MILNEWS.ca News Highlights – 25 May 11

• Families of Canada’s fallen visit Kandahar one last time before Canada shifts its mission in Afghanistan – more here and here.
• Wounded former IED dismantler/investigator helping others in the same situation. “Andy Tiffin’s left hand was mangled when the roadside bomb he was dismantling exploded last October. He was working in an “exploitation” lab, informally known as CSI Kandahar, as part of his deployment to Afghanistan. “(It’s) where people take things apart and try to figure out what the enemy did right, what they did wrong,” said Tiffin, a chief petty officer in the Canadian navy, in an interview Tuesday. He downplays the injury, speaking of the far more serious wounds suffered by other soldiers he saw while in hospital in Landstuhl, Germany. When he got home to Bedford, “my wife took care of just about all (the necessary tasks). I didn’t have to drive back and forth back to the hospital. Since she works out of our house, taking care of our little one, it gives us a lot of flexibility as a guy that deploys a lot.” But many soldiers and families do need help, whether with the extraordinary challenges of dealing with a serious injury or with the day-to-day challenges of military life. Those families have been getting support since 2008 from an organization called the True Patriot Love Foundation. A fundraising dinner for the foundation was announced at a launch event in Halifax on Tuesday attended by Tiffin, other members of the military, organizers and supporters. “Their families really do serve right along with them,” said Elisabeth Rybak, the chairwoman of the Atlantic Maple Leaf 2011 Nova Scotia Tribute Dinner, after the event was announced at the law offices of McInnes Cooper ….”
• In Afghanistan, Francophone troops get a chance to train Afghans and practice their English at the same time. “Since August 2005, Operational Mentor and Liaison Teams (OMLT) have been deployed in Kandahar province, where experienced military personnel offer instruction, mentoring and liaison services to Afghan soldiers. Although the Afghan National Army (ANA) and the coalition have been working together for eight consecutive years, few Afghan soldiers have learned and mastered English, while some have learned only a few words. Communication is always a challenge, but the use of English is also an excellent opportunity for Francophone soldiers who wish to practice their second language ….”
• Taliban Propaganda Watch:  More attacks alleged in Kandahar, Zabul, and Taliban calls on Kandahar bosses to admit someone else’s in charge.
• Survey says majority of Canadians polled OK with Osama killed.  “A staggering number of Canadians feel Osama bin Laden got his just reward when U.S. Navy SEALs shot the world’s most-wanted terrorist in the head and chest and dumped his body into the Arabian Sea, says a new poll. The survey conducted by Abacus Data suggested that the killing this month of the mastermind of the Sept. 11 attacks and other bloodbaths was a unique case, and that terrorists in general should be treated like other criminals when it comes to justice and punishment. Asked whether bin Laden got what he deserved, 82% of respondents said yes and 18% said no ….”
• Quebec Flooding (1):  CF agrees to help, sending more troops….  “The Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of National Defence, issued the following statement (Tuesday): “The Canadian Forces doubled the number of its personnel and equipment in the Montérégie region last night in order to assist the people in the flooded areas. The Canadian Forces are there to respond immediately should the floodwaters of the Richelieu River cause damage to the dikes, or place Canadians in danger. Given the concern of local and provincial officials that the public may be at a heightened risk, the Canadian Forces may be asked to assist with evacuating citizens, or assist provincial authorities where lives could be in danger. As such, I requested Lieutenant-General Walter Semianiw, Commander of Canada Command, to approve the immediate deployment of the Task Force Reserve, which was positioned at a state of high-readiness at Canadian Forces Base Valcartier and in St Jean, Quebec, along with follow-on forces, bringing the total number to approximately 500 ….” “
• Quebec Flooding (2):  … but not to take down sandbag dykes.  “The federal government has refused a request to have the Canadian Forces help with the cleanup once flood waters recede in Quebec. A letter from Public Safety Minister Vic Toews suggests that placing sandbags might be part of the military’s role — but removing them isn’t part of their job description. The Quebec government, which received the letter dated May 20, provided the correspondence to reporters Tuesday. It was released on a day of growing anger and finger pointing over the emergency response to the floods, which have affected 3,000 homes and forced 1,000 people to be evacuated. The release of the correspondence was meant to prove that the Quebec government — which is being questioned for its performance — had actually requested federal help in a timely manner ….”  More from the Canadian Press here.
