MILNEWS.ca News Highlights – August 30, 2012
- Afghanistan (1) No sign of the briefing notes being shared, so no word on what else is there. “Three more NATO soldiers were killed Wednesday in what is fast becoming an epidemic of Afghan soldiers — sometimes insurgents in disguise — murdering their western mentors. The latest attack occurred in southern Afghanistan, said the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) headquarters in Kabul, bringing to 45 the number of NATO troops who’ve died this year in so-called “green-on-blue” shootings. Details about the nationalities of the slain soldiers were not released, but the majority of soldiers in that region are either American or British. Published reports in the U.S. have said American soldiers throughout the country have taken to arming themselves inside their own camps against the elusive, unexpected threat. Col. Greg Smith, deputy commander of the Canadian training mission, said his 950 soldiers and trainers have not received similar orders — although he describes the “potential threat” of either murder or infiltration to be top of mind among the contingent. “They are concerned about that,” Smith said in a telephone interview from Kabul just prior to the latest killings. Precautions are taken and Canadians often work in pairs along the Afghans …. Smith’s comments come as briefing documents in Ottawa suggest the slowly receding surge of U.S. forces in Afghanistan could force some Canadian troops to put down their teaching tools and pick up a gun to help with guard duties — “force protection” in military lingo — around their training bases ….”
- Afghanistan (2) A possible reason why? “The most troubling development in the seemingly endless war in Afghanistan has been the spike in so-called “green on blue” incidents — attacks on members of coalition forces by their Afghan partners. So far in 2012, at least 42 NATO soldiers have been killed in attacks by Afghan security force members or insurgents disguised as soldiers or police, 12 of them coming in August alone. That figure has been climbing since 2008, when there were at most one or two such attacks per year, to the point where there are now two or three a week. You can’t say Barna Karimi didn’t see it coming. When a community-based security program was ended in 2011, Karimi — who is the current Afghan ambassador to Canada — warned authorities in his country and coalition forces that funded that program about the possibility it could lead to coalition forces casualties ….”
- The incoming Chief of Defence Staff’s priorities (via the RCAF Info-machine): “…. “My priorities will be to maintain the course we’re on, which is to ensure that our operations are carefully looked after and nurtured; that the [Canadian] Forces of today are very well trained and have the equipment required; that we look after our wounded soldiers; and [lastly], to look after the forces of the future by providing our best advice to the government on how we can best situate ourselves to provide them the options required for future operations, both home and abroad.” ….”
- Triple amputee Bill Kerr‘s wife, Tracy, is a contender with other caregivers for a caregiver’s cruise based on the number of votes she gets – vote now, vote often.
- Way Up North Info-machine update: Big Arctic exercise wrapped up two days ago
- A bit of old news (this time from the Pentagon Info-machine) about Americans dropping by in Canada for training “Five Soldiers from the 131st Transportation Company, part of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard, delivered vehicles from Lieutenant-Colonel George T. Denison III Armory, Toronto, here on Aug. 13, 2012. The mission from Petawawa to Toronto continued the support of the mission STEADFAST WARRIOR, a joint training exercise between elements of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard and the 32 Canadian Brigade Group ….”
- Columnist: Just Say “No” to the Toronto Air Show “Someone ought to tell Colonel Blimp to take his blood pressure meds, and to keep his nitroglycerine pills at hand because, once again, I am calling for an end to the air show. Why? Because it is loud, bellicose and jingoistic; because it is anachronistic and a waste of fuel; because the idea of thrilling a crowd with the tools of war is wrong, in this city, in these times ….”
- Some chap is REALLY unhappy with how CBC Radio covered “Stars Earn Stripes” “…. It’s about time public funding is stopped for such organizations like the CBC before their own propaganda socially conditions the masses. Remember what happened in Nazi Germany before and during World War II—nationally funded media socially conditioned an entire nation into evil genocide committing monsters—and the West doesn’t need that.”
- Note to headline writers: Deserter =/= “war resister” “An American soldier who has been living in Canada with her family for the past five years will learn today if she will be deported to the U.S. Kimberly Rivera, the first female U.S. war resister, fled to Canada in 2008 to avoid further military service. She had initially arrived while on leave but then applied for refugee status. The War Resisters Support Campaign says Rivera will face harsh penalties if she is ordered to return to the United States ….” Rivera should be considered innocent until proven guilty, but if someone signs a contract to serve as required, and walks away from serving, that’s deserting.
