Afghanistan.
She suggested to him that he should make sure he believed in the mission before signing up.
``This is incredibly difficult to go through now, I'll tell you,'' Ms. Rivard-Allard said.
Therèse Allard said her family has a long history of military service, including in the two world wars.
Cpl. Bobbitt and Sapper Allard landed in Kandahar in March, part of the 2nd Battalion, Royal 22nd
Regiment - known as the Vandoos - currently serving in southern Afghanistan.
They are the 127th and 128th Canadian casualties in Afghanistan since 2002.
Sapper Allard was a shy young man, who nonetheless always volunteered to serve, Task Force Kandahar
Commander, Brigadier-General Jonathan Vance, said.
The commander said the soldier was very proud of his military team and took the worst situations in
stride, raising his colleagues' spirits in the process.
Major Yannick Pépin, Commander of the 51st Field Engineer Squadron, described Sapper Allard as a
team leader - someone who seemed never to stop working.
Sapper Allard and Cpl. Bobbitt were inseparable, he said.
The bodies of the two men are scheduled to arrive this afternoon at Canadian Forces Base Trenton in
Ontario.
The two soldiers were riding in a military convoy when they hit an improvised explosive device.
The first IED did not kill or injure any soldiers. But when the men stepped out of their vehicles after the
blast to inspect the area for damage and further threats, a second explosive was detonated, killing them
and seriously wounding a third soldier.
Back to Top
Section: News
Byline: MATTHEW FISHER
Outlet: Montreal Gazette
Headline: Soldier 'gave his all'; Forces name second casualty
Illustrations:
 Colour Photo: DND / Sapper Matthieu Allard, 21, was killed on Saturday.
Page: A9
Date: Tuesday 04 August 2009
Source: Canwest News Service
Dateline: KANDAHAR, Afghanistan
Sapper Matthieu Allard, 21, was named yesterday as the second Canadian soldier killed by an improvised
explosive device on Saturday.
Allard and his close friend, Cpl. Christian Bobbitt, 23, died when they got off their armoured vehicle to
examine damage to another vehicle in their resupply convoy that had been hit by another IED.
Bobbitt's name was released by the Canadian Forces on Sunday, but Allard's family had asked the
military to delay releasing his name until a close relative could be informed of his death.
After a solemn ramp ceremony before several thousand coalition soldiers on Sunday, their flag-draped
caskets were slowly marched onto a military transport to begin the long journey back to Canada.
The two combat engineers were killed in Senjaray, a village about 30 kilometres west of Kandahar City
with a heavy Taliban presence. Both men served with the 5th Combat Engineers Regiment from
Valcartier. It is attached to the 2nd Battalion, Royal 22e Régiment battle group, which is now into the
fifth month of a six-month tour of duty in Afghanistan.
A third Canadian soldier was injured in Saturday's incident and was listed in stable condition at the
Canadian-led NATO hospital at the Kandahar Airfield.
Brig-Gen. Jonathan Vance, the Canadian contingent commander, said Allard was "proud to be a member
of the gang and gave his all to his work, which was always well done." Despite his "shy nature, he did not
hesitate to take the lead in important situations," and did so with a touch of humour to help raise morale,
the general said.
Back to Top
Section: Canada & World
Byline: Matthew Fisher, Sharafuddin Sharafyar
Outlet: Vancouver Sun
Headline: Taliban violence surges ahead of election; Roadside bomb claims 12 lives; two Canadians
among nine soldiers killed over three days
Illustrations:
 Colour Photo: Bruce Weaver, AFP
 Getty Images / An Afghan policeman chases a boy away from U.S. Army armoured vehicles during a
pause in an attackby militants in Afghanistan's Kunar province Monday. Children rushed between the
vehicles during the break in gunfire so they could recover used brass ammunition casings to be sold later.
Page: B1 / FRONT
Date: Tuesday 04 August 2009
Source: Canwest News Service; Reuters
Dateline: HERAT, Afghanistan
A Taliban roadside bomb killed at least 12 people Monday in a key commercial city in western
Afghanistan, officials said, amid worsening security before a presidential poll this month.
The remote-controlled device may have been aimed at a local police chief but killed mainly passersby
when it exploded during rush hour near a blood bank in Herat, a relatively peaceful city near the Iranian
border.
Violence has escalated ahead of the Aug. 20 presidential poll that is seen as a key test of Western-led
efforts to stabilize Afghanistan.
Nine soldiers, including six Americans, were killed in the south and east, where the Taliban is strongest,
in the last three days.
The weekend toll included two Canadians who perished in an attack Saturday.
Sapper Matthieu Allard, 21, was named Monday as the second Canadian soldier killed by an improvised
explosive device on Saturday.
Allard and his close friend, Cpl. Christian Bobbitt, 23, died when they got off their armoured vehicle to
examine damage to another vehicle in their resupply convoy that had been hit by another IED.
The two combat engineers were killed in Senjaray, a village about 30 kilometres west of Kandahar City
with a heavy Taliban presence. Both men served with the 5th Combat Engineers Regiment from
Valcartier, Que. It is attached to the 2nd Battalion, Royal 22nd Regiment, the Van Doos, which is now
into the fifth month of a six-month tour of duty in Afghanistan.
A third Canadian soldier was injured in Saturday's incident and was listed in stable condition at the
Canadian-led NATO hospital at the Kandahar Airfield.
The engineers' boss, Maj. Yannick Pepin, praised both men for saving Afghan lives through their vital
work defusing IEDs. Allard's work ethic was widely admired.
"You have to tell him to stop working or he'd keep going," Pepin said.
Although they do one of the most dangerous jobs in the world, and despite the loss "of two great guys,"
Pepin said "morale is still high" among Canada's combat engineers in Kandahar.
Bobbitt and Allard were the 10th and 11th Canadians to have died since the Van Doos took over from an
Ontario-based Royal Canadian Regiment battle group this spring.
Their deaths bring to 127 the number of Canadian soldiers killed in Afghanistan.
NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, who took over Saturday, said he wanted
Afghanistan's own forces to play a greater role in providing security over the next four years.
"I believe that during my term as NATO secretary-general, Afghans must take over lead responsibility for
security in most of their country," he told a news conference in Brussels.
The Taliban have vowed to disrupt the election and have called on Afghans to boycott the ballot, the
second direct presidential poll since the Islamists were toppled in 2001.
