MILNEWS.ca: Inbox Highlights, 22 June 2018

• “Trump sends letter to Trudeau calling for boost in Canada’s NATO defence spending” – “Trump warns Trudeau on lack of defence spending ahead of NATO summit”
• “Canada May Make It Much Harder For U.S. To Win Its Hornet Replacement Fighter Contract”
• On the #MLI mission  “Selling the public on the Mali mission – Gen. Vance expected to head to Mali with journalists” – “Executions by Malian government troops highlight human-rights challenges for Canadian peacekeepers”
• “Canada considers donating arms to Ukraine, one of the world’s top arms exporters”
• “James Bezan: Canada should provide Ukraine with weapons, previously intended for Kurds”
• Next to #UKR, meanwhile …
• “UN Resolution Urges Russian Withdrawal From Transdniester”
• “UN adopts resolution on Russian troops withdrawal from Transnistria”
• “UN resolution on Transnistria to harm General Assembly’s reputation — Russian diplomat”
• “UN passes draft resolution on withdrawal of Russian peacekeepers from Transnistria”
• “Crown recommends 150-year prison term for Quebec City mosque shooter” – “Quebec City mosque shooter ‘not a monster’ say parents” – “Video: Mosque shooter Bissonnette’s parents decry ‘political’ sentence” – “Father of Quebec City mosque shooter says Crown ‘demonizing’ his son” – “Quebec mosque shooting: Bissonnette’s parents make public statement”
• Extrémisme de droite au Québec et SCRS: pas toujours facile de repérer les «démons intérieurs» “
• “Quebec Charter of Values a factor in radicalizing foreign fighters: study” – ” “I Left to be Closer to Allah”: Learning about Foreign Fighters from Family and Friends” (28 pg PDF)
• “Vétérans: l’ombudsman laisse entrevoir pour bientôt un processus de transition intégré pour tous”
• “Minister of Veterans Affairs hosts Regional Veteran Stakeholder Summit in Toronto (25 June) …” (VAC info-machine)
• “Feds strike deal with Quebec’s Chantier Davie for three new icebreakers”
• “Ottawa makes deal to buy three icebreakers for coast guard”
• “Canada to Acquire Three Interim Icebreakers” (Public Works Canada info-machine)
• “Canadian Coast Guard launches Arctic season”
• “U.S. Coast Guard turns to Canada for help with designing its new heavy icebreaker”
• “Icebreaking ships are not America’s top priority in the Arctic”
• Wanted: “REPLENISHABLE FIELD MEDICAL SETS”
• “Defence chief wanted ‘discreet’ meeting with suspended vice-admiral, emails show”
• “RCAF Personnel Approved For UK Royal Public Duties” (UK MoD info-machine)
• “Bilingualism in the CAF: Legal, Historical, and Operational Perspectives”
• “North Korea Has A Massive Submarine Force. Here’s Why It’s Basically A Joke”
• “Press Statement on Military Exercises on the Korean Peninsula … To support implementing the outcomes of the Singapore Summit, and in coordination with our Republic of Korea ally, Secretary Mattis has indefinitely suspended select exercises. This includes suspending FREEDOM GUARDIAN along with two Korean Marine Exchange Program training exercises scheduled to occur in the next three months …” (US DoD info-machine)

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MILNEWS.ca: Inbox Highlights, 21 June 2018