• Quebec Flooding (3):  “An impressive Canadian Forces (CF) team was mobilized to repair a damaged dike in the agricultural sector of Henryville in Montérégie May 10. The dike ruptured when Lake Champlain overflowed. “We would like the dike to stay at least three months, to give farmers time to re-establish themselves,” said the engineer in charge of the repair work, Major Claire Bramma, 5 Combat Engineer Regiment (5 CER). The Quebec provincial police collaborated with the military to block off roads to traffic in order to facilitate the work of the soldiers and avoid endangering civilian lives ….”
• Will Associate Minister of NatDef Julian Fantino be the real power holder as time goes on?  So says one QMI columnist:  “…. One military expert told me with the Afghanistan mission winding down, the real power and most important action in the years to come with the defence department is in the re-booting of it and that responsibility has been handed to Fantino. “How Canada moves ahead with the purchase new (F-35) fighter jets and frigates is the number one defence priority going forward and the prime minister has selected his man to do that job,” he said. That person does not seem to be MacKay or, at least, not all by himself ….”
• F-35 Tug o’ War (1):  The company that will sell the jets to Canada says Canadian cost estimates are bang on!  “The Conservative government’s figures on the F-35 stealth fighter jets are accurate despite many reports to the contrary, according to Lockheed Martin’s executive vice president in charge of the program. And Tom Burbage told QMI Agency here Tuesday that the Canadian government’s support of the F-35 is important to the program as a whole ….”
• F-35 Tug o’ War (2):  Meanwhile, in the U.S., “The House is expected to consider changes to the F-35 fighter program as questions swirl about the jet’s cost and long-term viability. The chamber is expected to consider a number of measures related to the F-35 during debate on the 2012 defense authorization bill. Those votes will come just days after conflicting assessments were given on the status of testing and the expected costs of operating the jets. Prime contractor Lockheed Martin — while acknowledging that challenges remain — last week sounded upbeat about the often-delayed and altered testing of the three variants of the war plane. “Early testing has allowed us to understand our main technical challenges and develop resolution paths for them,” said Tom Burbage, Lockheed’s vice president for F-35 program integration. “The performance of the [vertical takeoff-and-landing] variant in flight test has been very good since November.” ….”
• “Force Protection Industries, Inc., a Force Protection Inc. group company, today announced the addition of Elbit Systems and Lockheed Martin Canada as additional providers for the Canadian Forces requirement for the Tactical Armoured Patrol Vehicle (TAPV) project. Force Protection Industries, Inc. previously announced that it has been selected by the Canadian Government as one of the competitor companies qualified to provide up to 600 wheeled combat vehicles and related long term support services. CAE was announced recently as Force Protection’s main Canadian partner with responsibility for providing the in-service support solution. The Canadian Department of National Defence (DND) expects to award a contract to the final selected bidder by early 2012 ….”
• “The former CFB Rockcliffe site has been sold to the Canada Lands Company for $27.2 million, QMI Agency has learned. “We’re the land owner and developer,” said CLC vice-president Gordon McIvor. Redevelopment of the lucrative real estate in north Ottawa is back on the table after being tied up in a land claim with the Algonquins of Ontario (AOO) since 2007. “That was resolved,” said McIvor. The CLC and the AOO have entered into a participation agreement. “We want them to be able to, if they want, develop a piece of the property following the guidelines that have been approved by the city and by Canada Lands,” said CLC president and CEO Mark Laroche. The deal between the land company and natives is worth $10 million ….”
