Two Canadian soldiers killed in Afghanistan

[maddezmom]

Source: afp

KABUL (AFP) - Two Canadian soldiers and their Afghan interpreter were killed when a bomb struck their armoured vehicle Saturday.

Three other Canadian soldiers with the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) were wounded in the blast in the southern province of Kandahar, a Canadian colonel, Christian Juneau, told a press conference.

This year 207 international soldiers have died in Afghanistan, most fighting the resurgent Taliban movement which was in government from 1996 to 2001.



Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20071117/wl_afp/afghanistanunrest_071117172146

[mrfixit]

1. Shit.

RIP, boys.

[coalition_unwilling]

2. How many Canadians have to die for Bush's fascist agenda before

Canada passes a no-confidence vote in Harper (another Bush poodle a la Tony Blair)?

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

4. These are Canadians were talking about

there have been more protests in Canada about iPod's being more expensive in Canada than there has been about the war in Afghanistan. Canadians make the yellow bumper sticker guys look selfless. They really don't give a fuck about much other than their personal material consumption.

But what do I know, I have only been working in this frozen suburban shopping mall for the last year and a half.

[Spazito]

5. Gee, I hope you don't have to suffer much longer!

Are you forced to work in Canada or just deal with us shopping in a mall you work in?

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

6. shopping mall is a metaphor

I am in Canada as an "enforcer" for the American investors in a deal.

[Spazito]

7. Ahhh, got it, I am so sorry you have to put up with us, I know it

is a hardship. Being an "enforcer" for American investors wouldn't be particularly popular in Canada, especially under the current circumstances.

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

9. and my position has what to do with

the fact that Canadians, you supposedly progressive and peace-loving creatures are basically indifferent to an unwinnable war killing a significant number of Canadian soldiers, afghan civilans and shockingly few terrorists, indifferent to the actions of a government that jumped on the Bush bandwagon long after the wheels fell off, indifferent to the destruction of your social institutions such as medicare. But still quick to snap to attention for the worship of Pearson, Trudeau and Douglas inspite of the total abandonment of everything they stood for.

Yeah, I am really sorry that Apple is squeezing an extra $20 out of you guys for an iPod, I know it is a tremendous injustice, but I think the fact Canada has jumped right into their very own Vietnam is a greater injustice than iPod prices. Yet the price of cars and consumer electronics seem to be the single issue that generates any moral outrage.

I just watched a report about Afghanistan on television a few days ago, the story about Afghanistan was 3 minutes long, this was followed by a TWENTY-FIVE MINUTE special report on Canadian electronics prices and shopping in the US! Watching the Canadian media is like watching the home shopping channel.

Good for you guys that your economy is so great, but exceeding even Orange County mall rat levels of indifference and materialism on a national basis is awfully intollerable.

[Spazito]

10. Gosh, I guess you couldn't be expected to know Canadians

are against the mission in Afghanistan, want our troops out of there, at the LATEST, at the end of their NATO responsibilities, many want them out right now. Given you are obviously irritated because of something totally unrelated to how Canadians feel about Afghanistan, it makes sense you know squat.

If you watched the news a few days ago, the big story was neither Afghanistan nor shopping, it was the Mulroney scandal so I am, to say the least, skeptical of your statement.

Seeing as you have supposedly been here for a year and a half, how could you miss the fact that Afghanistan is big enough to have been debated MORE than once in our Parliament, the opposition parties speaking out against extending the mission, etc. Hmmmm, could it be you are SO focused on "enforcing" you really don't do much else?

Why is it I read "sour grapes" into your perspective? Is your "enforcing" not going well? Gosh, that would be a pity and especially given your wonderful sales personality. Go figure, eh!

Edited to add: I was remiss on my listing of main stories, the Mulroney scandal was only one of TWO big stories, the second being the tragic death of the man in Vancouver Airport and the outrage expressed by Canadians wrt the actions of the RCMP.

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

11. debate is debate

How much is Iraq debated in the United States and how much has that debate impacted the policy of the Bush administrator? How likely is the debate over Afghanistan or public support going to impact the policy of the Stephen W. Harper government who Canadians appear prepared to give a majority to?

I don't really have a problem with Canadians for acting how they act, it's your country and its your money, a Californian is illsuited to criticize materialism or indifference, America destroyed all its post-war accomplishments, it is only natural you will do the same. I am probably most irritated by the belief held by American progressives that Canada is the liberal land of milk and honey when the basic hyper-consumerist attitudes of Canadians and Americans are effectively the same and indifference is even more manifest in the perceptions and values of the population. The great liberal Canada American progressives aspire to does not exist and even you would probably aknowledge that.

As for myself nobody seems to have a problem with me, my job is just making sure the absentee investors interests are protected and that they get all they are entitled to under NAFTA.

[Spazito]

12. I guess you missed the polls as well as the actual news

if you think Canadians are about to give harper a majority government, he and the Liberals are tied, he has lost supporters since he was last elected when he only managed to garner a minority government.

Canada isn't perfect and we don't claim to be, we have problems, one recent example is the travesty that occurred in the Vancouver Airport. I am reassured, however, when I see the tremendous response of Canadians to this and their expressing their outrage in great numbers.

I do LOVE my healthcare and am very happy Canadians don't have to go bankrupt to pay medical bills or go without care of any kind because they cannot afford it. I DO take pride in that.

Canadians DO care about what is happening in Afghanistan, are they out in the streets daily with protest signs, no they are not. Are they lobbying their MPs, yes, most definitely. Do they care about those who are serving in Afghanistan, yes. Do they support harper on his want to extend the mission, most decidedly not.

I have to say I find it quite ironic that someone who's only purpose in Canada is "making sure the absentee investors interests are protected and that they get all they are entitled to under NAFTA" is, at the same time, outraged that Canadians are (gasp) shopping. Oh the horrors.

We MUST stop shopping because we obviously can't do that and care about healthcare and the atrocity that is Afghanistan!

[Lisa]

13. backing up what you said -- some of us ARE protesting ...

http://www.resisters.ca/index_en.html
http://www.ndp.ca/


A co-worker of mine, who works here in Canada but is from Afghanistan, is under a LOT of pressure from the Canadian government to be a military interpreter for them, back home. They are threatening to mess with his visa unless he agrees. It seems that there are interpreters killed or injured, almost every week (and their names are not released for security reasons). No ramp ceremony and flag-draped casket for them. An interpreter died in this incident too.

If he dies, I won't know until much later. Just that he stops answering his e-mails.

For $7k a month, I don't think it's worth it ... but he is desperate, because he has an extended family to support, and is finding it hard to get work in Canada.

[Spazito]

14. Thanks, Lisa, for your post....

I hope your co-worker isn't forced to go to Afghanistan, the actions of the government in this are despicable, imo.

I am in the "out of the combat mission NOW" crowd but I don't see that happening, sadly, so am also working toward the 2009 date as THE end date with NO extension.

Edited to correct spelling error.

[CHIMO]

8. Hope

You don't start burning "Red Barns". It is the prerogative of a select few.

[applegrove]

3. RIP