The latest installment of Arthur Chrenkoff’s Good News from Afghanistan has been posted on Winds of Change. It’s a roundup of good news on society, reconstruction, humanitarian aid, and security in Afghanistan. But there’s more good news from Afghanistan than Mr. Chrenkoff is reporting. The Canadian contingent in Afghanistan has found an enormous weapons cache:
Canadian soldiers attached to the Afghan National Army (ANA) have stirred up a hornet’s nest in Kabul by being too efficient.
They’ve “discovered” a huge Soviet ammunition dump a few kilometres from Camp Julien with the potential of obliterating the camp, as well as most of Kabul.
That may sound like hyperbole, but I was with the Canadians who discovered the cache — soldiers (mostly Princess Pats and combat engineers) who are training and working with the ANA and consider themselves to have the best job in the army.
Hat tip: ¡No Pasarán!
But wait! There’s more:
In the midst of examining the bunkers and taking photos, a Swedish UN guy, a French major and a German colonel arrived to make a fuss and order the Canadians to leave. The French major insisted his government had a deal with the Afghan government for the area, and ISAF had no business being there.
This cut little ice with Maj. Hynes, who is responsible — not to the commander of Camp Julien, Col. Jim Ellis — but to the ANA, which has now moved in to secure the site.
The French major was clearly bluffing, hadn’t checked the bunkers and got a classic Canadian roasting from Maj. Hynes — who was supported by a German general who was also appalled at the laxity.
“Now we’ve stirred up the hornet’s nest,” grinned Maj. Hynes. “Good. Now we may get some action.”
“I feel foolish that for eight days we’ve been watching our front, when at our back all this was going on and nobody cared,” said Sgt. Mazerolle.
This is good news for two reasons. First, these are arms that won’t be used against American, UN, or NATO forces in Afghanistan. But equally important, in my view, is that this is proof positive that the French and UN have other fish to fry than protecting Canadian forces or the Afghan people. Food for thought for our northern neighbors.
