Kandahar Dispatches

To Tom Parry: The Americans have been and remain by far the largest force in Afghanistan, and in fact continue to increase their troop commitment. Your criticism is based on a false premise- they're certainly doing their share.

To The Unknown Soldier......... thank you for that post. My son is one of the boys who came in to replace you, and I am proud of him and all of you, who have done, and are doing a difficult job. After reading your post I can pretty much ignore Omar.
To Tom Parry......... thank you for this blog and your pictures. It helps to bring the boys closer and gives us an idea of what they are looking at every day. It's so very different from anything my boy has experienced in all his years in the Canadian Forces.
To Omar....... being in Canada gives you the right to voice your opinion. Please try not to abuse this priveledge. If you feel that strongly about your own contry, then please feel free to return and help the best you can. Maybe it will bring our boys home that much sooner.
To all the Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan.... you have my admiration and support for doing what you believe in. Keep up the great work. Stay safe and come home soon.

It's many years since I spent the summer in Kabul. Kanderhar was always hard to survive in, even without the Talaban. The Afghan people I've always respected for their generousity, soft humour and a toughness that we in the west have trouble comprehending.
Herat also is a place of hard realities and serenity. It saddens me to remember the people I knew in that wild country and what could have become of them.

(continued from 1st post)
Even though this might sound idealistic the reality is that this is happening, progress is slow but is still there. Just think of what it must be like for them, after so many decades of fighting and living under oppressing regimes, they now have more freedoms, they have a right to their opinions and the willingness to live a life without oppression and war. We as soldiers are there for those reasons, to bring stability, peace, and development to Afghanistan. And thanks to the media canadians have a chance to see what kind of progress is being made there. I will never believe that I've lost dear friends in combat for te soul purpose of fighting for interests that are not true and honorable. We fight and die to preserve our freedom, to bring more stability to a world were terrorism is gaining in strentgh. We fight for you. we are ready and willing to make that sacrifice because we feel as if this is what needs to be done. To my fellow soldiers with 2 RCR that came into theatre replacing the previous battle group I served for, God bless, stay safe, and keep up your excellent job. Forever in debt to those who died serving our country, thanks for allowing me to voice my opinion.
Cheers, a soldier happy to be home.

I'm sorry I have to use this article for the followiing purpose since what I have to say isn't directly related to this article. Thanks to CBC journalists for shedding light on what we did and what my replacements are currently doing in Afghanistan. I've read many comments from all sorts of people as well and to all that support us I give you a thousand thanks. Your support has been more than welcome, it is tough to be so far away from home and fighting a cause that we believe will do more good for a country that is so desperately trying to get back on it's feet. And to those who do not support us well you are entitled to your opinion. We've had the opportunity to see part of a country ( mainly in the Zahri district) come out of the shadows and get back into it's daily routine thanks to what Canadian troops and NATO are doing. We've allowed local civilians to resume a more peaceful life, they know that we are there to help them, to get rid of the taliban and to allow the people to rebuild their country. Afghanis are special people, if you show your support to them they will become your friends and will help in the fight against terror. I have met those peopl while overseas from august to february, those people are happier, their kids are growing up knowing that we are there to bring peace, to give them hope for a better future. (more to follow in my second post)

Omar,

The article was not written by a Canadian soildier, but by a reporter. To call Canada "one of the occupiers" makes me laugh, we are there as part of a UN resolution.
How would Afganistan be better if you pulled out, as you suggest? Better how when the Taliban taker controll of Afganistan again, will women be allow the freedoms they have now, would the newpapers and TV station be allowed to write and broacast the news as it really happens? You tell me how better off Afganistan would be, or better yet, why don't you go to Afganistan and make it better, you seem to think you can?

It is so depressing to hear that the Afghan police are so poorly trained and so poorly supplied. It is even more depressing to think that they would have benefitted greatly if the Yanks had not deserted Afghanistan for Iraq.

thankyou for bringing the reality of the difficulties of the conflict to our knowledge in stories such as this...

Canadian soldiers should not be surprised about how "savagery is an everyday occurrence" in Kandahar (and rest of the country under Nato control), because let's face it, they are (seen as) the occupiers and the reason there's violence, corruption and killing in the country that has never tolerated foreign forces through out its history.

The sooner they get out, the better it is for Canada and the country it has occupied.