US Bomb Dropped on Canadian Forces

ShiningIce · Apr 18, 2002

WASHINGTON - An Air National Guard F-16 mistakenly dropped at least one laser-guided bomb on Canadian forces in Afghanistan (news - web sites), Wednesday night, the U.S. military said.

An unknown number of Canadian soldiers were killed and injured, said Navy Commander Frank Merriman, spokesman for the U.S. Central Command in Tampa, Fla.

Merriman said one or two 500-pound bombs were dropped near Kandahar, a former Taliban stronghold.

He said no further information was immediately available about what caused the error. An investigation was under way.

Canadian forces are fighting alongside U.S. and European troops seeking to hunt down remants of Osama bin Laden (news - web sites)'s terrorist organization and holdouts from Afghanistan's former ruling Taliban militia.

CANADA HAS A MILITARY???

Strelnikov · Apr 18, 2002

Canadian Forces

The Canadian Army served with distinction in both world wars and the Gulf War. They're at a disadvantage now that the Cold War is over with. The politicians would rather spend the money on the welfare state, particularly since their proximity to the USA makes a conventional attack against them very unlikely. They've been justifying their current strength by specializing in peacekeeping. They're well suited for it: They have no colonial past, so no one hates them.

The troops in Afghanistan are from the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI or "Princess Pats".) The Regiment's early history is unusual. They were formed as an independent volunteer infantry battalion as a private venture by Andrew H. Gault of Montreal, in the nine days immediately following the British declaration of war against Germany in WW-I. Gault recruited men who had seen prior service in the British Army, paid all expenses to recruit, arm, clothe and equip them, and joined the unit as the senior Major. They were the first Canadian unit to fight in WW-I. Because of their exemplary wartime record, the PPCLI were added to the Permanent Force after the war as a regimental-strength unit.

Strelnikov