One dead (private security firm) after troops fire on vehicle in Kandahar - CTV

[Yrys]

One dead after troops fire on vehicle in Kandahar

Soldiers in a convoy opened fire on a vehicle approaching at high speed, killing an employee of a private security firm and injuring three others, the Canadian military confirmed Thursday.

The convoy from the Provincial Reconstruction Team was leaving Kandahar Airfield and headed for Kandahar City on Wednesday afternoon when a vehicle drove towards
the convoy at high speed. The vehicle "was perceived as a threat," the military said in a statement. Warnings were issued to the vehicle to stop but a shot was fired when
the vehicle failed to stop.

On-site medical assistance was administered, and all individuals were then transported to the medical unit at Kandahar Airfield for treatment. The military calls the
incident regrettable and offers its condolences to the family of the person who died.

Compass Security is a private company with operations throughout the Middle East, Africa and Central Asia, from Iraq to Afghanistan. They specialize in providing a range
of tailored security capabilities for commercial firms and military organizations. These can range from "static site security and convoy protection to secure logistic services
and cash-in-transit" the statement said.

Link

mod : retired my sentence as someone has point out to me that he found it "blunt and uncompassionate".

 

[Celticgirl]

When this type of incident happens, it is portrayed by the media as some gigantic faux pas on the part of our troops. I wonder how many people catch the part about the multiple warnings to stop that were ignored prior to shots being fired? When you have suicide bombers regularly trying to get close to the troops in an attempt to blow them up, and some idiot won't stop his freakin' car, then the obvious thing for the troops to do is protect themselves. Yes, the incident is "regrettable", but it was also avoidable on the part of the deceased driver.

 

[Yrys]

Where did you read that it was the driver that died ?

 

[Celticgirl]

Where did you read that it was the driver that died ?

I didn't. That was an assumption on my part, sorry.  Whether the driver was the deceased or one of the injured he (or she) is the one who could have avoided the incident.

 

[1feral1]

On my tour, on more than one occasion we fired on vehicles who failed to stop. There was loss of life, but if they would SIMPLY obey the BASIC rules, like obeying hand signals etc, then the open display of weapons, etc, then these yes IDIOTS would still be alive today.

It was regretable taking the lives of fellow 'allies' for the cause, but thats life, and they are themselves to blame for their own demise, not the 'trigger happy' troops who are obeying the ROEs provided for their protection, and the protection of others.

My 2 cents.