The Royal Canadian Regiment is Canada's senior Regiment, replacing the brave troops of the PPCLI Battle Group who deserve a long rest, for all their actions and losses in Afghanistan. Well done PPCLI and the battle group.
Canadian soldiers see progress in Afghanistan
Updated Sun. Sep. 21 2008 10:37 AM ET
CTV.ca News Staff
Canada's battlegroup in Afghanistan has handed over command of their operations in Afghanistan to a new group of Canadian soldiers.
The Royal Canadian Regiment (RCR), principally out of Petawawa, Ont., and Gagetown, N.B., replaced the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry during a ceremony held on Sunday.
Lieut.-Col. Dave Corbould said he and his fellow Patricias saw increasing progress in their section of Afghanistan during their seven-month mission.
He said the insurgents have acted in a cowardly manner by employing shoot and scoot tactics. But he noted that more and more Afghanis have been cooperating with the Afghan army and police.
That's where the progress has really been made -- their interaction with the local nationals and their credibility with the local nationals in order to be a real force in providing security, he said.
Corbould said insurgents have not succeeded in undermining confidence in the Afghan security forces.
They're trying to create an image with the local nationals that the Afghan national security forces can't provide security. But on a day-to-day basis, we get an increasing number of reports from nationals on likely insurgent locations and where IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices) are being planted, he said.
The commander of the RCR, Lieut-Col. Roger Barrett, says his soldiers are determined to keep making progress.
Our resolve is absolutely undiminished, he said.
There is nothing with respect to Taliban propaganda that will force us to act in a different manner. Every time we go up against the Taliban, they will lose. Full stop.
The handover marks the sixth rotation of troops through Kandahar since Canada deployed troops to the country in 2002.
International Day of Peace
The change in command by the Canadians coincides with the United Nations International Day of Peace, which was also marked at a festive ceremony in Kandahar on Sunday.
Taliban leaders in Afghanistan have claimed they will observe Peace Day. The taliban lied as they attacked and killed 2 Afghani security staff NATO has also ordered its troops to halt offensive military operations. Afghanistan's leaders have said the Afghan army will also observe the occasion.
In Kandahar, foreign and local dignitaries gathered for a ceremony that included theatrical and musical performances. The new governor of Kandahar province thanked Canada for helping to train Afghan security forces.
He also said he hoped Canadian troops would stay in the country for a long time. Ottawa has said Canada's current mission in the country will end in 2011.
The Peace Day effort appears to have had some success, with no reports of violence in much of the country.
It's crazy, but apparently the Taliban sent out an email saying they were going to abide by it if we were, and we definitely are, U.S. coalition spokesman Joel Peavey told The Associated Press.
It's a great day to show Afghans exactly what peace is like and how their everyday life would be if they just booted out the bad guys.
But there was at least one report of an attack by Taliban militants. They ambushed a security company guarding a road construction crew in Ghazni province. The attack killed two guards, said a provincial official.
About 4,500 people have been killed in insurgent-related attacks in Afghanistan this year. Most of those killed were militants, but hundreds of civilians have also died. Almost 100 Canadians have died in the country since 2002.
The UN launched the International Day of Peace in the early 1980s and made September 21 its permanent date in 2002.
On the home front Detours are not always a pain. As I travel to Charlottetown and Summerside via the trans canada, I have often noted the lack of any yellow ribbons around any homes or driveways. The detour in Cornwall took me of the TCH and I discovered a home festooned with yellow ribbons and , support our troops signs. I took a photo after speaking with the couple at the house. The spouse yes the SPOUSE had just returned from Kandahar and the ribbons, signs and balloons were to welcome her home after her tour of duty. Welcome home brave soldier.
Nil Sine Labore
Robby
