Canadian officer shot, killed in Afghanistan

[daleo]

KANADAHAR, Afghanistan — A Canadian soldier on foot patrol in Kandahar's volatile Panjwai district was shot and killed on Tuesday morning, marking the second combat death for Canadian Forces in the last month.

"Steve was what we in uniform are expected to be — he was a soldier and he was a leader," Colonel Jamie Cade, deputy commander of Task Force Kandahar, said.

Only three of the 27 Canadian casualties in Afghanistan since June of 2007 have been actual combat deaths. The vast majority have been the result of home-made bombs, often placed on roads.

Captain Richard (Steve) Leary, a platoon commander with Second Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry based in Shilo, Man., was killed around 9:30 a.m., local time.
...
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080603.wafghancanuk0603/BNStory/International/home

[Spazito]

1. This sentence really stood out for me....

"Only three of the 27 Canadian casualties in Afghanistan since June of 2007 have been actual combat deaths. The vast majority have been the result of home-made bombs, often placed on roads."

What the hell???? Geez, this narrowing of the definition of "combat deaths" smells like bush crap to me.

Disgusting.

[daleo]

2. I agree

Mines and boobie traps are part of combat - they are the Taliban's standoff weapons, just like the Canadian army's standoff weapons of airpower and long range artillery.

They make it seem like only a knife fight really counts.