Rockets Strike Afghan Base During Peter MacKay Visit
Posted November 6, 2007 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Defence Minister Peter MacKay got a taste of the perils Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan face every day, after rockets hit a forward base during his visit Tuesday.
Security personnel transported the minister, who wasn’t harmed in the attack, to safety in an armoured vehicle. He was later flown from the base via helicopter.
About 15 minutes after that first blast another rocket crashed into the base, creating a loud explosion and a huge cloud of smoke and dust. Soldiers and reporters in the area dove for cover, and four militiamen suffered minor injuries
“We heard the explosion,” MacKay explained. “We heard the whistle overhead. We were told to get down. We did.”
“Everything went like clockwork. We were taken out of harm’s way very quickly, put in an armoured vehicle. The people I’m travelling with are consummate professionals.”
Col. Stephane Lefaut asserted the attacks represented Taliban desperation at having their movements restricted by coalition forces in the region.
It’s MacKay’s first visit to the troubled nation since taking over the defence portfolio from Gordon O’Connor in mid-August and it’ll undoubtedly be a memorable one for the minister.
He’s made it his mission to focus attention on positive Canadian contributions to the country, as the mission is still being met with skepticism and doubt from many citizens in this country. It’s his plan to be in Afghanistan for several days. There’s no word on whether the attack will impact his schedule.
Canada has some 2,500 troops in Afghanistan, most in Kandahar. Seventy-one Canadian soldiers and one diplomat have died since our mission there began in 2002.