In Ghazni province, a Taliban stronghold southeast of the capital, insurgents have posted notices in
mosques and to walls, warning people to stay at home a day before the poll.
Attacks across Afghanistan this year had already reached their worst level since 2001. They escalated
further after U.S. Marines launched a major operation in southern Helmand province last month.
Civilians are also dying at record rates. The United Nations said last week 1,013 civilians had been killed
between January and June this year, up from 818 in the same period last year.
The coming presidential poll is seen as a test for Obama's new strategy, as well as Kabul's ability to stage
a legitimate and credible poll.
Back to Top
Section: Canada/World
Byline: Dene Moore
Outlet: The Hamilton Spectator
Headline: IED blast claims Canadian soldiers; Allard, Bobbitt were combat engineers
Illustrations:
 Photo: Department of National Defence / Sapper Matthieu Allard: deployed to Afghanistan four
months ago.
 Photo: Department of National Defence / Corporal Christian Bobbitt: killed by second roadside
explosion.
Page: A7
Date: Tuesday 04 August 2009
Source: The Canadian Press
Dateline: KANDAHAR
Sapper Matthieu Allard, identified as the second soldier killed in an explosion in Afghanistan, was
remembered as a kind young man who sought his family's advice on joining the army.
Canadian military officials identified Allard, 21, of the 5th Combat Engineers Regiment, yesterday after
his next of kin were notified of his death.
Allard was killed Saturday alongside his friend, Corporal Christian Bobbitt, in a roadside bomb attack in
the Zhari district, west of Kandahar.
Bobbitt's name was released Sunday, but Allard's was withheld while military officials contacted his next
of kin.
Allard's father, René, works in Mexico and got the sad news there.
Thérèse Allard, the soldier's aunt, said he consulted his father and grandmother about his decision to join
the army and go to Afghanistan.
"He asked for advice," said his aunt from Val-d'Or, Que., where Allard was born and raised.
"He was told: 'It's your life's choice. We can't be against that. It's what you want.'"
The young soldier was very close to his grandmother, Janine Rivard, who said she spoke with him for the
last time a week ago.
He told her he was still carrying in his pocket the Virgin Mary statuette she had given him for protection
when he entered the army.
Allard enrolled in March 29, 2007, and deployed to Afghanistan four months ago.
Allard and Bobbitt, both combat engineers, were in Afghanistan with the 2nd Batallion of the Royal 22nd
Regiment, based in Valcartier, Que.
They had dismounted from their vehicle to secure the area after an initial blast near the town of Senjaray,
when they were killed by a second explosion.
Brigadier-General Jonathan Vance, commander of Task Force Kandahar, said Allard was a leader among
his squad, who used his humour to keep up their morale.
Major Yannick Pepin, commander of the 51 Field Engineering squadron, said Allard and Bobbitt, 23,
were good friends.
"They were always together," he said after a ramp ceremony honouring the men at the NATO airbase in
Kandahar.
He described Allard as a hard-working team leader.
"If you didn't say stop, he'd always continue working.
"The loss of these two is very difficult," Pepin said, but the work will continue.
Their remains are scheduled to arrive back in Canada today. A 2 p.m. repatriation ceremony is planned at
CFB Trenton.
Back to Top
Section: Canada
Outlet: The Chronicle-Herald
Illustrations:
 Cpl. Christian Bobbitt, 23
Headline: "He went to help, but he didn't find what he expected'
Page: B2
Date: Tuesday 04 August 2009
TORONTO (CP) - Christian Bobbitt went to Afghanistan determined to help civilians, but an aunt says it
wasn't long before the young soldier's idealism ran up against harsh reality.
Geneva Bobbitt says her nephew sent messages home "to thank the good Lord" for allowing him to get
through some close calls after a bloody month.
The messages were sent just hours before the young Quebecer and another Canadian soldier were killed
by a roadside bomb on Saturday. Bobbitt's aunt says his thoughts of helping Afghans had long since
shifted to hope of survival.
"I'm pretty sure he would have come home, given the chance," she told the Globe and Mail. "He went to
help, but he didn't find what he expected when he got there. They never tell us everything, of course, but
you can't imagine what it must be like to see your friends getting blown up."
The 23-year-old soldier vividly described the oppressive heat while wearing heavy equipment, but he
wasn't one to complain, his aunt said.
"He was always very calm, he was not one to whine if he had a problem," she said.
The soldier joined the military out of school at 19. In his hometown of Sept-Iles, Que., he was
remembered as a young man full of life who was devoted to family.
He is survived by his spouse, Felicia, his brother, Jonathan, and his parents, Liane and Yvan.
Back to Top
Section: Editorial
Byline: Mercedes Stephenson
Outlet: National Post
Headline: Giving thanks to our combat engineers
Illustrations:
 Black & White Photo: Peter Andrews, Reuters / Canadian soldiers from the First Combat Engineer
Regiment check for explosives in Afghanistan's Arghandab district.
Page: A10
Date: Tuesday 04 August 2009
Source: Special to the National Post
It is not right that in the ongoing war against global terrorism we hear so much about the vicious monsters
that kill and maim our troops -- the notorious Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs)--and so little about
the heroic men and women who risk their lives daily neutralizing and removing IEDs. These brave souls
have saved the lives of countless soldiers and Afghan civilians.
They are combat engineers, the unsung heroes of the war in Afghanistan, and on Saturday we lost two of
Canada's finest: Corporal Christian Bobbitt and Sapper Matthieu Allard, both of the Fifth Combat
Engineer Regiment serving with the Second Battalion, Royal 22e Regiment Battle Group.
Corporal Bobbitt and Sapper Allard were carrying out duties vital to the Afghan mission. They were
killed by the second of two IED strikes on their convoy, after they had dismounted their vehicle to
investigate the first explosion. Multiple IED attacks are increasingly common, as the Taliban seeks ways
to compensate for the challenge posed by Canada's armoured vehicles.
The engineers were accompanying the convoy on a resupply mission through the Zhari district, a
dangerous part of Kandahar that stretches from just south of the main highway to the Arghandab River.
Zhari is known for its difficult terrain, both human and physical; it is infested with insurgents, like the
neighbouring Panjwaii, considered to be the birthplace of the Taliban movement.