• On the NY Times Canadian Guy Who Says He Killed/Didn’t Kill for ISIS  Power & Politics on Twitter: “Former Undercover Operative, CSIS and RCMP / Counterterrorism Expert @MrMubinShaikh says former Canadian ISIS fighter Abu Huzaifa believes he feels like he got off …” – Power & Politics on Twitter: “@RalphGoodale says prosecuting criminal charges is the number one priority in dealing w/ returned ISIS fighters, but that there are other tools authorities can use to keep Canadians safe while evidence is being gathered… “
• Ooopsie … “CSIS Stopped Monitoring Right-Wing Extremism Ahead of Mosque Massacre” – “CSIS stopped monitoring right-wing extremism months before mosque shooting, watchdog says”
• “How new software to recover laptop data helped police investigate Quebec mosque shooter’s motives, techniques”
• “A Climate for Hate? An Exploration of the Right-Wing Extremist Landscape in Canada” (Summary, Critical Criminology journal article)
• “Terror conviction for making bomb threats to avoid exam at Concordia”
• “He plotted to bomb Times Square for ISIS. Records show he’s mentally ill. Is he a terrorist?” – Abdulrahman El Bahnasawy (Google Search)
• “Revealed: Canada uses massive US anti-terrorist database at borders … Database is effectively a second Canadian no-fly list, run by the US …” – “Canada Reportedly Uses US-Compiled Terrorist Database at Its Border”
• “Wave of asylum seekers floods Toronto’s shelters”
• “Vérification faite: un tsunami de migrants illégaux?”
• “Canadian Armed Forces concludes its participation in Exercise Tradewinds 2018” (DND info-machine)
• Over in MLI  “Chinese peacekeeping guard detachment passes MINUSMA assessment” (CHN mil media)
• “Canada’s Joint Support Ship (JSS) project has increased by about 43% to earlier estimates, the Department of National Defence (DND) has confirmed to Jane’s . The Canadian Government’s latest JSS estimate is now about CAD3.4 billion (USD2.5 billion) over the 30-year lifespan of the two supply ships, DND said …”
• Wanted:  “The Department of National Defence (DND) has a requirement to acquire and support long term, Remote Minehunting and Disposal systems for the Kingston-class ships that will provide the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) with a capability to conduct the full spectrum of naval minehunting operations and contribute to underwater domain awareness. As the project progress towards a potential formal RFP process, this Request for Information (RFI) will provide a continuous single point of official communication with industry …”
• “Unarmed Warships: What are the AOPS for?” (CGAI Policy Update)
• “Sabre International Security, the company now at the centre of a lawsuit against the federal government, was accused of recruiting former child soldiers in Africa two months before a suicide bomber killed more than a dozen of its employees outside of the Canadian embassy in Kabul …”
• Free CD from RCN Band  “A new compact disc showcasing the musical diversity of the Naden Band is set for release next week just in time for Canada Day. Seas of the Moon, a free promotional CD, will be available to the public starting June 22. The release of the CD brings to an end an eight-month process overseen by a team including Petty Officer Second Class Steven Donegan, who acted as project supervisor … Copies of the CD are also available at the band’s headquarter at CFB Esquimalt or by emailing them at NadenBand@forces.gc.ca”
• “Changing the Guard Ceremony to start on Parliament Hill on Sunday”
• Over in #UKR …
• #UKR National Security Sec’y Hints it May Be Time to Bring Back #UKR Nukes?
• “Ukrainian Defense Minister proposes that Ukraine buy American Patriot air defense systems”
• … and #PRK
  
• “U.S. identifies North Korea missile test site it says Kim committed to destroy”
• “Trump: N. Korea has blown up 4 test sites”
• “No Apparent Dismantlement Activities at Sohae Engine Test Site as of June 12” (38 North)
• “No Signs Yet of North Korean Denuclearization”
• “Japan Cancels Missile Evacuation Drills”
• Way Up North
  
• “(RUS) Northern Fleet’s new amphibious assault ship can carry 13 tanks and 300 marines”
• “Russia carries out military expedition across Arctic Novaya Zemlya islands”
• “Expeditionary force moves 850 km across most militarized Arctic island”
• “Nearly 100 JBER and Japanese paratroopers parachuted onto the Malemute drop zone Wednesday, part of a joint exercise between U.S. Army Alaska and Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force paratroopers …”

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MILNEWS.ca: Inbox Highlights, 20 June 2018

