MILNEWS.ca News Highlights – June 1, 2013

• Afghanistan  Safe travels!  “Another wave of soldiers based at Canadian Forces Base Shilo is shipping out to Afghanistan Saturday.  The ‘family day’ event at the base – the traditional send-off involving loved ones – gets underway at noon and runs until 3 p.m. at the Kapyong Barracks at CFB Shilo.  Approximately 350 soldiers from several military units based at Shilo will be deploying as part of this final rotation of Canadian soldiers serving with OP ATTENTION in Afghanistan ….”
• Delisle/spying  “Four Liberal parliamentarians are voicing concerns about how Canadian security agencies handled the Jeffrey Delisle spy case.  The party’s critics for public safety, defence and foreign affairs joined Sen. Romeo Dallaire to call for greater parliamentary scrutiny of national security matters.  The Canadian Press reported this week that the Canadian Security Intelligence Service monitored Delisle for months but ultimately left it to the FBI to brief the RCMP on the case because of fears about intelligence secrets being disclosed in criminal court.  Delisle was sentenced this year to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to passing classified western intelligence to Russia in exchange for cash on a regular basis for more than four years.  At one point, the Americans, worried about the continuing breach of top-secret allied information, floated a plan to lure Delisle to the U.S. and arrest him themselves.  Liberal public safety critic Francis Scarpaleggia says Canadians are justifiably concerned about the apparent mishandling of the file.  John McKay, the party’s defence critic, said Thursday that Delisle should not have been allowed to continue divulging important information ….”
• “Ottawa has delayed ratification of an international treaty to ban cluster munitions for more than four years. A bill to implement the convention has drawn protest from critics who say it creates a loophole that makes Canada’s endorsement virtually meaningless ….”
• Syria  “Canada is doubling down on its message that the only solution to the conflict in Syria is a political one.  Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird affirmed Thursday that Ottawa will be pushing for both sides to come to the table to seek a resolution to the war now entering its third year.  World leaders are preparing to meet in June on Syria at an international summit organized jointly by Russia and the United States.  While Syrian President Bashar al Assad is reported to have tentatively said he will send negotiators, rebel factions meeting in Istanbul have been unable to agree who should represent them at the talks.  Baird urged the rebel groups to send a united front to the meeting ….”
  
• Wanted:  Vice-chairperson (full-time position), Canadian Forces Grievance Board – Salary range: $105,900–$124,500
  
• Way Up North  “The roots of the Iditarod sled dog race go back about 80 years ago when the freight mushers travelled from checkpoint to checkpoint to bring medicine and mail from Anchorage, Alaska, to Nome, Alaska.  With the arrival of snow machines, people started to abandon travelling with dog teams and, eventually, a majority lost the experience of mushing.  In 1967, Dorothy Page, chairman of the Wasilla-Knik centennial committee, conceived the idea of a sled dog race over the historic Iditarod trail. According to Wikipedia, “the trail runs from Anchorage [the ceremonial start] to Willow [a city in the south central region of the state where the official start takes place] to Nome, Alaska, into the sparsely populated interior and then along the shore of the Bering Sea, finally reaching Nome in western Alaska …. This year the Canadian detachment at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, which is adjacent to Anchorage, is the largest military installation in Alaska and home of the USAF’s Alaskan Command and the Alaskan NORAD Region, took part in the race as volunteers; they supported requirements such as food drops, participant registration, communications, race statistics and taking care of some of the dogs ….”
  
• “…. the Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of National Defence met with his Mongolian counterpart, Minister of Defence Dashdemberel Bat-Erdene, and signed a Memorandum of Understanding that solidifies plans for continued defence cooperation and exchanges between the two nations …. The Memorandum of Understanding sets out further opportunities for defence cooperation between Canada and Mongolia through activities such as information exchanges, visits by civilian and military personnel, military education and training, and international peacekeeping activities including humanitarian assistance ….”
• “An Ontario Superior Court judge has acquitted Toronto police Const. Glenn Weddell on all assault charges arising from the G20 protests nearly three years ago.  Weddell was charged after Dorian Barton’s shoulder was broken on June 26, 2010. Barton alleged that a police officer hit him with a riot shield, knocking him to the ground.  Weddell, the first Toronto officer to go on trial for charges stemming from the protests, pleaded not guilty to assault causing bodily harm and assault with a weapon.  Outside the downtown Toronto courthouse, the 49-year-old officer said the process had been “quite difficult” and he’s “glad it’s over.”  “It’s been hard on me and my family and I just want to get back to doing what I love most, policing in the city,” Weddell said.  During the judge-only trial, Weddel had testified that the only contact he had with Barton on June 26 was to help him up off the ground ….”
  
• “The Honourable Steven Blaney, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Minister for La Francophonie, (yesterday) issued the following statement to mark the 111th anniversary of the end of the South African War ….”

MILNEWS.ca News Highlights – May 31, 2013

• F-35 Tug o’ War  Media, come on down and listen to “senior officials” talk up the National Fighter Procurement Secretariat (but you can’t broadcast anything that’s said, and can only say “senior government officials” were talking) this morning!
• Syria  Editorial:  “Why restraint on Syrian arms shipments makes sense”
• Afghanistan  One Afghan’s take on western attempts to “help” his country
  
• Green Party boss Elizabeth May’s approach to defence  “…. The capacity of our military to effectively respond may be more meaningfully employed through our emergency disaster response than through stealth fighter jets. Responsible preventative steps against this man-made security threat comes through reducing greenhouse gas emissions in an aggressive time-bound fashion ….”
• “A Vancouver developer is suing the federal government for allegedly not disclosing that a parcel of land might be littered with unexploded ordnance left over from Second World War training exercises.  K&L Land Partnership paid $15 million for a 546-hectare parcel of land with views overlooking Kalamalka Lake near Vernon in order to subdivide it for eager home buyers in 2005.  But by 2011 the developments were put on hold after the company discovered the land could contain unexploded military ordnance ….”
  