In Zhari, the Taliban lay IEDs on the road daily, then melt into the lush grape fields and back into the
population. This makes it difficult for soldiers to protect themselves or separate aggressors from civilians.
It is standard protocol to assign combat engineers to accompany convoys and patrols in Afghanistan, so as
to help deal with the inevitable IEDs. Combat engineers dismantle, remove and destroy IEDs; without
them and their abilities, most convoys would find themselves at a standstill, the soldiers at a very high
risk for injuries and death, when confronted by the IEDs they come across almost every time they venture
on to the roads. Any convoy travelling through Zhari would have been especially in need of the engineers'
skills.
Corporal Bobbitt and Sapper Allard would have been travelling with the resupply convoy to help protect
it against IEDs, neutralizing and removing any they detected along the path. In the case of an IED strike,
as was the case on Saturday, it would be Allard and Bobbitt who would move forward to investigate the
blast, determine whether or not it was safe to approach the affected vehicle and hunt for and disable
additional bombs.
In carrying out their duties and protecting their fellow soldiers, combat engineers expose themselves to
extraordinary danger. IEDs are the number-one killer of Canadians in Afghanistan, accounting for over
half of all of our casualties there. Soldiers often joke that only two kinds of people will run toward the
sound of gunfire-- soldiers and journalists -- but even soldiers tend to back away from IEDs. Combat
engineers, along with specialist-trained explosive ordinance disposal personnel, are the exception -- they
actually approach the IEDs and will, in many cases, disarm them with their own hands.
Combat engineers do not walk into this danger unknowingly. They are highly trained, with nimble fingers
that would make any jewel thief green with envy, nerves of steel and a sophisticated understanding of
explosives. Their acceptance of the risks they take makes their courage that much more admirable.
In Afghanistan, counter-IED efforts are a tough battle, but significant progress has been made. While the
number of IEDs in Afghanistan has more than doubled in the last year, Canadian casualties have not --in
large part thanks to the work of the engineers. More Afghan civilians than ever are reporting IEDs to the
Canadians, who are in turn finding, dismantling and destroying far more IEDs than they hit.
Unfortunately, we tend to only hear about the efforts of these fine soldiers when they are killed.
Brigadier General Vance, Commander of the Joint Task Force in Afghanistan, credits Bobbitt and Allard
with being part of a group responsible for diffusing half of the IEDs on Kandahar's roads in the month of
July, a phenomenal accomplishment that doubtlessly saved many lives, but ultimately cost them their
own.
Two grateful nations thank them. But we must not only grieve: We must remember their fellow engineers
who, at this very moment, are on the roads of Kandahar, walking slowly toward armed monsters, quietly
calculating how they can render the IEDs harmless to fellow soldiers and the little Afghan girl watching
from the side of the road.
Back to Top
Section: Actualités
Outlet: Le Quotidien
Illustrations:
 Le soldat Christian Bobbitt était âgé de 23 ans. (Photo PC)
 Le sapeur Matthieu Allard était originaire de Val-d'Or. (Photo PC)
Headline: Matthieu Allard : la fierté d'une famille
Page: 14
Date: Tuesday 04 August 2009
Dateline: KANDAHAR
Source: Presse Canadienne
Le sapeur Matthieu Allard, identifié lundi comme étant l'autre militaire canadien tué par un engin explosif
dans le cadre de la mission en Afghanistan, samedi, a laissé le souvenir d'un jeune homme plein de bonté,
qui avait demandé conseil à sa famille avant de joindre les Forces armées canadiennes.
Le soldat de 21 ans, basé à la garnison Valcartier, près de Québec, a péri en même temps que son collègue
du 5e régiment de génie de combat, le caporal Christian Bobbitt, âgé de 23 ans. Les autorités militaires
ont mis plus de temps à révéler son identité car sa famille devait d'abord être avisée de la tragédie
survenue dans le district de Zhari, à l'ouest de Kandahar.
Christian Bobbitt et Matthieu Allard ont été tués par l'explosion d'une mine artisanale. Un troisième
soldat, sérieusement blessé, a été transporté à l'hôpital où son état était jugé stable, aux dernières
nouvelles. Les corps des deux victimes devaient rentrer au pays mardi.
Le père de Matthieu Allard, René, se trouvait au Mexique, où il travaille, lorsqu'il a appris la triste
nouvelle selon un membre de la famille.
Thérèse Allard, la tante de Matthieu, a confié que les membres de sa famille étaient fiers de lui. Ils ont
appuyé sa décision de joindre les forces armées et de prendre la route de l'Afghanistan.
"Il était un garçon très poli et très gentil", a-t-elle affirmé lors d'une entrevue téléphonique de Val-d'Or, où
est né et a grandi le jeune homme.
"Il a demandé conseil", a-t-elle ajouté, précisant qu'il s'était tourné vers son père et sa grand-mère. "Ils lui
ont dit qu'il s'agissait d'un choix de vie, que c'était son désir et qu'ils ne pouvaient s'y opposer."
Sa grand-mère, Janine Rivard, lui a parlé pour la dernière fois il y a une semaine. Matthieu lui a
notamment confié avoir gardé dans sa poche la petite statue de la Vierge Marie qu'elle lui avait donnée en
guise de protection lorsqu'il a joint l'armée.
"J'ai dit à Matthieu : "Je prie tout le temps pour toi, tous les jours. Je ne t'oublie pas, c'est certain", a relaté
Mme Rivard.
Matthieu Allard s'est enrôlé dans l'armée le 29 mars 2007 et a été déployé en Afghanistan en avril 2009.
Les deux hommes étaient en Afghanistan avec le 2e bataillon du Royal 22e régiment de Valcartier.
Les deux militaires venaient de descendre de leur véhicule pour s'assurer de la sécurité des lieux à la suite
d'une première explosion, près du village de Senjaray, lorsqu'ils ont été tués par une deuxième explosion.
Le brigadier-général Jonathan Vance a indiqué que Matthieu Allard était un leader dans son escadron,
reconnu pour sa capacité à soutenir le moral des troupes avec son humour.
Le major Yannick Pépin, commandant du 51e escadron de génie de combat, a expliqué qu'Allard et
Bobbitt étaient de grands amis.
"Ils étaient toujours ensemble", a noté le major Pépin, après une cérémonie d'adieux réservée aux deux
hommes à la base aérienne de l'OTAN à Kandahar.
