How many other Redneck trailer trash murderers are in the Canadian military, Mr Harper?
fraeoldb...@gmail.com
Jan 02, 2009 08:15 PM
Steve Rennie
THE CANADIAN PRESS
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan–A Canadian soldier who served as a mentor and
role model for his Afghan counterparts during a bloody October battle
against the Taliban has been charged with second-degree murder in the
death of a presumed enemy fighter, officials said Friday.
Capt. Robert Semrau is accused of shooting, "with intent to kill," an
unarmed man in Helmand province, where Afghan soldiers, their Canadian
mentors and British troops had been defending the capital of Lashkar
Gah from a persistent attack by insurgents.
As a member of the Operational Mentor and Liaison Team (OMLT), the
Canadian military unit that coaches and mentors the fledgling Afghan
National Army, Semrau's responsibilities included helping to guide and
counsel Afghan troops on the fine points of warfare.
In an interview with a U.S. military reporter just prior to the
Lashkar Gah operation, Semrau sings the praises of his charges,
describing them as capable soldiers and "good guys" who present
challenges at times, but who can acquit themselves well on the
battlefield. He said he loved his job.
Semrau was asked what the Canadians would be doing on the mission.
"We know we're going into Lashkar Gah and we'll be joining our ANA
(Afghan National Army) counterparts. I imagine we'll do some
aggressive patrolling, some defensive work and try and root out the
Taliban and kill and capture them."
The Canadian Forces National Investigation Service, the major crimes
unit of Canada's military police, charged Semrau on Wednesday – the
same day it revealed it was probing a death that took place in Helmand
"on or about" Oct. 19.
Semrau, whose hometown is Pembroke, Ont., is being held by military
police before being returned to Canada, where a military judge will
decide whether he should remain in custody.
Military officials at Kandahar Airfield refused to elaborate on a news
release issued Friday by the Department of National Defence.
Afghanistan's ambassador to Canada, Omar Samad, said the allegation
should not taint all the work done these past few years by Canadian
military mentors.
"One needs to put this in context, which means that the training and
mentoring provided by Canadians so far has been exemplary," he said.
"Like in any other situation, there may be some flaws or some mistakes
that are made, and this may be one of them."
At the time of the incident, Semrau was among several Canadian
military mentors from the OMLT who were in Helmand for the bloody
three-day defence of Lashkar Gah. Also taking part were British
forces, who are deployed extensively in Helmand.
Afghan and foreign troops eventually retook the Nad Ali district
centre, which had been held by insurgents, after a three-day fight.
That battle, which also involved air strikes, ended Oct. 18. Afghan
and NATO officials claimed at least 100 Taliban died in the fighting.
The military's national investigation service, which examines all
incidents involving Canadian military personnel or property in Canada
and abroad, was formed after the Somalia affair, a dark chapter in the
history of the Canadian military.
Clayton Matchee, a former master corporal with the now-defunct
Canadian Airborne Regiment, was charged with one count of torture and
one count of murder after a photograph surfaced of him posing over the
bloodied body of Somali teenager Shidane Arone.
The killing tarnished Canada's reputation as a peacekeeper and, after
a government inquiry, led to the disbanding of the regiment.
The Canadian Forces dismissed the charges against Matchee in October
2008, 15 years later, after determining Matchee would ``never be fit
to stand trial." He had suffered major brain damage in a suicide
attempt shortly after arrest.
Also this past October, the military dropped charges against a
Canadian soldier accused in the August 2006 shooting death of a
colleague in Afghanistan.
Master Cpl. Robbie Fraser had been charged with manslaughter and
negligent performance of duty after his gun allegedly discharged
inside a military vehicle, killing his friend, Master Cpl. Jeffrey
Walsh.
Another Canadian soldier, Cpl. Matthew Wilcox, was charged in October
2007 with manslaughter, criminal negligence causing death and
negligently performing a military duty in the March 2007 shooting
death of a comrade in Afghanistan.
Cpl. Kevin Megeney died after being shot in the chest at Kandahar
Airfield. Wilcox's trial begins on June 1 of this year.
On Thursday, an Afghan army general who was on hand for the battle of
Lashkar Gah said he had heard none of the allegations of
``inappropriate conduct" surrounding the presumed insurgent's death.
Gen. Sher Muhammad Zazai said the Afghan army killed so many Taliban
fighters during the fight, it's impossible to know how they all died.
sa...@shaw.ca
Why do you think this guy lived in a trailer ?
Why was he a "redneck murderer" instead of a generic murderer ?
Oh.... PS..... this guy is out on bail as of today.
<fraeoldb...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:d929837d-956a-4842...@e1g2000pra.googlegroups.com...
John Fleming
in the scriptorium <sa...@shaw.ca> wrote:
> $Why did you cross-post this to 'can.taxes' ?
Because he is an embarrassment to the Scottish people?
> $Why do you think this guy lived in a trailer ?
Because the guy is clearly better than Robert Peffers who
lives in a cardboard box under Edmonton's High Level Bridge?
> $Why was he a "redneck murderer" instead of a generic murderer ?
Because acknowledging that he is a redneck demonstates an
understanding the guy works for a living?
> $Oh.... PS..... this guy is out on bail as of today.
That shows how the case really isn't that clear cut and
there is a good chance the accused could be found not
guilty. Second degree murder is a pretty serious offence
and people are normally held in custody while awaiting trial
for such offences.
> $<fraeoldb...@gmail.com> wrote in message
> $news:d929837d-956a-4842...@e1g2000pra.googlegroups.com...
> $Canadian soldier charged with murder
[snip]
--
John Fleming
Edmonton, Canada
Old MacDonald had a farm E-I-E-I-O
And on that farm he had a genome E-I-E-I-O
With a SNP SNP here and a SNP SNP there,
Here a SNP, there a SNP, everywhere a SNP SNP
Old MacDonald had a farm E-I-E-I-O