• “(Former CSIS watchdog) Arthur Porter has changed his mind and will now fight extradition back to Canada where he is facing fraud charges, lawyer Ricardo Bilonick Paredes says.  Minutes after he left Porter’s cell Thursday, Paredes told CBC News that the former CEO of Montreal’s McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) plans to oppose extradition from Panama.  Porter had indicated on Wednesday that he did not intend to challenge the process, but his lawyer said the plan changed following consultations with his client.  “First he was not very happy, he was confused when I saw him the first time,” said Paredes.  “But when you have incidents like this you start thinking that you might examine your situation and decide what is the better option.”  Paredes said he will attempt to file a bond to get Porter out of jail by Tuesday. He said Porter could soon be moved to a much larger and more crowded jail ….”
• Canada, U.S. to jointly build stuff to protect the border  “The Honourable Denis Lebel, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, and the Honourable Vic Toews, Minister of Public Safety, along with Ray LaHood, Secretary of the United States Department of Transportation, and Janet Napolitano, Secretary of the United States Department of Homeland Security, released (yesterday) the first-ever joint Canada-United States Border Infrastructure Investment Plan (BIIP) …. The BIIP is an interagency and binational planning mechanism developed to establish a mutual understanding of recent, ongoing and potential border infrastructure investments. It outlines the approach that Canada and the United States will take to coordinate plans for physical infrastructure upgrades at small and remote ports of entry. This initiative will be updated and disseminated annually ….”
• “For nearly three decades, Valour Canada has led the charge connecting Canadians to our unique and proud military history and heritage. Its mission is to educate Canadians on the role of our military and the understanding the role has had. The result? We become inspired to be engaged and participatory citizens of our great country.  And greatness was what a recent Valour Canada dinner held at the Calgary Golf and Country Club on May 16 was all about. Keynote speaker Maj. Eleanor Taylor gave a riveting and spirited address on the topic Changing Roles: Women in Combat ….”
• This from MP and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence Chris Alexander  “I am honoured to join Minister of Veterans Affairs Blaney and MPs across the country in remembering the sacrifices of Korean War Veterans by marking 2013 as the Year of the Korean War Veteran ….”

MILNEWS.ca News Highlights – May 30, 2013

• Afghanistan (1)  The Info-machine tells us about remembering Canada’s fallen in Afghanistan (seven weeks after the fact)  “In the early hours of 8 April 2013, the Head of Mission (HOM), his Excellency Ambassador Glenn Davidson, the Commander CJOC, LGen Beare and the Commander of CCTM-A, MGen Ferron laid a wreath to mark the completion of the modest Canadian Wall at the Sherpur Cantonment Cemetery, aka the ‘British Cemetery’, in Kabul, Afghanistan.  A year earlier, the HOM, the CDS, Commander CJOC, and Dr Tim Goddard had visited the site, noting the need to complete work stalled in 2006, and consequently, fundraising to finish the commenced wall. The Canadian Defence Attaché’s Office (CDAO) became the champion for the project. The current CDAO team of Col Bob Chamberlain, LCol Andrew Lussier and Sgt Serge Lapierre took up the challenge to finalise fundraising and to initiate an embassy project in the fall of 2012. Assisted tremendously by the generosity of the vast majority of CCTM-A Roto 1 and 2 and embassy staff through individual and group donations, the project concept was conceived and executed in six months ….”
• Afghanistan (2)  Mark Collins:  What “invasion” of Afghanistan?
• “Former Guantanamo detainee Omar Khadr woke up in an Alberta prison Wednesday after months stuck in isolation at a penitentiary in Ontario where an inmate had threatened his life, The Canadian Press has learned.  Khadr was flown to the Edmonton Institution Tuesday, potentially ending a situation in which he had been deprived of prison programming that complicated efforts to seek parole, his lawyer Dennis Edney confirmed.  “Hopefully, this is a positive step in his long journey to freedom,” the Edmonton-based Edney said.  “I hope that this is a new start for Omar, an opportunity for people to see him as he really is — as someone who poses no threat to Canada, someone who has no radical viewpoints.”  The transfer allows Khadr to be closer to his lawyer and should obviate concerns about any negative influence from his family in Toronto, some of whom expressed sympathy for al-Qaida several years ago.  The maximum-security Edmonton Institution is home to about 225 inmates ….”
• Academic’s view of trying to have it both ways on budget cuts and military readiness  “…. the Harper government has cut the military’s budget but has demanded that the military not change its size or cut the big procurement programs. This allows the government to look like it is pro-military and pro-industry. But with these two parameters set, it can only mean that the cuts will come from training, maintenance, and operations …. In Canada, there has been little discussion of the risk that the Canadian Forces will lose their edge because the cuts will reduce training and maintenance. Expensive equipment requires a lot of effort to keep it working. Helicopters, ancient or not, tend to break, for instance. So, if you cannot order parts, one tendency is to cannibalize the broken equipment and use the parts to keep other equipment in the air or at sea or on the road. Keeping the military in fighting form requires hours in the air, it requires practicing combat in the field, and it requires being at sea. All of this costs money that comes from the operations/training/maintenance budgets ….”
• Way Up North  One observer’s opinion  “….  Canada has in the past successfully pursued a course which emphasizes a whole of government, and even multilateral, approach to security matters such as Canadian sovereignty. In an uncertain future it may be even more important to build on this legacy when dealing with both foes and friends alike.”
  
• “An al-Qaida letter obtained by The Associated Press suggests about $1 million was paid for the release of Canadian diplomat Robert Fowler in Niger four years ago.  Fowler, the highest-ranking UN official in Niger, and his colleague Louis Guay, were kidnapped and held for four months before being released in April 2009.  In a book he later published, Fowler said he did not know if a ransom was paid.  The Associated Press says it found the al-Qaida letter mentioning the ransom inside a building formerly occupied by the group’s fighters in Mali.  The letter was sent by al-Qaida’s North African branch to Moktar Belmoktar, who split from the group to conduct his own operations, including the Fowler kidnapping in December 2008.  The letter said that a plan to force concessions in the U.S.-led war in Afghanistan was stymied when Belmoktar struck his own deal for about $1 million for both men ….” - more in the original AP article here, and in the AP’s English translation of the letter here
• “(Defence) Minister MacKay to travel to speak at Asia Security Summit in Singapore and to hold bilateral meetings in China”
• Syria  “The Harper government is telling its European allies that arming rebels in Syria is a mistake, warning that the step will lead to “more death and more destruction.”  The European Union’s decision to end an embargo on sending arms to Syria has underlined that the Western world is divided over how to deal with the country’s violence. Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird insisted the differences won’t strain ties with some of Canada’s closest NATO allies, even as the United States expressed support for the EU’s position.  At one end of the spectrum are Britain and France, which succeeded in tearing up the EU arms ban so they can send weapons to so-called moderate elements of the Syrian opposition.  And at the other end is Canada, which has refused to provide a political endorsement of Syria’s opposition National Coalition, let alone arm rebel militias.  “My strong view is that the only way to end the suffering of the Syrian people is a political solution, that flooding the country and the region with more arms will lead to more violence, more death and more destruction,” Mr. Baird said Tuesday. “So certainly Canada has no intention of following suit.”  The United States, meanwhile, is in the middle: White House press secretary Jay Carney said the administration “welcomes” the EU step, but so far the U.S. is not arming rebels ….”
  
