696. AFGHANISTAN

http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2009/07/22/afghan-cda-shooting.html

Last Friday, (17 Juillet 2009) Canadian soldiers shot and killed an Afghan man in the city of Kandahar and wounded three others after the car they were in failed to heed orders to stop as it sped toward a team of troops who were defusing a roadside bomb.

The soldiers had cordoned off a secure area when a vehicle breached the perimeter at high speed. The driver of the vehicle failed to heed shouts, hand signals and warning shots and, fearing a suicide bomber, two soldiers opened fire, officials said.

They said the soldiers involved last week had followed all the proper procedures for an escalation of force.

No explosives were found in the vehicle, but Task Force Kandahar spokesman Maj. Mario Couture said the military has not ruled out the possibility that the men involved were insurgents trying to test the Canadian perimeter.

The behaviour of the motorcycle driver at the scene of the girl's death was also suspicious, Couture said.

"We know that insurgents want to drive a wedge between the coalition force and the population, so if they can make us make mistakes, then it serves their purpose," Couture said. "If we fire, it works in their favour. We're aware of that."

In the absence of evidence of wrongdoing, the soldier involved in the girl's death will remain on duty unless he chooses to take some time off following the shooting, Couture said.