Afghan civilians who are accidentally injured or killed, or whose property is damaged by Canadian soldiers have no legal right to compensation under an undisclosed arrangement signed by the two countries last year.

Instead, restitution to mostly dirt-poor villagers depends upon an obscure claims process that would provide payments under “moral considerations,” say heavily censored documents obtained by The Canadian Press under access to information laws.

In the course of combat operations, “Canadian personnel will not be liable for any damages to private or government property,” said a briefing note prepared for Defence Minister Gordon O'Connor on the accidental shooting of a civilian last March in Kandahar.

An arrangement between Canada and Afghanistan was signed in Kabul on Dec. 18, 2005, by the Chief of the Defence Staff, Gen. Rick Hillier, and the Afghan defence minister — the same day as a controversial agreement over the handling of detainees.

The unpublicized arrangement and the detainees agreement are two separate documents, said Maj. Laurie Kannegiesser, a spokeswoman for the Canadian Forces legal branch.

The deal means that when it comes to inadvertent damage or loss of life, Afghan civilians have “no legal leg to stand on, but Canada recognizes in some cases we're going to have a moral responsibility,” she said.

Under the arrangement, civilians can submit damage claims and lawyers deployed with the troops are allowed to make so-called ex-gratia payments up to $2,000.

“Any higher amount must be approved by the deputy minister,” said the undated note, prepared in the spring.

“In most circumstances, ex-gratia payments should not be made.”

However, when defence officials decide they are appropriate, the criteria under which the claims are weighed remains a closely guarded secret.

Unlike the detainees agreement, which outlines the treatment and handling of Taliban prisoners, the technical arrangement has not been released publicly.

An informal request by The Canadian Press for a copy of the document was denied. Instead, the Defence Department released an overview that outlines the subjects covered by the arrangement.

The military also did not respond to questions, posed two weeks ago, about how many claims have been filed by Afghan civilians and whether any payments have been made.

On Friday, a Canadian soldier was cleared by military police in the checkpoint shooting death of a civilian, Nasrat Ali Hassan.

The family said over the weekend it has not received any compensation. Farid Ahmed, 23, Hassan's eldest son said they would consider immigration to Canada to be acceptable recompense, but haven't received any co-operation.

As fighting has intensified throughout the spring in the southern part of the country, Afghan president Hamid Karzai has expressed his concern about mounting civilian casualties and damage to property.

Ms. Kannegiesser said the “contents and wording” of the deal are “similar to status of force agreements” that the federal government has signed with other countries where the Canadian military has been deployed, mostly on peacekeeping duties.

“In order for us to be successful in our operations there, we can't get bogged down with settlement of claims for damages that are incurred in the conduct of those operations,” she said.

“It's a standard clause in these arrangements with other nations that we agree, in a gentleman's way, if damages are incurred in the course of operations that our country — Canada — won't have to pay for the damages.

“Both states agree that sometimes in order to conduct operations sometimes property, land or crops and — in worst case scenario — people are damaged or hurt.”

Taliban commander defects after help from Canadians

Last Updated Fri, 16 Jun 2006 11:57:30 EDT

CBC News

Over $8 billion in new military aircraft spending

Thursday, June 29, 2006

A C-130 Hercules aircraft. File photo. (AP Photo/CPL Phil Ryan)

CFB TRENTON -- Defence Minister Gordon O’Connor continued his cross-country tour of multi-billion dollar military spending announcements Thursday at CFB Trenton in Ontario.

The government plans to buy four strategic airlift aircraft and 17 tactical airlift aircraft to replace the aging Hercules fleet, with a price tag of about $5 billion.

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Global National Online Extras
» Peter Harris reports
» Military gets $4.7B in new helicopters
» Army gets $1.2B in logistics trucks
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“We must make the Forces self-reliant by giving them the tools they need to succeed,” said O’Connor at a news conference. “It is only in this way that Canada can be more secure at home and have a greater impact abroad.”

