ISAF Canada in Kandahar Afghanistan

The Canadian ISAF presence in Afghanistan, Kandahar

ISAF Canada aanwezigheid Kandahar (Qandahār, قندهار)


Achtergrond
Canada has about 2,300 troops based in Kandahar, the birthplace of the extremist Taliban movement that ruled most of Afghanistan between 1996 and 2001 when it was toppled by a US-led coalition.
The country announced Friday it would send 200 more soldiers "in light of the changing tactical situation in the area." (17-09-2006).

Zie voor verdere verslaggeving over Kandahar ook mijn dossier over Operatie Medusa (4-6 (Medusa) (ISAF), Operatie (Panjwayi)(02-09-2006).doc).

Een aantal Canadese bronnen:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/



Afghanistan suicide attack kills two NATO soldiers
27. November 2006, 03:39
By Nasrat Shoiab, AFP

A suicide car bomber rammed a convoy of the NATO-led force near the southern Afghan city of Kandahar, killing two soldiers, NATO's International Security Assistance Force said.

The bomb exploded near tents of Kuchi nomads, killing 15 of their camels and leaving the road coated in blood, an AFP reporter at the scene said on Monday. "There has been a suicide vehicle attack just east of Kandahar city ... on an ISAF convoy," Squadron Leader Jason Chalk told AFP. "Two ISAF soldiers have been killed." The force of 31,000 soldiers drawn from 37 nations does not release the nationalities of its casualties, leaving that to the home country. Most of the troops in Kandahar are Canadians or Dutch. Police said another NATO soldier was wounded, along with a Kuchi nomad, but ISAF could not immediately confirm this. "Two NATO soldiers have been killed," Kandahar provincial police chief Esmatullah Alizai told AFP, adding "one NATO soldier and a Kuchi are wounded." Chunks of a minibus that had been carrying the bomb were flung across the road, along with pieces of the attacker's body. The site of the blast was quickly sealed off by Afghan and Canadian troops and fire trucks washed down the road as investigation teams collected human remains and parts of the bomb. Military helicopters and ambulances evacuated the dead and the wounded.

Kandahar has seen the most of a spate of suicide bombings in Afghanistan this year, blamed on the insurgent Taliban movement that rose to power from Kandahar province in 1996 before being driven from power five years later. The attack came a day after a suicide bomber blew himself up in a restaurant in the eastern province of Paktika, killing 15 Afghans and wounding about 25 more. Most of the casualties were soldiers with a militia -- hired by US forces to assist with patrols and searches -- which has a base in the area.

The Taliban launched an insurgency against the government after being driven from power in late 2001 by a US-led coalition. Their campaign features regular suicide and roadside bombings. The violence peaked this year with daily attacks and full-scale battles claiming scores of lives and taking many of the ISAF nations by surprise, with some saying the fighting was the most intense they had seen in decades. About 120 foreign soldiers have died in combat in Afghanistan in 2006, up from just over 70 last year. One died on Saturday in Uruzgan province in clashes that the NATO force said killed 50 rebels.

About 3,700 people have been killed altogether in the unrest this year -- four times more than last year -- with rebels accounting for most of the toll. Of the total, about 1,000 casualties were civilians, according to Human Rights Watch.

After a lull of several weeks, Taliban-linked violence has surged in the past few days. The new wave of violence comes ahead of a NATO summit in Latvia Tuesday and Wednesday, expected to focus on the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan, where commanders have calls for extra troops and equipment. British Prime Minister Tony Blair is expected to use the summit to press his allies to do more, with British troops taking a hammering in the province of Helmand. "The credibility of NATO ... rests on us doing everything we can to help the people of Afghanistan in their search away from the Taliban," he said last week. US President George W. Bush told Afghan President Hamid Karzai in a telephone call Saturday the United States would "reiterate its commitment at the NATO summit to the strengthening of security and reconstruction in Afghanistan". Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, meanwhile, called Sunday for the people of Afghanistan to join forces in driving out foreign "occupiers".

http://www.afghannews.net/index.php?action=show&type=news&id=1487



NAVO-militairen gedood bij aanval Afghanistan
(Telegraaf: 27-11-2006)

KANDAHAR/OTTAWA - Bij een zelfmoordaanslag in de Afghaanse provincie Kandahar zijn maandag twee militairen van de NAVO-vredesmacht ISAF gedood. Ook verscheidene Afghanen kwamen bij de aanslag om het leven, zo meldde een woordvoerder van ISAF. Een auto geladen met explosieven boorde zich in het konvooi waarin de militairen reden.
Volgens het Canadese ministerie van Defensie gaat het bij de gedode ISAF-militairen om Canadezen. Bij de aanslag raakten verscheidene mensen gewond.
In Kandahar zijn bijna 2500 Canadese militairen gelegerd. Kandahar grenst aan de provincie Helmand waar de Britten gelegerd zijn en de 'Nederlandse' provincie Uruzgan.

http://www.telegraaf.nl/buitenland/54348641/NAVO-militairen_gedood_bij_aanval_Afghanistan.html?p=8,2



'Civilians killed' in Nato raids
(BBC News 26-10-2006)

Scores of civilians have been killed during Nato operations against Taleban fighters in southern Afghanistan, local officials and civilians say.

Nato said it had "credible reports" of civilian casualties in two districts of Kandahar province, but could not confirm that as many as 60 had died.
Spokesman Mark Laity said 48 militants had been killed, and apologised for any inadvertent civilian deaths.
The UN Afghan mission said it was seriously concerned about the incident.

'Human shields'
Mr Laity told the BBC the alliance would help Afghan officials investigate what happened. He said that militants in the area sometimes used civilians as human shields. "When you have active insurgency, things can happen," Mr Laity said.
If there are no Taleban, then why are they bombing the area?
Bismallah Afghanmal, Kandahar councillor
"We've got an active insurgency down here. We've got tight rules of engagement but sometimes things go wrong." "Sometimes the Taleban are among local people, sometimes there aren't civilians - the Taleban claim there are civilians and there aren't."
Locals in Panjwayi and Pashmul districts of Kandahar province say the Nato raids began on Tuesday, during the Eid al-Fitr festival marking the end of Ramadan, and continued into the night. They said that several houses were hit, and civilians killed. Funerals have already been held for a number of those killed, relatives said.

Bombing raids
Villagers told the BBC Pashto service that the bodies of many locals had been pulled from the rubble of their homes after the raids and buried. "Twenty members of my family are killed and 10 are injured," one survivor said. "The injured are in Mirwais hospital in Kandahar city and anybody can go and see them.
"For God's sake, come and see our situation."
Another man said women and children were among 15 members of his family who had been killed. The airplanes came and were bombing until 3 am. And, in the morning, they started hitting our village with mortars and rockets. They didn't allow anybody to come to our help."
Afghan Interior Ministry spokesman Zmarai Bashiry told the BBC that local police and officials had confirmed more than 40 villagers killed in the Nato raids.
Nato says it routed the Taleban in battles in September
Other local officials put the death toll at between 60 and 85.

