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4 soldats canadiens et une journaliste au Calgary Herald,Michelle Lang, sont morts aujourd'hui en Afghanistan...On peut supputer tant qu'on veut sur les raisons de notre présence en ce pays, reste que 5 personnes de bonne volonté sont mortes ce soir et c'est très triste...

Mme Lang avait un blogue sur lequel elle laissait ses impressions sur son séjour en Afghanistan depuis le 20 décembre. On peut le consulter ici.

Le 24 décembre dernier, elle avait écrit ce texte reproduit dans le journal ''The Gazette'' :

Christmas presents give soldiers a taste of home

By Michelle Lang

MASUM GHAR, Afghanistan — Trooper Corina Skinner tore open a box — addressed simply to a "female soldier" — to find magazines, a manicure kit and other Christmas gifts.

Skinner, a tank driver based at this small Canadian Forces' base in Afghanistan, isn't likely to be pampering herself with a manicure while serving in war-torn Afghanistan. But the young soldier from Edmonton appreciated the gifts, particularly the magazines

Flipping through the pages of People and Cosmopolitan provided a temporary escape from the conflict here and reminded her of life back at home.

"It's really thoughtful," said Skinner, who opened her gift more than a week before Christmas. "It's a chance not to focus on the army for a while."

As Canadians stuff stockings and prepare Christmas feasts, planning is also underway in Afghanistan to celebrate an emotional Christmas away from home at Kandahar Airfield and several forward operating bases.

Some soldiers have been decorating their sleep tents, while Canadian Forces' padres have been distributing gifts arriving from Canada to soldiers like Skinner.

For weeks, hundreds of packages for Canadian troops serving in Afghanistan have been arriving from churches and service organizations back in Canada.

The most popular present, according to one padre, is home-baked goods.

Cookies, Christmas cake, loaves and squares have been flying out of the gift packages, snapped up by soldiers craving a taste of something from back home and some variety from the food at the mess halls.

"Homemade baking is popular anywhere, but it's really popular here," said Padre Sandy Scott.

Scott's congregation in Prince Albert. Sask., sent 15 boxes full of presents. The boxes from St. Paul's Presbyterian arrived at Kandahar Airfield, some of which Scott then sent to forward operating bases around Kandahar province.

"The generosity of Canadians," said Scott, "is overwhelming."

At the Canadian Forces' forward operating base in Masum Ghar, Capt. Tyrone Duncan received a package with a toque, a book and some snacks.

"In spite of some people disagreeing with why we're here, they want to support the soldiers," said Duncan. "It's nice to open a box that someone has taken the time to put together."

Warrant Officer Ernie Romaniuk received a can of spaghetti from a Lions Club in Ontario, which he shared with other soldiers when they were out on an operation.

"We cooked up spaghetti instead of rations," he said. "It gives you a touch of home."

But being away from home, and thoughts of family back in Canada, often make Christmas a difficult time of year for those serving in Afghanistan, said Padre Yvonne Mills.

Mills, who will deliver a Christmas sermon at Kandahar Airfield, said she will talk to soldiers about "paying it forward," and remembering that acts of kindness can hold a lot of meaning for others.

While it can be hard to be away from Canada at this time of year, she argues it's nice to be away from the commercialism that has taken over Christmas in North America.

"Children here (in Afghanistan) are thankful for anything," she said. "You give them a pen and paper and they are so excited."

In addition to Christmas packages from service groups, soldiers here have been receiving holiday messages from back home in recent weeks.

Canadians have been sending hundreds of anonymous postcards to the troops — which Mills says are widely appreciated. It reminds soldiers, she says, that they are not alone.

"My heart and prayers go out to you this holiday season," says one card.

"Thank you for blessing us with freedom."

Un triste événement...

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