MILNEWS.ca News Highlights – October 18, 2012
- Way Up North One way the RCAF is helping protect the north (environmentally) “The frigid waters in Canada’s Arctic have historically been locked in ice nearly year-round, making them virtually inaccessible to even the toughest ships. But this is changing. Sea ice cover is declining and with increased attention to the North, marine traffic is on the rise. That’s one reason Environment Canada is seeking to gain a better picture of Arctic conditions. With the help of the RCAF, they are deploying several sophisticated buoys that transmit information via satellite to monitor air temperature, air pressure and ice movement. The information will enhance marine weather and ice predictions in the Arctic and will be shared, primarily with mariners, but also with aviators, northern communities and others traveling North of 60. The Canadian Forces is contributing to this initiative this year through use of a CC-130J Hercules aircraft to deploy ice buoys in the Arctic Ocean, west of the Canadian archipelago ….”
- “Mr. Barry Rempel, president and chief executive officer of the Winnipeg Airports Authority, was appointed the first-ever honorary colonel of 1 Canadian Air Division Headquarters at an investiture ceremony held Friday, October 12 in Winnipeg, Man. “Mr. Rempel has an exemplary record of working with the Royal Canadian Air Force from his time as honorary colonel at 17 Wing,” said Major-General Pierre St-Amand, commander of 1 Canadian Air Division, who presided over the ceremony. “Mr. Rempel and I have several things in common, not the least of which is controlling air power. We share runways and infrastructure here in Winnipeg, but also share a sense of purpose: keeping Canadians safe on the ground and in the air.” ….”
- Kiwis return from sniper competition in Canada “Four personnel (including two snipers and a sniper coach) from 2/1 Royal NZ Infantry Regiment (2/1 RNZIR) of NZ Army, headed to the Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Gagetown last month to attend the 16th Canadian International Sniper Concentration (CISC) from 24 September to 4 October. The 16th CISC was the largest held yet, with six of the 33 teams competing from countries other than Canada (the Netherlands, Italy, United States, Ireland and New Zealand). The majority of teams came from Canadian military units or Canadian police tactical units such as the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) who had two teams competing ….”
- Khadr Boy “A new American court ruling in favour of Osama bin Laden’s driver has cast a shadow on the validity of Omar Khadr’s war crimes convictions, legal experts said Wednesday. Even so, they said, several factors make it essentially impossible for Khadr to have his convictions before a military commission in Guantanamo Bay set aside. Those factors include his guilty pleas, his waiver of his appeal rights, and the murky legal nature of his most serious crime: murder in violation of the law of war. However, the ruling could potentially help him win release in Canada. In their decision on Tuesday, a three-judge panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit threw out Salim Hamdan’s 2008 conviction for providing material support for terrorism. In essence, the court ruled no such crime existed under international law of war at the time of his alleged offence, and the Military Commissions Act under which he was convicted did not authorize retroactive prosecutions ….”
- “The Honourable Vic Toews, Minister of Public Safety, (yesterday) announced funding to further implement Canada’s Cyber Security Strategy and strengthen Canada’s efforts to achieve a secure, stable, and resilient digital infrastructure. Minister Toews was accompanied by Shelly Glover, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance, at an event highlighting Cyber Security Awareness Month …. The Government of Canada is investing an additional $155 million over five years to reinforce federal government information technology infrastructure and improve the detection of, and response to, continually evolving cyber threats. This funding is part of the ongoing implementation of Canada’s Cyber Security Strategy, and is in addition to the previous allocation of $90 million over five years and $18 million ongoing announced in October 2010 ….” – more here. And who’s the cyber bad guy we’re spending an extra $155M to protect against? No need to know, nothing to see here….
- “Canada’s minister of public safety has suggested that the U.S. defence secretary’s warning of a “cyber Pearl Harbor” attack on key commercial infrastructure may be an exaggeration. Public Safety Minister Vic Toews was asked at a news conference about cyber security whether he believes Canada also faces a potential attack on its public and private networks — on the scale described by U.S. Defence Secretary Leon Panetta. Toews replied: “I don’t know whether he has overstated it, but certainly there is a risk to cyber security” that every developed nation has to guard against ….”
- “A warning to Corporate Canada and politicians alike: Keep your “eyes wide open” to security threats by Chinese state-owned companies. “There’s an imperative to engage China in terms of our future economic situation, in terms of our ability to compete as a nation, ” says Ray Boisvert, CEO of I-SEI Integrated Strategies. “You must engage, but do so with your eyes wide open.” Mr. Boisvert, a former director at the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), was speaking Wednesday during a panel discussion on the proposed the $15.1-billion bid by the Chinese National Offshore Oil Corp. (CNOOC) for Nexen Inc., the Calgary-based oil and producer. The fact that CNOOC is a state-owned enterprise (SOE) — and displaying ambitions for more foreign purchases — has raised particular concerns among critics of the deal. There are also over-arching worries about corporate governance and transparency of Chinese companies, and the rule of law in their corporate dealings ….”
- Academic: Canada winning the War of 1812 isn’t quite the complete answer “…. The War of 1812 ended with no side losing territory and all sides claiming victory. However, the advantage goes to Britain. But some Americans take quiet revenge when the “Star Spangled Banner” is played at Blue Jays games in Toronto, reminding us that the “bombs bursting in air” were actually aimed at “Canadians” by the U.S. army from 1812 to 1814.”