• Welcome home HMCS Windsor!  “Canadian submarine ends five-month mission”
• “Canadian opposition calls for Ottawa to send weapons to Ukraine”
• “There has been no meaningful progress in the human rights situation in the armed conflict zone and other parts of Ukraine, says a report published today by the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine. The report covers the period between 16 February and 15 May 2018 …” (UN info-machine)
• “A 60-strong detachment of mortar specialists from the Czech republic has joined NATO’s enhanded Forward Presence (eFP) force in Latvia, the Czech Ministry of Defense has confirmed …”
• “Pot rules will be similar to those for alcohol, navy says”
• Wanted:  search robots  “Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) Sys(tems) — The Department of National Defence has a requirement to procure High Risk Search, Remotely Operated Vehicle System (HRS-ROV). A combination of Remote Operated Vehicles, one small and one large, which will be used by the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) field engineer sections in the roles ofintermediate and advanced search teams. The HRS-ROV will need to be man-portable and quickly deployable. They will need to be able to climb stairs, navigate culverts, and operate in a non-line of sight manner and in close spaces. A combination of ROVs, Small ROV System and Large ROV System, will be the best approach to address the task-specific balance of weight, payload and mobility …”
• Wanted:  “The Department of National Defence has a requirement to purchase an Advanced Search and Rescue Uniform … to replace the existing Coveralls, Search and Rescue, International Orange (IO) …”
• Col. Ted on the PM’s transport plane woes:  “… it might be possible to have someone other than the RCAF fly this sort of service … it is, after all, a service which is provided by many companies, large and small, and one suspects that a large carrier, like say WestJet or Air Canada could provide an ‘on call,’ flexible VIP aircraft service for an affordable fee. Maybe it is time for the Government of Canada to step back and rethink why and how it uses so-called VIP aircraft. maybe flying people around the world is not something that only the RCAF can do.”
• “The Canadian Forces have awarded Rheinmetall an important follow-on contract. The Canadian Navy plans to expand the MASS countermeasure systems installed on its Halifax-class frigates. The order is worth about CAD20 million (€12 million). MASS (Multi Ammunition Softkill System) is an automated decoy system that protects surface combatants from advanced anti-ship missiles …”
• “Group hopes to build PTSD treatment centre in Halifax”
• “Canada wants to change a bilateral agreement to allow it to turn back thousands of asylum seekers walking across the border but the United States is not cooperating, according to a Canadian official with knowledge of the discussions …”
• “U.S. defense chief to visit S. Korea over military exercises”
• “Allies test N. Korea’s will to denuclearize through suspension of military exercises”
• “China’s top shipbuilding firm released a photo on Wednesday of what is believed to be the country’s first aircraft carrier equipped with an electromagnetic aircraft launch system, with Chinese military experts speculating that China will have three aircraft carriers in the near future …” (CHN mil media)
• “Military shipyards in northern Russia want role in building Arctic LNG infrastructure”

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MILNEWS.ca: Inbox Highlights, 19 June 2018

• “Happy 1st Anniversary NATO enhanced Forward Presence Battlegroup Latvia! …” (NATO Force Integration Unit Latvia FB) – “Happy one year anniversary #eFP Battle Group Latvia! Since it was stood up at Camp Ādaži, eFP BG Latvia has proven its ability to integrate and operate as part of a wider context of @NATO eFP forces deployed across the Baltics …” (CAF Ops on Twitter)
  
• Former Tory Defence Parliamentary Sec’y: “Canada has warehouses of weaponry that Ukraine needs. Why aren’t we aiding our ally?”
• Meanwhile, from the RUS-led rebel info-machine  “Poroshenko says new military operation in Donbass begins in May” – “DPR names Ukrainian army brigades with highest defector numbers” – ‘Ukrainian People’s Tribunal to announce sentence in Lugansk on June 22 — The Ukrainian People’s Tribunal for investigating the Poroshenko regime war crimes will announce the sentence to the incumbent Ukrainian president and his associates on Lugansk’s Teatralnaya Square at 9:00 on June 22 …”
• “NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg wants fewer tensions, improved relationship with Russia”
• “Russia Upgrades Nuclear Weapons Storage Site In Kaliningrad” (Federation Of American Scientists) – “Russian bunkers near Poland could be storing nuclear weapons, report says”
• RUS media:  “Analyst Explains Why EU, Canada and NATO Teaming Up Against Trump”
• “The Canadian Armed Forces are just weeks away from deployment to Mali, where they will replace a German helicopter contingent as part of the United Nations’ peacekeeping mission in the country. Questions have been raised about whether there is any peace to keep in the central African nation. So what is the mission? …”
• “Long-delayed terror trial of alleged ISIL recruiter Awso Peshdary underway”
• “Trudeau Government Has Photo Of Toronto ISIS Terrorist Shooting A Gun In Syria With His Face Fully Visible, Yet He Hasn’t Been Arrested” (Spencer Fernando blog)
• Commentary  “Canadian jihadists are bolder than ever, meanwhile Trudeau weakens our laws”
• “Atomwaffen, an American Neo-Nazi Terror Group, Is In Canada”
• “Hardening U.S. rhetoric on immigration could drive more migrants north: intelligence report”
  