• “People seldom think of Canadian foreign policy when the term “gunboat diplomacy” is used, but they should. It is not just the USA, Great Britain, France or other better-known imperial powers that use military force as a “diplomatic” tool.  For example, Postmedia recently revealed that a Canadian naval vessel stopped a boat carrying Jamaica’s former prime minister. Bruce Golding was aboard his fishing trawler last spring when Canadian forces questioned him just outside Jamaican waters.  This incident led to the discovery that Canadian ships fired .50-calibre heavy machine guns in Jamaican territorial waters without authorization. Ottawa claimed the Canadian Navy’s actions were the result of outdated maps.  While this may be technically true the Canadian navy has long taken an aggressive posture in the region ….” - more on this one here and here
  
• “The Consulate General of Eritrea in Toronto is the African country’s only diplomatic outpost in Canada and it has long been accused of running a collection racket that finances the regime and its armed forces.  As recently as Monday, the head of the mission, Consul Semere Ghebremariam O. Micael, denied that. “I was collecting before and I stopped collecting,” he insisted in a telephone interview. “It’s not a problem.”  But the evidence showed otherwise and on Wednesday the Canadian government ordered Mr. Micael’s expulsion over his persistent efforts to use the consulate to violate a United Nations military embargo.  The expulsion order followed a government investigation that found the consulate was acting as a fundraising front by soliciting a 2% income tax and a $300 to $500 “ministry of defence” fee from expatriates in Canada ….” - more from DFAIT here and CBC here
• Canada’s war poet Suzanne Steele on WW2 Quaker hospitals and Afghanistan

MILNEWS.ca News Highlights – May 29, 2013

• “It’s taking far too long for Canadian Forces members to be reimbursed for the cost of relocating their families or to have their complaints about compensation or benefits dealt with, the military’s ombudsman said Tuesday.  Pierre Daigle’s latest report says some soldiers have to wait as long as four years to settle the bill from their mandatory relocations, while those who grieve compensation or benefits are often left waiting for more than a year.  “This investigation was launched after numerous attempts to raise the issue with senior CF leadership failed to result in any concrete action,” Daigle wrote.  “Delays in adjudication and grievances related to relocation benefits have been growing for five years and they are having a significant impact on CF members and their families.”  The Canadian Forces moves about 16,000 members each year and there have been about 1,500 requests for adjudication of related claims each year since 2009, the report found ….” – more in the CF ‘budman’s report here, and in the CF’s response to the report here
• Delisle/spying  “The arrest of a Canadian naval officer spying for Russia did little to discourage Canada from welcoming that country’s defence chief to a Newfoundland meeting of Arctic nations last year.  The visit underscored the puzzling lengths to which the Harper government went to carry on a business-as-usual relationship with the one-time Cold War adversary in the wake of the Jeffrey Delisle case.  Documents obtained by The Canadian Press under the Access to Information Act show that when the scandal involving Delisle broke in January 2012, Canada had not yet asked a group of Arctic nations to an April meeting of chiefs of defence.  And yet — despite the damage caused by Delisle’s espionage on behalf of the Russians — Gen. Nikolai Makarov was invited to and attended the get-together, meant to enhance co-operation between Arctic countries ….”
• Afghanistan (1)  Canadian academic book review:  “…. Despite heavy losses in recent years, the insurgency shows no sign of giving up. Meanwhile, attempts to establish a credible and legitimate Afghan government have been similarly disappointing. President Hamid Karzai, once hailed as the country’s democratic savior, came to be seen instead as the leader of one of the most corrupt regimes on the planet, a perception that has damaged his government’s legitimacy both at home and abroad. Afghanistan’s development and human rights indicators have improved, but it remains to be seen if these gains can be sustained as the international effort is scaled back ….”
  
• Afghanistan (2)  “Graeme Smith, former foreign correspondent for The Globe and Mail and award-winning reporter on southern Afghanistan is back on the ground in Kabul as a Senior Analyst for the International Crisis Group. OpenCanada talked to Graeme about Afghanistan’s political progress, his soon-to-be-released new book, and Canada’s ongoing responsibility to help those living in Kandahar ….”
• “Aircrews from Canada’s allies and partners will fly alongside the Royal Canadian Air Force in Exercise Maple Flag 46. This large-scale, international air combat exercise is hosted annually at 4 Wing Cold Lake, and will take place this year from May 27 to June 21 ….”
  
• CF Chief Warrant Officer Robert Cleroux is preparing to retire – best of luck in the next phase.
• “Two years ago, I placed my first-ever call to the Department of Veterans Affairs. With the Afghan war winding down, I suspected a new generation of young, skilled veterans — with incredible diverse and valuable experience — would soon be hitting the job market. Most will make very valuable employees. But what, I wanted to know, was the federal government doing to help vets start businesses?  Several days and a few phone calls later, the answer came back: Nothing. I made a mental note to move to a smarter country.  But last year I discovered Based in Business, a program founded by a group of students at Memorial University in St. John’s, Nfld. Privately, with the co-operation of the Armed Forces and the socially minded St. John’s business community, the free, week-long program has been turning retiring forces members from across the country into entrepreneurs since 2009 ….”
• “A Winnipeg-based war vet who fought in Afghanistan has completed a lengthy run to raise money for cancer research.  Cpl. Jean Francois Dion ran for 85 kilometres — the equivalent of two marathons.  He started the run from Southport near Portage La Prairie just after midnight and ran parts of both the Royal Canadian Air Force Run and the Manitoba’s Highway of Heroes.  Dion finished Sunday at the 17 Wing Whytewold gate in about 10 hours.  “When I saw the city sign at the Perimeter, I got an energy boost,” he said chuckling ….”
  
