Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - August 24, 2006, Winnipeg, Manitoba A11 Winnipeg free press thursday August 24, 2006 from newest and beyond the images above Are from videos shot by an american freelance photographer in Afghanistan who went into Battle with Canadian soldiers. His videos Are available online. Our troops at War internet videos show Canadian soldiers in action by Bob Bergen v viewers interested in seeing canadians soldiers in the midst of pitched Battles in Afghanistan have an Amaz ing new resource available to them on the internet . What they will see there is raw unedited sounds and sights of the insurgent War in South Ern Afghanistan that will provide canadians with a far greater appreciation for Canadian soldiers the dangers they face and their Brav Ery. Two firefights were captured by 41-year-old american freelance photographer Scott Kester son of Portland ore., who is ordinarily embed ded with the . Army. In the first on july 8, Kesterson was embed ded with soldiers from Alpha company 2nd Pla Toon of the 1st battalion Patricia a Canadian Light infantry from Edmonton when they engaged in a ferocious Battle with Taliban insurgents in Panjabi Kandahar province. In the second Kesterson was with the same Patricia a week later on july 15 in the Village of Sangin in Helmand province when they were ambushed. Kesterson uploaded his videos on youtube. They both should be required viewing for generations of canadians who have no direct knowledge of the first and second world wars Korea the persian Gulf War or the Kosovo air War in which canadians fought let alone mod Ern warfare against insurgents. Of the two Battles the july 15 ambush is Likely the most dramatic. So far about 50,000 View ers have seen it compared to the More than 20,700 for the july 8 firefight. In the ambush video the soldiers appear to be moving Forward in an orderly fashion when All hell Breaks Loose. They come under fire from automatic weapons and rocket propelled grenades. With enemy fire Rak ing them the Patricia immediately begin fir the barrage the ing Back and More canadians even importantly doing exactly the opposite of tally Lay Dow what an untrained per would be both sons sense of self preservation would fearsome and ordinarily compel. Deadly on the instead of retreating receiving end. From the danger the canadians Advance All that a miss toward it. Ing is the smell in the ensuing chaos orders Are barked out ? of cordite interspersed liberally with the f word ? the gunfire is cacophonous and a number of grenades Are thrown. The barrage the canadians eventually Lay Down would be both fearsome and deadly on the receiving end. All that a missing is the smell of cordite. When the shooting stops and the Haze clears the out of breath Patricia chests Are heaving. Still a Soldier lights up a smoke and the screen fades to Black. This is reality to at its finest but its All on the internet. There is also much More to the videos than meets the Eye. The first thing to be considered is that Kester sons footage is not completely unman aged by the Canadian forces. Because he was embedded with them he would have had to sign a ground rules agreement required of All journalists trav Elling with them. Under those ground rules there Are 20 Cate Gories of specific information about Canadian operations of which they cannot report. For example they can to report on troop strengths equipment or critical supplies such As artillery radars trucks and water. They can to report on rules of engagement that is to say directives setting out the circumstances when deadly Force can and cannot be used specific troop movements tactical deployments on going engagements special operations units and the list goes on and on. There Are Only 10 categories of information journalists can report. They can report approximate Friendly Force figures non sensitive past and present air and ground operations dates times and locations of completed missions the types of ordinance fired but Only in general terms and weather and climate conditions. Make no mistake about it the news and information canadians receive about their soldiers activities in Afghanistan is highly managed by the Canadian forces. The second thing to be considered is How much management of the footage by Commer Cial broadcasters themselves is removed. Gone Are the telegenic journalists wearing flak jackets emblazoned with the word press reporting second hand on the combat action. Gone Are the news reports passed indirectly to viewers through celebrity anchors viewed simultaneously with the reporters on split screens. Gone Are the producers editors and graphic artists who manage and package video Seg ments into Short snippets. This All makes for a Brave new Media world because youtube a unvarnished unfiltered work is All about an extended View of Canadian soldiers in combat and nothing More. Moreover unlike television news which Usu ally has regimented time slots the internet is available any time anywhere there Are computers and service providers Access. Even though the videos were shot More than a month ago and their news value is somewhat diluted Kesterson a videos Are nonetheless remarkable. You Haven to seen anything like it involving canadians in Afghanistan. To View the videos visit Bob Bergen is a research fellow with the Canad an defence & foreign