KANDAHAR, Afghanistan - Canadian commanders in southern Afghanistan are still looking for the right balance between protecting their soldiers from the Taliban and safeguarding the lives of civilians who get caught in the crossfire.
Brig.-Gen Tim Grant said Tuesday that he has spoken to his battle group commander about the rash of civilian shootings since fresh Canadian troops arrived in the region earlier this month.
"Every time that we injure a civilian, it is devastating to us, it's devastating to the families and it's something we have to stop,'' he told reporters following a change of command ceremony, where the 2nd Battalion Royal Canadian Regiment officially took over operations in Kandahar.
"It's a clear priority of mine that we reduce the number of rounds fired and that we protect the people as we go through the city, particularly,'' he said.
Late Sunday, Canadian troops mistakenly shot and killed a homeless beggar on the street outside of the governor's palace as well as an Afghan National Police officer. The day before that, Canadian troops gunned down an apparently deranged man in the village of Senjray, outside Kandahar.
Early last week, soldiers guarding a convoy opened fire on an Afghan army truck, wounding an officer.
Canadian military police were investigating all of the incidents and say they have yet to reach any conclusions.
But the incoming deputy commander, Col. Mike Cessford, said he's confident the troops behaved appropriately given the threat of suicide bombers and ambush.
"The investigations are underway now, but the initial analysis seems to indicate we have followed the steps that we need to take,'' he said.
Prior to opening fire on civilians, soldiers are required to shout verbal warnings, use hand gestures as necessary and fire a warning shot. If that fails to deter the individual -- or halt a vehicle -- only then are they allowed to take direct aim and fire.
The troops have trained for their mission for almost a year. "But even then the challenges are so significant it is hard to cover and prepare for them all,'' Cessford said.
The army has admitted the shootings have made it harder for Canadian troops to build good relations with the local population.
But Grant said the Afghan police, in particular, understand the awkward life-and-death position that troops find themselves in when confronted with a possible suicide bomber since they are also routinely attacked by the insurgents.
Still, Grant said he expects his soldiers to show restraint.
"I've already spoken to other senior officers in the task force to make sure that the leadership is playing a significant role in making sure that we use force only when absolutely necessary.''
There are contradictory stories about the events surrounding the latest shootings involving the homeless man and the police officer. Neither Grant nor Cessford would address them, saying only that the investigation will make the final determination.
In the case of the slain policeman, an official NATO bulletin that said troops opened fire when two people tried to approach a stopped convoy. "It was subsequently determined that one of the individuals, an Afghan National Policeman, was killed,'' NATO said.
But Kandahar's police chief said the dead police officer, identified as Gulab Shah, 31, was hit while standing in a concrete watch post on the roof of the governor's palace. He was not on the street and nowhere near the convoy, let alone walking toward it, Gen. Asmatullah Alizai said.
The unidentified civilian, described by local residents as a homeless man who routinely begged for change near the palace, was shot as he approached the Canadian position. Residents said the man was still on the opposite side of the boulevard when he was killed -- an account the military would not confirm.