'Sorry not enough'
A statement from President Hamid Karzai said an eight-member team of tribal and community elders would investigate the reported civilian casualties.
The elders would also make suggestions on how to prevent such "unfortunate" incidents in future and ensure better co-ordination with foreign forces.
A Taleban statement sent to the BBC said none of the movement's fighters had been killed in the Panjwayi clashes, and that any deaths were civilian.
President Hamid Karzai has been under mounting pressure over civilian deaths and has urged foreign forces to exercise more caution. Last week, up to 21 civilians were killed in two Nato operations in Kandahar and neighbouring Helmand province.
Hundreds of people have been killed in Afghanistan this year, the bloodiest since the Taleban were removed from power by US-led forces in 2001.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6086064.stm

Zie ook mijn document: burgerslachtoffers



ISAF in heavy fighting in Kandahar Province
Release #2006-247

KABUL, Afghanistan - 25 October 2006
In three separate incidents, starting with an attack on ANA and ISAF forces in the Panjwayi district of Kandahar province, ISAF forces were engaged in heavy fighting with large groups of Taliban yesterday.

The first incident began at approximately 10.00 am when insurgents attacked the ISAF patrol base east of Sperwan Ghar. The insurgents, who numbered between 30 - 40, were engaged with mortar, artillery fire and close air support. Further insurgents later ambushed an ANA convoy. During these actions, 12 insurgents were killed and 2 wounded.
The second engagement occurred at approximately 7.00 pm when a vehicle containing insurgents was seen moving south of Patrol Base Wilson. This was engaged by artillery fire and 10 insurgents are believed to have been killed.
The final engagement occurred when a large group of insurgents was spotted moving towards Sperwan Ghar. At approximately 10.30 pm this group was engaged with close air support and an estimated 26 insurgents were killed.

ISAF has since received credible reports that there were a number of civilian casualties including women and children arising from one or more of these incidents. ISAF can confirm that 4 injured civilians who approached an ISAF patrol have been evacuated and are now being treated in the ISAF military hospital at Kandahar airfield.

During these incidents, ISAF legitimately engaged attacking and positively identified insurgents, killing an estimated 48. We deeply regret any civilian casualties caused. ISAF has been informed that the Afghan Ministry of Defence is sending a delegation to the region to investigate these incidents and ISAF will fully cooperate with this investigation. ISAF has already attended a meeting with Afghan officials and tribal elders.

http://www.jfcbs.nato.int/ISAF/Update/Press_Releases/newsrelease/2006/Release_25Oct06_247.htm?tsfsg=3a5bfa7a6429f3a3d4d2e6d43a9e5d8e

(Panjwayi district of Kandahar province)



Doden en gewonden onder NAVO-troepen Afghanistan
(Telegraaf: 15-10-2006)

KABUL/MONTREAL - Twee Canadese militairen van de door de NAVO geleide troepenmacht ISAF zijn zaterdag in het zuiden van Afghanistan gedood en drie raakten gewond.
De slachtoffers vielen zaterdagmiddag toen ISAF-soldaten werden aangevallen met granaten en relatief kleine vuurwapens in de provincie Kandahar, zo berichtte ISAF vanuit Kabul.

Het Canadese ministerie van Defensie deelde later de nationaliteit van de slachtoffers mee. Sinds 2002 zijn 42 Canadezen gesneuveld in Afghanistan.
De ISAF of 'veiligheid ondersteunende' troepenmacht poogt het gezag van de regering van president Karzai te vestigen. Ze is in het zuiden en zuidoosten vrijwel dagelijks in gevecht met extremistische milities, vooral de etnische Pathaanse Taliban.

In het zuiden van Afghanistan hebben gewapende mannen zaterdag een Italiaanse journalist ontvoerd volgens hulpverleners in het gebied. Het slachtoffer, Gabriele Torsello, was onderweg van de provincie Helmand naar Kandahar. Op zijn mobiele telefoon claimde een onbekende dat de Taliban hem in handen hebben en van spionage beschuldigen. Een zegsman van de Taliban-beweging zei dat het bandieten moeten zijn, want de Taliban hebben volgens hem geen journalist ontvoerd.

http://www.telegraaf.nl/buitenland/51547311/Doden_en_gewonden_onder_NAVO_troepen_Afghanistan.html


ISAF-militair gedood in Kandahar
(telegraaf: 07-10-2006)

KANDAHAR - In de Afghaanse provincie Kandahar heeft zaterdagochtend vroeg een ISAF-militair de dood gevonden. Zijn patrouille werden getroffen door een bomexplosie en werd vervolgens onder vuur genomen met kleine wapens. Het incident deed zich voor in het district Panjwayi, maakte de internationale stabilisatiemacht ISAF zaterdag. De internationale troepenmacht in Afghanistan maakte niet bekend welke nationaliteit het slachtoffer heeft. In het gebied zijn voornamelijk Canadese militairen gestationeerd.

http://www.telegraaf.nl/buitenland/51161311/ISAF_militair_gedood_in_Kandahar.html



2 Canadians killed in Afghan attack
(Last Updated: Tuesday, October 3, 2006 2:07 PM ET)

Two Canadians were killed and five other soldiers injured in southern Afghanistan, military officials said Tuesday.

The soldiers were involved in a road construction project west of Kandahar when they came under attack from a handful of insurgents armed with rocket-propelled grenades and assault rifles. Two of the injured are in serious but stable condition. All were evacuated to Kandahar airfield, the main coalition base.
"Almost immediately other forces responded to it, treated and medevaced the casualties, and carried on with the operation," said Lt.-Col. Omer Lavoie, the ground-level commander of Canada's fighting force. The nationality of the injured soldiers has not been released by NATO's International Security Assistance Force, or ISAF.

(Canadian military officials have not yet issued any statement. Canada has more than 2,000 troops in Afghanistan, most operating in Kandahar province. With the latest death, 39 Canadian soldiers and one diplomat have been killed since the mission started four years ago.)
In an incident earlier Tuesday, Canadian troops escaped injury after a suicide bomber on a motorcycle attacked near Kandahar city.

(With files from the Canadian Press)

http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2006/10/03/nato-killed.html



Canadian soldier dies in Afghan blast
30. September 2006, 01:01
By JASON STRAZIUSO, Associated Press

A Canadian soldier was killed Friday in an explosion in southern Afghanistan, while an insurgent attack on a police checkpoint left three dead, officials said. A Colombian aid worker and two Afghan nationals were also released, nearly three weeks after they were kidnapped by gunmen west of Kabul, a police official said.

The soldier, who was not immediately identified, was killed in southern Kandahar province when he stepped on a roadside bomb while conducting a patrol, said Lt. Carole Brown, a spokeswoman for the Canadian Forces in Ottawa. No other soldiers or civilians were wounded. The explosion comes near the end of Canada's deadliest month in Afghanistan, with 10 soldiers killed. In all, 37 Canadian soldiers and one diplomat have died in the country since 2002. Meanwhile, two suspected Taliban militants and a policeman were killed in the clash at the police checkpoint in southern Zabul province, said Jailan Khan, the province's deputy police chief. Three police were also wounded in the attack. Police said they recovered the bodies of the militants along with their weapons, Khan said.

(Southern Afghanistan has seen a spike in militant violence, the worst outbreak since a U.S.-led invasion in late 2001 ousted Taliban regime from power. Militants have increasingly resorted to the use of roadside and suicide bombings against foreign and Afghan government forces.)

(NATO has about 8,000 forces — mostly British and Canadian — in southern Afghanistan, where they took over military control from the U.S.-led coalition in August. NATO commanders have said they need another 2,500 troops plus greater air support to crush the Taliban threat more quickly.)

