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Canadian platoons launch solo patrols in Kabul
Canadian Press
KABUL, Afghanistan — The Canadian battle group patrolling the Afghan capital almost doubled its area of operations just hours before it took over patrols from its German predecessors, its commander said Thursday.
Canada‘s first solo patrol in southwest Kabul was launched by 3 Platoon, Para Company, at 1 a.m. local time Thursday, hours after the International Security Assistance Force ordered the Canadians to lengthen their reach. An official parade and handover ceremony was conducted later in the day.
"We‘ve been given a larger tract of land into which we can patrol, primarily for security purposes; pieces of ground that could influence activities in Kabul proper," Lt.-Col. Don Denne said afterward.
Denne said there has been no specific threat or heightened state of alert that led to the decision to expand, but it allows the Canadians more flexibility and "doesn‘t keep us so confined."
He said the areas, which extend to the ISAF boundaries and include high ground well within artillery range of the camp where about 1,600 of 1,950 Canadians are living, will only be patrolled "as the threat dictates."
"It‘s a little bit of force protection, and it adds to the security and stability of Kabul, as well."
Canada‘s one-year mission in Afghanistan is two-fold. As part of the 31-country, NATO-led force, it is helping secure the Afghan capital and the interim government of President Hamid Karzai before spring elections.
It will also conduct some limited humanitarian work in the nearly 400-square-kilometre sector that includes an urban area about the size of Saskatoon and outlying areas that encompass rural villages, hills and mountains.
The sector was lightly patrolled by the Germans, though German Lt.-Col. Helmut Remus said in a speech that his under-manned battle group conducted more than 1,500 day and night patrols around Kabul in 74 days.
Remus‘s boss, Col. Rudi Retzer, told ceremony participants there was "a clear imbalance between available German forces and the area of responsibility to be covered."
The Germans had been conducting combined patrols with the Canadians for at least a week before Thursday‘s ceremony, helping familiarize the Canucks with their seven districts of responsibility.
Now the largest single contributor to ISAF, the Canadians will conduct their patrols in armoured vehicles as well as the ill-suited Iltis, an open, jeep-like vehicle that is universally disliked by Canadian soldiers.
Troops riding in the Canadian-made vehicle have found themselves vulnerable while in heavily populated markets and traffic jams. The Iltis is slated to be replaced by a heavier, roofed, four-door Mercedes, but not for several months.
"The Iltis is not particularly designed for patrolling of this nature, but we‘re fairly innovative chaps and we‘re going to make it work," said Denne.
The colonel said the vehicle is too small, doesn‘t allow the troops good situational awareness and doesn‘t have any significant armament.
Troops have used spare flak vests and plates on their seats as added protection in the Iltis.
They have reversed one of the seats in the vehicle, bolted machine guns to the top rollbar, and they‘re removing some of the superstructure to allow better viewplanes.
The new vehicles aren‘t expected before the next rotation of Canadian soldiers into Kabul in six months.
ISAF has come under regular threat from suspected remnants of Taliban and al-Qaida, as well as attackers loyal to rogue warlords. German forces alone have suffered more than 50 casualties.
While the U.S.-led war on terror continues, largely near the Pakistan border frontiers, the NATO force is coming under increasing pressure to expand its operations into the countryside.
Large-scale attacks have been creeping closer to the capital.
Canada‘s new ambassador to Afghanistan, Christopher Alexander, arrived in Kabul early Thursday and joined Maj.-Gen. Andrew Leslie, the deputy ISAF commander and supreme Canadian commander, at the afternoon ceremony.
Alexander said Canadian officials are "definitely concerned" about the security situation around Kabul and the fact that attacks appear to be moving northward.
"We‘re following it like hawks," he said in an interview. "But we are also hoping that these guys (the Canadian troops) have the tools that they need."
"The other international contingents that are in Afghanistan have an enormous capacity to deal with these threats."
He said Canada has not taken a position on expanding ISAF much beyond Kabul, mainly because the proposal hasn‘t been fully developed. But he acknowledged "these mandates always evolve."