affairs Institute in Calgary. Province moving to improve aboriginal Justice by Oscar Lathlin i n a recent column in the free press 15 wasted years aug. 12judge . Hamilton said the provincial government had totally ignored a major recommendation of the aboriginal jus Tice inquiry namely to establish a sep Arate aboriginal court system. However the province has been work ing with aboriginal governments and organizations to build an effective responsible Justice system that respects aboriginal traditions and protects pub Lic safety. Within weeks of coming into office 1999, we created the aboriginal Justice implementation commission Ajic led by Paul Chartrand and Wendy White Cloud to develop a practical blueprint to implement the recommendations of the aboriginal Justice inquiry recognizing the constitutional and Federal barriers to the Aji a ideas for a separate aboriginal Justice system. The Ajic was endorsed by representatives of aboriginal governments consulted widely with aboriginal people across Manitoba and marked the first meaningful step for Ward on improving aboriginal Justice in the province since the Aji was established by the previous nip government in 1988. We have made tremendous Progress. The vast majority of the 54 Ajic recommendations directed at the Provin Cial government have been completed or Are underway. We moved quickly on a key Ajic recommendation concerning devolution of the child welfare system. Manitoba a new aboriginal child welfare authorities Are the first aboriginal run authorities in the country. Manitoba a Northern Justice strategy is operational in 10 communities to give those first nations direction and control of the criminal Justice process. A magistrates court conducted in Cree operates in seven of those communities and Community Justice workers use culturally appropriate methods of dealing with cases. This Pilot program is Cost shared with the Federal government under an agreement slated for renewal next year and Manitoba has requested expansion of the strategy to All Northern communities. To counter the Ajic a concern that policing is often seen As foreign and imposed on aboriginal communities a funding agreement is in place to raise the percentage of aboriginal people served by aboriginal policing services fivefold from six to 29 per cent. Sever Al More first nations Are in line to receive aboriginal policing Over the next three years to bring the total to More than 50 per cent. Efforts have been made to ensure police shootings receive inde pendent review. We Are committed to devolving pro Bation services to aboriginal organizations As recommended by the Ajic. Meanwhile several communities now deliver probation services under a con tract with the province. Participation aboriginal participation in the Provin Cial Justice workforce has increased by 63 per cent. In some regions aboriginal staff comprise most workers and one Quarter of victim services staff Are now aboriginal. Since our government took office every nominating committee to select candidates to become judges has included aboriginal representation. New aboriginal provincial court judges have been appointed. Circuit courts have been established in several aboriginal communities with More in the coming months and a new Northern judge Posi Tion will be created this fiscal year. A new women a correctional Centre and Healing Lodge Are now in develop ment As recommended by the Ajic. Elders have been hired for our correctional facilities. A new Manitoba domes tic violence intervention unit As recommended by the Ajic has been established and $1.5 million provided for a new aboriginal women a shelter. More recently a new a tis Justice initiative has been funded in partnership with the emf and Canada. Several communities have local Justice councils or committees that Deal with a Range of offenders on a local basis. We have sup ported this expansion through our new Community Justice Branch. But As the Ajic reminds us there is More involved in bringing greater jus Tice to aboriginal Peoples than reforming the criminal Justice system. There must be greater social and economic opportunities for aboriginal Manitoban. Which is Why first nations have now had returned Legal interest into minerals on reserves. A new partnership for Hydro development with Nisich Awa Yasik Cree nation and the $60-Mil?Lion aboriginal Hydro pre project train ing program signals a new Era. Recently four aboriginal firms successfully bid for More than $7 million in contracts for the flood Way project. Our government is working with communities on the East Side of Lake Winnipeg on several projects to promote economic development and self sufficiency. The University College of the North will include a Justice program and Stu dents of aboriginal ancestry Are Access ing higher education in Ever increasing numbers. The Helen Betty Osborne memorial foundation was established As part of the provinces reconciliation regarding the tragic act of racism and sexism that was her death and has to Date granted $128,000 to assist 40 aboriginal students Access higher education. There is no question there is much More to do. Our government will continue to work As a partner for aboriginal Justice in the broadest sense with the ultimate goal of greater Public safety for All. Oscar Lathlin is Manitoba a minister of aboriginal and Northern affairs ;