B
BITTER PPLCI CPL
Guest
For these new operations, does anyone think we should go back to battle group style deployments.
Canadian soldiers return to Kandahar
- Thread starter scm77
- Start date
- Reaction score
- 0
- Points
- 410
It won't. Unlike Iraq, the Afghan people do not feel like they are conquered and for the most part want the peace and security that has eluded them for the last 20+ yrs. 95% of Afghans are supportive of the US and thier allies... Its the 5% of AQ and Taliban supports in Afghanistan and the border regions of Pakistan who are causeing the trouble.
BTW the Taliban has registered as a party in the upcoming elections and is hoping to have candidates run.
No, the PRT is a unique situation which demands a mix of all trades and units. Also as opposed to whats reported it is not meant to go out "hunting".
When they send the "hunting" force in Feb then it should be a light infantry Combat Team (ok, battle group) designed for the task, with a dedicated NCE to answer to Ottawa and C2 both groups (unlike the useless NCE component that TFK has had).
- Reaction score
- 0
- Points
- 110
Armymedic said:
I would disagree, although the PRT team is made up of a mix of trades with the goal of reconstructing and stabalizing the Kandahar region, it would be a mistake to go out the front gate without planning and preparing for combat first. Now if this includes hunting then it is apart of the mandate, not first knowing where your enemy is before leaving is disasterous, not feeling that shooting to kill is a nessessary part of your mandate is criminal.
The Afghan people no more want Canadian's in their country than they want the Taliban, accepting us does not mean that they don't feel occupied, if they could do it themselves they would. For the most part the Russian support of the Communist government that took power began much the same way as this current 'occupation' has, the general population of Afghanistan is passive. But it's not the passive people you worry about it is the ones that are able to organise unwilling people into willing mobs that you'll truely see the conviction of the Afghan people. So 'blowing wind up our asses' I would say at this point is premature, as Gen. Leslie said we will be their for 20 years, if this is the case I'm guessing that around the 10 year mark our moral will be in the basement again unless something more interesting happens or comes along.
"Passing out candy and bandages does wonders for personal moral, but does nothing for Army moral."
-Unknown Factor
- Reaction score
- 0
- Points
- 410
"Hunting" may have been a poor choice of a word...My meaning was "to seek out and destroy the enemy". Any and every soldier in Afghanistan (and anywhere for that matter) should always be ready to use deadly force whenever, and wherever it is warranted.
In my understanding (and may stand corrected) the PRT does not have the mandate of seeking out and destroying the TB, AQ, HiQ and ACAGs.
- Reaction score
- 0
- Points
- 110
Armymedic said:
Well I'd say that the jury is still out on that, but it has to be realized that they are not just going to let them hang around the outside of the camp either. If it is waranted I am under the understanding that they may be doing just that if needed.
- Reaction score
- 0
- Points
- 210
Hey Franko, thanks for dropping a line. Of course we are aware it's not like Iraq, however do you think it has that potential? Are you there now with the PRT (sorry, if it's opsec or persec, please ignore) I imagine it must be a tad bit more stressful that the TFK rotos were. Thanks.
- Reaction score
- 0
- Points
- 410
Island Ryhno said:
I can surely say Franko is not with the PRT, nor will he be.
OK, let me get this out...as it is bugging me. Despite what you hear in the media, Kabul is still not safe. Is Kandahar City more dangerous then Kabul...not really. Are the outlands between Kandahar and the border, AND Kabul and the border full of bad guys willing to disrupt the elections? Hell Yes. Is one of those region more dangerous then the other? NO. But thats where the fighting and most of the attacks that are killing the ANA and US forces are happening..out in the valleys and villages near the border regions. From those regions, the baddies are bringing in their stuff to Kabul and Kandahar. In the last 6 months their have been an equal amount of attacks in both cities, the most successful being the Mosque attack in June in Kandahar, which targeted a Karzi supporting Mullah from the region.
