Kathleen Kenna
Encyclopedia
Kathleen Kenna is a Canadian journalist who was injured in a grenade attack in Afghanistan on the 4th of March 2002.
Kenna has been involved in journalism since the age of 15, and obtained a degree in Journalism from Carleton University
aged 21. She began her career at the Toronto Star
in 1981 and worked reporting primarily on Canadian political affairs. In 1997 she was promoted from reporter to editor at the Washington Bureau, and worked there until 2001, marrying in 2000 to Hadi Dadashian.
In 2001 Kenna became the Star's South-east Asia Bureau chief. After the September 11 attacks in the U.S., Kenna went to Afghanistan to report on the war.
Kenna was injured in an attack in Afghanistan on the 4th of March 2002. While traveling with her husband Hadi Dadashian, Toronto Star
photographer Bernard Weil, and an Afghan driver on the road from Kubul to Gardez, a grenade thrown into the car exploded underneath Kenna's seat, seriously injuring her. Following the attack she was taken to a medical facility in Gardez with the help of Agence France-Presse journalists who were also on the road at the same time. After treatment at the medical compound she airlifted by helicopter to Bagram air base
in Kabul and then transported to a United States air base in Karshi-Khanabad
Uzbekistan where two operations were performed, then to Rammstein Air Base in Germany for further treatment and finally back to Canada.
On January 16, 2006 Abdul Zahir
was charged by a Guantanamo military commission
for allegedly playing a role in the attack on Kenna.
In 2004 Kenna became a visiting scholar at the University of California, Berkeley
during a one year fellowships in Journalism and Canadian studies at the Graduate School of Journalism. She delivered the September 23, 2004 Sproul lecture, entitled: "Heroism in the Desert: a Canadian journalist and her American rescuers in Afghanistan."
After finishing the fellowship at Berkeley, Kenna studied at San Francisco State University
between 2005 and 2008 towards a masters qualification in rehabilitation counseling and became involved in helping people who have suffered severe and traumatic wounds deal psychologically with their injuries.
Kenna wrote an op-ed
about her feelings about Abdul Zahir's trial on December 27, 2009.
She wrote that she and her companions weren't interested in retribution.
She wrote that she hopes Abdul Zahir has a truly fair trial.
She wrote that she and her companions couldn't identify their attackers.
She wrote that she had witnessed an aerial bombardment, in the area, earlier that day, and she speculated that her attackers may not have been prepared to distinguish between the foreigner forces bombarding Afghanistan and foreign journalists reporting on the conflict.
Adult life and career
Carleton University
Carleton University is a comprehensive university located in the capital of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario. The enabling legislation is The Carleton University Act, 1952, S.O. 1952. Founded as a small college in 1942, Carleton now offers over 65 programs in a diverse range of disciplines. Carleton has...
aged 21. She began her career at the Toronto Star
Toronto Star
The Toronto Star is Canada's highest-circulation newspaper, based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its print edition is distributed almost entirely within the province of Ontario...
in 1981 and worked reporting primarily on Canadian political affairs. In 1997 she was promoted from reporter to editor at the Washington Bureau, and worked there until 2001, marrying in 2000 to Hadi Dadashian.
In 2001 Kenna became the Star's South-east Asia Bureau chief. After the September 11 attacks in the U.S., Kenna went to Afghanistan to report on the war.
Kenna was injured in an attack in Afghanistan on the 4th of March 2002. While traveling with her husband Hadi Dadashian, Toronto Star
Toronto Star
The Toronto Star is Canada's highest-circulation newspaper, based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its print edition is distributed almost entirely within the province of Ontario...
photographer Bernard Weil, and an Afghan driver on the road from Kubul to Gardez, a grenade thrown into the car exploded underneath Kenna's seat, seriously injuring her. Following the attack she was taken to a medical facility in Gardez with the help of Agence France-Presse journalists who were also on the road at the same time. After treatment at the medical compound she airlifted by helicopter to Bagram air base
Bagram Air Base
Bagram Airfield, also referred to as Bagram Air Base, is a militarized airport and housing complex that is located next to the ancient city of Bagram, southeast of Charikar in Parwan province of Afghanistan. The base is run by a US Army division headed by a major general. A large part of the base,...
in Kabul and then transported to a United States air base in Karshi-Khanabad
Karshi-Khanabad
Karshi-Khanabad is an air base in southeastern Uzbekistan, just east of Karshi. It is home to the 60th Separate Mixed Aviation Brigade of the Uzbek Air Force. A section of the base serves as a commercial airport, supporting a limited number of passenger flights.From 1954 to 1981, the 735th Fighter...
Uzbekistan where two operations were performed, then to Rammstein Air Base in Germany for further treatment and finally back to Canada.
On January 16, 2006 Abdul Zahir
Abdul Zahir (Guantanamo detainee 753)
Abdul Zahir is a citizen of Afghanistan currently held in the United States' Guantanamo Bay detention camps, in Cuba.Charges were leveled against Zahir on January 20, 2006, by the Guantanamo military commissions....
was charged by a Guantanamo military commission
Guantanamo military commission
The Guantanamo military commissions are military tribunals created by the Military Commissions Act of 2006 for prosecuting detainees held in the United States Guantanamo Bay detainment camps.- History :...
for allegedly playing a role in the attack on Kenna.
In 2004 Kenna became a visiting scholar at the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
during a one year fellowships in Journalism and Canadian studies at the Graduate School of Journalism. She delivered the September 23, 2004 Sproul lecture, entitled: "Heroism in the Desert: a Canadian journalist and her American rescuers in Afghanistan."
After finishing the fellowship at Berkeley, Kenna studied at San Francisco State University
San Francisco State University
San Francisco State University is a public university located in San Francisco, California. As part of the 23-campus California State University system, the university offers over 100 areas of study from nine academic colleges...
between 2005 and 2008 towards a masters qualification in rehabilitation counseling and became involved in helping people who have suffered severe and traumatic wounds deal psychologically with their injuries.
Kenna wrote an op-ed
Op-ed
An op-ed, abbreviated from opposite the editorial page , is a newspaper article that expresses the opinions of a named writer who is usually unaffiliated with the newspaper's editorial board...
about her feelings about Abdul Zahir's trial on December 27, 2009.
She wrote that she and her companions weren't interested in retribution.
She wrote that she hopes Abdul Zahir has a truly fair trial.
She wrote that she and her companions couldn't identify their attackers.
She wrote that she had witnessed an aerial bombardment, in the area, earlier that day, and she speculated that her attackers may not have been prepared to distinguish between the foreigner forces bombarding Afghanistan and foreign journalists reporting on the conflict.