• “Canada has cracked the top 10 in a global security assessment that ranks countries based on how peaceful they are. The Global Peace Index ranked Canada eighth out of 153 countries, a six spot jump over last year. The index, produced by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP), suggests North America overall has improved slightly thanks in part to Canada’s rise in the rankings. The United States was placed at 82, compared to its ranking of 85 last year. The index says if the U.S. reduced its violent crime rates to that of Canada’s, the U.S. economy and its state governments could save billions of dollars on correctional services, health care and lost tax revenue ….”  A bit more on this here.

MILNEWS.ca News Highlights – 4 Mar 11

• Canadians continue to GTFO Libya.  “A Canadian military transport made it to Malta safely on Thursday with another 31 evacuees and more flights were planned as a botched Dutch rescue operation underscored the perils of western military actions in Libya. A spokesman for Canada’s overseas headquarters said 14 of the passengers aboard the Hercules aircraft were Canadians and the rest were foreign nationals. The plane returned from Tripoli without incident, said Maj. Andre Salloum. As of Thursday, the Foreign Affairs Department said 327 Canadians, including those on the military flight, had found their way out of the Libya crossfire. The Harper government dispatched a frigate, HMCS Charlottetown, this week to take part in a possible blockade to enforce sanctions ….”
• Commentariat on Libya (1): “…. the (HMCS) Charlottetown could turn its attention to ill-defined humanitarian relief operations or to the enforcement of a potential international embargo against the Libyan regime. Whatever the ultimate mission, it will likely come as a surprise — just as much of one as the decision to deploy the warship …. How Canadian assets could be used to alleviate the exodus from Libya or to deliver relief supplies remains to be seen. But clearly, Ottawa is committing to stay on the job long after its primary objective of securing Canadian lives is met. This is commendable, and not just from a humanitarian point of view. It also sends a strong signal to our European allies that their interests are vital to us …. The rapid downfall of Col. Moammar Gadhafi is the best way to prevent a full-blown refugee crisis inside and outside Libya. Whatever Canada can do to help tip the scales — short of direct military intervention — is worth doing.”
• Commentariat on Libya (2): “…. The West should tread carefully in Libya. While it is tempting to imagine the country’s conflict as a simple struggle between good and evil that can be brought to a speedy and decisive conclusion, the reality is more complicated than that. Aggressive intervention might easily end up doing more harm than good.”
• Commentariat on Libya (3): “Canadians who believe that their military’s primary purpose should not be to fight wars, but fervently want their troops to only be Boy Scouts, should be pleased by Ottawa’s evolving commitment to the crisis in Libya.  With China, Russia, Turkey and Germany having already strongly rejected any kind of military intervention – which could result in unpredictable and unwelcome outcomes – the West will have considerable trouble gathering a coalition of the willing to enforce a no-fly zone over Libya. But western countries want to be seen to be helping in other ways.  So, just in time to give the Harper government a wee bit of an election boost, Canadian sailors and air force personnel will be drawn into international humanitarian operations in the Maghreb.  Canada’s part in potential Libyan humanitarian operations are to be much smaller than what its armed forces did in Haiti after last winter’s earthquake. But there will still be a feel-good factor ….”
• Interesting point.  “It’s curious, how the most vocal opponents of military spending go quiet whenever boats and planes and superbly trained soldiers suddenly come in handy. Where were the critics of Ottawa’s C17 purchase last January, when these massive air barns were deployed at a moment’s notice to transport aid into earthquake-struck Haiti? And where are they now, as Canadian Forces aircraft based in Malta and JTF2 special forces troops work to extract Canadians trapped by the fighting in Libya? What will critics of the government’s proposed CF-35 jet fighter purchase say if, as now appears possible, Canadian Air Force jets are involved in enforcing a no-fly zone in North Africa, to protect innocents from Gadhafi’s warplanes? Here’s what they’ll say: Not much, for the duration of the crisis. Then, when the smoke clears and the planes are back at CFB Trenton, they’ll start again with the mantra that spending money on warriors and their gear is needless and wasteful ….” Not ALL vocal opponents of military spending are staying silent – more here.
