Mountie Shot, Aid & Military Heroes & A Cdn-Reconstruction Team in Kandahar, Mex. Military Incursions

Past & Present: Canadians who died, are wounded, fight or do humanitarian work for our freedom and security




Mountie shot at home -- Carrot River is 250 kilometres northeast of Saskatoon -- a male suspect in custody -- no details yet



Truly a brave and heroic soldier, Master Cpl. Paul Franklin, 38, an Edmonton-based medic who lost part of his leg in the attack.

Franklin's action is an example of incredible selflessness after being severely hurt.

Master Cpl. Paul Franklin, Pte. William Edward Salikin and Cpl. Jeffrey Bailey

[....] Two of the three soldiers are still in medically induced unconsciousness — one in very serious condition and one in serious condition, officials said at a medical briefing Tuesday morning at the hospital in Landstuhl. [....]

The explosion killed Glyn Berry, 59, the region’s senior Foreign Affairs officer with the 250-member provincial reconstruction team, which is conducting liaison and humanitarian work around Kandahar.

Requiescat in pace, Glyn Berry. To your family, please accept my condolences.

For the families of the rest of the wounded, Canadians are praying for you and your loved ones.




A Canadian with the Reconstruction Team in Kandahar

Virtual Dave: Farfromcandahar

A personal blog from the Provincial Reconstruction Team in Kandahar, Afghanistan

"What I'm afraid of" -&- Trackback

http://www.virtualdave.ca/blog

In these last days in Canada, I am asked a lot whether I’m nervous [....]

But if anything frightens me, it is this right next door. I’m not afraid for myself - it’s not as if the leadership of Iran has developed a brand-new, especially vitriolic hatred of Canadians in Afghanistan. [.... That link is a jpeg.]

For the moment, the American administration appears content to allow the French and Germans to humiliate themselves in negotiations. I wonder how long they are prepared to wait and what lengths they are prepared to let the Iranians go to before they act. Because there can be absolutely no doubt that there will be a violent solution to this problem - the West simply cannot responsibly stand by as these apocalyptic headcases build nuclear weapons. [....]

Exactly what is peacekeeping in the context of madness?

I do pray for people, though I neither understand nor proselytize. I hope there is a God, a spirit of goodness, that answers prayers, especially if we pray for others, not for ourselves. So, I shall pray for all of you.




Canada's Heroes: that thin line between us and madness ...

All our security forces work to protect us within and without -- from criminal gangs, gun crime, Islamic terrorist madness, and more.

Canada's military have contributed overwhelmingly to keeping us free of dictators and the Hitlers and Osamas of this world. Our soldiers deserve our respect and enough funding to do their jobs. They deserve that the purchase of military equipment be depoliticized; that means getting certain areas and all politicians out of the decision making on provisioning. Our military need and deserve decent equipment. They do not need Prime Ministers like Jean Chretien playing politics with their lives. Think Sea Kings and JC's cancellation of the contract for replacement helicopters (also, perhaps other equipment) that is safe, or ordering it so late that it became unsafe during the wait of five years or so because of political considerations -- perhaps that it wouldn't play well in certain area(s). Remember the submarines he bought? One Canadian mariner died in that first trip from the UK to Canada. I have posted previously that one, or both, of our latest Prime Ministers refused to fly on a military helicopter.

Don't you wish our military could fly on the tastefully appointed, taxpayer-paid-for executive jet just once in their lives ... the jet on which PM, JC and selected favoured ones get to fly? (Sherrer to the Banff Arts Center, I believe)




US, Canada & "drug and human cargo cartels involving Mexican military"

Check out the Canadian Prime Minister's comments re Mexico; there were suggestions about security and Canada, related to dealing directly with Mexico, presumably with the government, though with Mexico, it might pay him to look into this further. (Check, as I may have misremembered this.)

Mexican troops defiant: 'Border? What border?' Military 'crosses into America 216 times during past 9 years' wnd.com, Jan. 15, 06, via Jack's Newswatch

according to a Department of Homeland Security document and a map of incursions. .... significant drug and human cargo cartels involving Mexican military

Search: at the following Border Patrol sectors:

Previous stories:

Tancredo wins round 1 to build Mexico fence
51 terror suspects nabbed trying to enter U.S. illegally
Al-Qaida evidence along U.S. border?
Terrorist clothing discovered in Texas?
Lawmaker: Terror war spilling across border
Border sheriff warns: We're overwhelmed
Al-Qaida ops busted at Mexican border?
Mexican drug commandos expand ops in 6 U.S. states
It's war between cops in Mexico
Non-Mex illegal crossings surge
The threat from Mexico
Violence against Border Patrol increases
'It's a war' along Mexican border
Mexican commandos seek control of border
Mexican commandos new threat on border
Mexican army escorts border drug-runners
Texas sheriff warns of unidentified troops

It is worth remembering that the Stephen Harper Conservatives will do something to protect our own border officials. They need to be armed. We need all the help we and they can get from a government that cares.