Aussi, selon le major Pépin, il était un travailleur infatigable, doté de qualités de leader.
"Si on ne lui disait pas de s'arrêter, il continuait de travailler.Les pertes de ces deux hommes sont
difficiles à encaisser, mais la mission va se poursuivre", a ajouté le major Pépin.
Les ingénieurs de combat sont aux avant-postes du front le plus meurtrier de la guerre afghane, leur tâche
étant de déblayer les routes d'engins explosifs.
"Je vous assure que des centaines de milliers de citoyens de Kandahar sont profondément reconnaissants
du travail effectué par des soldats comme Christian et Matthieu", a souligné le brigadier-général.
Celui-ci a aussi fait remarquer que les deux hommes avaient été impliqués dans le désamorçage d'environ
la moitié des bombes artisanales découvertes le mois dernier à Kandahar, sauvant des dizaines de vies
innocentes en juillet seulement.
Matthieu Allard laisse dans le deuil ses parents, René et Christine, et ses deux frères cadets, Pierre et
Yves.
Depuis le début de la mission du Canada en Afghanistan, en 2002, 127 militaires canadiens ont péri.
Back to Top
Section: News
Lead: The sound of heavy equipment echoes in the courtyard outside Sarposa prison in Kandahar city.
Headline: Archaic Kandahar prison slowly reaches minimum standards
Page: B4
Byline: BY DENE MOORE, THE CP
Outlet: The London Free Press
Illustrations:
 photo by Dene Moore, The CP A prisoner leans against the entrance to the wing where political
prisoners are kept at Sarposaprison in Kandahar city. Canada has undertaken massive renovations and
mentoring at the prison, where Taliban attackers detonated two truck bombs last summer and freed more
than 1,000 prisoners.
Date: Tuesday 04 August 2009
Dateline: KANDAHAR, AFGHANISTAN
The sound of heavy equipment echoes in the courtyard outside Sarposa prison in Kandahar city.
Inside, Corrections Canada officer Gail Latouche visits some of the men and women who are inmates at
the notorious Afghan prison and tells eager guards that uniforms are on order.
Latouche, a guard at Stony Mountain Institution in Manitoba, has been in Kandahar since January, and
her Afghan colleagues seem pleased to see her on this unannounced visit.
Just over a year ago, insurgents stormed the prison in one of the most brazen and successful attacks ever
launched in Kandahar. They freed more than 1,000 inmates, including an estimated 400 Taliban, and
killed at least a dozen guards.
Corrections Canada staff, who have been mentoring the Sarposa staff since 2007, had warned previously
that the perimeter was insecure. There were holes in the outer wall and no lights shining either inside or
outside the prison yard.
Inside, guards checked on inmates by candlelight, the walls were damp and crumbling, inmates slept on
the floor in filthy clothing, and there were no proper washrooms in the women's section, where inmates
lived with their children.
Some of the female inmates were there for disobeying their husbands or fathers. Afghan women have
likely spent time behind Sarposa's bars for being the victims of rape.
Despite early warnings and available development dollars, however, there was precious little political will
to invest in an archaic, almost medieval justice system half a world away. In a country with only a
handful of trained judges, justice has largely been the domain of tribal leaders and mullahs. There have
also been allegations of torture of political prisoners.
Within days of the prison break, the Government of Canada announced an additional $4 million for the
reconstruction of Sarposa prison, up to $2 million of it for repairs.
There are seven projects underway, ranging from the installation of permanent lighting in the prison yard,
to improvements to the juvenile wing and administrative offices. Other work is already complete,
including renovations to the women's ward and improvements to a vocational training area. The areas
where criminal and political prisoners are next. Construction is planned and monitored by the Canadian
Forces Specialist Engineering Team.
During her recent visit, Latouche handed over bags of clothing for the poorer of prisoners. "They're pretty
much at the mercy of their family, if they have any," she said.
While certainly not up to North American standards, the prison has recently been recognized as meeting
minimum standards of the United Nations.
Back to Top
Section: Issues & Ideas
Byline: Peter O'Neil
Outlet: Vancouver Sun
Headline: Diaspora politics; The PM's tendency to base foreign policy on domestic minority voting blocs
is risky, critics say
Illustrations:
 Photo: Ward Perrin, Vancouver Sun files / Prime Minister Stephen Harper has pushed criticism of both
China and Russia consistently during his term.
Page: A9
Date: Tuesday 04 August 2009
Source: Canwest News Service
Prime Minister Stephen Harper's feather-ruffling approach to foreign policy -- at times appearing more
designed to win support among minority groups in Canada than to court support abroad -- could
jeopardize Canada's national interests, say analysts and former senior diplomats.
Russia, China, Turkey, Greece, Israel's critics in the Muslim world and most recently Iran have each felt
the bite of Conservative criticism since 2006, particularly in the touchy area of human rights.
It is all part of a growing -- and some say risky -- political competition by all parties to win key
battlegrounds in Canada's cosmopolitan big cities, which become increasingly more diverse as a quarter
of a million immigrants and refugees arrive in Canada each year.
"The attempt to win over minority groups [is] a very active policy, and it's one that is legitimate enough
so long as it doesn't start to hamper our international relations and affect our national interests," says Paul
Heinbecker, Canada's former ambassador to the United Nations.
Canadian military historian David Bercuson says Canada's frequent criticisms of Russia on human rights,
on its treatment of its neighbours, and on Arctic sovereignty -- criticisms popular among politically
important Canadian ethnic groups according to one Ukrainian-Canadian commentator -- could impair
Canada's efforts in Afghanistan.
"At some point, we need to let it go," Bercuson, director of the University of Calgary's Centre for Military
and Strategic Studies, says of Harper's Cold War-style rhetoric directed at the Kremlin.
Canada and its allies in Afghanistan rely on Russian goodwill and assistance to get equipment and
supplies crucial in fighting the Taliban and al-Qaida.
Bercuson and Carleton University's David Carment co-edited the book, The World in Canada: Diaspora,
Demography and Domestic Politics, a 2008 collection of essays that examine the growing influence of
Canada's multicultural communities on foreign policy during eras of both Tory and Liberal rule.
