The news the past few days has been filled with images and reports of the Terrorist attacks in Mumbai. I have stayed at the Taj Mahal Palace that was under siege. With 565 hotel rooms 46 suites and various dining rooms, conference rooms and the myriad of admin areas this was a large building to sweep. The Indian Army and in the main the Black Cat unit of their counterterrorism unit was hard tasked to clear the hotel of all insurgents, while trying to insure the safety of staff and guests. Two Canadian's confirmed dead as well as Americans, Brits an Aussie and many many Indian nationals.
The one Canadian named as one who's life was taken is Dr Michael Moss of Montreal
The world is outraged at these events. The Chabad centre a Jewish Learning centre was attacked and taken over. The fanatical gunmen killed all of the hostages including a Rabbi and his wife, from Brooklyn NY. Their son Moishe who has his second birthday today was saved by a quick thinking nanny Sandra Samuel, who was a staff member. Now this young boy is an orphan at only two years of age.
Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg and wife Rivka were found dead by raiding commandos at the Chabad Lubavitch center in Mumbai yesterday.
You may ask what has this to do with our troops? Directly not a lot but Indirectly. Our men and women fighting terrorism in Afghanistan are trying to protect n entire country of people threatened with death by an insurgent group of the taliban. For this we are proud of the our troops.
Canada has helped many countries over the past 100 years in particular. Terrorism is a scourge on the face of the earth.
During the 3 days in Mumbai Canadians were involved in a large operation to rid Afghanistan of more insurgent taliban.
Canadian soldiers have just completed one of their largest operations ever in southern Afghanistan, killing 21 insurgent fighters and capturing several others, according to the Canadian military.
Operation Janubi Tapu 2 or southern vulture was aimed at reducing the ability of the insurgents to attack Kandahar city from the nearby Zhari district, the military said.
The head of the Canadian battle group, Lieut.-Col. Roger Barrett, called the operation a complete success.
More than 500 soldiers, most of them Canadians, along with some British commandos, joined Afghan national security forces and their U.S. mentors in the three-day attack.
Fifteen militants were killed in an early morning raid and six were detained Wednesday, he said, while another six were killed in an air strike while setting up a mortar Thursday morning.
Soldiers detained 20 others during the operation, as well as locating and destroying several weapons caches.
There were no Canadian injuries.
So as both Christmas and Hannuka approach please say a prayer for our troops and for the people who lost their lives in Mumbai. Be they Christian, Jewish. Hindi or any other religion. They deserve our prayers and to their loved ones who have lost part of their lives as well.
Nil Sine Labore
Robby