• Disarmament think tank on Canada as peacekeepers:  “…. Canada has the capacity to greatly improve UN peacekeeping. Many peacekeeping veterans still serve in the Canadian Forces, and Canada’s ability to train new peacekeepers from less experienced countries around the world is unparalleled. Our equipment, especially large transport aircraft purchased to supply the war in Afghanistan, is needed desperately by the UN for its global missions.  Our reputation is waning in the international community — demonstrated by our recent loss of a coveted seat on the UN Security Council to Portugal. Now is the time for Canada to return to the United Nations through international diplomacy, backed by a renewed commitment to United Nations peacekeeping.”
• Disarmament think tank on Canada buying UAVs:  “The federal government should think very carefully about the military’s push to obtain drones, experts and critics say.  “These drones have a psychological impact on the countries that possess them and the militaries that use them, and they tend to use them for targeted killings,” said Steven Staples, president of the Rideau Institute, an Ottawa-based think-tank ….”
  
• Way Up North (1)  “The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) presented a plan May 21 designed to “ensure safe, secure, and environmentally responsible maritime activity in the Arctic,” according to the plan’s preamble.  Premiering the Arctic strategy at a Washington policy and research institute, USCG Commandant Admiral Robert Papp described the Arctic as “the emerging maritime frontier, vital to our national interests, economy and security.” The USCG is responsible for maritime governance and safety ….” – you can check the policy (48 page PDF) here
  
• Way Up North (2)  Commentary:  “…. If Russia does initiate a full-scale drive to develop and settle its far north, it will probably break the Russian economy just as the Soviet economy collapsed in 1991. Considering Russia’s potential relative to that of the Soviet Union, its proposed “war with the cold” is probably more than it can handle.”
  
• “The former head of Canada’s spy agency watchdog, who received prestigious appointments from different levels of government and was nearly honoured with a street in his name, has been arrested abroad on fraud charges.  Arthur Porter has been detained by Panamanian authorities, along with his wife Pamela, several months after Quebec police announced they wanted to charge him in connection with the province’s ongoing corruption scandals.  The pair’s arrest was announced in a statement Monday by Quebec’s anti-corruption police watchdog, which said the operation was carried out with the help of the RCMP and Interpol.  “Extradition proceedings are being undertaken against the two,” the statement said ….”
• Commentary:  “It has become a disgusting habit of contemporary journalism that every time some deranged yob goes off the deep end with a carving knife shouting Allahu akbar, a battalion of television crews surrounds and lays siege to the local mosque until heartfelt on-air disavowals and loud declarations of civic loyalty are extracted from whichever hapless imam happens to answer the doorbell.  This really needs to stop ….”

MILNEWS.ca News Highlights – May 27, 2013

• Delisle/spying  Hmmmm, wonder if the “legal advice” is available via an Access to Information Act request?  “Canada’s spy agency clandestinely watched a navy officer pass top secret information to Russia for months without briefing the RCMP — a previously unknown operation that raises questions about whether Jeffrey Delisle could have been arrested sooner.  The Canadian Press has learned that the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation alerted the Canadian Security Intelligence Service to Delisle’s illicit dealings with Moscow well before the Mounties took on the file in December 2011 and later brought him into custody.  CSIS ultimately decided not to transfer its thick Delisle dossier to the RCMP. The spy agency, acting on legal advice, opted to keep its investigation sealed for fear of exposing a trove of Canadian and U.S. secrets of the intelligence trade in open court proceedings ….” – some recent discussion of the case over at Milnet.ca here (DISCLAIMER:  I’m a moderator with Milnet.ca)
• “Her Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Toronto successfully disrupted her fourth narcotics shipment in two months as part of ongoing counter-terrorism operations in the Arabian Sea. During the search and inspection of a vessel by the ship’s naval boarding team on May 23, Toronto’s crew recovered approximately 300 kilograms of heroin. The narcotics were recovered without incident and will be destroyed.  Since her departure from Halifax in January, HMCS Toronto has recovered roughly 1300 kilograms of narcotics ….”
• “More than 15,000 troops from 18 countries (including Canada) will take part in a joint military exercise in Jordan in the coming weeks, a military official said Saturday.  Jordan’s armed forces will host the exercise, Eager Lion 2013, with troops from “friendly countries,” including the United States, taking part, the official Petra news agency cited the official as saying.  They will participate in battlefield, logistics and humanitarian exercises alongside troops from Britain, Bahrain, Canada, Czech Republic, Egypt, France, Iraq, Italy, Lebanon, Pakistan, Poland, Qatar, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Yemen, he added.  The official did not say when the maneuvers were due to begin but said they would run for two weeks and would follow last year’s “successful” operation ….” - (not much) more on the ex from the Jordanian media here.
• “Canada’s former military bases, an important part of the country’s heritage, also represent a golden opportunity for development of contemporary mixed-use communities.  An organization with a bird’s eye view of revitalization of such properties is the Canada Lands Company, currently responsible for redevelopment at Rockcliffe in Ottawa and Downsview in Toronto.  “We purchase at fair-market-value lands and facilities that federal departments declare to be surplus,” said Don Schultz, the real estate director for Rockcliffe.  “We only acquire those sites that we think make sense from a business point of view. In most cases, we redevelop those sites.”  Schultz, who joined the Crown corporation after spending 20 years in planning and land development in Alberta, was part of a panel entitled “from military base to city district” at the recent annual conference of the Ontario Association of Architects ….”
• “The building is brand new and as big as a football stadium. But at a cost of $880 million, are the new digs for the country’s secretive cryptology agency a good deal for taxpayers?  The Communications Security Establishment of Canada (CSEC) is the federal intelligence centre for the protection of electronic information and communication. They are our information wizards, helping law enforcement keep Canadians’ privacy — and private government information — safe from the growing concerns of cyber-theft and fraud.  But the government’s secrecy around the department’s new 72,0000-square-metre building is as almost clandestine as the goings-on inside.  The new building neighbours the Canadian Security Intelligence Service offices in Ottawa’s east end. Employees are scheduled to move in the fall of 2014.  Australian firm, Plenary Properties, will manage the building for 30 years. The Canadian government says it will save $176 million over the span of the 30-year partnership ….”
• Commentary:  “The uncomfortable realty: Terrorism doesn’t always need a network”
• “A group of Canadian soldiers, struggling with post traumatic stress, paid a moving visit to Vimy Ridge on Sunday, in the hope the carnage from one of the country’s most horrific battles will help bring comfort.  With an authentic First World War officer’s trench watch in his pocket, Capt. Andrew Richardson says the journey to the site of the historic engagement helps make sense of his time in Afghanistan.  The names of all 3,598 killed in the April 9, 1917 assault are etched into the stone surface of the soaring monument, but Richardson says he thinks about the ones who went home and picked up the pieces of their shattered lives.  “Just standing here, I can’t believe the number of shell craters,” he said, surveying the landscape still rumpled and possibly stitched with unexploded bombs. “It’s a hell’uva feeling.” ….”
• “HMCS Iroquois commemorated the Battle of the Atlantic on Sunday thousands of kilometres from home.  The service was held in Liverpool, England, and included a parade through the city, a flypast with historic Second World War aircraft and a church service.  “The Liverpool Cathedral is like the fifth-largest in the world … the grandeur was quite pronounced,” Lt.-Cmdr. Blair Saltel, executive officer of HMCS Iroquois, said in a telephone interview from the ship Sunday.  About 3,000 people attended the church service, including about 10 sailors from the Iroquois, based in Halifax ….”
  
