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Canada's deadly December in Afghanistan just bad luck: military officials

By: Steve Rennie, THE CANADIAN PRESS

29/12/2008 3:10 PM | Comments: 0

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan - Blame bad luck for the deaths of nine Canadian soldiers in southern Afghanistan this month, say military officials at Kandahar Airfield.

Officials insist the recent uptick in violence across Kandahar province and beyond owes more to misfortune than an emboldened Taliban insurgency.

Although violence typically ebbs in Afghanistan over the winter, this December - which saw Canada surpass the psychological milestone of 100 deaths since the Afghan mission began in 2002 - has been deadly for Canadian troops.

So far this month, nine Canadian soldiers have died - the same number killed in April 2007, and close to the record of 10 set in September 2006.

It's a change from past years, when snow clogs the mountain passes and bitter cold sends insurgents back to their hideouts to regroup in anticipation of the coming spring fighting season.

Prior to 2008, only five soldiers died in the period between December and March since Canada took over security in Kandahar province in mid-2006.

Military officials referred questions about the apparent increase in the death toll in Kandahar province to remarks made last week by Brig.-Gen. Denis Thompson, Canada's top military commander in Afghanistan.

Thompson's comments came after Pte. Michael Freeman was killed when his armoured vehicle struck an explosive during a security patrol in Zhari district.

He was asked if there was special significance to the high number of deaths in a winter month.

"It's not a linear process. There things unfortunately come, and there are spikes and valleys," Thompson said. Prior to December, Canada went several months without fatalities, but suffered plenty of injuries, he added.

"There's not much to observe in terms of the time of year, other than, obviously, there's an increased incidence of IEDs (improvised explosive devices) at this particular point in the campaign."

When another explosion killed two more soldiers a day later, Thompson said explosives are the Taliban's weapon of choice during the winter, when the bitter cold makes it difficult to raise enough fighters to take on Canadian and coalition troops.

A Taliban spokesman couldn't immediately be reached for comment.

Maj. Jay Janzen, a military spokesman at Kandahar Airfield, said bomb attacks have become more complex over the last four months.

But just as the Taliban have changed their tactics, he said, so too have Canadian forces.

"We've got a lot of smart people, both in Canada and here in Afghanistan, that are working around the clock on counter-IED efforts," Janzen said.

But the bombs are difficult to detect and easy to make, he added.

Thirty-two soldiers have been killed in action this year, two more than in 2007. Canada suffered its heaviest losses in 2006 when 36 soldiers died.

The number of wounded soldiers is also up from last year. Figures compiled by the Defence Department show 84 soldiers were wounded in 2007, and are estimated to total around 95 by the end of this year.

The worst year for casualties was 2006 - the year of Operation Medusa, Canada's largest battle since the Korean War - when 180 troops were wounded.

But soldiers aren't the only victims of insurgent violence. A number of civilians have been killed in recent days in a string of bombings.

A pair of explosions Monday morning in Spin Boldak, in the eastern part of Kandahar province, killed two people. Two more people died when a suicide car bomber detonated his vehicle in Parwan province, north of the Afghan capital. Together, Monday's attacks wounded 37 people.

Fourteen schoolchildren were killed Sunday when a bomb-loaded truck veered toward them and exploded in Kabul. On Saturday, a suicide bomber blew himself up at a police checkpoint east of the town of Senjaray in Kandahar province, killing three police officers and two civilians.

British Royal Navy Capt. Mark Windsor, a spokesman for NATO forces in Afghanistan, said Taliban insurgents are trying to create the perception that stability across the country is slipping.

"Let's face it: it's all about perceptions. If you can create the perception that Afghanistan ... is unstable by a number of either spectacular or relatively minor incidents, in the minds of people it isn't safe," Windsor said.

"It's the impact on the minds of people, both in the country and on the outside, of what the level of stability and security is here."

Top military commanders - including the commander of Canada's overseas forces, Lt.-Gen. Michel Gauthier - predict Afghanistan's recent spike in violence is a harbinger of more bloodshed in 2009.

With tens of thousands of American troops set to deploy to Afghanistan in the coming months, and national elections scheduled for next year, the military is bracing for more combat casualties.

During a weekend visit to Kandahar Airfield, Defence Minister Peter MacKay also acknowledged the Taliban would likely step up their attacks next year. He predicted less violence by 2010.

"When we get past this period of the elections, when we see the further influx of soldiers coming in here, providing greater security, yes, we would certainly hope - and that is the goal - that the violence will diminish."

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