MILNEWS.ca News Highlights – 2 July 12

• Afghanistan (1)  The Ministers drop by Kabul for Canada Day  “Canada’s Defence Minister Peter MacKay and Julian Fantino, associate defence minister, celebrated Canada Day with Canadian Forces members in Afghanistan Sunday. “It is with the utmost pride that I have the opportunity to celebrate Canada Day with the brave men and women of the Canadian Forces,” MacKay said in a statement. “Our personnel serving in Afghanistan continue to make great strides in their mission. “Their strength, perseverance and leadership are a source of pride and inspiration for Canadians everywhere, and remind of the greatness that our country can achieve.” Fantino echoed McKay’s sentiment, adding that “the effort, integrity and unparalleled dedication of all Canadian Forces members to the fulfillment of their mission whether at home or abroad is truly remarkable.” MacKay and Fantino met with Canadian Forces brass and personnel, attended a medal ceremony for Canadian troops, met with Afghanistan’s Minister of the Interior Bismillah Khan Mohammadi and participated in a town hall meeting. MacKay also met with his Afghan counterpart, Gen. Abdul Rahim Wardak ….”
• Afghanistan (2)  Minister MacKay’s statement for Canada Day
• Afghanistan (3)  Columnist shares some vital points on a new book on the Afghan fight suggesting Canada was not willing to fight the full fight “…. What is an irrefutable fact is that Canadian soldiers never lost a single tactical engagement with the enemy. So how could we possibly have cost America the war?”
• Kenya (1)  Four kidnapped aid workers (including, apparently, two Canadian passport holders) rescued - more from The Canadian Press, Reuters, AFP, BBC and Deutsche Welle.
• Kenya (2)  Canada’s Foreign Minister pissed about other stuff going on there  “I am deeply saddened to hear about the attacks on a Catholic church and the African Inland Church in the town of Garissa in northern Kenya. Media reports suggest dozens of worshippers were killed or injured in what should always be places of peace. Kenya has been actively involved in combatting terrorism close to and beyond its border with Somalia. Canada stands in solidarity with the Kenyan people and with those who wish to live in peace and security, and have the dignity to practice the religion of their choice without fear. Canada condemns such vicious and cowardly attacks, and we hope that the perpetrators are swiftly brought to justice. On behalf of all Canadians, I extend our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of the parishioners killed and injured in these attacks.”  More on the attacks here (Google News)
• Way Up North  Russian media’s read of recent Open Skies flights of Russian aircraft in Canadian airspace:  “Last week, Russia began inspection flights over the territory of Canada under the program “Open Skies”. In Canada, there are opinions that they will be used to monitor the military and other objects in the Arctic. The fear is fueled by the recent arrest on suspicion of spying for Russia of an officer of the Canadian Naval Intelligence. These objective fears, however, do not stifle the calls to unite to resist attempts of the U.S. and China to push the “international status” of the region. The inspection flights will last three days. It is interesting that under the contract “Open Skies” signed by 34 countries, the Russian planes were flying over the territory of Canada much less than Canadian – over Russia. The last time the Tu-154 inspected military facilities and other objects of its Arctic neighbor in 2004. The Canadians at the same time inspected four times a year, and another observation flight was last week. Of course, the information taken by the sensors cannot be made public, but the fact that the Russian military suddenly “woke up” suggests that Canada got some new facilities for the inspection ….”
• What’s Canada (Eventually) Buying?  “After more than 25 years of trying to replace the country’s fleet of Sea King maritime helicopters, the Canadian Forces have watched another deadline come and go. Sikorsky International Operations Inc. was supposed to deliver the first of 28 state-of-the-art CH-148 Cyclones in June, after the Harper government agreed in late 2008 to extend the deadline on the $5.7-billion contract by 43 months. In the latest in a string of missteps in military procurements, Sikorsky is pushing back on the delivery, with still no official date being offered for the completion of the contract. “Sikorsky has yet to start delivering the Cyclones,” said Sébastien Bois, a spokesman for Public Works and Government Services Canada ….”
• Oopsie…. “Ottawa Police have recovered what they call a “possible military ordinance” from Mowat Street. Reports describe it as a fist-sized object resembling a pineapple and note that the bomb robot was involved. The explosive disposal unit removed it.”
• And we will not rest until maple syrup is the sweetener of choice among all the oppressed peoples of Africa!  “Although the regular U.S.-run multinational special forces exercise in Africa, Operation Flintlock, was cancelled this year because of unrest in the intended host country, Mali, over the last seven years the exercises have played a key role in integrating the militaries of the West Sahel into the orbit of the Pentagon and NATO. Run by U.S. Africa Command’s Special Operations Command Africa, Flintlock 2011 included forces from the U.S., its NATO allies Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Spain, and African states Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, Nigeria and Senegal. As NATO and U.S. European Command (EUCOM) share a common top commander, and as EUCOM was in charge of Pentagon operations in almost all of Africa until Africa Command (AFRICOM) achieved full operational capability on October 1, 2008, the relationship between U.S. and NATO in Africa is one of cooperation between master and subordinates engaged in a joint endeavor: The repenetration and domination of the world’s second-most populous continent by Western powers ….”

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