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Canadian troops trade comfy digs to meet Afghans: New assignment will put soldiers in closer contact with the population
Canadian troops in Afghanistan have been too isolated from the population in their luxurious Camp Julien in Kabul, but defence chief Gen. Rick Hillier says that will change when the Forces deploy to the southern city of Kandahar later this year.
"We've got to be actually much more in touch, in contact with the local population," Gen. Hillier told the Senate's security and defence committee yesterday.
Canada is winding down its operations in Kabul and will refocus on the more dangerous and volatile southern region of Afghanistan. The Forces will send a 250-member provincial reconstruction team to Kandahar in August, and will follow that up with 1,000 combat troops in February to be based at the U.S. Kandahar airbase, at the city's old airport.
Last year, Gen. Hillier commanded NATO forces from Camp Julien -- the most modern facility in war-torn Afghanistan. The federal government invested $40 million into the camp, which sits on 325 hectares of land and has state-of-the-art prefab tents, 750 computers, hundreds of telephones, gym and recreation facilities, laundry and a general store, among other amenities.
That luxury contrasted sharply with the harsh daily living conditions in Afghanistan, something Gen. Hillier suggested was not lost on the young soldiers stationed at Camp Julien.
"As you watch young men and women go out the gate of those camps, you can see the stress levels rising because you're effectively isolated from the population until you go out on patrol or out to do something specific," said Gen. Hillier. "And that's not a good thing. So we're not going to end up building a large camp like that."
The Canadian mission to Kandahar, one of the main hotbeds of the Taliban insurgency, is part of NATO's overall efforts to extend its security force outside the capital of Kabul.
Kabul has been relatively safe compared to the rest of the country, but has not been free of violence either. A roadside bomb in Kabul killed two Canadian soldiers in 2003. In January 2004, another Canadian soldier was killed by a suicide bomber near Kabul.
Gen. Hillier said Canadian troops would face all threats with as much force as they could muster during their reconstruction efforts.
"You've got to be seen as capable and seen as too big of a bully to take on," said Gen. Hillier. "We're not the folks who decide whether it goes violent. They will, on the ground. So if we're not ready, obviously we would be doing our soldiers and our nation a disservice."
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From the Ottawa Citizen today. To my mind, the CDS is saying the right things...
Cheers,
Teddy
Canadian troops in Afghanistan have been too isolated from the population in their luxurious Camp Julien in Kabul, but defence chief Gen. Rick Hillier says that will change when the Forces deploy to the southern city of Kandahar later this year.
"We've got to be actually much more in touch, in contact with the local population," Gen. Hillier told the Senate's security and defence committee yesterday.
Canada is winding down its operations in Kabul and will refocus on the more dangerous and volatile southern region of Afghanistan. The Forces will send a 250-member provincial reconstruction team to Kandahar in August, and will follow that up with 1,000 combat troops in February to be based at the U.S. Kandahar airbase, at the city's old airport.
Last year, Gen. Hillier commanded NATO forces from Camp Julien -- the most modern facility in war-torn Afghanistan. The federal government invested $40 million into the camp, which sits on 325 hectares of land and has state-of-the-art prefab tents, 750 computers, hundreds of telephones, gym and recreation facilities, laundry and a general store, among other amenities.
That luxury contrasted sharply with the harsh daily living conditions in Afghanistan, something Gen. Hillier suggested was not lost on the young soldiers stationed at Camp Julien.
"As you watch young men and women go out the gate of those camps, you can see the stress levels rising because you're effectively isolated from the population until you go out on patrol or out to do something specific," said Gen. Hillier. "And that's not a good thing. So we're not going to end up building a large camp like that."
The Canadian mission to Kandahar, one of the main hotbeds of the Taliban insurgency, is part of NATO's overall efforts to extend its security force outside the capital of Kabul.
Kabul has been relatively safe compared to the rest of the country, but has not been free of violence either. A roadside bomb in Kabul killed two Canadian soldiers in 2003. In January 2004, another Canadian soldier was killed by a suicide bomber near Kabul.
Gen. Hillier said Canadian troops would face all threats with as much force as they could muster during their reconstruction efforts.
"You've got to be seen as capable and seen as too big of a bully to take on," said Gen. Hillier. "We're not the folks who decide whether it goes violent. They will, on the ground. So if we're not ready, obviously we would be doing our soldiers and our nation a disservice."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From the Ottawa Citizen today. To my mind, the CDS is saying the right things...
Cheers,
Teddy