Pilfer, Loot, Parting Gift From Afghanistan

"Equipment in these containers would consist of items such as tires, tools and tents (forklifts, barbed wire and engineering equipment)."

Although Canada still has almost a thousand military personnel remaining in Afghanistan in an advisory-training role to bring the Afghan National Army up to speed on their responsibility to protect their country, their countrymen and their government from the malign and vicious plans of the Taliban to haul it back into the stone age, Afghanistan has offered its appreciation to the Canadian military on its larger withdrawal of personnel and materiel.

It should likely have been anticipated, given how opportunistic and corrupt Afghan warlords, some of whom now sit in the country's Parliament in Hamid Karzai's government, have been in the past. And, obviously, continue to be, ever alert for opportunities to enrich themselves personally. It is, however, likely anyone's guess who embraced the opportunity to take possession of Canadian military equipment, leaving in its stead ballast in the form of sand and rocks.

On the other hand, elements of the Taliban, who are more than capable of infiltrating regular society, including Afghan troops, and as well the Pakistan military, may just as readily availed themselves of equipment just begging to be possessed by others than their rightful owners. With the departure of Canadian troops, their equipment, other than what was flown out on Canada's huge C-17 transport airlcraft, has been packed into sea containers for an eventual sea voyage back to Canada.

Although much of the equipment is yet to be shipped out as contracted with a Montreal-based freight forwarding firm, before Pakistan in a fit of fury at the U.S. for an 'unprovoked attack' against a Pakistan military base across the border - killing 24 Pakistanis (as a response to a truly unprovoked attack against Afghan and U.S. military personnel within Afghanistan) - choosing to invoke a stop-transport order, a few sea containers did previously ship out. And these are those found to be missing Canadian equipment.

"The Canadian Forces have had and continue to face missing but non-critical equipment in certain sea containers being transported from Afghanistan to Canada, by chartered vessel", confirmed Lt.-Cmdr. John Nethercott. Pakistan is also considering levying a tax against each shipping container, before permitting them exit to their North American destinations. Should that occur, Canada would be looking at paying an extorted three-quarters of a million to free up its 446 shipping containers.

And, although the Canadian military, while admitting that quite a bit of equipment has gone missing, still seems to resist broadcasting the idea that whatever has been taken is of any real importance. Were that to be true, that the missing equipment has little value and is unimportant, why take the trouble and expense to ship it back to Canada? Of course, a military spokesman has also denied that Canadian military uniforms have been stolen, but there appears to be evidence that such too is the case.

Those uniforms, just like U.S. military uniforms that have previously been stolen, have been used by Taliban forces for entry into protected areas, to attack legitimate NATO international troops in the past. On the other hand, enterprising assistants to the Taliban in Afghanistan have also been found to be operating a uniform factory, where phony uniforms, replicating those of NATO-member militaries, are turned out for that very same use.

But we are to be reassured: "Some sea containers have arrived in Canada missing equipment, all of which is non-critical, listed on the container manifest. In some instances, the missing equipment was replaced by rocks and other weight so the loss would not be noticed until the containers were opened." Sounds like a well-planned operation, and one that would require some degree of co-ordination and equipment to bring to a satisfactory conclusion.

Thousands of tonnes of equipment are being shipped home to Canada by the Canadian Forces, closing down the combat mission for Canadian troops in Kandahar Province. NATO remains concerned about the potential use of stolen coalition uniforms as an issue leading to suicide bombers gaining entry to restricted areas. It's a telling commentary on the two countries of the region involved in this NATO mission; both Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Both countries resentful of the presence of foreign international troops, both reaping the windfall of huge sums of international financial and humanitarian aid, both grasping any opportunity to benefit from corruption at the highest levels of government and their respective militaries. Both claiming to be doing their utmost to battle the terrorists among them. Both insisting that they are allies of NATO in battling terrorism.

And as long as Pakistan maintains its closed border, the remaining equipment will not be moved. And the port will remain mired in a congestion of seaward-bound containers, with over 3,600 military vehicles and 1,700 containers stranded, awaiting passage. A clear invitation to any other enterprising looters.