Another $3.3 billion will be spent on maintenance for the equipment, said O’Connor.

The defence minister said acquiring the new aircraft will enhance Canada’s autonomy and sovereignty. In the past it has had to rely on the militaries of other countries for assistance, such as during the Manitoba floods.

“With a strategic airlift capability of our own we will no longer have to borrow from our allies or contract commercial aircraft, two options that come with strings attached,” O’Connor said. “In short, the new aircraft will allow Canada to deploy troops and equipment on its own terms.”

The planes will be able to transport huge and heavy equipment, such as generators and mobile hospitals, over long distances at high speed and be able to land in dangerous locations, said O’Connor.

O'Connor said the new equipment will mean Canada can react more quickly to domestic and international operations and crises, and thereby make the country a leader on the world stage.

He said a good portion of the business will be done in Canada and he promised a quick procurement process.

Thursday’s announcement was the fourth this week made by the defence minister. The government has also committed to purchase new ships, trucks and helicopters for a grand total of $17.1 billion of investment in the Canadian Forces known as the "Canada First" Defence Procurement project.

On Monday, O'Connor was with Gen. Rick Hillier in Halifax on the deck of a Canadian navy frigate, the HMCS St. John's, to announce a $2.1-billion plan to acquire three so-called "joint-support" naval supply ships. The plan aims to replace the current steam-driven HMCS Protecteur and HMCS Preserver, which have been in service since 1969 and 1970.

On Tuesday, they were at CFB Valcartier in Quebec to announce $1.2-billion in funding for 2,300 new logistics trucks for the army -- a plan to replace the military's current fleet of aging trucks that date back to the 1980s.

And on Wednesday, they were at CFB Edmonton to announce a $4.7 billion plan to purchase 16 new medium-to-heavy lift helicopters to replace the military's current aging fleet of rotary aircraft and provide an safer method of transporting goods as opposed to using ground convoys, which subject troops to the daily gauntlet of landmines, improvised explosive devices and suicide bombers.

© CanWest News Service 2006

Ottawa to spend $1.2B on military trucks

Last Updated Tue, 27 Jun 2006 12:20:37 EDT

CBC News

Canada's top soldier in Afghanistan speaks out in support of President Karzai

Thursday, June 29, 2006

Canadian Brig.-Gen. David Fraser slips on a Kevlar vest in this file photo. (CPImages/ Murray Brewster)

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan (CP) - President Hamid Karzai is a strong leader who is revered by his people and fully supports the international coalition's campaign against the Taliban, Canada's top military leader in Afghanistan said Tuesday.

Brig.-Gen. David Fraser had just returned from meetings with Karzai in Kabul, where the president is under growing criticism at home and abroad over the increasingly violent insurgency and government corruption.

Fraser said he got a different impression of the president as they met to discuss the coalition's military operations in Kandahar, Helmand, Uruzgan and Zabul provinces.

"He (Karzai) is an incredibly charismatic man who is passionate about this country. He is a great leader who meets with elders all the time," said Fraser, the commander of the coalition's multinational brigade.

"He still has the full support of the people down here. He is revered as a great leader for Afghanistan and I can't say enough about him. He is just quite a remarkable man."

Only last week, Karzai called on the coalition to change its military tactics because too many Afghans, including Taliban, were being killed.

The Afghan government estimates that up to 600 people have died since April, including more than 150 in the past few weeks.

Coalition forces, including troops from Canada, the U.S., Britain and Romania, have been suffering casualities in some of those clashes as part of Operation Mountain Thrust, the ongoing military operation to root out Taliban in southern Afghanistan.

Two British soldiers were killed in action Tuesday during a fire fight with Taliban in northern Helmand province.

Six Canadians were wounded last Thursday in separate roadside bomb and suicide bomb attacks in Kandahar.

Fraser said coalition troops only use force when they have to. He blamed the Taliban for the casualties.

