MILNEWS.ca News Highlights – September 10, 2012
- Welcome back, HMCS Charlottetown! “Warrant Officer Gino Short looks pretty good for a man who hasn’t slept in three days. The Newfoundland native, who serves as the senior physician assistant aboard HMCS Charlottetown, said he’s been filled with energy ever since the ship started heading for home after an eight-month deployment. After landing in St. John’s on Friday, Short and many of his crew mates had the chance to unwind and see family and friends for a few days before sailing home to Halifax this afternoon. “It’s like Christmas,” he said of coming home. “It’s like Christmas Eve, that anticipation.” That anticipation has been building for some time. Charlottetown left its home port in Halifax last January for the Mediterranean Sea as part of Operation Active Endeavour, a NATO exercise, and then worked with the Combined Maritime Forces counter-terrorism group in the Arabian Sea. Along the way, the deployment was extended by about two months, making it one of the longest in recent memory ….” – more here.
- Iran (1) “Responding to questions about what motivated Ottawa’s unexpected decision to sever diplomatic ties with Tehran, Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird says he isn’t aware of imminent military action against Iran. “I can confirm that we have no knowledge whatsoever of any outside military action, whether it’s from the United States or from Israel,” Baird said in an interview that was broadcast on CTV’s Question Period on Sunday. Questions about motive have been swirling since Friday when the government announced the closure of its embassy in Tehran and the expulsion of Iranian diplomats from Ottawa. Both Baird and Prime Minister Stephen Harper cited the safety of Canada’s diplomats as a factor in the decision, saying concern for ambassadors has been growing since protesters stormed the British embassy in Iran on Nov. 29, 2011. “We just felt at this time it is no longer safe and secure to have these Canadians working there and that weighed heavily on me,” Baird said in an interview from the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Vladivostok, Russia. Since the decision was announced Friday– the same day Canada formally listed Iran as a state sponsor of terrorism — speculation has focused on whether the decision was a pre-emptive response to a planned Israeli attack on Iran. Baird has denied those rumours. Among the other reasons provided for the closure is Iran’s burgeoning nuclear program, ongoing rhetoric against Israel and political support for the regime of Bashar Assad in Syria. A senior official has confirmed to CTV News that there is a credible threat against Canadian diplomats in Tehran, but when asked about this, Baird declined to delve into particulars. “What I can say is that this country, Iran, has not respected the Vienna convention on the treatment of diplomats,” he said, later adding that he would not be discussing “specific security assessments.” ….” – more here.
- Iran (2) “Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he is grateful that Prime Minister Stephen Harper is getting tough with the Iranian government, saying Canada’s decision to suspend diplomatic relations with Tehran is one of “principle and conviction.” Netanyahu made the comments in an exclusive interview with CBC’s The National, airing Sunday night. He reiterated a statement made Friday after learning Canada had closed its embassy in Iran and Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird had instructed Iranian diplomats in Ottawa to leave the country within five days. At the time, Netanyahu called severing diplomatic ties “extremely important” to show Iran it can’t continue its nuclear program. In the interview, he praises Harper for taking a “forthright stand” that is “particularly important” at this time ….” – more from the Israeli president and other higher-up’s on Canada’s move from the Israel Info-machine here (PM pleased), here (President says “Thanks”) and here (Foreign Minister praises Canada).
- Iran (3) “Canada’s announcement that it has severed diplomatic relations with Iran was surprising, even unprecedented, experts in international relations say ….”
- Iran (4) Iran still not to pleased “Western paranoia over Iran and its rising status in the region and beyond has now officially reached the Canadian shores. Just like the United States and the United Kingdom (still suffering severely from the symptoms of the Cold War mentality), the Canadian government (apparently under pressure from Israel) has decided to adopt a “non-professional, unconventional and unjustifiable” policy towards Iran by suspending diplomatic ties. Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird said that his country “is suspending diplomatic relations with Iran and designating the country as a sponsor of terrorism!” Baird, in an announcement to reporters in Vladivostok, Russia, where he was attending an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, said Canada would close its embassy in Tehran and expel Iranian diplomats from Canada. Baird cited Iran’s military assistance for the Syrian government, its refusal to comply with United Nations resolutions, its threats against Israel, and its support for terrorist groups. There is no doubt whatsoever that just like their nervous American/British counterparts, the Canadian government officials are making a strategic mistake by pursuing cowboy diplomacy and looking at things through the eyes of the Zionist regime in Tel Aviv, particularly those who are in charge of finding a permanent solution to the West’s new foreign-policy crisis in the Middle East where they have lost allies in Tunisia, Egypt and Yemen in the wake of Islamic Awakening ….” – more from Iran here.
- Iran (5) An anti-war type divines that Canada is preparing to go to war from Foreign Minister John Baird’s statement – riiiiiiiiiiiight….
- Syria PM tries twisting Russia’s arm (a bit, anyway) “Prime Minister Stephen Harper used a meeting at the APEC summit in Vladivostok, Russia to urge that country’s President Vladimir Putin to be less obstructive towards ending the bloodshed and violence in Syria. The two leaders met for close to an hour in a discussion that lasted twice as long as had been originally expected. “Obviously, Mr Putin has his own perspective, but I urge Russia to play a more positive role than it’s been playing,” Harper said after the meeting ended. The Prime Minister would not say if he made any progress in his efforts to sway Putin ….” Dare to dream….