The Czech Republic's defense ministry said Friday it plans to contribute up to 190 troops to the force next year. The move still must be approved by the government and parliament. The Czech Republic has some 100 troops in Afghanistan and the number is expected to rise to 150 by the end of the year when the Czechs take command of Kabul's airport. Last week, NATO's top commander, U.S. Gen. James L. Jones, said Romania had agreed to send a battalion in October and Britain and Canada would add to their forces. The Colombian aid worker and two Afghans were kidnapped in western Afghanistan on Sept. 10. They were released to French Embassy officials in western Wardak province on Friday after a ransom of $120,000 was paid, said Mohammed Assan, the provincial police chief. Assan said he did not know who paid the money and said that police were not involved in the deal. The three, who work for a French relief group, were reported to be in good health. A French Foreign Ministry official said France never pays ransoms to free hostages. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.

http://www.afghannews.net/index.php?action=show&type=news&id=1263



NAVO-militair omgekomen in Afghanistan
(Telegraaf: 29-09-2006)

KANDAHAR - In Afghanistan is vrijdag een NAVO-militair om het leven gekomen. De militair, wiens nationaliteit niet is bekendgemaakt door de vredesmacht ISAF, kwam om het leven toen een bom ontplofte tijdens een patrouille in het district Zahri van de provincie Kandahar. In die provincie zijn vooral Canadezen gelegerd.

http://www.telegraaf.nl/buitenland/50749331/NAVO_militair_omgekomen_in_Afghanistan.html


Afghan mission faces major problems, says Canada
21. September 2006, 11:11
By David Ljunggren, Reuters

The international effort against Taliban militants in Afghanistan faces major long-term problems and cannot succeed by military means alone, an unusually downbeat Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper said on Thursday. Canada has 2,300 soldiers in the southern city of Kandahar, scene of a series of major clashes with the Taliban. In the last three months alone 20 Canadians have died, prompting ever louder calls for the troops to be brought back home. "Let us be realistic. The challenges facing Afghanistan are enormous. There will be no quick fixes. Moreover, success cannot be assured by military means alone," Harper told the United Nations General Assembly. Harper -- in some of his gloomiest comments on Afghanistan since his Conservatives won the January 23 election -- said the international community could not afford to fail. "We have responded. But we haven't made Afghanistan's progress irreversible -- not yet ... we are therefore acutely aware that the United Nations' job in Afghanistan is not done," he said. "Difficulties don't daunt us. But lack of common purpose and will in this body would ... if we fail the Afghan people, we will be failing ourselves." Harper is under fire from critics who say he has not done nearly enough to explain why Canada is fighting in Afghanistan rather than focusing on the reconstruction effort. Four Canadian soldiers died in a bomb blast on Monday. There are around 41,000 foreign troops in Afghanistan but Ottawa -- complaining it is carrying too much of the burden -- wants other NATO nations to contribute more. Last week Canada said it was sending 200 more troops and a squadron of Leopard tanks to reinforce its mission. Afghan President Hamid Karzai is due to address Canada's Parliament on Friday. Harper was more upbeat when he spoke to the Economic Club of New York on Wednesday night, playing down recent opinion polls that show most Canadians want the troops to come back. "I don't really accept that Canadians are opposed to the mission. I think what Canadians regret, what hurts Canadians a lot, is seeing their brave men and women in uniform lose their lives," he said. "Whatever the opinion polls are on questions like this, Canada is in there for absolutely the right reasons ... we will not, and nor would any responsible Canadian prime minister, ever leave this mission until we are successful."

http://www.afghannews.net/index.php?action=show&type=news&id=1213



(4-9) Houding van Canada en Australië: (x) (18-09-2006)

Canadian foreign minister sets conditions for military presence in Afghanistan
18. September 2006, 15:31

HALIFAX (CP) - Canadian soldiers will stay in Afghanistan until its borders are secure, its infrastructure is rebuilt and democratic institutions are in place, Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay said Monday. (And refugees return home).

(1) After meeting with Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer, MacKay said there is an extensive list of conditions that must be met in Afghanistan - including the return of refugees - before Canadian soldiers return home. "We want to leave Afghanistan when those things are achieved in a meaningful way," MacKay told a news conference as Downer looked on. "I believe, in spite of some casualties and some very high costs . . . these are values and principles worth fighting for."

(2) Earlier today, the military confirmed that a bicycle bomber killed four Canadian soldiers and injured several others while the troops were on patrol in southern Afghanistan. MacKay said such attacks were expected, given the fact that Taliban fighters are so firmly entrenched in the region. "They've shown the fiercest resistance when this (kind of) encounter occurs," he said. "The military operations have encroached upon the area in which the Taliban felt that they were going to maintain that stronghold."

(3) Both MacKay and Downer said they had encouraged Pakistan's government to stop the movement of Taliban fighters between that country and Afghanistan. "It's a tall order," said MacKay, noting that Pakistan seems to be struggling to meet that challenge. Downer went further, suggesting the elements of Pakistan's security forces were sympathetic to the Taliban.

(4) Nevertheless, MacKay insisted that progress was being made with the help of Australian, Dutch, British and American troops. "One would suggest that the fight is the last vestiges of the hold that the Taliban continue to exert over parts of Afghanistan," he said. "That comes at a tremendous cost."

(2) Names of the dead and injured were not disclosed, but officials said the unit under attack was mainly drawn from the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, based in Manitoba. The deaths raised to 36 the number of Canadian soldiers killed in Afghanistan since 2002. MacKay said the suicide attack came at a time when the Canadian troops are trying to establish a sense of calm and trust among the local population.

(5) Downer described Canada as an "ancient friend" and country of "great courage" as he implored MacKay to stay the course there. "Without foreign forces prepared to make a real effort, such as the Canadians, then Afghanistan would revert to the Taliban," he said. "Australia and Canada - we can't just walk away from Afghanistan and think that giving the terrorists a gigantic victory . . . that that wouldn't be a terrible thing for the world."

http://www.afghannews.net/index.php?action=show&type=news&id=1190



(Follow-up, achtergrond bij dit nieuws)

Deaths shake Canada's Afghan mission
By Lee Carter BBC News, Canada

The news that four more Canadians have died in Afghanistan will add fuel to an already divisive debate in Canada over the mission.
Thirty-six Canadian soldiers and one diplomat have been killed since Canada became involved in Afghanistan in 2002.

For many Canadians, seeing their troops engaged in combat is a relatively new experience.
Since the 1950s, the country has been mainly involved in peacekeeping missions, from Kosovo to Somalia.
Canada has more than 2,000 troops based near Kandahar - a substantial commitment.
Liberals turn
But the by-now almost weekly ritual of coffins draped in the maple-leaf flag returning from Afghanistan is sharply dividing public opinion, with recent polls showing Canadian support for the mission falling to less than half.
The latest deaths, coming just a few days after several European Nato countries have shown their reluctance to deploy their troops to the more volatile south of Afghanistan, will add more urgency to the debate.
The government of Prime Minister Stephen Harper has vowed that it is committed to fighting the Taleban in Afghanistan for as long as necessary. It has made the mission a cornerstone of its foreign policy.
Even though the main Liberal opposition party sent the Canadian troops there in the first place, it is joining other parties in calling for an emergency debate on the issue, just as the country's parliament convenes for its autumn session

