View larger image Defence Minister Peter MacKay talks to reporters at Kandahar Air Field about the rockets that were fired at the Canadian base he was visiting earlier in the day on Nov.6, 2007. (CP / Bill Graveland)
View larger image Dust rises over Forward Operating Base Wilson, about 20 kilometres west of Kandahar, on Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2007. View larger image A helicopter from a NATO country (Canada has no heavy-lift helicopters of its own) lands at Forward Operating Base Wilson on Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2007.
MacKay unhurt in rocket attack on Afghan base
CTV.ca News Staff
Two Taliban rockets struck a forward operating base west of Kandahar Tuesday during a visit by Defence Minister Peter MacKay.
MacKay was conducting private meetings at Forward Operating Base Wilson, about 20 kilometres west of Kandahar city, when the attack occurred.
After the first rocket landed around 11 a.m. local time, Mackay was taken into an armoured vehicle for safety.
"I do not believe he was targeted," Gen. Rick Hillier told reporters on Tuesday. "I think these are things that have occurred (coincidentally) in time and space. I think it is less dangerous now during any time we've been there for the last 18 months, for ranking Canadians to go out there and to move around in the vicinity."
Hillier said he moved though the area by vehicle during his visit a week and a half ago, something he wouldn't do if he thought it would put soldiers in the line of danger.
Bill Graveland, a reporter for The Canadian Press who was at the forward operating base with MacKay, told CTV Newsnet the attacks were likely spurred by the increase in helicopter activity at the base.
"I don't believe that there was any way they had any idea the Mr. MacKay was there, but if you see a number of Blackhawk helicopters flying over a base, you're going to assume it's somebody important," he said.
Military analyst Sunil Ram said the Taliban tend to keep a "very sharp eye" on the day-to-day activites of the troops.
"The minute they notice a change, it generally will trigger an attack. Albeit a rocket attack is incredibly inaccurate, and as a direct targetting of the minister, I think it's unlikely," Ram said on CTV Newsnet's Mike Duffy Live.
About 15 minutes after the first attack, another rocket landed about 50 metres away from passing soldiers and reporters. Four soldiers suffered minor injuries from the second rocket.
Back at Kandahar Air Field, MacKay described the attack to reporters.
"There was an explosion. It was a loud bang," said MacKay. "When it happened, we heard the explosion, we heard the whistle overhead, we were told to get down and we did. Thankfully, again, when missions like this are underway, you're given a very thorough briefing as you'd expect. We're told how to react, everything went like clockwork. We were taken out of harm's way very quickly, and put in an armoured vehicle."
Hillier said the attack is a sign of how desperate the Taliban have become since being pushed back by coalition forces.
"What was subjected to attack was one of our forward operating bases and that has been consistent because the Taliban have been driven back so they have to resort to long-distance attacks," he said.
MacKay's visit is his first since taking over as defence minister last August.
On Monday, the defence minister warned that Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan could face a greater risk to their safety as a direct result of the political uncertainty in Pakistan.
He said a flood of refugees could spill into Afghanistan from Pakistani refugee camps, providing new recruit potentials for the Taliban.
MacKay is supposed to be using the trip to trumpet successes in Afghanistan, including an economy that has tripled in size and improvements in access to health care and education.
On top of that, MacKay said Afghans are increasingly shouldering more and more of the burden for security in their own country.
MacKay said that his visit to the region would continue despite Tuesday's attack.
"And I'm grateful for the experience, because now I have a greater appreciation of how competent, how able and how successful our people are in the field," he told reporters.
With files from The Canadian Press
Celso Amorim. 
Canadian Minister of Defence Peter MacKay just narrowly escaped a rocket attack by the Taliban in Afghanistan yesterday morning. He was visiting Forward Operating Base Wilson 20 kilometres west of Kandahar.

MacKay escaped into a Jeep as the first explosion went off at 11:00 a.m., local time (UTC+4:30). The second rocket, which struck 15 minutes after, hit four Canadian soldiers. The soldiers are now in good condition.

MacKay was picked up by a helicopter an hour later.

Some military experts and reporters on the scene suggested that the attack would not have been targeted to hit MacKay specifically. But according to ''Canadian Press'' reporter Bill Graveland, the Taliban could have guessed someone important was present when they saw Blackhawk helicopters.

"I don't believe that there was any way they had any idea the Mr. MacKay was there, but if you see a number of Blackhawk helicopters flying over a base, you're going to assume it's somebody important," said Graveland.

"I do not believe he was targeted," said Chief of the Defence Staff General Rick Hillier. "I think these are things that have occurred coincidentally in time and space."

MacKay held a news conference at Kandahar Air Field last night.

"There was an explosion. It was a loud bang," said MacKay. "When it happened, we heard the explosion, we heard the whistle overhead, we were told to get down and we did. Thankfully, again, when missions like this are underway, you're given a very thorough briefing as you'd expect. We're told how to react, everything went like clockwork. We were taken out of harm's way very quickly, and put in an armoured vehicle. And I'm grateful for the experience, because now I have a greater appreciation of how competent, how able and how successful our people are in the field."

MacKay is in Afghanistan to talk about improving the country's economy, security, health care and education.