Canada Sending More Troops To Afghanistan
Posted September 15, 2006 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The feds have decided to up our troop strength in the war torn nation, announcing Friday they will send 200 more soldiers and 15 extra tanks to aid in the fight for freedom.
The Department of National Defence confirms the reinforcements will come from Quebec’s Royal 22nd Regiment, a controversial choice given the growing opposition in that province to the war.
The Leopard tanks will originate in Edmonton.
There will also be a small team of military engineers sent with them to help rebuild the country’s infrastructure and special anti-mortar units to combat those who want to tear it all down.
The commander of Canada’s forces in Afghanistan, Brig.-Gen. David Fraser, made the request, noting there simply aren’t enough reinforcements to protect the soldiers currently on the ground.
“Canadian soldiers face a complex and demanding mission in Afghanistan with diverse landscapes ranging from mountainous, isolated and remote regions to busy urban centres with large populations,” a Defence Dept. statement explains. “The situation on the ground recently shifted due to the changing tactics of the Taliban. Increased capabilities are needed. These resources provide greater mobility, protection of our troops, flexibility and precision firepower.”
Canadian troops have come under increasing fire from insurgents, and several lost their lives this summer when rocket attacks hit near the Kandahar base.
The new deployment will increase our overall military commitment to the region to 2,500 men and women.
Thirty-two soldiers and one diplomat have been killed in Afghanistan since our forces were sent there in 2002.
Last May, our mission was extended for two years and troops are now scheduled to remain in place until 2009.