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/5358072.stm



Suicide attack in crowd of children in Afghanistan
18. September 2006, 01:57

AFP - A suicide bomber has blown himself up in a crowd of children in southern Afghanistan, causing multiple casualties, as NATO troops handed them gift items, officials said. "A suicide attacker detonated explosives strapped to his body in a crowd of children where the troops were distributing pens and notebooks to kids," a district police official told AFP on condition of anonymity. He said 24 children were wounded, four of them in a critical condition, while officials said NATO peacekeepers were also injured. NATO's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) confirmed a bomb had exploded near a patrol in the city of Kandahar, causing "multiple casualties". "Local civilians also suffered injuries from the blast," it said in a statement. "The ISAF soldiers were evacuated to military medical facilities for treatment." It would not release the nationalities of the troops involved. Police said the soldiers were Canadians, but this could not be immediately confirmed by the Canadian military which has 2,300 soldiers in Kandahar. "It was a suicide attack," interior ministry spokesman Zemaray Bashari said in Kabul, also identifying the patrol as Canadian. "It inflicted both civilian and military casualties." The attack was outside Kandahar city in an area where ISAF Sunday declared that a major offensive to drive out Taliban fighters had succeeded. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the bombing and said that 10 Canadian soldiers had died. The fundamentalist group frequently gives exaggerated death tolls for its attacks. "Today at around 10:00 am a resident of Kandahar named Qudratullah detonated explosives strapped to his body targeting a Canadian foot patrol, which killed ten Canadian solidiers," purported Taliban spokesman Yousuf Ahmadi said.

http://www.afghannews.net/index.php?action=show&type=news&id=1184



Vier Canadezen gedood bij aanslag
(VK online: 18-09-2006)
ANP?/RTR/AFP

KANDAHAR/MONTRéAL - Vier Canadese militairen van de door de NAVO geleide troepenmacht ISAF zijn maandag in Zuid-Afghanistan gedood bij een zelfmoordaanslag. Bijna 25 kinderen raakten gewond. De Canadese generaal David Fraser bevestigde maandag dat het bij alle vier de militaire slachtoffers om Canadezen ging. Er zijn ook gewonden onder de Canadezen.
Een terrorist blies zich op te midden van een groep kinderen die zich had verzameld rond Canadese militairen die schoolbenodigdheden uitdeelden. Strijders van de Taliban, de sekteachtige, fundamentalistische strijdgroep die Afghanistan van 1996 tot eind 2001 in haar greep had, eisten de verantwoordelijkheid voor de aanslag op.
De eind 2001 door Amerikaanse troepen voornamelijk naar Pakistan verdreven Taliban maken een comeback in het oosten en zuiden van Afghanistan. Ten westen van de stad Kandahar vechten Canadezen bijgestaan door Britten en Nederlandse troepen tegen de Taliban in die streek.

http://www.volkskrant.nl/buitenland/article349934.ece/Vier_Canadezen_gedood_bij_aanslag



Pakistani killed in blast near Canadian convoy in Afghanistan
17. September 2006, 04:47

AFP - A Taliban suicide bomber exploded a bomb-filled car near a convoy of Canadian troops in southern Afghanistan, killing a Pakistani national and wounding 11 other people. Among the wounded were three soldiers with the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force force who were "very slightly" hurt when the blast struck a vehicle in the southern city of Kandahar, the alliance said. The interior ministry in the capital Kabul said a Pakistani civilian worker was killed and a second Pakistani was hurt in the blast. Seven Afghans were wounded, the ministry said. Police at the scene said two of locals were in a critical condition. A man who claims to speak for the Taliban, Mohammad Hanif, told AFP in a phone call that the movement had carried out the bombing. "We did it. One of our fighters, Abdul Wali, carried out the attack, a suicide bombing," he said on Sunday. Parts of the attacker's body littered the site, which was sealed off by troops and police, an AFP reporter at the scene said. Kandahar suffers most of the suicide attacks in Afghanistan, which are often claimed by the Taliban movement that is waging an insurgency against the government. There have been around 40 suicide blasts in southern Afghanistan this year, according to ISAF figures. Nearly 100 people, 80 percent of them civilians, have died in those attacks which are usually targeted at troops. A spokeswoman with the Canadian military in the city confirmed that the blast had struck a Canadian convoy. Canada has about 2,300 troops based in Kandahar, the birthplace of the extremist Taliban movement that ruled most of Afghanistan between 1996 and 2001 when it was toppled by a US-led coalition. The soldiers have been struck by several suicide bombings, including one early in the year that killed a top Canadian diplomat. The country has lost 18 soliders in Afghanistan hostile action this year and one in friendly fire. Since 2002, 32 Canadian soldiers have died in Afghanistan, some in accidents. The Canadian public is divided over the mission, according to a poll published this weekend. The country announced Friday it would send 200 more soldiers "in light of the changing tactical situation in the area."

http://www.afghannews.net/index.php?action=show&type=news&id=1180



(4-6) Bomber kills Canadian soldier in Afghanistan
(follow-up)(11-09-2006)

KABUL (Reuters) - A suicide car bomber killed a Canadian soldier in southern (Bovenkant formulier
Afghanistan' name=c1>SEARCHNews News Photos Images Web' name=c3>
Onderkant formulier
Afghanistan) on Friday, and the U.S. military said U.S.-led and Afghan forces killed three suspected al Qaeda fighters and arrested three more in a raid.

The incident brings to seven the number of Canadian personnel killed in Afghanistan in the past week. Twenty-six have died since the mission began, a Canadian military spokesman said.
The bomber in a white Toyota Corolla attacked a Bovenkant formulier
Onderkant formulier
NATO convoy on the main road linking Pakistan with the southern province of Kandahar, killing the soldier, the alliance said in a statement.
"We're definitely saddened to report it was a Canadian soldier who was killed by a suicide bomber," Lt. Adam Thomson said from Ottawa.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060811/wl_canada_nm/canada_afghan_col_12


---4-6: Nieuwsbericht Situatie Kandahar----

Dit is heel erg duidelijk een nieuwsbericht.
- Hoe is de kop verwerkt in de lead?
- Is er een basisuitspraak?
- Topische zin in elke alinea?
- Bron
- Is het nieuwsbericht “oprolbaar”?



Afghan bomb kills Nato soldier

A Nato soldier has been killed in a suicide bomb attack on a convoy in Kandahar province in southern Afghanistan, Nato has said.
(1) The suicide bomber, who also died, rammed his explosives-laden vehicle into the convoy in Spin Boldak district near the Pakistan border.
(2) The nationality of the soldier has not been revealed. Nato troops have sealed off the area.
(3) Nato's 8,000 soldiers took over control from US forces in the south on 31 July. (Oprolbaar, is al erg vaak gezegd)
(4) The soldiers, under the umbrella of Nato's International Security Assistance Force (Isaf), are in six provinces in the south - Day Kundi, Helmand, Kandahar, Nimroz, Uruzgan and Zabul. (goed om nog een keer te herhalen).
(5) There has been a surge in violence this year, particularly in the south where Taleban fighters have stepped up attacks. (is al erg vaak gezegd, schrappen dus)
(6) An Isaf statement said: "The incident occurred on the road from Spin Boldak to Kandahar when a white Toyota Corolla drove towards an Isaf convoy and exploded near one of the vehicles." (deze alinea omhoog plaatsen in de tekst, is belangrijk voor het nieuws)
(7) Isaf has lost 10 soldiers since taking over in the south. (Kan in de lead geschreven worden)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4784283.stm


Het nieuwsbericht vind ik niet goed oprolbaar. Alinea 6 zou onder alinea 2 geplaatst kunnen worden.