- Afghanistan Canada pissed as suicide bomber kills civilians, kids in Kabul and Taliban claims it was an attack on a CIA HQ – enjoy the lies! More media coverage of the attack here.
- Libya No documents shared, so no word on what else is there “Newly released documents reveal there was a fair amount of fretting within air force ranks about the impact of last year’s Libya bombing campaign on Canada’s fleet of CF-18 fighter jets. The aging multi-role fighters were called upon to enforce a UN-sanctioned no-fly zone, which eventually led to the ouster of dictator Moammar Gadhafi. Soon after arriving in March 2011 at their forward base in Trepani, Italy, the Canadian contingent found itself flying six missions per day — far more than air force planners expected. Briefing notes indicate that two months into the campaign, intense internal debate erupted about increasing the number of aircraft from seven to nine, prompting military planners to warn about wear and tear on the 77-jet fleet. A former top air force commander says the notes underscore how the country’s small air force strained under the weight of the mission ….”
- Don’t know what else is in the briefing note because it’s not shared yet. “Canadian soldiers got an up-close look at bomb-detecting dolphins during a military training exercise with the Americans off the coast of British Columbia, a newly released document shows. The U.S. navy brought four bottlenose dolphins and a small support team to Esquimalt, B.C., last year to practise anti-mine tactics as part of Exercise Trident Fury. The large-scale training operation took place in May 2011 and involved the armed forces and coast guards of Canada and the United States. A briefing note to the chief of maritime staff described the exercise as a rare opportunity for the Canadian military to gain valuable experience working with the animals — something it currently does not do. Canada has no similar programme for the conduct of mine counter-measures (MCM) and no intent to develop one,” the April 2011 briefing note says. “However, this is a principal means by which the (U.S. navy) will conduct such operations. It is likely that any MCM operation in our Pacific approaches will involve a combined defence construct and it is thus essential that we practice such procedures.” The document suggests the chance to train with the Americans and their dolphins on mine-clearing techniques was worth any risk of bad press. “While there is a risk of negative perception developing within the public over this activity, operating with the full spectrum of USN MCM forces, including the (Marine Mammal System), affords the Canadian navy a unique opportunity to gain exposure to some of the most advanced MCM tactics and mine hunting systems in service today.” ….”
- “On behalf of the Honourable Steven Blaney, Minister of Veterans Affairs, Parliamentary Secretary Eve Adams (Saturday) announced
- Way Up North “Searchers looking for the lost ships of Sir John Franklin’s 1845 Arctic expedition have discovered small artifacts and bits of human remains connected to the doomed polar mission. More than two weeks into the multi-agency quest led by Parks Canada to find any hint of HMS Erebus and HMS Terror in the icy waters of Nunavut, the British vessels remain elusive. But searchers going ashore to known Franklin archeological sites on King William Island have discovered buttons, wooden debris, a toothbrush, a tooth and other small items. Ryan Harris, Parks Canada’s lead marine archeologist for the search, says the finds are “very interesting,” but it’s too early to draw conclusions about their significance ….”- more here.
- funding of up to $5,000 in support of the North Shore Candlelight Tribute held in North Vancouver to pay tribute to Canada’s Veterans ….”
- Here’s what happens when you’re a dual citizen and don’t sort out compulsory military service obligations elsewhere “Essential supplies such as summer clothes and contact lens solution were being withheld from Yana Gorelik, her family said Sunday. The 30-year-old Israeli-Canadian was arrested for being an IDF deserter upon entering the country early last week. The IDF spokesperson unit said it had received no complaints from the family and that Gorelik would meet with the officer in charge of her well-being while in prison and have the opportunity to request missing supplies and issue her complaints, Maariv reported. Gorelik moved with her parents to Canada at age 17 and had visited Israel several times over the last two years without a problem. However, she was stopped on entry last week and asked to sort out her official release from the IDF, but was later “humiliated” by being handcuffed and sent to the Neve Tirza detention center in Ramle. Gorelik said the authorities treated her like “a delinquent, and threw me in jail with other girls. They treated us like we were dogs. That’s it, I am finished with Israel. I don’t want to be a citizen anymore.” In response, the IDF said that “Gorelik did not complete her exemption from military service in 2007 as requested by the IDF,” stating that the failure to do so was legally considered desertion. All children who were born in Israel and lived here until the age of 15 are required to serve in the military unless they receive an official exemption. Those who reside abroad can complete an exemption process in their local embassies ….”
- “Criminals are increasingly using stolen social insurance numbers and doctored birth certificates to obtain legitimate driver’s licences and passports, an internal RCMP report says. And by leveraging pilfered or forged identity markers into higher-value IDs, criminals can sidestep tough anti-counterfeiting features built into government-issued identity documents, including a pending upgrade of passports with biometric chips. “Identities are being overtaken, altered or created, facilitatig a number of other crimes, including many variations of fraud, typically for financial gain or to conceal a true identity,” says the March 2011 report prepared by the RCMP’s criminal intelligence division. It points to a rising use of “breeder” documents — identity records such as social insurance numbers, birth or citizenship certificates — that are stolen, tampered with or falsified, then used to sign up for credit cards or valid forms of identity. The report suggests Ottawa’s recent move to stop issuing SIN cards, instead sending the information in a letter, may not hinder identity thieves who skim someone’s mail or pick through their garbage looking for the nine-digit number ….”