"I had a chance to talk with the president himself and went over what we are here to do to support him," Fraser said.

"We are well within what he wants us to do - which is to support him in his vision of establishing an Islamic republic. We're doing it. I told the president the last thing we want to do is shoot."

Karzai won a landslide election victory in 2004 on promises of political reforms and stabilizing the economy.

Political commentators have been criticizing the president for re-arming illegal militias to help fight the Taliban after foreign governments spent millions of dollars to disarm these groups.

Karzai has also been accused of appointing police officers known for corruption to key jobs.

Fraser said the campaign to neutralize the Taliban and extend the reach of the Afghan government in remote rural areas is making progress, but will take time.

Canadian forces are handing over a strongpoint near the village of Gumbad to a unit of Afghan National Army troops, a process that will continue in other areas as the training of Afghan army and police improves, he said.

The coalition is investigating the idea of establishing a stronger base in Spin Boldak, a town located in southeast Kandahar only a stone's throw from the Pakistan border.

The town, located astride Highway 4, is a key economic link between the two countries, he said.

"The coalition presence down there will be changing over time. Canadians are right now engaged in a reconnaissance down there," Fraser said, adding it is too early to say how many troops will be posted in Spin Boldak.

Earlier this year the federal government committed Canadian troops to continue operating in Afghanistan until 2009.

In August, coalition forces, including the Canadians, will come under the command of NATO, which plans to step up operations in the region.

Fraser warned Canadians at home not to expect a quick victory.

"Is the situation tense? Yes. Is the challenge huge? Absolutely," he said. "I can tell you it won't end this summer."

© The Canadian Press 2006

CTV.ca News Staff
 
Updated: Sun. Jun. 25 2006 11:47 PM ET

In a heartfelt message to Canadian troops about to be deployed to Afghanistan, Governor General Michaelle Jean urged soldiers and their families to take pride in the work they are setting out to do.

Jean, who is the commander-in-chief of the Canadian Forces, flew to CFB Petawawa in her helicopter to speak to troops who had gathered for Family Day at the base. About 1,600 troops from the base will soon be deployed to Afghanistan.

"I know you will be greatly missed by your families and loved ones, but the work you will be doing over there makes us proud, so proud, because we know you are going halfway around the world to stand up for justice and freedom, to help the Afghan people break free from tyranny and oppression," Jean said.

She praised the military families who were supportive of their husbands and wives and relatives who will be risking their lives in Afghanistan, saying they make the "sacrifice out of respect for the life your loved one has chosen."

Jean suggested the soldiers will be exporting a Canadian belief in freedom and democracy to a land that desperately needs it.

"There is no greater act of compassion than to risk everything to help women and men and children you have never met, who live what seems like a world away but whose suffering cannot be ignored....What you will be defending in Afghanistan is the ideal of a fair society where every citizen has rights. A democratic ideal to which all people of this earth should be able to aspire."

Before bidding the troops "bonne chance," Jean wished the soldiers a safe return and said she will be carrying each of them in her heart.

Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Rick Hillier introduced Jean.

Increasing combat activity has made the Afghanistan mission more dangerous for the troops. However, Hillier spoke about the high level of training the soldiers have received and emphasized that they will be using the best equipment available -- from combat boots to Kevlar vests to hydration systems-- when they arrive in Afghanistan.

"We have spared no effort and no amount of money to set conditions for success," Hillier said.

He described the soldiers as "a flicker of light in a long dark tunnel," and said the deployment is "a mission for 28 million men and women in the worst days and months of their lives who desperately need some help, and they desperately need the kind of help that you can provide.

"You are the ones that bring the hope to Afghans that someday their lives will be much better."

Hillier said Canada and other NATO nations operating in Afghanistan are defeating the Taliban.

"The Taliban are losing the last few areas where they used to rest and recuperate and plan and train," he said.

While some experts argue the Taliban are getting stronger, Defence Minister Gordon O'Connor told CTV's Question Period those experts are wrong.