Het wordt ook tijd dat er in de berichtgeving betere kaartjes komen. Hier zou beter in de projectie een kaartje van Afghanistan kunnen staan in een kaartje van de provincie Kandahar.

De NAVO-troepen zijn dus wel al doorgedrongen tot de grens met Pakistan.



Kandahār (or Qandahār, قندهار)

NATO warplanes kill 11 Taliban in Afghanistan, Canadian soldier dies
23. August 2006, 09:05

The attack was near Highway One, a key road in the south which has seen several attacks on Canadian troops this month, and close to Panjwayi district which is about 30 kilometres (19 miles) west of Kandahar city.
(The revolt has grown each year since the Taliban were driven from power in late 2001, with officials saying their strategy is more sophisticated and is being backed abroad -- notably from elements inside Pakistan.)
ISAF officials have said Panjwayi, where the Taliban took up arms in the early 1990s, contains the biggest concentration of Taliban fighters in the south.
They say rebels are trying to seize control of the highway to cut links to Kandahar, the first city captured by the Islamists before they swept to power in 1996. Four Canadian soldiers were killed and 10 wounded in a single day of violence in the area early this month. Fifteen Canadian soldiers have now died in hostile action in Afghanistan this year, including the soldier who died after Tuesday's suicide blast. The insurgency -- launched months after the Taliban were toppled and many fled into Pakistan -- has claimed the lives of nearly 80 foreign troops and nearly 1,000 rebels this year. Scores of civilians have also been caught up in the violence with at least 50 killed in Panjwayi alone.

http://www.afghannews.net/index.php?action=show&type=news&id=1055



Nine rebels killed, two Canadian troops wounded in Afghanistan
22. August 2006, 05:46

AFP - British troops have killed nine insurgents preparing an attack in southern Afghanistan while two Canadian soldiers were wounded in a Taliban ambush, the NATO-led force have said. The US-led coalition meanwhile announced Tuesday that it had arrested three "suspected terrorists" in a pre-dawn raid in the eastern province of Khost that was aimed at capturing a "known Al-Qaeda facilitator". (British troops spotted insurgents moving into place for an attack in Helmand province late Monday and "initiated an overwhelming response using high explosive ammunition", the International Security Assistance Force said. The strike was in Nowzad district, where an ISAF air strike on Sunday killed another nine other rebels including a man believed to have been a key insurgent organiser. (About Canadiens)

In neighbouring Kandahar province Taliban fighters late Monday ambushed a Canadian convoy in a rebel stronghold that has seen months of battles, an ISAF spokesman said. The convoy was attacked on a main highway that troops have been trying for weeks to secure and where four Canadians were killed and 10 wounded in a single day of violence this month. "A Canadian convoy was moving down Highway One and in Panjwayi district it was ambushed by Taliban forces," the spokesman told AFP. "The convoy returned fire and extracted itself from the ambush site. Two soldiers were wounded. There is no damage assessment for Taliban," Major Quentin Innes said. The soldiers had minor injuries. Highway One links Kandahar, the biggest city in southern Afghanistan, with the western city of Herat near the border with Iran, one of the country's main trading partners. "What they (the Taliban) are trying to do is control the highway because that would cut off Kandahar from Herat," Innes said. (Achtergrond die zelden wordt genoemd, maar meer inzicht geeft: zou daarom misschien vaker vermeld kunnen worden?)

The extremist Islamist Taliban movement rose from the Panjwayi area in the early 1990s and claimed Kandahar province before sweeping across the country, with backing from Pakistan, to control most of the country by 1996. The hardliners were toppled from government by a US-led coalition in late 2001, launching a few months later an insurgency that has gained power every year and is concentrated in the east and south, along the border with Pakistan. The biggest concentration of Taliban in southern Afghanistan is in Panjwayi district, Innes told AFP. Four Canadian soldiers were killed and 10 wounded in three separate attacks around Highway One on August 3. A suicide bomber killed 21 people in a bazaar as a Canadian convoy passed through to retrieve vehicles damaged by one of the bomb blasts. (oprolbaar)Canada and Britain are among the main contributors to the ISAF force of about 10,000 troops in southern Afghanistan. The NATO-led force took command of th south on July 31 from the coalition. (oprolbaar)There are about 2,300 Canadian troops working mainly in Kandahar province while most of a British deployment to Afghanistan of about 4,500 troops is based in Helmand. Ten (???) ISAF soldiers, including from both countries, have been killed in hostile action since the takeover, which formally launched NATO's most ambitious military operation


Note:

Recent history
During the Soviet occupation of 1979-1989, Kandahar was firmly under Soviet command. After the Soviet withdrawal it changed hands several times.
It was toward the end of 1994 that the Taliban emerged from the city and set out to conquer the south, east, and centre of the country. Since the removal of the Taliban in 2001-02, smaller bands have spread throughout the nearby provinces, and Kandahar came under the control of Gul Agha Sherzai, a Pashtun warlord who had controlled the province and city before the rise of the Taliban, and who was credited with permitting the same corruption that first fueled the growth of the Taliban. The Taliban remains popular amongst some of the local Pashtun inhabitants. Central Afghan control remains little more than symbolic at present.
(Wikipedia)

Tijdens de Sovjet-bezetting (1979-1989) was het het Sovjet-commandocentrum. Tijdens het Taliban-regime (1994-2001) was het de officieuze hoofdstad en zetel van mullah Omar.


Deze “timeline” uiteindelijk wel in een ander document onderbrengen.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/afghanistan/timeline.html


INDEPTH: AFGHANISTANAfghanistan:
Timeline of Canada's involvement
CBC News Online September 18, 2006Sept. 18, 2006:
Four Canadian soldiers are killed in a suicide attack while `on patrol in southern Afghanistan.» full story

Sept. 11, 2006:Prime Minister Stephen Harper says Canada's military participation in Afghanistan is necessary to make the world safer and help eliminate the terror behind the Sept. 11 attacks.» full story

Sept. 4, 2006:Two U.S. aircraft mistakenly fire on a Canadian platoon taking part in NATO's massive anti-Taliban operation in southern Afghanistan, killing one soldier.» full story

Sept. 3, 2006:Four Canadian soldiers die during a ground assault on an insurgent position as part of a major NATO offensive in southern Afghanistan.» full story

Aug. 28, 2006:At least 17 people die and 47 are wounded after a suicide bombing in a busy market located near a police station in Lashkar Gah, the capital of Helmand province, in southern Afghanistan. » full story

Aug. 27, 2006:A Canadian soldier is one of seven people hurt in a mortar attack on a military operating base where the main coalition troops are stationed, about 30 kilometres south of Kandahar, in southern Afghanistan. » full story

Aug. 26, 2006:Canadian soldiers kill an Afghan National Police officer in a shooting that a military spokesman describes as a "regrettable incident."» full story

Aug. 22, 2006:A Canadian soldier and a young girl are killed and three others are wounded when a suicide bomber plows his car into a Canadian military patrol in southern Afghanistan. The deceased soldier, Cpl. David Braun of CFB Shilo in Manitoba, is the 27th Canadian soldier to die in Afghanistan since the war began in 2002. Two hours after the attack, a Canadian soldier shoots and kills a 10-year-old boy and injures a teenager when their motorcycle breaks through the security perimeter around the suicide-bombing site. » full story

Aug. 21, 2006:Two Canadian soldiers are wounded in an ambush about 20 kilometres west of Kandahar, in southern Afghanistan. » full story

