Canadian Soldier Killed - Three Others Wounded

[Bez__]

I have always said the Kurds were not our friends and should not be trusted. However they would be relatively friendly as long as the cash, arms and ammo flowed.

I believe these are the first official casualties of the western coalition - I suspect there will be more.

I am not entirely sure I believe it was a friendly fire accident however it makes for good print - just call me a suspicious old barstard. The Canadians have engaged the opposing team a few times this last month with great success - but this time their own forces did them in.

Be sure to read the comments. Sometimes I have to shake my head.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/an ... -1.2985862

 

[greybeard]

"Members of the Special Operations Forces were mistakenly engaged by Iraqi Kurdish forces following their return to an observation post behind the front lines," the release stated.

Hard to tell much by that one sentence. "Behind the front lines" does sound as if they were taking up a position that was previously seen as secure, and they had been there before since it said "return to". I might understand the friendly fire aspect if they had been further out front and then moved back (toward friendly lines) and re-assumed their position at the OP, but it doesn't say one way or another other than it was behind the lines. Hard to say about the Kurdish forces too--they're trying to kill 2 birds with one stone--kill ISIS and take and hold new territory from Iraq for themselves. May have been doing something they didn't want the Canadian observers to know about, The comments are pretty typical of what is seen from the US too--right vs left.

Sorry for the loss of your countryman and the wounded.

(edit--a different news source expounded a little on Canadian Def Minister's comment--something not mentioned in the cbc.ca article.)

The fact that Canadian special forces have been training and assisting on the front lines and directing air strikes has stirred controversy in Canada, but Kenney said the rules of engagement will remain the same.
Kenney said the killing had "nothing to do with combat," saying it was a case of mistaken identity on the part of Kurdish fighters at night.

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2015/03/07 ... t-in-iraq/

 

[Red Bull Breeder]

Bad deal Bez.

 

[greybeard]

I read this one just a little while ago--totally out of line, and I sure wouldn't call that "friendly fire"!! :x

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/03 ... lled-.html