• “Canada’s spy service is destroying undisclosed volumes of records relating to the communications of Canadians gathered over years …”
• “The Trudeau government is declining to discuss concerns raised by U.S. lawmakers about Huawei’s activities in Canada – even as a debate is unfolding in Australia about banning the Chinese telecom giant from its next-generation 5G mobile networks …”
• In the words of @Mark3Ds, “Lucky break for Canada if we buy (the) F-35 … “Lucky break for Canada if we buy F-35” “Fully 74% of Export F-35s Delivered Until 2023 Are Obsolete”
• Wanted:  “Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) for Defense Research and Development Canada (DRDC) is issuing this Request for Proposal (RFP) for the procurement and delivery of Ballistic Surrogate Plates …”
• “Government of Canada announces energy efficiency contract at Base Petawawa”
• “The cost of health claims related to hearing loss among members of Canada’s military is rising, due in part to the reluctance of members to wear protective equipment and because the most suitable devices aren’t always provided …”
• “Militaires homosexuels chassés des Forces: la Cour ratifie une entente de plus de 100 millions”
• “Military Training and Co-operation: Diplomatic Instrument and Combat Force Multiplier” (CGAI paper)
• “Why Canada needs a cyber security foreign policy”
• Here’s how at least one former assaulter is using his skills  “Retired JTF2 Assaulter Brings the Elite Military Experience to Civilian Men — Retired tier 1 special forces operator, Jeff Depatie, has created an 8-day undertaking for civilian men designed to facilitate post-traumatic growth and will identify superior non-military men who rise to similar standards of elite military individuals …” – The Special Forces Experience page
• “US prepares for return of war dead remains from North Korea”

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MILNEWS.ca: Inbox Highlights, 18 June 2018

• “Amanda Lindhout kidnapper sentenced to 15 years in prison” – “Sentence in Hostage-Taking Trial” (Public Prosecution Service of Canada)
• CPAC on Twitter: “#QP 3/ @AndrewScheer Liberals are removing tools to deal w/ terrorists returning to Canada. How are we supposed to ensure Cdns’ safety? @CanadianPM Conservatives cut ~$400M from border agency…We respect work of security agencies doing everything necessary to keep Cdns safe… “
• “U.S. lawmakers warn Canada about Chinese telecom giant Huawei”
• “Près de 6 M$ pour loger les immigrants temporairement”
• “A federal judge has approved a landmark deal to compensate members of the military and other agencies who were investigated and sometimes fired because of their sexual orientation …”
• “Veterans Ombudsman in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu June 18-19, 2018” (Vets ‘Budman info-machine)
• “Veterans Ombudsman To Hold Town Hall On Veterans’ Issues On June 19 In Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu”
• “Fluctuating sensor delayed PM’s aging plane en route to India, emails show”
• “Le Canada compte acquérir 25 F-18 usagés”
• “The Royal Canadian Navy in the Indo-Pacific: A Discussion with Matthew Fisher” (CGAI podcast)
• “His Excellency, The Right Honourable David Johnston, the 28th Governor-General of Canada, will become the next Colonel of The Regiment of The Royal Canadian Regiment. Mr. Johnston will replace Major-General (Retired) James Ivan Fenton in a ceremony in Kingston on August 5, 2018 …”
• “Russia scores, mortars fly: What it’s like to watch the World Cup from a Ukrainian war zone”
• “EU Ministers Extend Crimea Sanctions For Another Year”
• “N.Korea Offers to Remove Long-Range Artillery from Frontline”
• “U.S., S.Korea to Suspend Large-Scale Drills”
• “Minister: S. Korea ‘flexible’ on timing, format of ending Korean War”
• “S. Korea Flexible on Ending Joint US Military Drills” – “DoD Halts Planning for Ulchi Freedom Guardian Exercise, Spokesperson Says” (US DoD info-machine) – “Statement by Dana W. White Chief Pentagon Spokesperson on Military Exercises on the Korean Peninsula”
• “No, North Korea Hasn’t Blown Up Missile ‘Launch Sites’ After the June 12 Summit”
• “After the Trump-Kim Summit: Now Comes the Hard Part” (Crisis Group)
• “China adds to nuclear arsenal amid military modernisation drive”

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MILNEWS.ca: Inbox Highlights, 17 June 2018

