Rocket fired at Canadian embassy residence in Afghan capital - Guard hurt

[JasonH]

AFX News Limited
Rocket fired at Canadian embassy residence in Afghan capital
10.12.2005, 01:24 AM

KABUL (AFX) - A rocket was fired at a Canadian embassy residence in the Afghan capital early today, wounding a guard and damaging a wall outside the property, witnesses said.

The rocket was fired at about 4:10 am, a few hours before US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was due in the city for a short visit.

It caused little other damage to the property in an upmarket suburb of Kabul, security officials at the site told Agence France-Presse.

The Canadian embassy confirmed a rocket had been fired at one of its residences.

Last week three Canadian soldiers were lightly wounded in the southern city of Kandahar when a suicide bomber blew himself up near a Canadian military convoy. An Afghan child was also killed, officials said.

http://www.forbes.com/home/feeds/afx/2005/10/12/afx2271956.html

 

[Franko]

...and we had one drop short of the camp at 0220 as well.

Nothing mentioned at all.    :

I love the Canadian press.

Regards

 

[childs56]

Yet the embassy guards are not receiving tax free pay for being in a war zone. Hmm fun fun fun.

 

[JasonH]

That's what happens when you goto war with policies ment for a conflict involving modern militiaries who would seemingly would not carry out guerilla attacks.

All apart of the wars of today, much of the cold war thinking needs to be abolished.  Everyones at risk now, even the fella's worken in the offices there.

But than again, with the way this government takes and spends money I doubt seeing it change anytime soon.  People would bitch full-scale about no tax-free infantry fighting but when it's pencil pushing while there no one cares.  People need to open their eyes.  Neways thats my rant.  We're all in this together be it front line or back of the pack.

-Jason

 

[Pte_Martin]

...and we had one drop short of the camp at 0220 as well.

Nothing mentioned at all.     :

I love the Canadian press.

Regards

I dislike all canadian press usually they don't say anything about our soldiers overseas unless it's a death or near death, so in a way no news is good news.

Thanks for keeping us to date Franko... I know  I'm  looking forward to hear what's going on in Afghanistan

 

[Mortar guy]

I am currently in Kabul right now and live about 200m from the ambassador's residence. I was woken up that morning by the impact (as was everyone else in the house) and before I knew what I was doing I had rolled out of bed and had readied my C8 - goes to show you that training works! Of course there was nothing to shoot at so after making sure everyone was OK, I went back to bed. Good times all round!

The one thing I wanted to say about the news reports is that they sensationalized the attack to make it seem like the Amb's Residence was the target. Now, maybe it is possible that they were aiming for the Residence and that they have vastly improved their aim. However, I would say the headline should have read "Rocket Misses Whatever the Hell it was Aimed At" rather than "Canadian Embassy Attacked" etc. Anyway, just my $0.02

MG

 

[Sig_Des]

I dislike all canadian press usually they don't say anything about our soldiers overseas unless it's a death or near death, so in a way no news is good news.

I love how almost every article about the troops in Afghanistan ends with the new standard line "there are also troops hunting and killing Taliban"

 

[MOOO!]

The media hasn't been a good source of info for most of the conflicts and areas that Canadians are in.  Glad to see though that we do get info from this forum on top of what the media gives out so we can sift through the crap. 

They are just keeping you on your toes MG.

Keep frosty.

 

[Big Red]

]

Which company do the static guards work for at the embassy in Kabul? The guy above looks to be a local national.

 

[paracowboy]

Red,

The guy above looks to be a local national.

I don't see anybody in that picture who resembles any of the ethnicities found around Kabul. If you're referring to the old dude with the AK, he looks plenty white to me.

 

[MikeM]

Not to mention the Canadian Flag on his vest.

 

[MikeM]

Could also be RCMP.

 

[paracowboy]

Out of curiosity, is he a member of the MP unit guarding the embassy or does he belong to some other org (a private company contracted to secure the embassy etc)?

I ask because the last pics on this site we had of embassy security guys was of two of them in civvies with 'accessorised' C8's, and this guy has a plaine jane AK 47 (something I'm sure is not CF or Department of Foreign Affairs issued, I could be wrong).

dunno. Blow the picture up enough to read the patch on his sleeve or the pass around his neck. Who knows, maybe his hat has his unit/company logo on it?

 

[NavComm]

Here is the caption that comes with the photo, maybe that will help

   
Image #55900016 

Title: An Afghan security officer (2-R) and Ita
Subject: News, Politics, Elections 

Caption:
KABUL, AFGHANISTAN: An Afghan security officer (2-R) and Italain soldiers of the International Security Asisstance Force (ISAF) stand guard outside the Canadian embassy following a rocket attack in Kabul, 12 October 2005. A rocket was fired at the Canadian embassy residence in the Afghan capital, wounding a guard and damaging a wall outside the property, witnesses said. The rocket was fired at about 4:10 am, a few hours before US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was due in the city for a short visit. AFP PHOTO / SHAH Marai (Photo credit should read SHAH MARAI/AFP/Getty Images) 

 

[paracowboy]

huh, well I blew the photo up as much as I could and the dude still looks caucasian to me. Even the way he's holding his weapon and the way he's wearing his kit, the way he's standing, don't remind me of anything I've ever seen an Afghani do.
But, I been wrong before.

 

[NavComm]

He's wearing the same crest on his sleeve as other soldiers identified as Afghani in some other pictures on the getty site. Maybe he's just hung over?

 

[paracowboy]

Maybe he's just hung over?

maybe I am, and don't realize it? Funny that Afghanis, especially one as old this guy, would emulate western soldiers to the extent of wearing a ball cap, and placing sunglasses on the brim like that. Most of the older Afghans, the vets against the Russians and from the civil war, I met over there found our "cool guy" poses and such to be silly at best.

 

[MikeM]

He's wearing a Canadian Flag... doesn't look to be too much of a local thing to do IMHO.

 

[KevinB]

I'm pretty sure he's causcasian.

If I had to guess he is a 50'ish ex Brit medic - who now lives in Edmonton (when he is not contracting)

________

Other issue - who the f do we think we are.  Those rockets are NOT accurate - and if they where they would have aimed for a worthwhile target --

My god we as Canadians are really full of our own importance are we not

 

[Acorn]

Local Embassy guards at other Cdn embassies are usually given some items of kit that ID them as Cdn employees. I think it was in Beirut that they had guys equipped almost identically to the guy in the photo (vest, ball cap, shades, cdn flag, except with MP5 in place of the AK).

Yeah, he looks caucasian, but urban Afghanis can vary widely in appearance, can't they?

And I agree with Kevin about the rocket.

Acorn