Assault On Kandahar Base Repelled

Oh. Repelled. That's good. Isn't it? NATO security forces managed to repel an attack by "a small number of insurgents attempting to enter the base on the north side". Good thing their attempt was foiled. "No insurgents have penetrated the base perimeter", according to a NATO statement. Now that is a huge relief. And we also learn that no Canadians were involved in repelling the attack, according to the chief Canadian military spokesman.

"All military and civilian personnel on the base are being instructed to stay in safe locations as a precaution"; again a NATO statement. As it was, several NATO troops and civilians were wounded in the attacks. Evidently they were unable to take precautionary action to ensure their personal safety because the Taliban made no effort to pre-warn them of an impending attack. Not very civil, but then what can you expect from "13th-Century failed state" representatives?

They are skilled in a type of predatory, no-holds-barred, warfare that civilized countries simply do not engage in. When they strike, it is for the jugular. Or for the unwary military personnel on duty travelling along dusty provincial roads that have been booby-trapped very effectively by 'home-made' explosive devices. Many of which can be identified with constituent parts from Iran, one takes it. Many of whom were trained in the border regions of Pakistan, one takes it.

Spurred on by their irredentist, fanatical-religious-jihadist mentality to coax foreign troops from their home geography. Figures, right? NATO military members, on the other hand, are polite and well-behaved and follow orders. They also, quite logically, inform the enemy well beforehand that strikes are in the planning stages and will be mounted on specific, well-publicized dates.

The latest are efforts to secure Kandahar City and four other districts. So here's the plan. We'll simply expand on the successes seen thus far by those intrepid Canadian troops who have unfortunately had ramp ceremonies for 146 members of the Canadian military ... and counting. "The first guys on the beach here are the Canadians." And the Canadian forces are providing counsel for the U.S. surge-troops.

"History will write that the Canadians came here and for years fought and struggled as the situation got worse. Their brigade did what four brigades-plus are going to be doing and their hands were full." So went the comradely homage to Canadian efforts in war-ravaged Kandahar province by U.S. marine Col. David Bellon. It does present as an existential dilemma; well trained and armed Western troops unable to completely repel a rag-tag guerrilla army.

And in Canada, troop morale is getting a big lift out of carefully watching the unfolding military court trial of Captain Robert Semrau, accused of second-degree murder in the death of a Taliban fighter. Who had, mere moments before been stationed up in a tree with his companions, firing on the Afghan National Army troop to which Captain Semrau and his buddies were attached, as advisers.

The court martial sitting in judgement must sift through the witness accounts that conflict with statements made by others, some in Captain Semrau's defence, others condemning him. For executing a severely wounded-unto-death Taliban fighter whom Afghan fighters refused to treat, left to die in agony of his wounds. A mercy killing, said Captain Semrau.

Had he and his buddies been accurately targetted by the Taliban fighter and his crew it would have been quite without mercy.