Diaspora politics was also cited as a crucial factor in issues relating to domestic terrorism concerns as
well as big-city gang crime and violence. Former prime minister Paul Martin was long accused of being
too close to Canadian Tamils who helped fund the Tamil Tigers, a brutal terrorist organization that was
banned after Harper took power in 2006.
Diaspora influence on foreign aid decisions is also evident. Canada recently created a Top-20 list of
"countries of focus" for development spending. The list, which shifted spending away from Africa and
toward the Americas, included 18 countries plus the West Bank and Gaza in the Middle East, and the
various countries that are part of the so-called Caribbean Regional Program.
Among the targets were countries with large, if not always influential, Canadian diasporas -- Haiti,
Jamaica, Sudan, Pakistan and Vietnam. One of the most curious inclusions was Ukraine, the only
European country identified and a country ranked a relatively healthy 78th out of 177 countries measured
by the 2005 United Nations human development index, which assesses factors such as life expectancy,
school enrolment, literacy and income.
But Canadians of Ukrainian heritage number more than 1.2 million, according to Statistics Canada, and
are a politically important constituency particularly in Manitoba, Alberta and Ontario.
"We make foreign policy decisions based on all Canadians' interests, supporting our common values of
freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law," Catherine Loubier, spokeswoman for Foreign
Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon, wrote in an e-mailed statement.
Conservatives acknowledge they are aware criticism of Moscow resonates positively with many
Canadians of eastern European ancestry, who still have bitter memories of Russian dominance during the
Soviet Union's Communist empire. They also acknowledge that many Canadian Jews appreciate Harper's
unwavering support for Israel.
But they say current policy positions relating to Russia, eastern Europe and the Middle East would have
been taken regardless of political considerations.
The Tory government's use of foreign policy to win favour in Canada's multicultural communities was
evident in a 2007 presentation to Tory workers made by Kenney that was leaked to a Toronto newspaper.
The front page of the PowerPoint presentation showed a published declaration of Armenian-Canadian
gratitude for the decision to recognize the Turkish genocide. Kenney, according to the document, noted
that the party was seeking both to win ridings as well as to dispel ongoing Liberal arguments that the
party is anti-immigrant.
Other examples:
- The Conservatives, in addition to angering North Atlantic Treaty Organization ally Turkey over the
Armenian genocide, also upset another NATO partner, Greece, by currying favour with MacedonianCanadians after taking power in 2006. The government formally adopted early that year the motion
passed by the House of Commons in 2004 recognizing Macedonia as the "Republic of Macedonia" rather
than the "Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia" -- as it is referred to by many of Canada's allies.
- In the Middle East, critics say, Harper blew apart the attempts of previous Canadian governments to take
a balanced approach to the conflict when he said in 2006 that Israel's bombing of targets in Lebanon, in
response to Hezbollah's abduction of two Israeli soldiers, was "measured" despite the resulting civilian
deaths.
The Kenney 2007 presentation doesn't mention Israel, but said a Tory goal was to "target growth in the
Jewish community." Some Tory defenders have noted that Muslims and Arabs outnumber Jews in
Canada, which suggests that political opportunists would not be inclined to support Israel.
But the University of Western Ontario's Elizabeth Riddell-Dixon, writing in The World in Canada, argued
that the Jewish community has been "very effective in speaking with a united voice," while Arab
Canadians are more disparate and, therefore, less likely to agree on policy goals, "especially those toward
the Middle East."
Back to Top
Section: International News
Outlet: The Globe And Mail
Byline: PHILIPPE SIUBERSKI
Headline: NATO boss urges talks with Taliban
Page: A11
Date: Tuesday 04 August 2009
Anders Fogh Rasmussen took the helm of NATO yesterday with a pledge to prevent Afghanistan from
once more becoming the hub of international terrorism and to build a new strategic partnership with
Russia.
On his first day in office, the former Danish prime minister laid out his priorities at a time when NATO is
embroiled in its biggest-ever mission, and ties with Moscow are only just beginning to recover after last
year's war in Georgia.
Around 100,000 foreign troops are currently stationed in Afghanistan to counter an insurgency by the
Taliban against the government of President Hamid Karzai.
The new Secretary-General told reporters that troops serving in NATO's mission would help prevent
Afghanistan from ``becoming again a grand central station of international terrorism.''
Mr. Rasmussen took over a day after U.S. Defence Secretary Robert Gates flew to Belgium for a secret
meeting with the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, amid speculation the general may be seeking more
U.S. forces for the war.
The Defence Department said Mr. Gates met General Stanley McChrystal at a U.S. air base in Belgium
for a progress report on an assessment of the Afghan war being prepared by the commander and due later
this month.
The Taliban have stepped up attacks in the countdown to a national election on Aug. 20, their latest
bombing killing 12 people yesterday in the western city of Herat.
Seventy-five foreign soldiers were killed last month, according to the independent www.icasualties.org
website, making July the deadliest month for troops since the U.S.-led invasion in late 2001.
Mr. Rasmussen, who has a four-year term in office, said that the long-term goal was to ``move forward
concretely and visibly with transferring lead security responsibility in Afghanistan to the Afghans.''
He added: ``I believe during my term Afghans must take over lead responsibility for security in most of
their country.''
In a weekend newspaper interview, the 56-year-old diplomat also said that he would support dialogue
with moderates within the Taliban.
The new Secretary-General, who succeeds Dutch diplomat Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, also wants to defrost
relations with Russia.
Ties between Moscow and the alliance plummeted last August when Russia and NATO hopeful Georgia
briefly went to war, although the two sides agreed in June to resume political and military co-operation.
Mr. Rasmussen said that while disagreements remain with Russia, they should not be allowed to poison
ties and there were many areas of common interest.
``I believe that during my term, we should develop a true strategic partnership. We should enhance
practical co-operation in areas where we share security interests,'' he added, citing Afghanistan,
counterterrorism, piracy, and nuclear non-proliferation.
He said he regards it as ``a very important challenge to convince the Russian people and the Russian
political leadership that NATO is really not an enemy of Russia, that NATO is not directed against
Russia.''
He said the war in Georgia had ``a very negative impact'' and that ``real differences'' remain.
``But we cannot let our areas of dispute poison the whole relationship,'' he added.
Mr. Rasmussen said he has asked former U.S. secretary of state Madeleine Albright to head a committee
of experts to work out a ``new strategic concept'' for NATO.