• “On behalf of the Honourable Steven Blaney, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Minister for La Francophonie, Corneliu Chisu, Member of Parliament for Pickering–Scarborough East, (yesterday) attended and laid a wreath at the Korea Veterans Appreciation Day in Oshawa. Dr. Colin Carrie, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health and Member of Parliament for Oshawa, and Chris Alexander, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence and Member of Parliament for Ajax–Pickering, were also in attendance and laid a wreath on behalf of the Government of Canada ….”
• “On behalf of the Honourable Steven Blaney, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Minister for La Francophonie, Andrew Saxton, Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the Treasury Board and for Western Economic Diversification and Member of Parliament for North Vancouver, (ysterday) joined members of the North Shore Veterans Council Canada for a Cenotaph Rededication Ceremony to honour Canadian Armed Forces personnel ….”

MILNEWS.ca News Highlights – May 25, 2013

• Afghanistan (1)  New Canadian boss incoming  “Major-General Dean J. Milner took command of the Canadian Contribution to the Training Mission – Afghanistan during a change of command ceremony here (yesterday) at Camp Phoenix.  Major-General Milner assumed command from Major-General Jim Ferron, who completed a year-long tour commanding the Canadian Armed Forces mission in Afghanistan. Like his predecessor, Major-General Milner will also hold the position of Deputy Commander for Operations of the NATO Training Mission in Afghanistan …. Major-General Milner assumes command at a critical juncture for Canadians in Afghanistan.  This summer, Roto 3 – the final rotation of personnel for Operation Attention – will arrive in Afghanistan. During this rotation, the Canadian Armed Forces will begin a gradual draw-down of personnel ….”
• Afghanistan (2)  Foreign Affairs Minister pissed at latest attack in Kabul  “Canada strongly condemns today’s attack that took place in central Kabul killing at least two people and injuring many others, including members of the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF), security personnel, the International Organization for Migration and the International Labour Organization.  This was a cowardly attack, demonstrating that the insurgents continue to have complete disregard for human life. Those responsible must be held accountable to the Afghan people for this injustice.  We commend the quick and effective action of the ANSF, who are clearly demonstrating that they are a capable force in combatting those who attempt to perpetrate acts of violence against the people of Afghanistan.  Canada continues to work together with the Afghan government and the international community to help build a more stable and secure Afghanistan ….” – more on the attack here (via Google News)
• “An Edmonton soldier no longer wishes to accept responsibility for a sex attack on a tourist at a downtown Halifax hotel in 2010.  Andrew Norman Wilson, 24, pleaded guilty in December to a charge of sexual assault and was to be sentenced Thursday in Nova Scotia Supreme Court in Halifax.  Instead, defence lawyer Patrick MacEwen informed the court that his client wishes to withdraw his guilty plea and go to trial after all.  Wilson’s change of heart didn’t sit well with the complainant, a Florida woman who flew to Halifax with her sister on Wednesday at Nova Scotia taxpayers’ expense ….”
• Those Toronto elephants may have to wait a bit for a ride south with the CF (if they get a ride with the CF at all)  “The Department of National Defence says it’s still in talks to help move the Toronto Zoo’s three resident elephants to California, but says the animals will have to stay put until the fall.  Animal welfare activists had previously said the zoo was in talks to borrow a Canadian Forces plane to transport the pachyderms to an elephant sanctuary in California.  The Defence Department issued a statement Friday saying it was in talks with the zoo, but that no arrangements could be made on time to move the elephants before warm weather sets in.  Animal rights groups were calling for the three elephants to be relocated before the end of June.  The department says the earliest the animals could be relocated would be the fall, adding there has been no final decision on whether a military aircraft would be available at that time.  The department said it receives many requests for help each year and makes decisions based on logistical and financial considerations ….”
• Military historian:  time for a bit more light to be shone on what JTF-2 has been up to  “…. Joint Task Force 2, much like the entire Canadian Special Operations Forces Command, has operated in such secrecy that myths began to develop. The Americans, British, and Australians have capable Special Operations units too, and somehow they push the bounds of operational secrecy open just enough to reveal something of their work …. Operational secrecy is a necessity, and the identity of JTF 2 personnel needs to be protected.  But after-the-fact details on successes and failures should be offered to the public. That way, the myths will not build up; that way, a website debunking them will never be necessary.”
  
• Some elements of the CF Info-machine merge  “After nearly a century of separate service and in a move that was several years in the making, Canadian Armed Forces public affairs officers and imagery technicians have amalgamated under the umbrella of the military’s public affairs branch.  The unification of the two occupations grew from the impetus that their work complimented each other and it was felt the time had come to bring both together ….”
  