Aug. 15, 2006:Six Canadian soldiers are injured in a mortar attack on a Canadian outpost about 30 kilometres west of Kandahar in Panjwaii, southern Afghanistan. » full story

Aug. 11, 2006:A Canadian medic, Cpl. Andrew Eykelenboom, is killed in a suicide bombing. It is believed he is the first Canadian military medic killed in action since the Korean War. The attack happened as Eykelenboom travelled in an armoured G-Wagon light utility vehicle as part of a resupply convoy heading north from the district of Spin Boldak to Kandahar airfield. Overall, 26 Canadian soldiers and one diplomat have died in Afghanistan since 2002. » full story

Aug. 9, 2006:A Canadian soldier, Master Cpl. Jeffrey Walsh, of the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry from CFB Shilo in Manitoba, is killed in what appears to be an accidental discharge of a Canadian rifle. Walsh is the 25th Canadian soldier killed in the mission in Afghanistan since 2002. » full story

Aug. 8, 2006:The new chief of NATO forces in Afghanistan, Lt.-Gen. David Richards, urges Canada not to waver in the battle. The NATO commander says the Canadians who have died in Afghanistan have "died for as good a cause as I can think of." » full story

Aug. 5, 2006:Canadian soldier, Master Cpl. Raymond Arndt, is killed and three others injured in a traffic accident near Kandahar airfield in southern Afghanistan. The wounded soldiers are Cpl. Jared Gagnon, Cpl. Ashley Van Leeuwen and Pte. Adam Keen. Arndt is the 24th Canadian soldier killed in the mission in Afghanistan since 2002. » full story

Aug. 4, 2006:Two roadside bombs hit a Canadian military convoy west of Kandahar. One of the bombs detonates between two vehicles, but there is no major damage and the convoy continues to drive through the danger zone. » full story

Aug. 3, 2006:Four Canadian soldiers are killed in fierce fighting with Taliban insurgents that also leave 10 Canadian troops wounded. Cpl. Christopher Jonathan Reid is killed when his armoured vehicle is struck by a roadside bomb. In a separate incident, Taliban militants with rocket-propelled grenades kill Sgt. Vaughn Ingram, Cpl. Bryce Keller and Pte. Kevin Dallaire. The deaths bring the fatality numbers of Canadian military personnel up to 23 since the conflict began in 2002. » full story

Aug. 2, 2006:Two planeloads of Canadian soldiers, mostly from Manitoba and Ontario, arrive in Kandahar, the first wave of replacements for soldiers who've served in the region since February. About 2,000 replacement soldiers are expected to arrive over the next month. » full story

The time before August 2006:
July 24, 2006:Two international coalition soldiers in Daman district, about seven kilometres east of Kandahar City, are seriously hurt when a van packed with explosives is detonated as their patrol is driving past. Hundreds of Taliban fighters attack a western Afghan government building with rocket-propelled grenades and machine-guns. » full story

July 23, 2006:Vancouver carpenter is killed in northern Afghanistan, where he was completing construction of a school he had been working on for the past four years. Mike Frastacky, 56, was shot three times in the head in a home he was staying at in the town of Nahrin. » full story

July 22, 2006:Two Canadian soldiers die when a suicide bomber explodes near their eight-wheeled Bison troop carrier not far from the coalition base in Kandahar. Eight others, including one Canadian, were injured in the attack. Cpl. Francisco Gomez of the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry based in Edmonton, 44, and Cpl. Jason Warren, 29, of Montreal's The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada are the 18th and 19th Canadian soldiers to die in Afghanistan since 2002.A second suicide bomber later attacks the convoy about 100 metres from the first attack. Six Afghan civilians are killed in the heavily populated area and 30 are injured. » full story

July 15, 2006:Coalition forces start an offensive against hundreds of suspected Taliban fighters in the Sangin region of Helmand province in southern Afghanistan. The U.S. forces push down from the north, the Canadians sweep up from the south and helicopters airlift British soldiers into the middle of the battlefield. » full story

July 15, 2006:A council of Islamic clerics introduces a proposal to the Afghan government for the re-establishment of a religious police force to make sure Shariah law is obeyed. » full story

July 13, 2006:Coalition and Afghan forces kill at least 19 Taliban militants during an insurgent attack on a police headquarters in the Helmand provincial town of Nawzad, in southern Afghanistan. » full story

July 12, 2006:Afghanistan's defence minister, Abdul Rahim Wardak says the country's army cannot secure the country without at least 150,000 troops, more than five times its current size. Wardak says the amount of money some coalition nations spend on one of their own soldiers in the field could fund 50 to 100 new Afghan troops. "We think if we stand on our own feet [then] the coalition and the international community saves a lot of money in the long run, will not be compelled to deploy large formations of their forces," he said. » full story

July 9, 2006:Cpl. Anthony Boneca, a 21-year-old reservist from the Lake Superior Scottish Regiment based in Thunder Bay, Ont., dies in a region west of Kandahar. He was serving with the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry. Boneca is the 17th Canadian soldier to be killed in Afghanistan since the first battle group was sent to the country in February 2002. » full story

July 8, 2006:Two Canadian soldiers are wounded in a gunfight with insurgents west of Kandahar. A total of five coalition soldiers are injured in the battle. Five insurgents are killed and three are captured.» full story

June 30, 2006:Two Canadians and eight other coalition soldiers are wounded when two rockets hit the main Canadian base in Kandahar. The base is home to more than 2,000 soldiers.» full story

June 21, 2006:Two Canadian troops are wounded in a suicide attack on a military convoy, hours after four others are hurt when their vehicle is hit by a roadside bomb.» full story

May 25, 2006:Five soldiers travelling with an Afghan interpreter on a routine patrol near Gumbad, northeast of Kandahar, are wounded when their armoured LAV III encounters a roadside bomb.» full story

May 17, 2006:After a six-hour debate, members of Parliament vote to approve a two-year extension of Canada's military mission to Afghanistan.» full story

May 17, 2006:A female Canadian soldier dies in Afghanistan. Capt. Nichola Goddard, 26, was near the front lines serving as a forward artillery observer during a battle with Taliban forces. She was killed when a rocket-propelled grenade struck her light armoured vehicle. Goddard is the first Canadian female soldier killed in active combat.» full story

May 11, 2006:Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan capture 10 suspected Taliban fighters, while escorting a convoy to Gumbad, north of Kandahar. Troops had been scouring the hills to flush out Taliban fighters. Based on a tip that a group was hiding in a compound, soldiers moved in, but didn't fire a single shot. The suspects were handed over to Afghan national police.» full story

May 9, 2006:Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay pays a surprise visit to Canadian troops in Afghanistan after recent polls suggested support among the Canadian public dropped below 50 per cent. MacKay meets with Canadian soldiers and Afghan leaders to reaffirm Canada's commitment to the mission.» full story

April 19, 2006:Two Canadian soldiers are airlifted to the Kandahar airfield after a bomb explodes near their convoy. An army spokesman says their injuries are "non-life-threatening." The convoy was on its way to Forward Operating Base Robinson to replace troops there when an improvised explosive device blew up near a Bison reconnaissance vehicle. The names of the wounded soldiers were not released.» full story

April 16, 2006:The Canadian International Development Agency says it is suspending aid projects in Afghanistan because it has become too dangerous.» full story

