Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - September 6, 2006, Winnipeg, Manitoba Winnipeg free press wednesday september 6, 2006 a3 top news afghan debate pressure rises demands follow deaths of 5 More soldiers by Mike Blanchfield o Ottawa ? a Day of National soul searching sparked fresh demands yesterday for another parliamentary debate on the Afghanistan Mission following the deaths of five More Canadian soldiers there last weekend but the conserva Tive government showed no signs of granting the request. Bloc sub Cois Leader Gilles Dueppe called on Stephen Harper to agree to a debate in the House of commons on Canadas broader foreign policy objectives before the prime minister gives his first major speech at the United nations two Days later on sept. 20. Dueppe accused Harper of having a dogmatic world View that has him in lock step with the Bush administration and predicted that position would Hurt the pm a chances of making crucial Polit ical inroads in Quebec. Dueppe also said canadians need to hear the prime ministers broader for eign policy objectives before he unveils them at the in. I think Harper is too close with the Bush administration in the United states. Period. That kind of attitude is anathema in Quebec. As Long As or. Harper will have that attitude they wont support those policies Dueppe said yesterday in an interview. The bloc Leader said he thinks Harper is making foreign policy on the Fly ? something he believes was in evidence this summer when the prime minister supported Israel in its War in Lebanon against Hezbollah. It is dogmatic. It is based on you re with me or against me the Good against the and life a not like that said Dueppe. In foreign affairs like in any other aspect of politics things Are not All Black or All White. You have to be More neither Dueppe nor Liberal Leader ship contender Ken Dryden would sup port the demand by nip Leader Jack Layton to simply bring Home Canadas 2,300 troops from Southern Afghanistan. Dueppe dismissed Layton a demand ? made last week before five canadians were killed on the weekend ? As unrealistic Given Canadas commitments to its British and dutch allies currently fighting the major nato offensive against the Taliban in Southern Afghanistan. Dryden said a parliamentary debate was necessary to give voice to the mixed feelings most canadians have about the need to support their troops As the death toll rises to 33, including one Diplomat. Its a conflict that is going on inside All of us Dryden said yesterday. Its fair. Its right. Its human. But we need to have expression of that. We need to have something else More to go on rather than the periodic military sloganeering and rhetoric that we Dryden said he does to buy the argument that because the liberals commit Ted troops to the current Afghanistan Mission when they governed Canada in 2004 they must now give the Mission unwavering support. Developments canadians wounded Panjwani Afghanistan ? tracer rounds and exploding rockets lit up the sky yesterday As Tal iban insurgents launched Brazen coordinated attacks on Canadian armoured vehicles wounding five soldiers in a Battlefield West of Kandahar. A Volley of eight to 10 rockets or mortars landed near a Light armoured vehicle in the Panjwani area just North of the Arghan dab River where canadians have fought dug in Taliban insurgents. The five injured soldiers were evacuated to Kandahar Airfield. All were expected to recover from their wounds including shrapnel and concussion injuries. Tribute to soldiers nato soldiers at Kandahar air Field yesterday paid tribute to the bodies of five canadians killed Over the past two Days in Panjwani. About 800 canadians and 100 soldiers from other countries bid Farewell to them in the solemn ramp ceremony. A procession of soldiers squinting in the desert sunlight carried the Flag draped coffins onto the c-130 Hercules aircraft As a Piper played a Mournful tune. Tears streamed Down some of the pallbearers faces while Graham remembered for giant sized smile others fought Back tears with clenched jaws. Canadian forces spokeswoman Lieut. Sue Stefko flashed his smile and it would totally put by Lori Ewing said the plane is expected to you at touch Down at cab Trenton late Graham was a member of Canadas wednesday. Toronto ? at 6-4 and packing a Rock-4x400-metre relay team at the 1992 hard physique Mark Graham cast an Barcelona olympics where he Good imposing Shadow when he stepped onto win Mark Jackson Freddie Williams Taliban surrounded the track. And Anthony Wilson finished 13th. But olympic teammates who knew Graham also won a Silver medal at the a nato spokesman claimed yes Graham Best say the sprinter had a smile 1993 and 1994 Canadian championships. Ter Day that artillery and air that matched his massive Frame and his he was a great competitor and you strikes killed Between 50 and 60 intimidating physical stature belied an knew if you were going to beat him you suspected Taliban militants and easygoing Demeanour. Had to be on that Day said Goodwin that some 700 More were Hencir Graham who grew up in Hamilton who beat Graham at the ?94 National cled in the Panjwani area. None joined the military after his track career championships. I certainly got handed of the claims were possible to and was based at cab Petawawa. A Pri my share of losses by confirm. Vate Graham was killed and More than Canadas track Community was nato has already claimed 30 others wounded monday in shocked and saddened As news spread More than 200 Taliban killed in Afghanistan As two . Aircraft Acci of his death tuesday. Ing at our scrapbooks right now and the operation. The afghan dentally opened fire on canadians Dur Many recalled an athlete who was thinking of All the Good times we had defence ministry said yesterday ing a strafing run. He was 33. Loaded with Talent ? his personal Best with him said Peter Ogilvie who ran 200 militants have died since sat he was a really intimidating figure time of 46.16 seconds he ran while still a on Canadas 4x100 team in Barcelona urday increasing its previously but he was also so giving with his smile Junior ranks him 19th on Canadas All and is now the executive director of ath reported toll of 89. Olympic teammate Byron Goodwin said time senior list in the 400. But he was Fetics Alberta. Its truly a sad Story he a from Winnipeg. You would see this plagued by injuries which eventually a hero not Only for the Canadian forces giant and you would think of my god Cut Short his promising career in 1994. But the athletics Community will be in ? Canadian press he a going to tear me apart. But then he Many of us Are going Back and look mourning for quite a while As terrorists in Canada threaten . Bush by Sheldon Alberts Washington ? decentralized cells of islamic terrorists operating in nations such As Canada pose a growing threat to the United states As it fights the War on terror five years after the sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks president George w. Bush said yesterday. In a major address updating his administration a strategy to fight terrorism Bush said White House efforts to pre vent another Domestic attack Are increasingly focused on disrupting plots by Homegrown Western extremists inspired Osama bin Laden and Al Aida. As Al Aida changes the broader terrorist movement is also changing becoming More dispersed and self directed Bush told an audience of Mil itary officers in Washington. Militant extremists who were born and educated in Western nations were indoctrinated by Radical islamist or attracted to their ideology and joined the violent extremists cause. These locally established cells appear to be responsible for a number of attacks and plots including those in Madrid and Canada and other countries across the Bush was alluding to the arrests in conspiring to attack targets in Toronto and Ottawa including a strike on parliament Hill. Canadian and american officials have said the suspects were not planning attacks in the . Bush has consistently praised Canada a counter terrorism efforts despite a state department report in april that identified Canada As a Safe Haven for islamic extremists. To coincide with Bush a speech the White House released an updated ver Sion of its National strategy for com bating terrorism. It does not mention Al Aida Leader Osama bin Laden by in the War on terror is not the same enemy we faced on sept. 11.? Al Aida has been significantly degraded the documents says but the groups leaders have spawned devoted followers who Are instructed to carry out jihad by increasingly sophisticated use of the internet and the Media. Al Aida a leaders no longer need to meet face to face with their operatives. They can find new suicide bombers and facilitate new terrorist attacks without Ever laying eyes on those they Are train ing financing or sending to strike us Bush said. ? can West news service ;