NATO dogs in Afghanistan

[Guest guest]

*I found the attached article to be of absorbing interest, specially since

the author is an Indian journalist reporting from the war zone in

Afghanistan.*

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*The Pioneer, New Delhi, Tuesday, March 6, 2007*

*Afghanistan goes to the dogs of another breed*

*Devyani Rao*

*Kabul*

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*It's 8am on a sunny Friday in Kabul. The market is already crowded with

shoppers stocking up for the week and vendors are preparing for a busy day

ahead, hoping to make some good gains from weekend sales. *

* Chief Corporal Emmanuel Beau and his dog Beeney make their way through

the crowded stalls on a routine check. It's a regular drill and they look

forward to spending a leisurely afternoon ahead. Beeney trots through the

maze of carpets, lapis lazuli, handicraft and gadgets, sniffing at the

mounted piles, wagging his tail and obviously rather enjoying himself.

Suddenly he stops dead. Beau frowns and rushes over. Beeney has found

something hidden in one of the watches on sale and quietly sits down next to

it, indicating that it contains explosive material. *

* Beau alerts his comrades and within seconds, the area is evacuated of

hundreds of Afghans and foreigners. Five seconds after the last person has

been hustled to a safe distance, a fearful explosion tears through the

market, sending shrapnel flying in all directions. *

* The security forces go back to see what is left and find there isn't much.

Beau gives his canine partner a pat on the head, which sends Beeney into a

happy delirium. He doesn't know it, but he has just prevented a huge tragedy

and saved many lives. *

* This fictional scenario could well occur on any given day in Afghanistan.

And these are some of the unsung heroes of war: the military has working

dogs under the NATO led International Security Assitance Force(ISAF). *

* Beau and Beeney began their mission in Afghanistan in November 2006 with

the French Dog Infantry Battalion. They are one of a team of eight : two

dogs for explosives and six for active intervention. Other countries, too

have canine units working all over Afghanistan. *

* Speaking to The Pioneer, Beau explained that the training of these dogs

usually commences when they are a year old. But Beeney started a year ago,

when he was two.*

* Although breeds like German Shepherds, Labradors and Dobermans are known

for their military capabilities, " dogs are not chosen purely on the basis of

breed, but rather depending on individual character, " said officer Sarah

Boulanger, also with the French corps. *

* " Dogs for explosives detection need to be sociable, so they can interact

easily with people, while intervention dogs should not be sociable, " she

explained.*

* " We usually try to let the dogs retire when they are six or seven years

old, " Boulanger said, adding that the exposure to explosive material can

prove cancerous for older dogs. Once retired, the dog's last handler has the

option of either keeping him or finding him a home. When their work for the

day is done, the dogs' collars are taken off and they are given a toy they

love playing with : An aluminium cylinder containing three kinds of

explosive substance. " So that even when they are playing, they still

remember the smell, " Boulanger explained. *

* Tiige is the top dog in the French Special Forces and works with Chief

Corporal Cederic Meli. He can detect up to 65 kinds of explosives. As NATO

and the Taliban prepare for a violent spring ahead, Beeney, Tiige and their

teammates will assume an even greater role than they have now, in making

life a little safer for people in troubled times. *