Canadian Press
KABUL, Afghanistan — The Canadian battle group patrolling the Afghan capital almost doubled its area of operations just hours before it took over patrols from its German predecessors, its commander said Thursday.
Canada‘s first solo patrol in southwest Kabul was launched by 3 Platoon, Para Company, at 1 a.m. local time Thursday, hours after the International Security Assistance Force ordered the Canadians to lengthen their reach. An official parade and handover ceremony was conducted later in the day.
"We‘ve been given a larger tract of land into which we can patrol, primarily for security purposes; pieces of ground that could influence activities in Kabul proper," Lt.-Col. Don Denne said afterward.
Denne said there has been no specific threat or heightened state of alert that led to the decision to expand, but it allows the Canadians more flexibility and "doesn‘t keep us so confined."
He said the areas, which extend to the ISAF boundaries and include high ground well within artillery range of the camp where about 1,600 of 1,950 Canadians are living, will only be patrolled "as the threat dictates."
"It‘s a little bit of force protection, and it adds to the security and stability of Kabul, as well."
Canada‘s one-year mission in Afghanistan is two-fold. As part of the 31-country, NATO-led force, it is helping secure the Afghan capital and the interim government of President Hamid Karzai before spring elections.
It will also conduct some limited humanitarian work in the nearly 400-square-kilometre sector that includes an urban area about the size of Saskatoon and outlying areas that encompass rural villages, hills and mountains.
The sector was lightly patrolled by the Germans, though German Lt.-Col. Helmut Remus said in a speech that his under-manned battle group conducted more than 1,500 day and night patrols around Kabul in 74 days.
Remus‘s boss, Col. Rudi Retzer, told ceremony participants there was "a clear imbalance between available German forces and the area of responsibility to be covered."
The Germans had been conducting combined patrols with the Canadians for at least a week before Thursday‘s ceremony, helping familiarize the Canucks with their seven districts of responsibility.
Now the largest single contributor to ISAF, the Canadians will conduct their patrols in armoured vehicles as well as the ill-suited Iltis, an open, jeep-like vehicle that is universally disliked by Canadian soldiers.
Troops riding in the Canadian-made vehicle have found themselves vulnerable while in heavily populated markets and traffic jams. The Iltis is slated to be replaced by a heavier, roofed, four-door Mercedes, but not for several months.
"The Iltis is not particularly designed for patrolling of this nature, but we‘re fairly innovative chaps and we‘re going to make it work," said Denne.
The colonel said the vehicle is too small, doesn‘t allow the troops good situational awareness and doesn‘t have any significant armament.
Troops have used spare flak vests and plates on their seats as added protection in the Iltis.
They have reversed one of the seats in the vehicle, bolted machine guns to the top rollbar, and they‘re removing some of the superstructure to allow better viewplanes.
The new vehicles aren‘t expected before the next rotation of Canadian soldiers into Kabul in six months.
ISAF has come under regular threat from suspected remnants of Taliban and al-Qaida, as well as attackers loyal to rogue warlords. German forces alone have suffered more than 50 casualties.
While the U.S.-led war on terror continues, largely near the Pakistan border frontiers, the NATO force is coming under increasing pressure to expand its operations into the countryside.
Large-scale attacks have been creeping closer to the capital.
Canada‘s new ambassador to Afghanistan, Christopher Alexander, arrived in Kabul early Thursday and joined Maj.-Gen. Andrew Leslie, the deputy ISAF commander and supreme Canadian commander, at the afternoon ceremony.
Alexander said Canadian officials are "definitely concerned" about the security situation around Kabul and the fact that attacks appear to be moving northward.
"We‘re following it like hawks," he said in an interview. "But we are also hoping that these guys (the Canadian troops) have the tools that they need."
"The other international contingents that are in Afghanistan have an enormous capacity to deal with these threats."
He said Canada has not taken a position on expanding ISAF much beyond Kabul, mainly because the proposal hasn‘t been fully developed. But he acknowledged "these mandates always evolve."
