Five Canadians killed in blast in Afghanistan

Four soldiers and a female reporter from Calgary were killed by a suicide bomber. Also killed in the blast were 8 American civilians. The Taliban is claiming responsibility.

http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2009/12/30/12308581-cp.html
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2009/12/31/12312496-sun.html

Terrible news. Thoughts go out to the families and friends.

When will it stop?! This is getting ridiculous.

My condolences go out to all of their families. This war has got to end, there are too many innocent people dying and families suffering.

Our former pastor's son shipped out just a few weeks ago. I don't think he went to Kandahar, though, but it still hits close to home.

My sister is in the forces, and we've talked several times about them being there. There are two opinions most soldiers I've talked to hold. One is that it is their duty and they absolutely believe it is the right thing to do. Why? Because their country and commanders have asked/ordered them to go there.

The second is that after being there, that the people in charge (Afghan's not Canadians) are corrupt and it's only a matter of time before things go back to where they were before. I have a friend over there now (and I pray he wasn't one of the 4 killed) who says the line between the have and have nots is very large. Those few people who have, are corrupt and exploit the have nots. Things haven't and in some cases won't change just because we're there.

Sad to say, but in some ways didn't the US create this machine by supporting and training the Mujahideen in the 70's. Once the US left and then fighting over who was going to be in power occurred the Taliban with backing from Pakistan developed into the menace that is now facing our soldiers.

I have a very skewed view of history sometimes so if I am looking at it through rose coloured glasses just let me know, but this is what I remember.

wprager wrote:Our former pastor's son shipped out just a few weeks ago. I don't think he went to Kandahar, though, but it still hits close to home.

My cousin is heading over to Afghanistan as part of the crew that loads the supplies and hooks them onto the helicopters to be dropped off to the troops.

He assures me he's well out of the line of fire but you never know. We're quite close. He made it out to my wedding from his place in Vancouver and he's not even going to make it to any of his sisters weddings this year.

Just a note that you have until about the end of Jan. to send (free of charge) packages to your friends/family members in the forces over in Afghanistan. I've sent 3 to my friend since he went over in October, but he's just got the second now. He was in the Panjawi (spelling?) district, so it takes about 6-8 weeks for them to get them.

I will tell you though they love anything they get. After the free shipping period is over you can still send them, just ask for their shipping address. Letter are always free and believe it or not even a letter makes a big difference for them.

For those that want to send packages...things to send.

Gum, Hard candies (ie scotch mints), jujubes, sun flower seeds (salted), magazines (any kind), small toys (like from mcdonalds) just nothing that can be used to imitate a weapon. (ie cars, balls, etc). Lastly single serving sizes of coffe (starbucks seems to be the most highly requested). Don't send chocolate or anything soft that will melt...as you know it's really hot there.

A rule of thumb I use is I send some gum and sun flower seeds (chewing these help to occupy their minds when they are out doing their daily routine which can be boring), something sweet (hard candies) something sour (sour jujbes seems to be a hit from what I'm told) and magazines of all types, even those my buddy won't like. Good housekeeping, or National Geographic. The soldiers all swap stuff like that around so someone there will take it just to see the pictures if nothing else.

Lastly whatever you send make sure it can be burned don't send lots of plastic container, or foil.

Whatever you send it will be very much appreciated.

Devo

Where, in the Koran does it say anything about 72 virgins? Nowhere, actually. And I'm also pretty sure there's nothing about blowing up civilians and children.
http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2329/does-the-koran-really-promise-islamic-martyrs-72-virgins

If the US had invested a few of those billions spent on ammo to develop an alternate fuel source, they would not be "over there" looking our for their oil interests, and "over there" would not be full of US (and other countries') money. While a "martyr" willing to blow himself up for 72 virgins*, the dynamite, guns, ammo, cellphones, apartments, training grounds, food -- on and on and on -- are quite expensive. If not for the West's reliance on middle-east oil, I'm sure there would still be fighting down there, but it would be done with sticks and stones.

* Really, virgins? I don't want to be crude, but wouldn't you prefer one or two virgins just for the novelty, and 70 or so really, really experienced women?

Reading a couple of interesting articles the other day did you know that the US and Canada combined have more oil than most of the middle east?

It blew me away to realize that. The problem is it that it is either in oil sands or oil schale (spelling??) and right now it's cheaper to buy the middle easts oil at 80,90,100 a barrel (when it was at it's peak) that it is to try to extract all that oil from schale or sands.

Again, if they had spent that money into economical methods of extracting the oil, then the US and Canada would have more oil than they would need and the market would be drastically different.

In fact in Montana and North Dakota alone there is projected to be about 3 to 4 billion barrels of oil, and Utah has a potential twice that.

It seems the powers that be want you to believe that all out oil has to come from the middle east and other countries outside of our own, when in fact maybe they just want to use up all of the other countries to they still have their own when it starts to depleat.

Again, maybed a jaded view.

Funny, I re-watched JFK 2 days ago, and that made me remember that these things have been going on for decades now with the US. In fact, the President doesn't matter, big companies' heads will always rule the world. The States are in an economic problem, so the war won't end anytime soon. Gotta sell those ammos^^.