Back to Top
Section: City & Region
Lead: The photographs of smiling women holding wrenches, rolling tires or showering with strategically
located soap suds have already made it to the front lines with Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan.
Headline: Local pinup project aims to boost military morale AFGHANISTAN: Photo shoots have been
held in London, Chatham and Kitchener
Page: A4
Byline: BY JOHN MINER
Outlet: The London Free Press
Date: Tuesday 04 August 2009
The photographs of smiling women holding wrenches, rolling tires or showering with strategically
located soap suds have already made it to the front lines with Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan.
Londoner Jennifer Merriam would like to send reinforcements.
"It is supposed to be a morale booster for them," said Merriam.
Two years ago, Merriam teamed up with Donna and Bryce Giroux to launch Pin Ups for Troops, an idea
adapted from a Facebook project started by a woman in Alberta.
The trio thought many soldiers wouldn't have access to the social networking site, so they created
postcard-size photos that resemble pinup pictures popular in the Second World War.
Photo shoots have been held in London, Chatham and Kitchener. The latest session in Kitchener was for
male models only.
"There are ladies in the troops, so we are trying to cover all the bases. We are not trying to be biased
against anybody," said Donna Giroux.
The group has shipped more than 3,000 postcards to troops in Afghanistan. They've received back photos
of soldiers with the postcards on their helmets and armoured vehicles.
To raise money so they can print and send more postcard packages, the London pinup project is holding a
burlesque show Aug. 15 at Call the Office. Seven performers have signed up.
"We are looking at a traditional-style burlesque rather than more modern burlesque. More modern
burlesque is just glorified strip-tease," said Bryce Giroux.
The group has run into criticism. Some people have said they don't want to support the war effort in
Afghanistan.
"We've made it clear that we are supporting the soldiers, who are doing their job. The military is so much
more than fighting wars. They were there for the ice storm and forest fires," Donna Giroux said.
Some people hesitate when they hear the word pinup.
"You get that questioning look. We are trying to get them to understand these are not nude pictures," said
Merriam.
Photographs from the group's work can be seen at www.myspace.com/londonpinups.
Back to Top
Section: News
Lead: Improvised explosive device.
Headline: Deadly devices now daily reality AFGHANISTAN
Page: B1
Byline: BY DENE MOORE, THE CP
Outlet: The London Free Press
Illustrations:
 2 photos Latest casualties: Sapper Matthieu Allard and Cpl. Christian Bobbitt were killed in a roadside
bomb attack west of Kandahar during the weekend.
Date: Tuesday 04 August 2009
Dateline: KANDAHAR, AFGHANISTAN
Improvised explosive device.
A decade ago, the words had no place in the common Canadian lexicon.
But since 2002, when Canada first joined the international coalition at war with the Taliban in
Afghanistan, 67 of the 127 Canadian soldiers who have died there have been killed by IEDs. Ten more
have been killed in suicide attacks or in explosions while on foot patrol.
Sapper Matthieu Allard, 21, and Cpl. Christian Bobbitt, 23, of the 5th Combat Engineers Regiment based
in Valcartier, Que., were the most recent victims. They were killed Saturday, when they were hit by a
second roadside bomb after exiting their vehicle to secure the area following an initial explosion.
While the term IED was certainly familiar within the Canadian Forces prior to the deadly toll they've
taken in Afghanistan, the learning curve has still been steep for those who face the deadly reality daily.
"We've always had a certain capability but obviously it's a larger concern since we've been in Afghanistan
so you pour more time, more effort into it," said the deputy commander of the counter-IED squadron for
Task Force Kandahar, a captain who the Canadian Forces does not want named for security reasons.
The yellow jugs used commonly by Afghans to store everything from water to cooking oil have been
popular picks for roadside bombs, but everything from cooking kettles to children's toys have been turned
into components for bombs.
They range from the simple -- using fertilizer, gas and other everyday items -- to more sophisticated
remote-controlled devices.
Since arriving in Afghanistan, the captain said Canadian forces have quickly developed their tools and
their skills in dealing with IEDs. They have more rugged vehicles, better equipment for both detection
and prevention, and more training in both spotting bombs and disposing of them.
The addition of Griffon and Chinook helicopters has helped to keep soldiers off the dangerous roads,
allowing travel and resupply missions in the air.
But to take on the Taliban, troops must still be on the roads, and as coalition troops have adapted, so have
insurgents.
"You see a sort of evolution throughout the time that we've been here," the captain said.
"We've been getting better equipment, our vehicles are better-equipped to resist some of the blasts. And
that impacted their response: They had to put more explosives in in order to achieve the same results, so
that makes it harder for them to hide them."
Canadian troops now have safer vehicles, better robots and improved surveillance, he said, but sometimes
the solution has been much simpler.
"They were hiding things in garbage on the side of the roads, so we went out and cleaned the roads to
make sure they'd have less opportunities to get close to us," he said.
Culverts were popular hiding spots for explosives, so the Canadians put grates over the culverts.
"So they responded to that. They've changed the ways they were placing their devices, trying to hide them
better, trying to react to where we would go," the deputy commander said. "It's a big cat-and-mouse
game."
International forces have established a Canadian-led "CSI-style" lab at the base in Kandahar, where they
study the devices, gleaning every bit of information they can. They have their own most-wanted list of
insurgent bomb makers, and just in the past few weeks have dismantled at least five insurgent bombmaking "factories."
"Every time an individual does something, he leaves a signature," the captain said. "That signature can be
identified . . . and it helps us in narrowing down how we can catch the guy, or maybe just stop him."
Military officials have estimated that 60% of IEDs are located and defused before they have a chance to
kill or maim soldiers or civilians, yet the number of IED incidents in Afghanistan has increased three-fold
in the past two years, according to June statistics from the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat
Organization in Washington, D.C.
And the number of attacks could well reach new heights this month, as presidential and provincial council
elections near.
Back to Top
Section: LES ACTUALITÉS
Byline: Dene Moore
Outlet: Le Devoir
Illustrations:
 Un soldat américain passe le terrain au peigne fin afin de débusquer les engins explosifs improvisés
(EEI). Les trois quarts des victimes au sein des forces de la coalition, en Afghanistan, ont été affligées par
des bombes de circonstance.