• “Canada’s post-military legacy in southern Afghanistan may well rest on the slender shoulders of Haji Hamdullah Nazak.  The 32-year-old governs the district of Dand, a relative model of stability compared to the violence and intimidation that permeates other regions of Kandahar province.  But as the Canadian military gradually shifts its focus away from patrols and towards packing boxes for a training mission said to be “Kabul-centric,” Nazak frets over the possibility of lost progress.  “I’m a little bit afraid of that,” Nazak says through a translator. “If they stopped helping us, assisting us in this major purpose, we will face some challenges, problems.” ….”
• Meanwhile, “opposition to the war in Afghanistan is higher in Britain and Canada than the United States, with at least 60 percent against it, a poll indicated Thursday …. Almost two-thirds, 63 percent, of Canadians said they oppose the war, while only 32 percent support it, a new low. Last year, 47 percent supported the war.   Albertans were most likely to back Afghan operations, but even there only 43 percent said they support it. In Quebec, 75 percent oppose the war.  Vision Critical, based in Toronto conducted the poll on line from Feb. 22 to Feb. 28, surveying 1,022 Angus Reid Forum panelists in Canada, 1,006 Springboard America panelists and 2,019 members of Springboard UK. The margin of error is 3.1 percentage points for Canada and the United States and 2.1 points for Britain.”
• “A parliamentary committee tasked with vetting documents related to the abuse of Afghan detainees could make the secret material public within the next two weeks, according to the Liberals. Amid mounting pressure from the Bloc Quebecois and New Democrats, Liberal defence critic Dominic LeBlanc suggested a report by the three-judge panel of legal experts advising the team of MPs should be available within a “week or two” along with “a considerable number of the documents” themselves. His comments come a day after Bloc Quebecois leader Gilles Duceppe issued an ultimatum. Frustrated the uncensored documents still haven’t been released despite promises they’d be ready in January, Duceppe vowed to pull his two MPs from the committee. “The process has become bogged down and I don’t understand why,” he said ….”
• Bye bye old subs.  “…. The Department of National Defence (DND), has a requirement for the removal, dismantling and disposal of the Oberon Class Submarines Olympus and Okanagan, and an option to dispose of a third, Ojibwa …. A bidders’ conference chaired by the Contracting Authority will be convened at HMC Dockyard, Jetty NL, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia on March 23, 2011 @ 0900 ….”
• F-35 Tug o’ War:  Steven Staples’ top 10 list on why Canada shouldn’t buy the F-35.
• “Operation: Western Front (OWF) – a very special initiative organized by mission commanders and philanthropists Warren M. Spitz and W. Brett Wilson to raise awareness and funds for military causes – has collected a stunning $1.5 million in sponsorship and donations. The funds will be donated to various military programs – including Outward Bound for Veterans and Canada Company, a charitable, non-partisan organization that builds a bridge between business and community leaders and the Canadian Military Forces, including providing scholarships to surviving offspring of fallen Canadian Forces personnel. The funds will support a variety of other needs – from medical support to childcare and financial aid – and will be directed through Canada’s True Patriot Love Foundation ….”
• Conservative MP pitches softball question to Minister in House of Commons on what government is doing to help veterans in Quebec (giving Minister a chance to bash the Bloc). “I would like to thank the hon. member from Lévis—Bellechasse for his excellent work and his concern for veterans. Our government is listening to the regions of Quebec and to veterans. We introduced Bill C-55 in the House, and it will serve as the enhanced new veterans charter and will help our modern-day veterans, who may come back wounded from Afghanistan. Unfortunately, the Bloc is still not co-operating as we would like, but we still hope to pass this bill before the upcoming budget ….”
• “Federal Crown prosecutors do not have to hand over a complete set of photographs used by French police to link former University of Ottawa professor Hassan Diab to a Paris terrorist bombing. Diab’s lawyer Donald Bayne had asked for the photographs to be entered into the record of the case, but federal Justice Department lawyers acting for the French government resisted. Only nine of 33 “mug shots” shown by Paris police to witnesses 30 years after the bombing have been used as evidence by the prosecution. All nine are of the 57-yearold Diab at various stages of adult life ….”