With respect.

[Gohaan]

My thoughts are with the families of the fallen. Brave men and women. RIP.

http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2009/12/30/12308581-cp.html

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan - The military has identified the four Canadian soldiers killed in a blast that also killed a journalist.

They are Sgt. George Miok, 28, Cpl. Zachery McCormack, 21, both of Edmonton, Sgt. Kirk Taylor, 28, of Yarmouth, N.S., and Pte. Garrett Chidley, 21, of Cambridge, Ont.

The soldiers, along with Michelle Lang of the Calgary Herald, were killed by a powerful explosion Wednesday during a patrol in Kandahar city.

The deaths - the worst such incident in two-and-a-half years - bring to 138 the number of soldiers killed on the Afghan mission since 2002.

In a statement, Brig.-Gen. Daniel Menard spoke of each soldier with pride, describing them as enthusiastic, passionate soldiers.

He also praised Lang for her sensitivity and ability to connect with people.

http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/World/2009/12/31/12313836-ap.html

WASHINGTON - The CIA says seven of its employees were killed and six others wounded in a terrorist attack on an agency base in Afghanistan.

CIA director Leon Panetta said those killed in Wednesday's attack "were far from home and close to the enemy, doing the hard work that must be done to protect our country from terrorism." His comments came in a message to agency employees sent on Thursday.

The attack by a suicide bomber at a Forward Operating Base in Afghanistan's southeastern Khost Province is believed to be one of the worst against the Central Intelligence Agency's history.

 

[bigbroon]

Heard about this today also. Apparently the Canadian rate of loss in Afghanistan is higher than any other country, so this'll be a tough one. As sad as this is, the CIA breach of security is far more worrying. The suicide bomber (I'm assuming) managed to find his way into a gymnasium in the CIA building and detonate his bomb - how he managed to get in unnoticed is a worrying thought. This is a major security breach, and something that'll have to be looked at closely.

 

[Kyuda]

Wow, that is truly some worrying news. For someone to make it into a base with a bomb, that is huge! Someone must have not been doing their job.