"I think they've met us head on and we have performed very, very well," he said.

With a report from CTV's Robert Fife

Canadians, coalition hold medical outreach for villagers in Taliban country

Monday, June 26, 2006

Afghan boys line up to be vaccinated for polio at Canadian-led village medical outreach clinic near Gumbad. (CP PHOTO/John Cotter).

GUMBAD, Afghanistan (CP) - With a rifle in one hand and medical supplies in the other, Capt. Marilynn Chenette strikes an image that just about captures the essence of the coalition's mission in Afghanistan - security and humanitarian aid.

On Monday a medical team of Canadians, Americans and Afghans jammed aboard two British Chinook helicopters and landed deep in Taliban country to hold what the military calls a village medical outreach. Within minutes of the choppers' noisily thumping down the jagged valley, hundreds of poor farmers and their children, some with herds of goats and cattle in tow, began lining up to wait in the hot sun.

For many it will be their first time ever seeing a doctor.

"We are here to help these people, we want to make them healthier," said Chenette, a health administrator with the Edmonton-base 1 Field Ambulance, who strides around carrying a C-5 rifle.

The medical team hopes to cajole the villagers into taking de-worming medicine and to vaccinate the children against polio, a disease that is sweeping Afghanistan.

"We are telling them basically that this is a safe area today. Come out and we will get you the vaccines."

As the doctors and medics set up shop, Canadian and Afghan troops scan the ridges that frown over the compound for Taliban. Three men are seen on a far-off hill watching the gathering crowd.

When Afghan National Army soldiers excitedly train a heavy machine-gun on the hill, the trio melts away into the landscape.

"There are Taliban all over the place," said Warrant Officer Chris Thorne, who warns the medical team about improvised explosive devices - military jargon for roadside bombs.

In the past few months there have been a half-dozen such bomb explosions around Gumbad. Canadian soldiers have dubbed the area IED Alley.

Less than a kilometre away from the clinic, two platoons of light armoured vehicles - the LAV IIIs - stand by in reserve in case of trouble.

Seemingly oblivious to the threat, groups of men and boys begin entering the compound and into a human assembly line of medical staff.

A team of U.S. navy corpsman and an Afghan interpreter patiently explain the benefits of the vaccines to the village elder and his oldest son, who agree to not only take the medicine, but to help administer it.

Soon more than 100 of boys are wincing at the "taste" of the vaccines, which they manfully swallow under the intense gaze of their peers.

Then it is off to see a doctor with their fathers or grandfathers. The men have not allowed their wives to attend the clinic, although a few of their daughters are on hand to be screened by female doctors.

"My son is sick so we have come here for medicine," said Tor Zhan, a shopkeeper in Gumbad, as he lined up to see Afghan and coalition physicians.

Many villagers suffer gastrointestinal diseases and other maladies such as scabies and shigella. Others have tuberculosis, improperly set broken limbs and fevers.

The doctors give everyone who lines up a checkup and then dispense basic medicine and advice on hygiene.

One man brings in his five-year-old daughter who he says has been behaving strangely.

In less them a minute the doctors discover that the young girl has cataracts and is almost completely blind.

"I'm so sorry but there is nothing we can do," said a doctor through an interpreter. "Her only chance is surgery."

When the families finish their medical checks each father is given a blanket full of goodies including rice, beans, a radio, clothes and an Afghan national flag.

They are also given a handout urging Taliban to give themselves up. It is written in English, Pashtun and in pictographs. Most of the villagers can't read.

In a few hours, the medical team has checked about 450 villagers and inoculated more than 120 children against polio.

They also hope they have delivered a message.

"We want to show them that their own government is supporting them," Chenette said. "We are here to fight the bad guys and at the same time help them (villagers) out."

© The Canadian Press 2006

Damn the torpedo: navy loses practice weapon off British Columbia coast

Sunday, June 25, 2006

OTTAWA (CP) - Beachcombers in British Columbia take note: the navy has lost an expensive practice torpedo that may wash up on shore somewhere.