• Way Up North  Mark Collins letter to the editor published (but not in its entirety)
• “Her Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Iroquois and her embarked helicopter air detachment will participate in the United Kingdom’s Battle of the Atlantic commemoration ceremonies in Liverpool, United Kingdom on Sunday, May 26 …. Highlights of HMCS Iroquois’ participation will include a commemorative service at the Liverpool Cathedral where Commander Matthew Coates, Commanding Officer of HMCS Iroquois, will deliver a reading. Members of the ship’s company will line the steps of the cathedral for the departure of the guest of honour, Her Royal Highness, the Princess Royal.  The service will be followed by a parade through the city and fly past by historic World War II aircraft.  The Second World War era Iroquois participated in similar ceremonies at the Liverpool Cathedral in 1944 ….”
  
• “On behalf of the Honourable Steven Blaney, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Minister for La Francophonie, Corneliu Chisu, Member of Parliament for Pickering–Scarborough East, will speak at the Korea Veterans Appreciation Day in Oshawa. The event will include a traditional remembrance ceremony, wreath laying, plaque dedication, speeches from dignitaries, and a military fly past (today) ….”
  
• “On behalf of the Honourable Steven Blaney, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Minister for La Francophonie, Andrew Saxton, Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the Treasury Board and for Western Economic Diversification, and Member of Parliament for North Vancouver, will attend a cenotaph rededication ceremony to honour Canadian Armed Forces personnel (tomorrow) ….”

MILNEWS.ca News Highlights – May 24, 2013

• Afghanistan (1)  Wonder if Canada’s going to be one of them?  “After the recent announcements by Germany and Sweden to retain limited military footprint in Afghanistan after 2014, an International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) Spokesman on Wednesday said that there are ten other nations to announce their post-2014 presence soon ….”  Probably not – this from a news release almost exactly a year ago:  “Prime Minister Stephen Harper today confirmed that Canada’s military mission in Afghanistan will come to a firm and final end once the current training mission concludes on March 31, 2014 ….”
• Afghanistan (2)  Interesting point …. “For anyone who has followed the Afghan war over the past twelve-odd years, the recent addition of the Afghan Taliban to Canada’s list of terrorist entities came as a surprise. More than a surprise, it was disheartening. After more than a decade of engagement in Afghanistan, the Harper government has indicated it is no longer interested in finding a path to peace ….”
• “A disabled Canadian Army veteran is pushing for changes to how Veterans Affairs Canada handles files of people injured while serving their country.  Shane Jones was outside the department’s Halifax office on Wednesday asking people to sign a petition demanding better treatment for veterans. He says the entire system Veterans Affairs uses for dealing with former forces members should be overhauled.  In November 2005, Jones was in Afghanistan driving a Lav-3 armoured vehicle when he swerved to avoid a car that drove out in front of it. It was believed to be an attempt by insurgents to see how Western forces would react to an incident on the darkened road from Kandahar.  The vehicle rolled, killing one soldier and injuring Jones and three others from the 2nd Battalion Royal Canadian Regiment.  He was medically discharged in early 2008, after being diagnosed with brain damage, back injuries and post-traumatic stress disorder.  Back then, Veterans Affairs doctors assessed the now-38-year-old as being eligible for an exceptional incapacity allowance. But that information was never passed on to Jones and the file was closed ….”
• “The Royal Canadian Air Force is providing essential air support to the Canadian Army during Exercise Maple Resolve 1301, which is being held at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright in Alberta.  The exercise runs until mid-June 2013 ….”
• “Two men accused of plotting Canada’s first known Al Qaeda-sponsored terrorist attack appeared in a packed Old City Hall courtroom Thursday morning.  Wearing an orange jumpsuit and appearing via video link, Chiheb Esseghaier told the justice of the peace that he did not have a lawyer. He has applied for legal aid.  Esseghaier pleaded with the court to help him get a lawyer who would “co-operate” with him by using “the holy book as a reference.”  “I am agree to have a lawyer,” he said, but stressed that any legal representation must use the “holy book.” “I don’t want a book written by humans,” he told the court.  Raed Jaser also made a brief court appearance via video link. The lawyer representing him, Brydie Bethell, obtained disclosure and agreed to returning to court June 25 ….” – more here
  
• “The Honourable Steven Blaney, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Minister for La Francophonie, was invited (Thursday) to participate in the unveiling of a stamp commemorating Lieutenant-Colonel Charles-Michel d’Irumberry de Salaberry. Minister Blaney joined representatives of the Voltigeurs Museum and Lieutenant-Colonel Richard Bélanger, Commanding Officer of Les Voltigeurs de Québec, for the unveiling which took place at the Étienne-Parent Library in de Salaberry’s birthplace, the borough of Beauport ….”
• “The Honourable Kerry-Lynne D. Findlay, Q.C., Associate Minister of National Defence and Member of Parliament for Delta – Richmond East, will make an announcement related to investments into the Joint Space Support Project for the Canadian Armed Forces (today) ….”

