death stands out, neither an accident nor the random result of a bomb

War and sacrifice
The Hamilton Spectator, Mar 31, 2006

Let there be no misunderstanding: Canada is at war. The combat death of Private Robert Costall -- killed at a tiny desert outpost during a pitched battle with Taliban fighters -- shatters any lingering naivete about the Canadian Forces' mission in Afghanistan.

Our soldiers there are not peacemakers, and certainly not peacekeepers. They are, regardless of definitions or declarations, fighting a war.

Two generations of Canadians have never known this. Canada's last war was Korea, where the fighting ended 53 years ago. (The last Canadian troops to die in close combat put themselves between warring Greeks and Turks in Cyprus in 1974.)

Now, we find ourselves at war again, and it is an unsettling and disconcerting place to be.

Canada's modern national identity is inextricably tied to our decades-long leadership role in peacekeeping. Lester Pearson, later a prime minister, is considered the father of modern peacekeeping, won the 1957 Nobel Peace Prize for it and was nominated to head the United Nations.

It's hard to reconcile that tradition with Canada's current -- and valid -- role in Afghanistan.

It must be said that there is no greater or lesser tragedy in how a soldier dies, whether by a roadside bomb, a vehicle or weapons accident, so-called "friendly fire" or in combat. Twelve Canadians have now died in Afghanistan -- 11 of them soldiers, one a diplomat.

But Costall's death stands out from the others because it was neither an accident nor the random result of a bomb. Not in most Canadians' lifetimes has there been such a deadly battle involving Canadian troops.

In the current summit, Prime Minister Harper will likely attempt to raise George Bush's consciousness of the Canadian mission in Afghanistan. That will complement current banners hanging in the U.S. capital: "Canadian Troops in Kandahar, Afghanistan. Boots On the Ground. U.S.-Canada Relations. Security is Our Business."

Neither effort is inappropriate: It's important that the U.S. understand that in Afghanistan, Canada is there, is pulling its weight, and its soldiers are making great, sometimes ultimate, sacrifices.

The military will not release details of the circumstances of Costall's death.

Additional: Two separate probes have been launched by Canadian and United States military investigators to piece together what happened.