The three-metre-long torpedo, containing no warhead or explosives, sank unexpectedly in January after it was launched from a military frigate near Victoria, a newly disclosed document shows.

HMCS Vancouver fired the dummy weapon just off the entrance to Esquimalt Harbour to make sure the ship-based firing system was working properly. The frigate has two launching tubes on each side at midship for attacking submarines.

But instead of automatically ejecting its weights and bobbing up to the surface again, the fibreglass cylinder simply sank beneath the waves off Vancouver Island - a "rare occurrence," according to the navy.

The frigate spent three hours in vain looking for the errant object, known as a "hottorp" for Honeywell Operational Training Torpedo, the name given by the original manufacturer.

"All firing conditions were met and torpedo launched successfully, but did not resurface," says a censored report on the incident, obtained under the Access to Information Act.

"The hottorp may rise to the surface . . . and eventually wash ashore. . . . (Request) that local authorities be notified in case the torpedo surfaces at a later time."

A spokesman for the navy said the device, about one-third of a metre in diameter, remains missing in action.

"It hasn't popped up yet," Cmdr. Rod Hughes said in an interview from Esquimalt, B.C.

"We think it's sitting on the bottom out there. We're actually going to go back and look for it this summer. We'll probably recover it."

The training model originally cost about $20,000, but they're no longer being manufactured anywhere.

The navy, which has a few dozen left in its inventory, recently received a quote for $75,000 to build another one, but turned down the offer as too expensive.

The military plans to use side-scan sonar this summer to try to locate the torpedo, and a remote-controlled submersible to attempt to recover it.

But the navy has also notified local civil authorities to be on the watch for a suspicious-looking log that may have been tossed ashore.

© The Canadian Press 2006

Special forces terror unit planned for B.C.

Joint Task Force 2 commandos could be moved to protect West Coast from attack

Saturday, June 24, 2006

The Defence Department is looking at creating a special forces unit based on the West Coast to deal with maritime threats, a move that could see Ottawa-based Joint Task Force 2 commandos spending more time at sea.

Defence officials are releasing few details about the unit, but privately military officers say consideration might be given to using members of JTF2 at Canadian Forces Base Comox on Vancouver Island.

Rear Admiral Roger Girouard, commander of maritime forces in the Pacific, noted in a recent speech there are plans in the works to establish a special forces unit at the base. Such a unit would be made up of navy personnel and specially trained officers, he said in a speech to the chamber of commerce in Victoria.

Rear Admiral Girouard did not release further details, but noted that ferries and cruise ships are particularly vulnerable to a terror attack.

Gerry Pash, a Victoria-based military public affairs official, said the admiral was speaking generally about defence forces in the Pacific region.

"(The admiral) was trying to be as open and transparent as he could be within possibilities, but no decisions have been made," he said. "People are looking at things all the time."

Additional inquiries about the potential for a B.C.-based special forces unit were referred to National Defence headquarters in Ottawa. But headquarters defence spokeswoman Karen Johnstone said the department would not comment on special forces issues.

Currently, JTF2 handles threats on the country's coasts. It is unknown whether the Defence Department is considering a similar unit for the East Coast.

During the federal election campaign, the Conservatives promised to boost the numbers of regular force military personnel in British Columbia. Vancouver will host the Winter Olympics in 2010 and defence planners are already laying the groundwork to protect that event from a terror attack. JTF2 is to be on standby to respond to a crisis at the Games.

The Canadian military is in the process of substantially boosting the size of its special forces, which will number around 2,300 by the end of the decade. That includes not only JTF2 and chemical, nuclear and bio-

logical defence specialists, located in Ottawa, but a special forces helicopter squadron and a new special forces regiment at Canadian Forces Base Petawawa.

JTF2 also has a cadre of scuba divers and other specialists, as well as high-speed rigid inflatable boats for its naval missions.