MILNEWS.ca News Highlights – May 20, 2013

• Afghanistan (1)  “A team of 15 Canadian soldiers has been dispatched to Kandahar on a month-long assignment to assess whether dozens of military containers are still seaworthy enough to be brought home.  More than 375 shipping containers full of military supplies remain stranded at Kandahar Airfield nearly 18 months after Canada’s withdrawal from the war-torn province, and almost two years since combat operations ceased.  National Defence says the material is considered low priority and that all high-value and sensitive equipment has been returned to Canada.  A spokeswoman for the country’s operational command, Capt. Jennifer Stadnyk, said certification of as many as 150 of the containers has expired and the technical assistance team will have to access whether they can still meet the standards set out by international shipping companies.  Defence sources said if the containers don’t pass, the military will have to find a way to dispose of the material.  The seemingly endless delay in repatriation of the containers, which were supposed to travel overland, was brought on by the extended closure of the Afghan border with Pakistan ….”
• Afghanistan (2a)  “Since I last wrote, we hosted “The Mother of all Visits”. That’s when the new US Secretary of Defence, the Honourable Chuck Hagel (and Sergeant (Retired), US Army, as he signed himself in the guest book), visited the Kabul Military Training Centre (KMTC).  As a former soldier, he was particularly interested in Afghan National Army (ANA) Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO) training and was briefed, by the Afghan instructors themselves, on KMTCs Battle Staff NCO course (which trains NCOs to work in deployed Tactical Operations Centres, or TOCs), and the ANA Sergeant-Major Academy (SMA), home to the ANAs premiere NCO training course.  Secretary Hagel came away with a good understanding of ANA NCO training…as well as a Royal Canadian Artillery coin, courtesy of yours truly. Security, as you’d imagine, was tight, but working with the ANA – we had very good plan in place ….”
• Afghanistan (2b)  “As an advisor with the NATO training mission in Afghanistan, I advise personnel at the Afghan National Army Regional Military Hospital as a mentor in intensive care.  Since 2007, successive American and Canadian teams have been going there to train and advise the staff of this hospital, and as a member of the last advisory team I am in a unique position to describe all the work being done there.  I was able to witness their effectiveness only a few days after my arrival. One of my first visits to that hospital took place the day following a suicide attack several kilometres from our position in which a dozen people were injured.  I expected to see the worst: an emergency room in turmoil, an operating room with overworked surgeons, an intensive care unit operating at full tilt to stabilize potentially critical patients.  To my great surprise, however, I saw nothing of the sort: the emergency room and operating room were deserted, one member of the maintenance staff finished mopping the floor while another restocked the cupboards ….”
• Afghanistan (3) “…. NATO nations should move quickly to define the Alliance’s role in Afghanistan after the end of its combat mission next year and legislators should begin to prepare public opinion for a long and costly operation to fund Afghan forces following the transition, the NATO Parliamentary Assembly heard Sunday ….”
• Mali  “NATO has a fleeting opportunity to come to the aid of strife-torn Mali, parliamentarians from NATO nations and experts warned Sunday. Possible measures to help stabilize Mali included officer training in the ill-equipped army and providing air transport as the rainy season hampers the deployment of troops to insurgent areas in the north, members of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly were informed during the Assembly’s spring session in Luxembourg ….”
• Way Up North  “Why everyone wants a piece of the Arctic:  In temperature and politics, the Arctic has never been hotter. As other nations try to get in on the action, Canada is gearing up for a fight ….“
• “Veterans Affairs Minister Steven Blaney is preparing to lead a delegation to South Korea next week, despite bloodcurdling threats by North Korea against its neighbour.  Blaney and a group of 36 veterans of the Korean War are to leave this weekend for a commemorative tour of battlefields and cemeteries.  He says Foreign Affairs is keeping a close eye on the Korean peninsula, where North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un has been threatening nuclear war against South Korea and the United States.  Blaney adds that the South Korean government hasn’t raised any red flags over the trip.  The five-day visit commemorates Canada’s contribution to the 1950-53 Korean War ….”
• “On behalf of the Honourable Steven Blaney, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Minister for La Francophonie, the Honourable Lynne Yelich, Minister of State (Western Economic Diversification) and Member of Parliament for Blackstrap, paid tribute (Saturday) to Canada’s Veterans by participating in a ceremonial puck drop at the Memorial Cup tournament in Saskatoon ….”
• Wanted:  someone “…. To provide deployed logistics support services to IROQUOIS, HALIFAX, PROTECTEUR, KINGSTON, VICTORIA and miscellaneous classes of naval vessels assigned to Maritime Forces Atlantic, Maritime Forces Pacific, and assigned support staff, deployed within the geographical areas described below. Services are to be provided on an as and when required basis ….”
  
• Wanted:  “…. The Contractor is required to provide the Department of National Defence with commercial off-the-shelf Deployable Climate Control Shelters System (DCCSS). The DCCSS must be a modular shelter system consisting of individual small and large sized shelters, interconnecting pieces and the necessary supporting systems. Each shelter must be equipped with an independent heating, cooling and lighting system. The shelters have to be delivered to four delivery points located within 300 km from Ottawa, Ont ….”
• Wanted:  “….  the contractor will perform a review on existing literature on automatic target cueing (ATC) in visible and infrared spectrum methodologies and technologies based on imagery. Based on the requirement, to perform studies and analysis to determine the feasibility of performing highly accurate ATC in visible and infrared spectrum in military operations. The military operations are (i) ATC in small arm operations at standoff distance up to 600m; and (ii) short range ATC at standoff distance below 100m ….”

MILNEWS.ca News Highlights – May 18, 2013

• Afghanistan  It appears Canada’s CDS did attend the big meeting in Belgium  “The Chief of the Defence Staff, General Tom Lawson, joined his North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) counterparts this past week for the 169th meeting of the NATO Military Committee in Brussels, Belgium. The meeting provided the Chiefs of Defence of NATO and its Partners with an opportunity to review and discuss updates on a number of issues relevant to the Alliance …. The two-day conference focused on NATO Transformation and the progress made in its Connected Forces Initiative and Smart Defence projects. Discussion also covered NATO’s current major operations in Afghanistan and Kosovo, as well as the planning for NATO post the 2014 mission in Afghanistan ….”
• “All charges against a Nova Scotia woman in the Royal Canadian Navy who is fighting cancer, and who was charged with being absent without leave, have been dropped, the woman and her lawyer say.  “I feel fantastic, I feel vindicated, it’s been a long 11 months. Between having to face a court martial and fighting cancer, some days I didn’t know which one was more difficult. But now I can just focus on getting better,” said Able Seaman Carol Anne Deyoung.  Both Deyoung and her lawyer, Maj. Sarah Collins, said the charges were dropped Friday afternoon.  The Department of National Defence confirmed Friday evening that all charges against Deyoung have been dropped ….”  
• “Lights, action, weapons free.  Canada’s special operations forces soldiers have produced a slick sales video showcasing their fighting skills — on water, in the air and room-by-room in the close confines of a building.  At a time when special forces soldiers are in the limelight with movies like Zero Dark Thirty, which tells the tale of the U.S. hunt for Osama bin Laden, the video gives a brief window into Canada’s cadre of shadow warriors.  The three-minute video begins showing six soldiers climbing aboard a Griffon helicopter, flying low, and then rappelling to a rooftop. It goes on to highlight soldiers parachuting from a C-130J Hercules transport at high altitude, speeding along the water in rigid-hull inflatable boats, and driving in what appear to be specially equipped Humvees ….”  You can check out the video here.
• Meanwhile, a less-than-desirable video pops up ….  “A stolen iPhone and a sex tape that’s been circulating for three years has left a young woman’s military career in ruins.  Alexandra-Kim Martin-Roberge joined the Canadian Forces in May 2009, dreaming of serving in the infantry.  One of only two women in the 3rd Battalion of the Royal Canadian Regiment, the Quebecer had planned to join the combat mission in Afghanistan.  But one indiscretion destroyed her reputation, her self-esteem and her integrity in the eyes of comrades.  In 2010, while on a 12-month assignment in Alberta, a fellow soldier stole her smart phone and copied a 13-minute clip that depicted her having sex, her face clearly visible.  “He managed to take my phone during a patrol,” Martin-Roberge told QMI Agency. “Ten days later I found out all the guys were swapping it. It was like an atomic bomb. For a woman in the infantry, this is the worst thing that can happen.” ….”
• “By the shore of Hudson Bay (background), just south of Churchill, Man., Cpl Réjean Lefebvre (middle-ground) and Sgt Steven Amos (foreground) prepare to drop rescue equipment from the back of a CC-130 Hercules to Royal Canadian Air Force personnel who had already parachuted to the ground to help mock victims on the frozen tundra.  They are members of the 424 Transport and Rescue Squadron’s search and rescue team, based at 8 Wing in Trenton, Ont., who participated in TigerEx 2013, a week-long exercise to hone their Far North lifesaving skills. The annual search and rescue exercise took place May 13-17 ….”
• From the RCAF Info-machine:  “Therapy on wheels: healing the wounds of war through art“
• F-35 Tug o’ War  Mark Collins on “Will the Canadian Government Keep the RCAF’s Hornets Buzzing?”
  