Despite what you hear in the Canadian media, everyone who wears a CF uniform and travels on any road in Afghanistan is under a threat, and must always be vigilant to it. We have just been lucky in the last year a Canadian has not been severely wounded or killed.
With the exception of the KMNB Recce Sqn group, everyone involved in TFK Op Athena has been doing nothing more then maintaining Camp Julien for the last yr, so their entire focus is the move of CJ to Kandahar. And yes officially, they are not suppose to start to move before the elections, but if the PRT needs stuff, they are getting it from CJ.
I have been home since Tues...and the reporting I see on TV makes me shake my head. :
- Reaction score
- 0
- Points
- 210
Thanks Armymedic and welcome back to the world. Glad you and everyone else came home safely. Of course I don't get my A-stan news from the media, I get it here at army.ca! I feel much like yourself, the safety net that's been cast by the media is quite false. People quickly remember the tragedys that happened not to long ago (4 Navy Seals) and even our own tragedys have been shunned by the media (Murphy). Of course with the media on Liberalmania here it's no wonder that the "security action" over there has been made to look all cuddly and such. Rant off.
Are the "insurgents" as well armed and creative with IED's as we have seen in Iraq?
Are the "insurgents" as well armed and creative with IED's as we have seen in Iraq?
- Reaction score
- 0
- Points
- 210
It's different from Iraq because there haven't been 40 ISAF soldiers killed here in the last few weeks. In Iraq there has. People die each and every day there and will continue to, luckily that doesn't happen nearly as much here. As ArmyMedic said, Kabul is generally not safe, but it's safer than Kandahar that's for sure. As for PRT going and seeking and destroying such and such enemy....don't bet on it, it's not part of their job. I doubt that there will be much of that going on with any canadians. Remember who we work for. But then again, who knows until the time comes, all I've heard is 'possible' cbt operations.
B
BITTER PPLCI CPL
Guest
I think Island Rhyno also forgets recent events, there were 12 other people that died that day also (not just the Navy Seals), the media got you, you focused on the glamorized name of the Seals! 
- Reaction score
- 0
- Points
- 210
No, I didn't focus on the glamourized name of the seals. I'm quite aware of the helicopter that was shot down bringing support to those troops. My point was; the public in general reacts to things they recognize and they should be very aware when it says that SEALS were killed. Don't patronize me.
Okay, so Afghanistan and Iraq differ only in scale. But that can change anytime the enemy feels like stepping up its attacks, like for example, right before the elections coming up, like we saw happen in Iraq earlier this year before their elections.
So really Afghanistan could turn into another Iraq.
So really Afghanistan could turn into another Iraq.
- Reaction score
- 0
- Points
- 210
Altogether you're comparing 2 very different places with 2 different missions. I suppose it could turn into the next 'Iraq', but remember that allied forces have been in country for 4 years now. If they were to step it up, they probably would have done so by now. All in all, it has scaled down.
- Reaction score
- 0
- Points
- 410
P-Free said:
NO, no matter how you try to break it down....NO.
There are too many cultural and historical differences between the two to draw more then a couple parallels. Perhaps in tactics, as those in Afghanistan learn what works from Iraq and vice versa...
1. Iraq was "conquered" (for lack of better terms), wheras the US assisted previously established resistance groups who just didn't have the military might (but had public support) to move against the Taliban Gov't.
2. Karzi actually fought against the Taliban and was chosen by the Tribes before being "established" with Western assistance, unlike the plug who is the figurehead in Iraq.
3. Afghanistan's disarmament is progressing successfully and many of the weapons used during the war are in the hands of the Gov't, where as in Iraq the victorious US forces fail to initiate a disarmament program until several months after the fall of Bagdad, leaving arms in the hands of the former Iraqi military.
4. Afghanistan has been in a state of internal war since the before the Russian takeover, and the people are tired of war. Iraq had a period of "peace" since 92.
there are more, and several people smarter and better spoken then me can explain it if you are still confused.
Similar threads