Headline: N'importe quoi, n'importe où, n'importe quand; Les engins explosifsimprovisés qui menacent
les soldats canadiens se multiplient
Page: a4
Date: Tuesday 04 August 2009
Kandahar, Afghanistan - Alors que les engins explosifs improvisés (EEI) n'étaient pratiquement con-nus
que des militaires il y a dix ans, leur nom fait désormais partie du lexique des Canadiens.
Depuis que le Canada s'est joint à la coalition internationale dans la guerre contre les talibans
d'Afghanistan, en 2002, 67 des 127 soldats canadiens qui ont perdu la vie dans la mission ont été tués par
des EEI. Dix autres ont été tués dans des attentats suicides ou des explosions pendant qu'ils effectuaient
des patrouilles à pied.
Le sapeur Matthieu Allard, 21 ans, et le caporal Christian Bobbitt, 23 ans, du 5e Régiment du génie de
combat basé à Valcartier, au Québec, ont été les dernières victimes du conflit. Ils ont été tués samedi par
l'explosion d'une bombe artisanale.
Même si les EEI étaient connus des Forces canadiennes avant qu'elles fassent autant de morts en
Afghanistan, la phase d'apprentissage pour y faire face a tout de même été ardue.
«Nous avons toujours eu une certaine capacité, mais évidemment c'est un problème plus grave depuis que
nous sommes en Afghanistan, alors nous y consacrons plus de temps, plus d'efforts», a affirmé le
commandant adjoint de l'escadron anti-EEI de la Force opérationnelle Kandahar. Les Forces canadiennes
ont réclamé qu'il conserve l'anonymat, pour des raisons de sécurité.
Les EEI correspondent parfaitement à ce que leur nom indique: n'importe quoi, n'importe où, n'importe
quand.
Les bidons jaunes utilisés fréquemment par les Afghans pour transporter de l'eau ou de l'huile de cuisson
s'avèrent désormais populaires dans la confection de bombes de circonstance. Les insurgés ont cependant
également recours à des objets aussi diversifiés que des marmites ou des jouets d'enfant.
Les explosifs peuvent être de confection simple - en utilisant de l'engrais, de l'essence ou d'autres produits
du quotidien - ou plus complexe, comme des engins télécommandés.
Depuis l'arrivée des soldats canadiens en Afghanistan, le capitaine a affirmé que les Forces canadiennes
avaient rapidement mis au point leurs outils et leurs habiletés pour faire face aux EEI.
Les militaires possèdent des véhicules plus robustes, un meilleur équipement pour débusquer ces attaques
et les prévenir, ainsi qu'une meilleure formation pour repérer les bombes et s'en débarrasser. Les
hélicoptères Griffon et Chinook ont également aidé les soldats à éviter les routes dangereuses
d'Afghanistan, en permettant les déplacements et l'approvisionnement par la voie des airs.
Mais, pour tenir tête aux talibans, les soldats doivent tout de même demeurer sur les routes, et même si les
forces de la coalition se sont adaptées, les insurgés l'ont également fait. «Les choses ont changé depuis
que nous sommes arrivés. Nous avons du meilleur équipement, nos véhicules sont mieux équipés pour
résister à certaines explosions. Et cela a eu un effet sur leur réponse: ils ont dû mettre davantage
d'explosifs afin d'arriver aux mêmes résultats. Alors, cela devient plus difficile pour eux de les cacher», a
expliqué le capitaine.
Et la solution s'est parfois avérée encore plus simple, a ajouté le capitaine. «Ils cachaient des choses dans
les poubelles sur le bord des routes, alors nous avons nettoyé les routes pour nous assurer qu'il y ait moins
de possibilités de s'en prendre à nous», a indiqué le capitaine. Les soldats canadiens ont également
recouvert les caniveaux. «C'est un vrai jeu du chat et de la souris», a-t-il illustré.
Les forces internationales ont mis sur pied un laboratoire de recherche à la base de Kandahar, qui est
dirigé par les Canadiens et qui étudie les engins en scrutant toutes les informations. Ils ont dressé leur
propre liste des insurgés les plus recherchés et ont démantelé, uniquement au cours des dernières
semaines, au moins cinq ateliers de fabrication de bombes.
Les autorités militaires estiment que 60 % des EEI sont repérés et désamorcés avant même d'avoir la
chance de tuer ou de blesser des soldats ou des civils.
Mais le nombre d'incidents impliquant des EEI en Afghanistan a malgré cela triplé au cours des deux
dernières années, selon les statistiques du mois de juin de la Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat
Organization de Washington, aux États-Unis. Et le nombre d'attentats pourrait atteindre de nouveaux
sommets ce mois-ci, alors que le pays se prépare à la tenue d'élections présidentielles et provinciales.
Dans l'ensemble, 75 % des victimes au sein des forces de la coalition, en Afghanistan, ont été affligées
par des bombes de circonstance, une hausse de 50 % en deux ans.
Mais ce sont les Afghans qui sont le plus souvent les victimes de ce type d'explosions. Les Forces de
sécurité nationale afghanes sont beaucoup plus vulnérables que les soldats canadiens ou internationaux,
car ils sont souvent la cible des insurgés puisqu'ils manquent d'équipement et de formation.
De surcroît, les victimes les plus nombreuses sont les civils afghans. Les militaires canadiens estiment
que, pour chaque soldat de la coalition tué par une explosion, la vie de douzaines d'Afghans est fauchée.
Back to Top
Section: News
Byline: Trooper Cory Rogers
Outlet: Edmonton Journal
Headline: A new appreciation for an ancient way of life
Illustrations:
 Photo: Supplied / Women move in company of a male.
 Photo: Supplied / Imagine what they could accomplish if they had modern farm machinery.
Page: A3
Date: Tuesday 04 August 2009
Source: Freelance
Dateline: PANJWAIIDISTRICT, AFGHANISTAN
Being based out here in what is more or less a rural part of southern Afghanistan sometimes feels like I've
gone back in time.
The combination of war and the limited natural resources seems to have kept this country in the mid-Dark
Ages. I certainly credit the Afghan people with making do with what little they have, their building
materials limited to mud and sticks, along with simple farming equipment such as scythe and spade.
I am amazed at the complexity of some of their mud structures and the effectiveness of their traditional
methods of farming. While the people are relatively intelligent, limited opportunity hinders their obvious
potential.