April 14, 2006:A Canadian light armoured vehicle (LAV) rushing to rescue Afghan soldiers is hit by two rocket propelled grenades. No one is injured. The LAV was one of several that was sent out after Taliban forces ambushed a group of Afghan soldiers and police. About 100 Canadian soldiers were involved in the battle, and several light armoured vehicles, attack helicopters and heavy artillery. In a separate incident, at least three Canadian soldiers are injured when their vehicle goes off the road in a convoy north of Kandahar. The injuries are not considered life-threatening. No names are released.» full story

April 2, 2006:Two soldiers are injured by the gun turret of their light armoured vehicle. According to the military, the vehicle was in a convoy passing through Kandahar when another vehicle clipped the turret. The turret swung around, striking the two soldiers.» full story

March 30, 2006:A Canadian soldier and six civilians are wounded by a suicide car bomber in Kandahar. The soldier is airlifted to the main coalition airbase outside the city with non-life-threatening injuries.» full story

March 29, 2006:Canadian soldier Pte. Robert Costall is killed in a firefight with Taliban insurgents. Eight Afghan soldiers and one U.S. soldier are also killed. Three Canadians are wounded. Canadian Forces Brig.-Gen. David Fraser says the firefight lasted for several hours and a "significant number" of Taliban members were killed. Fraser says Costall died "defending his fellow soldiers."» full story

Abdul Rahman arrives in Italy after being granted asylum. Rahman was accused in Afghanistan of converting to Christianity, but the case was dismissed for lack of evidence and suspicion that he may be mentally ill. Many clerics in Afghanistan had called for him to be put to death.» full story

March 21, 2006:Canada joins the list of countries closely watching a court case in Afghanistan, where under Islamic law a man could be sentenced to death for converting to Christianity. Abdul Rahman, 41, is jailed in Afghanistan and faces the death penalty unless he agrees to convert back to Islam, said the judge at the Shariah court. Italy and Germany, two other Western countries with troops stationed in Afghanistan, also expressed concern over the case amid calls that their troops be pulled out.» full story

March 14, 2006:Canadian soldiers fatally shoot an Afghan taxi driver, about four kilometres from the Canadian base in Kandahar. Chief of staff for Task Force Afghanistan, Lt.-Col. Derek Basinger, says the soldiers fire warning shots at Nasrat Ghali after he drove through a police checkpoint and came less than a metre from a Canadian military vehicle. Afghan police open an investigation into the shooting.» full story

March 13, 2006:Prime Minister Stephen Harper reaffirms his government's commitment to troops serving in Afghanistan. "There will be some who want to cut and run, but cutting and running is not my way and it's not the Canadian way," he tells about 1,000 troops at the Kandahar airfield.» full story

March 12, 2006:Prime Minister Stephen Harper arrives in Afghanistan on an unannounced visit. Canada's chief of defence staff, Gen. Rick Hillier, greets Harper and Defence Minister Gordon O'Connor when the Hercules transport plane carrying the government contingent lands in Kandahar. Harper tours a military operations centre and spends the night at Canada's main base.» full story

March 10, 2006:A Canadian supply convoy travelling in southern Afghanistan triggers a roadside bomb, blowing a wheel off an armoured vehicle. Gen. Rick Hillier, Canada's chief of defence staff, is nearby in a meeting with a village elder. Hillier is taken to the Canadian base in Gumbad by armoured convoy and a U.S. Black Hawk helicopter flies him back to the main base in Kandahar.» full story

March 7, 2006:Prime Minister Stephen Harper rejects the idea of a debate on Canada's presence in Afghanistan and says any attempt to pull them back would be a betrayal. "Canadians don't cut and run at the first sign of trouble," he says. "That's the nature of this country, and when we send troops into the field, I expect Canadians to support those troops." » full story

March 4, 2006:During a meeting between Canadian soldiers and village elders in Gumbad, a man attacks one of the soldiers from behind with a half-metre-long axe. Capt. Trevor Greene, a journalist and former navy officer from Vancouver, suffers a serious head wound. Other Canadian soldiers shot and kill his attacker.» full story

March 3, 2006:Five Canadian soldiers are injured when a suicide bomber attacks the armoured vehicle they are riding in near Kandahar.» full story

March 2, 2006:A LAV III armoured vehicle crashes into a taxi and flips during a patrol on a main highway seven kilometres west of Kandahar. The accident kills Cpl. Paul Davis, of Bridgewater, N.S., and Master Cpl. Timothy Wilson, of Grande Prairie, Alta.» full story

Feb. 28, 2006:Canadian Brig.-Gen. David Fraser takes over control of the multinational force in southern Afghanistan from U.S. Gen. Karl Eikenberry. Hours later, militants detonate a roadside bomb in front of a convoy of Canadian soldiers. » full story

Feb. 25, 2006: Militants fire two rocket-propelled grenades at a Canadian military patrol near Kandahar. One of the grenades hits Canadian "G Wagon," injuring Canadian 2nd Lieut. Kelly Catton. He is treated in Afghanistan. » full story

Feb. 24, 2006A battle group from Canada's Princess Patricia's Light Infantry takes over frontline duties in Kandahar province from a U.S. task force. Feb. 16, 2006Canadian military engineers defuse a large roadside bomb outside Kandahar, consisting of two large Russian shells tied together with red wire and attached to a remote control detonator. Two Canadian soldiers are injured in a road accident, the second in as many days. One is flown to Germany for treatment. » full story

Feb. 15, 2006Three soldiers, two of them Canadian, are injured when their Mercedes-Benz Gelaendewagen rolls over in Kandahar. None of the injuries is life-threatening, but one of the Canadians is flown to Germany as a precaution. » full story

Jan. 16, 2006Three soldiers wounded in a suicide bomb attack on their convoy are airlifted to Germany for treatment. Cpl. Jeffrey Bailey and Pte. William Salikin were listed in critical condition while Master Cpl. Paul Franklin was said to be in serious condition. » full story

Jan. 15, 2006A Canadian diplomat is killed and three Canadian soldiers are injured after a suicide bomber strikes a military convoy near Kandahar. The diplomat - 59-year-old Glyn Berry - was the political director of the provincial reconstruction team in Afghanistan. Foreign Affairs said he was the first Canadian diplomat to be slain abroad. » full story

2005
Nov. 24, 2005One soldier was killed and three injured when an armoured vehicle rolled over near Kandahar. The Department of National Defence said the accident involved a LAV-3 armoured vehicle.» full story

Aug. 5, 2005Canadian troops prepare to shut down Camp Julien near Kabul and move to a new mission near Kandahar, where the situation is more dangerous. » full story

July 15, 2005Canada's top soldier warns that Canadians should prepare for military casualties. But he adds that sending more troops to rid Afghanistan of elements of the Taliban and al-Qaeda can only help Canada in the long run. "These are detestable murderers and scumbags. I'll tell you that right up front," said Hillier. » full story

May 17, 2005Canada commits to sending as many as 1,250 troops to the Kandahar region of Afghanistan. » full story

Feb. 10, 2005A new six-month tour begins for 700 Canadian troops in Kabul.» full story

2004
Nov. 28, 2004Military ombudsman André Marin says the 700 Canadian soldiers in Kabul are exhausted from working flat-out for 4½ months.» full story

Nov. 6, 2004Thirty-five soldiers from the First Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry in Edmonton return from a tour of duty in Afghanistan.» full story