On Thursday, the Senate's defence committee released a report which called on JTF2 to be capable of reaching the location of a terrorist attack or emergency incident anywhere in Canada within nine hours.

JTF2 officers have acknowledged the unit must further develop such skills if it's to deal with a nightmare scenario involving terrorists seizing a ship or outfitting a vessel with a weapon of mass destruction and detonating it on Canadian territory. In such a case, the unit would be used to take control of the vessel from terrorists while another specialized military team would deal with the weapon.

Some security experts have been predicting that with increased vigilance over the world's air transportation system after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the U.S., groups such as al-Qaeda would shift their attention to ground and maritime transportation.

© The Ottawa Citizen 2006

KANDAHAR (Jun 22, 2006)

Canadian troops who suffered casualties yesterday have a keen interest in a proposal going to Treasury Board in Ottawa today, involving the proposed purchase of heavy lift helicopters.

Two separate attacks yesterday that left six Canadians wounded -- one seriously -- raised questions about the Canadian Forces' lack of transport helicopters to handle resupply missions.

The Edmonton-based Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry battle group relies almost solely on vehicle resupply convoys that usually stick to roads or dried riverbeds called wadis.

Having helicopters, such as big, twin-rotor Chinooks, would be a plus, conceded Major Mario Couture, a Canadian Forces spokesman at the coalition base in Kandahar.

The proposed purchase of about a dozen Chinooks is part of a plan already endorsed by cabinet to also buy up to 17 new-generation Hercules transport planes, three supply and troop carrier ships and 1,000 replacements for 24-year old trucks. That plan is, in turn, part of a $15-billion proposal to re-equip Canada's military.

There's been no indication when the equipment might be delivered.

Meanwhile, Couture said the coalition is doing all that it can to mitigate the risks to its soldiers involved in resupply missions.

"We adapt to threats, we use several types of vehicles, we are using the best equipment that we can," he said. "We vary our routes but unfortunately we cannot mitigate the risk to zero."

One of the bombing sites has been the location of at least five other roadside bomb attacks in the past, including one April 22 that killed four Canadian soldiers.

Ten other soldiers were wounded in those explosions.

The Canadian Forces once had Chinooks but Ottawa sold them to the Dutch in the early 1990s.

Defence analysts say the lack of such an airlift capability is a big problem.

"We'd have less need for roadbound convoys if we had the Chinook, plain and simple," said David Bercuson, a professor at the University of Calgary's Centre for Military and Strategic Studies.

About 7,000 coalition combat soldiers are involved in the operation to root out Taliban in Kandahar, Helmand, Zabul and Uruzgan provinces.

CTV.ca News
 
Updated: Wed. Jun. 21 2006 5:45 PM ET

Two Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan have been wounded in a suicide bombing -- just hours after four others were hurt when their vehicle was struck by a roadside bomb.

In the most recent attack, the troops were on their way back from a patrol in a light-armoured vehicle when they were hit by the attacker's car at around 7:30 p.m. in Kandahar City, said coalition spokesman Maj. Quentin Innis.

The attacker was killed and two Canadian soldiers were injured, he said.

CTV's Steve Chao reports that one Canadian soldier was seriously injured, but the injuries are not life-threatening. The other soldier had minor injuries.

An Afghan bystander was also killed and seven others, including a policeman and six civilians, were injured.

In the earlier attack, four Canadian soldiers were wounded -- one seriously -- after their armoured vehicle hit a roadside bomb north of Kandahar City.

The LAV 3 was returning from a resupply mission when it was hit near a forward base at Gumbad, 75 kilometres north of Kandahar City.

Major Mario Couture, a spokesman for the Canadian-led coalition, told reporters the soldiers were airlifted to the coalition hospital at Kandahar airfield where three of them were listed in good condition.

"A LAV 3 was hit by an improvised explosive device west of the Gumbad platoon house," Couture said.