Agriculture is the main industry, employing 80 per cent of Afghanistan's labour force. The main crops
include wheat, rice, corn, grapes, melons, marijuana and opium, along with some other less-produced
crops and fruit.
I often observe farmers hunched in their fields for all hours of the day cutting wheat stalks with a small
scythe sharpened on a rock. Within the next few weeks these farmers will continue to thresh and winnow
the copious amounts of wheat, all by hand.
The lush grape fields are surrounded by mud walls and scattered throughout are tall perforated grape huts.
After I'd been given some grapes by a local farmer, I can honestly say they are some of the best I've ever
eaten.
Fields of opium poppies are quite common. They are easy to grow and yield great monetary reward.
Afghanistan is the largest opium producer in the world.
Livestock is a common sight as shepherds tend to flocks of sheep roaming free-range across the
countryside in search of a green patch. The sheep are then used for their meat, hides and wool.
I can't help but imagine how these farmers, pickers and herders would react if they saw the advanced
methods and machines used in developed countries do the same work as they do by hand.
The average day will start off with the sun edging its way over the horizon as the call to prayer echoes
eerily through the dry air. Almost immediately after this first of five daily prayers, the men will make
their way out to the field to start work in an attempt to beat the heat of the day.
Most men have a thick beard and wear a long shirt called a "perahan tunban" over baggy trousers, along
with a turban on their head.
The women begin the day with chores and cleaning around the home. They cannot leave their home
unless accompanied by a man and must be covered head-to-toe with a burka. Children run around
barefoot in small groups and usually play in streams or alongside their fathers in the field. The day ends at
sunset, as there is no artificial light to illuminate the area.
Although technological progress in rural Afghanistan appears to be at a standstill, the way in which the
people live is a proven and successful way of life. It will no doubt be passed on for generations to come,
no matter the century or world around them.
Watch for stories from the front lines every Monday as members of the Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal
Canadians) write about their tank squadron's experience in Afghanistan.
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Section: The Editorial Page
Byline: Nigel Hannaford
Outlet: Calgary Herald
Headline: Fixing up the army gives ottawa options
Page: A10
Date: Tuesday 04 August 2009
Source: Calgary Herald
Just when things were starting to look tight for the Canadian Forces, the federal government has come to
the rescue with several large funding announcements.
Is it recession-fighting stimulus?Maybe: It's an ill wind that blows nobody any good.
But, for a hard-worked military machine that was rapidly running out of everything, it was the help that
was needed.
As recently as March, Chief of Land Staff Lt.-Gen. Andrew Leslie was warning a Senate committee that
the army would have to take what he euphemistically described as a year's "operational pause" at the end
of 2011.
Equipment was wearing out, in particular the versatile Light Armored Vehicle fleet that has done yeoman
service in Afghanistan, but taken a pounding in the process. (Almost a third of the 650-strong fleet is said
to be unserviceable. Leslie was concerned that very few would be in fighting trim by the end of the
Canadian mission, set for July 2011.)
Also, while recruiting willing volunteers has turned out to be relatively easy since the army's active
engagement in Afghanistan, the Canadian Forces nevertheless faces a skills bottleneck as time-served
men and women retire before the next cadre is fully trained--often because of the sheer pace of army life.
Leslie is on record that, "At around the 15-to 20-year point, if there's a multiplicity of missions that
they've been on, they get tired and their spousal folk at home say, 'You know what? This is your sixth
mission and seventh mission in 20 years and it's time for you to think of something else.' "
No kidding.
Plus, apart from replacing retiring soldiers, the army is supposed to grow by 3,000 by the end of 2011.
That makes replacing junior leaders--subalterns (officers below the rank of captain) and noncommissioned officers (sergeants and corporals)--the huge challenge that it is, second only to the attrition
of the LAV fleet as a factor limiting the army's operational effectiveness.
Now however, if things develop as promised, Leslie will still have a fighting army.
Last week he expressed optimism that the "pause" could be indefinitely off. A billion dollar vehicle
replacement and refurbishment program to fix up the fixable LAVs, and buy replacements for those that
aren't, some novel approaches to personnel and above all money, will make the difference.
The LAV program is part of a recent $5.2 billion government defence pledge to Canadians.
It means steady work for years in London, Ont. where it is made by General Dynamics Land Systems,
incidentally.
Yes, it's stimulus: "This certainly offers the London plant some stability, and depending on the timelines,
there may be some growth," said Pete Keeting, a spokesman for the U. S.-based parent company. The
work --thought to involve an upgraded drivetrain to permit the addition of heavier armour and weapon
systems --will also benefit 400 other suppliers according to Keeting, quoted in the London Free Press.
However, the army has also gone a long way to meeting its growing NCO shortage by giving more
weight to good service in Afghanistan in eligibility for promotion.
Sources close to the matter also suggest the Canadian Forces has found a way to contract the inevitable
training schedule for extensively modified equipment --as the LAV will be, when it re-emerges from the
factory with the lessons of Afghanistan bolted on.
Part of the GDSL deal is likely to be a maintenance contract that could see trained company personnel
deployed where the vehicle is used--Afghanistan, in other words -- to give the army time to catch up on
training. (The use of civilian contractors in support of Canadian military operations overseas is not that
unusual: Calgary's ATCO Frontec, for instance, has been an established service provider to the
Department of National Defence since it took on a logistics to the Bosnia peacekeeping mission in the
early 1990s. SNC Lavalin has performed similar work in Afghanistan.)
As Leslie puts it, "So what has changed? $5.2 billion dollars has changed."
Recent government defence announcements have also promised helicopters and a heavy commitment to
shipbuilding for the navy and the coast guard.
One doesn't have to dig deep to see the need for economic stimulus there in their timing, if not in the
decision to buy. The need for both helicopters and new ships is not new, after all: It has been understood,
and studiously sidestepped by successive governments, for 15 years.
Now, all the defence staff has to do is actually negotiate the DND's serpentine procurement process.
Nevertheless, the Conservative government deserves some preliminary applause for at least moving
things in the right direction.
And, the priority attached to getting the army back on eight wheels is far-sighted. It means Canada will
have an option it presently does not: The extension of its mission to Afghanistan beyond 2011--something
Parliament may well wish to consider closer to the time, for all manner of good and sufficient reasons.
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