Aug. 24, 2004A National Defence Department board of inquiry report concludes that two incidents in Afghanistan in which three Canadian soldiers died could not have been prevented. Both incidents involved the Iltis light utility jeep, criticized for not offering enough protection to its occupants.» full story

Aug. 8, 2004Canadian Lt.-Gen. Rick Hillier hands over command of the 34-country International Security Assistance Force to French Lt.-Gen. Jean-Louis Py.» full story

Aug. 5, 2004A Norwegian battle group with 550 soldiers replaces 700 members of the Royal 22e Regiment, the Vandoos, patrolling the centre of Kabul. The Canadian Forces says that during their deployment the Vandoos completed 3,500 patrols with no casualties and finished 154 "do-good" projects that spent $400,000 on schools, orphanages, roads, culverts, water and other projects.» full story

July 26, 2004About 600 troops from Western Canada, including 60 members of the 3rd Battalion of the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, head to Afghanistan to replace a battalion of the Royal 22nd Regiment. Some of the soldiers were members of the original Canadian deployment to Afghanistan, Operation Apollo. » full story

April 15, 2004Prime Minister Paul Martin says Canada will send a 600-member battle group and a 200-member air force support group to Afghanistan to replace the current deployment of 1,700 soldiers when their tours end in August. Canada's military presence will be maintained until the summer of 2005.» full story

April 13, 2004Afghan authorities lead a team that includes Canadian soldiers in a raid of a compound outside Kabul. Six people are arrested, including a wanted member of a militant group. » full story

Feb. 9, 2004Canadian Lt.-Gen. Rick Hillier takes command of the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan.» full story
Feb. 4, 2004Prime Minister Paul Martin says Canada will maintain up to 500 soldiers in Afghanistan after the Canadian Forces' mission in Kabul is complete in August. » full story

Jan. 27, 2004Cpl. Jamie Brendan Murphy, 26, of Conception Harbour, Nfld., is killed and three others wounded by a suicide bomber while on patrol near the Canadian base, Camp Julien, in Kabul. » full story

Jan. 24, 2004About 100 Canadian soldiers land in Trenton, Ont., after completing their six-month tour in Afghanistan. » full story

Jan. 20, 2004Nearly 2,000 Canadian troops from CFB Valcartier, Que., head to Afghanistan to replace the first wave of troops at the end of their six-month tour. » full story

2003
Oct. 2, 2003Two Canadian soldiers are killed and three injured in a roadside blast southwest of Kabul, which destroyed their light Iltis jeep. Dead are Sgt. Robert Alan Short, 42, of Fredericton and Cpl. Robbie Christopher Beerenfenger, 29, of Ottawa.» full story

July 17, 2003Canadian Brig.-Gen. Peter J. Devlin, takes over command of the Kabul Multinational Brigade, composed of soldiers from 19 countries. In the following days he will be joined by the first elements of an 1,800-strong Canadian contingent, charged with maintaining order in the Afghan capital.» full story

Feb. 12, 2003Defence Minister John McCallum announces Canada will send a contingent of more than 1,000 soldiers to join the international security force in Kabul as early as the summer.» full story

2002
May 21, 2002Canada announces that its 750 soldiers on the ground in Afghanistan will be pulled out by August. Air, sea and special forces are to remain.» full story

April 18, 2002Four Canadians soldiers die when an American pilot drops a bomb on them as they take part in a nighttime training exercise near Kandahar. Eight more Canadians are wounded.» full story

Feb. 2, 2002The first major wave of Canadian soldiers land in Afghanistan. Says commander Lt.-Col. Pat Stogran, the 140 soldiers - members of the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry - are "really excited to be here, finally."» full story

Jan. 25, 2002For the first time since 1979, Canada re-establishes diplomatic ties with Afghanistan. Ottawa severed ties after the Soviets invaded the country to prop up the Communist regime in Kabul.» full story

2001
Oct. 17, 2001The HMCS Charlottetown, HMCS Iroquois and supply ship Preserver leave Halifax for the Arabian Sea where they are to join U.S. and British forces already there. The deployment is Canada's contribution to Operation Apollo.» full story

Oct. 10, 2001The U.S. and Britain launch the first round of air strikes on Kabul in response to the Sept. 11 attacks on U.S. targets. The focus of the bombardment is Afghanistan's Taliban leadership as well as training camps and installations belonging to Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda organization.» full story


Kaart van Afghanistan op Multi-map

http://www.multimap.com/map/browse.cgi?client=public&X=7450000&Y=3650000&width=700&height=400&gride=7313723.94096531&gridn=3689949.2478637&srec=0&coordsys=mercator&db=w3&addr1=&addr2=&addr3=&pc=&advanced=&local=&localinfosel=&kw=&inmap=&table=&ovtype=&keepicon=true&zm=1&scale=2000000

Provincial Reconstruction Teams at the South

At November 2006, 24 PRTs are responsible for reconstruction work in Afghanistan. Four of these teams are deployed in the south of the country.
Day Kundi (…), Helmand (Britten), Kandahar (Canadezen), Nimroz (…), Uruzgan (Nederlanders en Australiers) and Zabul (Amerikanen).


De provincies van Afghanistan
De koppelingen verwijzen naar de betreffende artikelen erover in de Wikipedia.

Badakhshan
Badghis
Baghlan
Balkh
Bamiyan
Daikondi
Farah
Faryab
Ghazni
Ghowr
Helmand
Herat
Jowzjan
Kabul
Kandahar
Kapisa
Khost
Konar
Kunduz
Laghman
Lowgar
Nangarhar
Nimruz
Nurestan
Oruzgan
Paktia
Paktika
Panjshir
Parvan
Samangan
Sar-e Pol
Takhar
Vardak
Zabol


Aantekening

Kandahar
Kandahar or Qandahar (Pashto, Persian: قندهار) is the second largest city of Afghanistan, with a population of 316,000 people (2002 official estimates). It is the capital of Kandahar province on the Arghandab River, approximately 3,297 feet (1,005 meters) above sea level. It is linked by highways with Herat to the west, Ghazni and Kabul to the east, Tarin Kowt to the north, and Quetta in Pakistan to the south.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kandahar


Aantekening

Nimruz
Nimruz (Persian: نیمروز) is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan. It is in the south-west of the country on the borders of Iran and Pakistan. Nimruz covers 41,000 km² and has a population of 149,000 (2002 estimate). It is the most sparsely populated province in the country. The capital is Zaranj. Majority of the population is Pashtun, followed by a minority Balouchs.


Nimruz è una provincia dell'Afghanistan di 149.000 abitanti, che ha come capoluogo Zaranj. Confina con le province di Farah a nord e di Helmand a est, con il Pakistan (Balochistan) a sud e l'Iran (provincia di Sistan e Baluchistan) a ovest.
http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nimruz

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nimruz_Province

(De provincie is ongeveer even groot als Nederland, en heeft nog niet het aantal inwoners van de stad groningen of Eindhoven.


Aantekening

Over een aspect van de overtuiging van de Taliban, naar aanleiding van een incident in de provincie Logar

Logar
In the central Logar province, 10 suspected Taliban militants intercepted a group of 15 men coming from a wedding party early Friday and beat them with rifle butts. They then set fire to a private radio station that broadcasts music and entertainment programs, a witness and a police chief said.

The incident happened just 30 miles south of Kabul and was reminiscent of times when Taliban militants imposed strict Islamic rule in Afghanistan, including a ban on music and entertainment, before being ousted by a U.S.-led invasion in 2001.