"Four soldiers were wounded. They were evacuated to the multinational hospital at Kandahar for treatment. One is in serious condition. The other three are in good condition."

Two men were captured following the blast and were handed over to Afghan government authorities, military officials said.

The identities of the wounded have not been released.

These are the first Canadian casualties since Operation Mountain Thrust was officially launched last Wednesday, although two Canadians were wounded in a battle with insurgents west of Kandahar City on June 12 .

The convoy was hit by the roadside bomb at around 8 a.m. on Wednesday.

"Gumbad is an area known for high insurgent activity and ambushes are common," Chao told Newsnet.

"We understand that the soldier in a serious condition has undergone surgery and will be flown to the military hospital in Germany for further treatment."

The Gumbad area has been the site of at least five other roadside bomb explosions in the past, including one on April 22 that killed Bombardier Myles Mansell, Lieutenant William Turner, Corporal Matthew Dinning and Corporal Randy Payne.

Meanwhile, a second LAV 3 was hit by another roadside bomb northwest of Kandahar City Wednesday. The explosion disabled the vehicle but there were no casualties, Couture said.

A Canadian convoy was also fired on just outside of Kandahar City Tuesday night. Canadian troops returned fire, but no soldiers were wounded.

Operation Mountain Thrust

Operation Mountain Thrust marks the largest deployment yet for a single mission in Afghanistan.

Around 7,000 coalition combat soldiers are involved in the operation to root out Taliban in Kandahar, Helmand, Zabul and Uruzgan provinces.

Couture said the coalition is doing all that it can to mitigate the risks to its soldiers involved in resupply missions.

"We adapt to threats, we use several types of vehicles, we are using the best equipment that we can,'' he said. "We vary our routes but unfortunately we cannot mitigate the risk to zero,'' he said.

Wednesday's attacks have prompted questions about the Canadian Forces lack of transport helicopters in Afghanistan to handle resupply missions.

The Edmonton-based Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry battle group relies almost solely on vehicle resupply convoys that mainly use roads or dried riverbeds.

Couture acknowledged having helicopters, such as big, twin-rotor Chinooks, would help, but he also said was important for coalition forces to have a strong presence on the ground.

"If you are going to bring supplies, if you are going to carry troops into zones of operation, the Chinook might be the best tool that you can have,'' he told reporters.

"But if you want to maintain presence, if you want to be visible by locals and the enemy, then the best way is to be visible on the ground.''

The Canadian Forces once had a force of Boeing Chinooks, but Ottawa sold them to the Netherlands in the early 1990s.

Defence analysts say the lack of such an airlift capability is a big problem.

"We'd have less need for roadbound convoys if we had the Chinook. Plain and simple,''  David Bercuson, a professor at the University of Calgary's Centre for Military and Strategic Studies, told the Canadian Press.

"We disposed of our Chinooks about ten years ago; there's no way to get any quickly. But since we'll be there for another three years, the quicker the better!''

With files from the Canadian Press

Soldier poisoned by own men reaches out-of-court deal with military

Wednesday, June 21, 2006

OTTAWA (CP) - Matt Stopford, the Canadian soldier who was poisoned by his own men in Croatia in 1993, has reached an out-of-court settlement with the federal government.

The Defence Department and Stopford's lawyer announced the deal Tuesday in a terse news release. Details of the settlement are confidential and the release said neither side would discuss the matter.

Stopford, a former warrant officer, accused the Defence Department of failing in its duty to warn him about the poisoning attempts. He also blamed the military for not providing quick and effective care when he fell ill after his return to Canada.

The army waited more than six years before telling Stopford that his own men in Croatia felt he was too gung-ho and poisoned his coffee with boot blacking, battery acid and eye drops in hopes of making him too sick to function.

Stopford is now blind in one eye, has joint pain, suffers from internal bleeding and has lost several teeth.