• DND Info-machine’s latest Backgrounder on Aboriginals in the Forces
• From the Halifax Shipping News blog:  “Work is continuing on HMCS Athabaskan, though it appears they are only tending to her holes now ….”
  
• “On behalf of the Honourable Steven Blaney, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Minister for La Francophonie, the Honourable Lynne Yelich, Minister of State (Western Economic Diversification) and Member of Parliament for Blackstrap, will pay tribute to Canada’s Veterans by participating in a ceremonial puck drop during the Memorial Cup tournament (tonight)….”
• “The Honourable Diane Ablonczy, Minister of State of Foreign Affairs (Americas and Consular Affairs), (yesterday) announced increased support for regional security projects in the Caribbean that well help to improve security in the hemisphere and fight the problem of organized crime.  Canadian support will help to equip the Regional Security System (RSS), a collective security organization for the eastern Caribbean, with new radar, infrared scanners and avionics for its air wing. Minister Ablonczy made the announcement at the E.T. Joshua Airport in Kingstown and was joined by partners including Ralph Gonsalves, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines’ Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, National Security, Grenadines Affairs and Legal Affairs, and Grant Watson, Executive Director of the RSS ….”

MILNEWS.ca News Highlights – May 16, 2013

• Afghanistan  Canada officially declares Taliban, Haqqanis terrorists - more here and from the Public Safety Canada Info-machine here
• Chris Karigiannis, 1975-2007, R.I.P.  “It began as a touching gesture, with a group of students planting a tree at their school in memory of an alumnus, a Canadian soldier who had been killed in Afghanistan a year before.  It was Nov. 11, 2008.  It could have stopped there. Such well-meant tributes, born in the emotion of tragedy, often do.  But in the years that followed, something absolutely remarkable happened at Laval Liberty High School in Laval.  “The kids got it,” is how Daniel Johnson, a behavioural technician at the school, puts it .  “They got that it was important what he (the soldier) did, that he had committed himself to a higher cause.  “The kids said it can’t end there,”  Johnson says. “They said we can’t care for him, but we can care for his friends. And that’s when everything changed.”  The soldier was Sgt. Chris Karigiannis of the 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, based in Edmonton.  He had graduated from the school, when it was called Chomedy Polyvalent High School, in the early 1990s ….”
• Way Up North (1)  “The Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of Health, Minister of the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency and Minister for the Arctic Council, (yesterday) assumed the chairmanship of the Arctic Council for a two-year period, 2013-2015. The Arctic Council is the leading body for international cooperation in the Arctic region.  “I am honoured to chair the Council at this important time in the history of the circumpolar region,” said Minister Aglukkaq. “Canada’s chairmanship theme of Development for the People of the North will put the interests of Northerners first.”  Minister Aglukkaq thanked the Indigenous Permanent Participant organizations and Arctic Council states for their support for the program to be undertaken during the Canadian chairmanship and Sweden, in particular, for its strong guidance over the last two years.  “Canada is determined to see Arctic communities benefit from the economic boom that is unfolding in the region,” said Minister Aglukkaq. “The Arctic Council will establish a circumpolar business forum to foster sustainable circumpolar economic development.”  Following today’s signing by Arctic states of the Agreement on Cooperation on Marine Oil Pollution Preparedness and Response in the Arctic, the Council will focus during Canada’s chairmanship on actions to prevent oil spills in the Arctic marine environment ….” -  more on the Arctic here, here and here.
• Way Up North (2)  “The Relay for Life is an international event that takes place each spring to raise funds and awareness for the Canadian Cancer Society. More than 20 countries from across and the world will participate this year. Last year, there were more than 17,000 teams across Canada and the Frozen Chosen are now, for a second year in a row, proud to be part of this global movement.  Fundraising for The Canadian Cancer Society’s Relay for Life has been enthusiastically embraced by all station personnel at Canadian Forces Station Alert. Throughout the spring months of 2013, the Alert family has come together in a unique show of solidarity to support this great cause.  The Relay for Life in CFS Alert will take place on May 18 and 19 as a 12-hour fundraising event ….”
• “On a windy hilltop, Don Tremblay was watching soldiers through binoculars and thinking back to another hilltop 60 years ago where a few young Canadians fought a desperate battle.  wednesday was a chance for modern soldiers from the Royal Canadian Regiment to remember what Canadians went through in Korea, in what they now call the Battle of Hill 187.  It began in the dark, when a Canadian patrol ran into a much larger group of Chinese soldiers in the valley between their two fortified hilltops ….”