EvanL
02-26-2004, 11:29 PM
Canadian values foot patrol in Kabul
Vancouver Sun reporter Frances Bula will spend two months following Canada's troops in Afghanistan. This the first of her dispatches for CanWest News Service.
Frances Bula
Vancouver Sun
February 26, 2004
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CAMP JULIEN, Afghanistan -- Four weeks after a Canadian soldier was killed by a suicide bomber while on patrol, the commander of Canadian Task Force Kabul says he will be looking at increasing the number of foot patrols in the city.
Colonel Alain Tremblay said that it's important for soldiers to get close to the people, in part to make better contact and in part to create less of an irritant in the central city.
About one-third of all patrols are now done on foot, he said, especially in the downtown core.
As the situation in Kabul evolves and becomes more stable, he would like more of that.
"Certainly, in order to get close to the population even further, this is certainly something that we'll be envisaging in the next few weeks."
While Tremblay emphasized that many of the suburbs and rural parts of the western Kabul sector, for which the Canadians are responsible, still need to be patrolled in some type of vehicle, he said the downtown core is changing rapidly and the task force needs to respond.
"Life in Kabul is starting to ramp up and get a new level of normality. Obviously, heavy military vehicles could sometimes be perceived by the local population as a nuisance to a return to normality. Foot patrols are less disturbing."
Traffic jams abound in Kabul as the city's post-Taliban life has taken off. New businesses open daily in a flood of capitalist enthusiasm, while streetside hawkers sell everything from shoes to teddy bears to newspapers. The roads are packed with hundreds of taxis, buses, SUVs and the occasional cart-pulling donkey, making the appearance of armoured vehicles with soldiers pointing mounted weapons at passing cars seem incongruous.
In spite of that feeling of apparent normality, Tremblay said that all signs still indicate that the danger level is high for international forces.
"The environment is very fluid," he said, and it's hard to predict what could happen next. Although the last month, since Corporal Jamie Murphy was killed by the suicide bomber, has been relatively calm, Tremblay said that it's not a linear situation.
It could well be that the groups trying to destabilize the peace process are simply following a common practice of taking a break while they plan future targets.
Tremblay, who took command of the task force exactly one month ago, said he's been pleased by the smooth transition as a new battalion has moved in.
He is waiting to hear from the International Security Assistance Force commanders about whether Canadian troops will be asked to help provide security for voter registration, which is expected to see a big push in May. Only about one million of the country's estimated 10 million voters have registered so far, leading some to speculate that June elections may have to be delayed.
© The Vancouver Sun 2004
Vancouver Sun reporter Frances Bula will spend two months following Canada's troops in Afghanistan. This the first of her dispatches for CanWest News Service.
Frances Bula
Vancouver Sun
February 26, 2004
ADVERTISEMENT
CAMP JULIEN, Afghanistan -- Four weeks after a Canadian soldier was killed by a suicide bomber while on patrol, the commander of Canadian Task Force Kabul says he will be looking at increasing the number of foot patrols in the city.
Colonel Alain Tremblay said that it's important for soldiers to get close to the people, in part to make better contact and in part to create less of an irritant in the central city.
About one-third of all patrols are now done on foot, he said, especially in the downtown core.
As the situation in Kabul evolves and becomes more stable, he would like more of that.
"Certainly, in order to get close to the population even further, this is certainly something that we'll be envisaging in the next few weeks."
While Tremblay emphasized that many of the suburbs and rural parts of the western Kabul sector, for which the Canadians are responsible, still need to be patrolled in some type of vehicle, he said the downtown core is changing rapidly and the task force needs to respond.
"Life in Kabul is starting to ramp up and get a new level of normality. Obviously, heavy military vehicles could sometimes be perceived by the local population as a nuisance to a return to normality. Foot patrols are less disturbing."
Traffic jams abound in Kabul as the city's post-Taliban life has taken off. New businesses open daily in a flood of capitalist enthusiasm, while streetside hawkers sell everything from shoes to teddy bears to newspapers. The roads are packed with hundreds of taxis, buses, SUVs and the occasional cart-pulling donkey, making the appearance of armoured vehicles with soldiers pointing mounted weapons at passing cars seem incongruous.
In spite of that feeling of apparent normality, Tremblay said that all signs still indicate that the danger level is high for international forces.
"The environment is very fluid," he said, and it's hard to predict what could happen next. Although the last month, since Corporal Jamie Murphy was killed by the suicide bomber, has been relatively calm, Tremblay said that it's not a linear situation.
It could well be that the groups trying to destabilize the peace process are simply following a common practice of taking a break while they plan future targets.
Tremblay, who took command of the task force exactly one month ago, said he's been pleased by the smooth transition as a new battalion has moved in.
He is waiting to hear from the International Security Assistance Force commanders about whether Canadian troops will be asked to help provide security for voter registration, which is expected to see a big push in May. Only about one million of the country's estimated 10 million voters have registered so far, leading some to speculate that June elections may have to be delayed.
© The Vancouver Sun 2004