A military police investigation found about 30 people in the military chain of command knew of the poisoning attempts, but did nothing until Provost Marshal Brig. Patricia Samson informed him by letter in 1999.

The alleged poisoners were never charged.

© The Canadian Press 2006

Gravely injured soldier now believes in miracles

Expected to die after Afghan suicide attack

Shocked family when he awoke from coma

Jun. 20, 2006. 01:00 AM

LISA ARROWSMITH

CANADIAN PRESS

EDMONTON—Even though doctors expected Cpl. Jeffrey Bailey to die from head injuries he suffered in a suicide bomb attack in Afghanistan, his family has come to believe in miracles because of his astounding recovery.

The 26-year-old shocked everyone when he woke up from a coma in mid-March after having a portion of his skull removed to relieve pressure on his swollen brain.

Then began his miraculous journey to learn to walk and talk again, and to cope with losing his ability to remember things like his dad's first name and even his tour of duty in Afghanistan.

"I totally forgot about the whole tour I was on," Bailey told a news conference yesterday. "I pretty much forgot about everything back probably a year and a half. I can't remember any of that stuff right now."

Canadian diplomat Glyn Berry was killed and three soldiers, including Bailey, were badly injured when a taxi loaded with explosives slammed into their convoy Jan. 15 in Kandahar, hitting the armoured vehicle they were riding in.

Bailey was rushed to a U.S. military hospital in Germany, where doctors watched his brain swell and told his anxious family he likely wouldn't make it. He was shipped to an Edmonton hospital in late January and two months later defied the odds and woke up from his coma.

Bailey said his memory is slowly improving, though he still has problems remembering names.

During his time in hospital, Bailey suffered from blood infections, shrapnel burns to his legs, pneumonia and fractured ribs. He faces another operation today to try to repair nerve damage to his right foot from shrapnel wounds.

"It damaged my right leg and I can't lift up my foot properly," Bailey said.

He's also glad his hair is growing back in, and he showed a long scar on his skull where doctors re-attached the bone last month after the lining around his brain shrank back to its normal size.

Bailey, who lost about 100 pounds during his ordeal, hopes to get his life back on track soon.

"I used to always work out and go running all the time, and now I can't run or do any of the stuff that I want to do right now. I'm looking forward to going back outside and being out in the sun for the summer."

It's still difficult for Bailey's mother, Pattie Wolfram, to talk about some of the darkest days when doctors tried to brace them for her son's death. "We're still reeling from it all," she said. "We used to go 10 minutes at a time and now we're going one day at a time."

There were many nights when their son was in the U.S. military hospital in Ramstein, Germany and neither she nor Bailey's father, Ron Bailey, could sleep. They would sit for hours beside his bed just watching and waiting for him to either die or wake up.

During one especially dark time, a Canadian military padre baptized Jeffrey because they thought he was going to die. His father, who had prayed for his son's survival on the flight to Germany, was also baptized with his son. He has only missed one day of church since they got back to Canada.

When asked how difficult that time was for him, Ron Bailey's eyes filled with tears and, stroking his son's arm and back, he spoke about the most difficult moment of his life.

"This is my guy," he said, his voice tight with emotion. "But we're good."

His voice breaking, he added: "I love this guy so much."

While Jeffrey Bailey doesn't bear any ill will toward a suicide bomber he can't remember, his mother has thought about it a lot. And it's not the bomber, but the bomber's mother whom Wolfram wonders about.

"He had a mother, too, that he left behind," she said. "If I saw her today, I'd probably give her a hug. She didn't create a monster. I think something else created that monster."

About 2,300 Canadian soldiers are now involved in the Afghan mission, most of them based in the Kandahar region where Bailey's convoy was attacked. The area experienced several violent attacks yesterday, including two Taliban ambushes of civilian convoys that left 30 people dead, while coalition and Afghan forces killed at least 11 militants in the ongoing U.S.-led offensive across southern Afghanistan.

WITH FILES FROM ASSOCIATED PRESS