# Letter from Afghanistan published Jan 30th, Times Transcript, Moncton



## 35andup! (31 Jan 2007)

I found this article in yesterday's Time and Transcript (newspaper from Moncton NB). It's a letter from Matthew (doesn't say is rank) to his mother about the current state of affairs in Afghanistan. I believe most civilians think that soldiers are fighting for their governments or for an idea but this letter demonstrate that soldiers are fighting for one another. 

I would hope that every Canadian could read this letter.

http://www.canadaeast.com/ce2/docroot/article.php?articleID=97530

P.S The link is only accessible trough paid subscription.......


Published Tuesday January 30th, 2007 
Appeared on page D7


What the war is all about

To The Editor:

The following is a letter we received from my son, Matthew, who is serving in Afghanistan and I think it will serve to let the public know what our Canadian soldiers are doing there:

Good Day all:

So far this tour I have received a few comments thrown my way expressing concern. I shall attempt to clear up any misconceptions anyone may have in regards to what I'm doing over here, and what my goals are.

First of all, Khandahar, Afghanistan is a war zone. During my first two tours here I was part of ISAF (International Security Assistance Force).

Our job was to secure the Capital of Afghanistan, Kabul. We did that. Our next job was to set up an interim government so that they could have an Afghan president and begin governing themselves. We did that.

This tour, however, is different from my previous tours in Afghanistan, or any other tour since the 1950s Korean conflict for that matter. There is an armed enemy in Khandahar. They are called the Taliban. In order to retake this country and give it back to the Afghan people we must take control of this area. It is the homeland of the Taliban and the lifeline to their existence.

That's why they are putting up such resistance. The end game is near. My specific job on this tour is to kill as many as we can before the battle group moves in and takes this piece of land back from the Taliban. I'm not here to win the hearts and minds of the local population. The innocent people have all left. They were given warning of our intent and anyone who stays will be considered enemy. And that's what we are doing. We are fighting against another enemy. Every Taliban we capture or kill had the opportunity to just leave, or throw down their weapons and surrender.

Instead they decided their own fate by taking up arms and fighting to the death. We are not an invading army like the Russians during the 10 year war. We are liberating this country from a terrorist organization and will hand it over to the people of Afghanistan when it is safe.

Unfortunately war is graphic, and as for head counts, they are needed to assess battle capabilities of the enemy. War can be messy, yet can be as involved as a game of chess, and either way war has been around since the beginning of time. Even the Holy Christian church had their crusades.

I've been on four previous tours where I handed out goats to starting farmers and driven around Bosnia with chickens loaded in the back for families just now returning home because it is safe to do so after 20 years, due to the efforts of myself and other soldiers before me.

I've stood side by side with my fellow solders holding back an angry mob stopping them from crossing a river to massacre a group of innocent Albanians.

I've even spent over a year driving around hostile countries dodging landmines restricted by rules of engagement that prohibited me from returning fire unless I was already hit.

I've given a small Afghan child my jacket because he was so cold his lips were turning blue. I've been spat on, and picked up flyers in Macedonia that read "Go home NATO baby killers". Despite all that we still continue on with our mission.

I've done my time as a peacekeeper, however this war is different, because that is what it is . . . war.

We are not out here murdering women and small children, these are not innocent farmers just trying to live in their own little part of the world. Those people have all left. Unfortunately war creates displaced people. The innocent must leave their homes. But they can return once our job is complete and believe it or not, they will be better off. Before we ever fired the first round in this area (Panjway) the Canadian Psychological Operations dropped leaflets over the whole area telling people to leave or they will be shot. We deal with village elders and set up timings for the locals to return to cultivate their crops. So it's not like we just said get out and don't come back. Everyone left except the Taliban.

They stayed to fight. These people live to kill Canadians and other coalition forces. The Taliban we kill today won't be able to plant that IED tomorrow that takes me out. I'm not here to murder innocent people, I'm here to fight alongside of my fellow soldiers to complete a mission that was set upon us by our government that was elected by the majority of each and every one of us.

I've seen how these Taliban run a country. I've driven past the National mosque where the Taliban executed 150 innocent civilians in order to instill fear and compliancy in the population so that they would think twice about breaking their rules. I've stood on the bridge where they hanged people who broke their rules, as trivial as they might sound. Let's just say you want to relax for a bit. You send the children out to go fly a kite while you kick back and listen to your favorite tune on the radio and throw on a bit of nail polish. It's a nice warm day and you doze off to sleep with the sound of your pet bird chirping away on the window sill. 

Oh! Oh! Here comes Mister Taliban and all hell breaks loose. They start by pulling your fingernails out for wearing nail polish or jewelry, but don't worry, it won't hurt long. Soon you'll be hanged from a bridge for having a radio or a caged bird . . . Who will feed your children you ask? Not a problem they'll be swinging next to you for flying a kite.

That's the kind of people we fight and kill every day. For every life I take on the battlefield I'm creating a better life in the future.

I do not exaggerate my stories, nor will I make them sound any different that what they are. Graphic tales of the sights and sounds your fellow Canadians witness every day. If you think reading my stories makes it hard to fall asleep at night, try writing them.

Sorry folks, war just isn't PG-13.

I really don't see the big problem anyway since we have all seen actual footage of The Second World War. You think all those young men storming the beaches of Normandy got up and walked away when the filming was done? What's the difference between seeing documented footage of someone dying 50 years ago and hearing a story about what happened yesterday to my comrades?

If you want the truth . . . hold on because it will be a bumpy ride. It's going to get worse before it gets better.

There is word that the regiment may receive a battle honour for the battle of Panjway. Battle Honors are sewn onto our regimental flag , which is carried into battle and used as a rallying point after a battle. Since 1883 the Royal Canadian Dragoons have earned 25 Battle Honours. You can see that they are not handed out like candy at Christmas. 

The actions of the troops during the battle of Panjway will do down in history. In 50 years from now what I will have written here will be no different than what you'd see on an A&E documentary about the Second World War today.

As for taking the life of a soldier trying to take mine, it's not the act of killing, it's more the satisfaction that I've done my job, and made the country safer for every son, daughter, mother, father serving their country here in Afghanistan. Because have no doubt. He was trying to kill them.

It's not a free for all over here. We have rules of engagement we must follow. I cannot discuss them but before anyone pulls the trigger, there are certain criteria that must be met.

Margaret Landry,

Boudreau-West

(Via e-mail)


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## RHFC_piper (31 Jan 2007)

+100   

 Yet another article that makes me want to go back and finish what I started.


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## xo31@711ret (31 Jan 2007)

Well done.


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## gaspasser (31 Jan 2007)

+1    
Well worded and it seems to tell the truth in bare bones.  I can't believe that some mom sent it to the papers, but Kudos to her for doing so and telling the public WHY her son is there.  It's not for oil!  It's for democracy and decency and basic life needs...like living!
Sounds like the lad who is there has done some time and isn't just spealing off.


Good work troop.


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