Afghanistan

[Holger]

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Canadian troops arrive in Kabul


After months of preparation, 250 Canadian soldiers arrived in Kabul Thursday to take part in operations designed to keep the main airport open and to secure the capital area against rebel attacks.

They're the first of about 3,600 Canadian soldiers who will be in Afghanistan on what many consider a dangerous mission.

Canada has promised two, six-month rotations of about 1,800 soldiers each. Patrols will begin Aug. 21.

The soldiers will be under the command of Gen. Andrew Leslie, head of Canadian Forces in Afghanistan and deputy commander of the Kabul-based International Security Assistance Force.

While the majority of Afghanis appear to welcome the presence of foreign troops on their soil, an element of al-Qaeda and Taliban opposition forces have regained strength and pose a real threat to peacekeepers.

In the past year, about 20 soldiers have been killed and defence officials in Ottawa estimate that between five and 10 Canadians soldiers could be killed in the next 12 months.

"People will want to test us, to test our resolve and they're going to try to test some of my soldiers to see how we react," said Leslie. "I don't think anybody sent us to Afghanistan to sit in our camp."

One of the greatest worries for the Canadian-led peacekeeping force is suicide attacks directed by warlords who want to bring down Afghanistan's transitional government.

"The willingness of someone to die to kill us, that's something that's causing us concern," added Leslie.

Protecting the population at large poses a great challenge for the 4,600 peacekeeping troops from 29 other countries, but the Canadian contingent is prepared for any onslaught, said retired major-general Lewis MacKenzie.

"They trust each other; the chain of command works; they'll watch each other's backs; they've got a buddy system," said MacKenzie. "But you'll never have 100 per cent security from some yahoo approaching you."