CTV's chief political correspondent Craig Oliver told Newsnet the prime minister tried to emotionally link the events of 9/11 with current Canadian involvement in Afghanistan.Wow, some tough words there, although I doubt ole Craig would know a streetfight from a streetwalker.
Oliver said the speech comes at a time when the Canadian mission in Afghanistan is in a bad patch. "If you and I were in a street fight and we had to turn to onlookers and say, 'please give us help here', we wouldn't be said to be winning.
I'd put a little more credence in Oliver's analysis though, if CTV hadn't just run this story before he trotted out his puffery.
Canadian troops made significant incursions into territory held by the Taliban in the Panjwaii district of southern Afghanistan.Are Craig Oliver's rants on a 7 day time delay, or is he just so busy climbing onto his high horse, he doesn't actually watch the CTV news broadcast.
Troops used helicopter and warplane artillery to pummel heavily-fortified trenches suspected of firing rockets at Canadians. The troops met little resistance as they advanced several hundred metres. Blood trails were found leading away from trenches abandoned by the Taliban.
"We actually busted into his first line of defence and penetrated his first level of fighting positions," Col. Omer Lavoie, who is commanding the Canadian attack, said Monday of the Taliban. The operation, which began Sept. 2, has killed at least 500 insurgents, according to the most recent figures from the alliance.
I guess he missed the CTV news on Saturday too.
Insurgent fighters in a Taliban stronghold are being pounded by NATO forces and are on the verge of collapse, said the commander of Canadian forces in southern Afghanistan on Saturday.Back to you, Lloyd.
Backed by U.S. and British air power, Canadian and Afghan troops took turns moving through former insurgent outposts in the Panjwaii region, where Taliban are engaging in a "last stand," according to Lt.-Col. Omer Lavoie.
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UPDATE: 4:30 AM EDT ON 12/09/06
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In the interest of fairness, any future analysis by Craig Oliver will start off with, "Once upon a time..."
PANJWAI DISTRICT, AFGHANISTAN — Hundreds of insurgents have scattered from a grinding Canadian military advance in Panjwai district, as soldiers punched into a former Taliban stronghold in a cascade of dust and flying rubble.
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