• “Canada to purchase 25 used Australian F-18 jets if U.S. gives approval”
• “Canadian military supply shortage nothing new”
• “Saber Strike exercises wind up in Latvia”
• “Lithuania seeks U.S. military to combat to Russian menace”
• “Russia Challenges Ukraine in the Sea of Azov” (ISW Blog)
• “G7 countries eye threat of foreign fighters’ return — ISIS’s foreign fighters are either seeking their next jihadist spree or returning to their home countries …”
• One version:  “Most Canadians support helping Rohingya, split on border crossings: Nanos survey”
• Another version:  “Far More Canadians Want “Less Welcoming” Approach To Illegal Border Crossers” (Spencer Fernando blog)
• “Defence minister marks start of joint support ship construction at Seaspan” – “Le ministre Sajjan marque le début de la coupe de l’acier pour le premier Navire de soutien interarmées”
• “Les NCSM Oriole et Moncton en visite le long du Saint-Laurent et dans les Grands Lacs”
• Colonel Ted:  “Colony to Nation and Back to Colony … Colony to Nation and now, since about 1968, because “we’ve chosen to outsource a big chunk of our sovereignty to Washington,” it’s Back to Colony, again. The choice is clear: we either continue to surrender our sovereignty to Donald J Trump’s America or we must pay to have real, practical independence. Being an independent, sovereign nation means, inter alia, having the sort of hard military power we need …”
• “S. Korea proposes movement of N.K. long-range artillery away from border: sources”
• “China May Demand That US Remove THAAD From S Korea – Analyst”
• “US, China committed to full denuclearization of Korean Peninsula — US top diplomat”
• “Melting Ice, Thawing Relations: How International Law Can Ensure Peace In The Arctic”

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MILNEWS.ca: Inbox Highlights, 15 June 2018

• “REPORT: ISIS Fighter In Toronto Brags To Media About Executing People, Discusses Threat Of Attacks In The West” (Spencer Fernando blog) – Stewart Bell on Twitter: “For Canadians, another deeply disturbing @rcallimachi podcast about a Toronto-area ISIS member, in which he expresses no remorse & a continued attachment to violent extremist ideology. And yet has not been arrested …” – NYT Caliphate podcast:  “One Year Later — What does the future hold for the ISIS returnee who confessed to murder? And what does he believe now?”
• “Saber Strike 18 (in LTA) comes to a close … Countries that participated in the exercise include Canada, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Spain and the United Kingdom …” (Pentagon info-machine) – “19 NATO Allies and partners wrap up exercise Saber Strike 2018” (NATO info-machine)
• “Canada will continue to support Ukraine – Trudeau” – “Canada’s ambassador in Kyiv speaks on big expectations in and about Ukraine … When asked whether any arms are headed to Ukraine, Ambassador Waschuk said that “there are ongoing discussions about using these new opportunities” between the Canadian private sector in the military-industrial space and the Ukrainian government .,..”
• “Russian navy put on high alert off Ukraine coast: sources”
• “Trade dispute could leave U.S. firms out of the running to sell military equipment to Canada”
• Big Honkin’ Ship Update  “Minister Sajjan marks the start of steel cutting for the first Joint Support Ship” (DND info-machine)
• “Lockheed Martin Canada Awarded 3 Year Extension on Halifax Frigate Support Contract”
• “Royal Canadian Navy ships visit St. Lawrence Seaway-Great Lakes communities” (RCN info-machine)
• “At this Ontario farm, Canadian veterans are taking control over their own healing — ‘Broken’ after his discharge from the army, ex-paratrooper Eric Coupal founded the Quartz Ridge Sanctuary, near Sudbury, to help his fellow vets …”
• “Iran Rebukes Canadian Move to Label Revolutionary Guard ‘Terrorists’ “
• “How quickly could Canada build an atomic bomb?”
• “Calgarians who fought in America’s wars muster for benefits”
• “White House Releases Fresh Trump-Kim Jong-un Summit Coin” – “Korea Peace Talks Coin, Summit Medallion …” (White House Gift Store)
• “More on North Korea’s Missile Test Sites” (38 North)
• “French, British Ships to Sail Disputed Asian Sea, Rile China”
• “China’s coast guard conducts South China Sea drills to sharpen skills in ‘complex’ waters” (CHN mil media)
• “China carries out missile drills in South China Sea amid heightened tensions” – “Chinese navy deploys drones in South China Sea missile drills”
• “Beijing Ready to Retaliate Against US Tariffs on Chinese Goods”
• “Russian navy kicks off largest naval maneuver in 10 years in a surprise exercise aimed to counter a massive enemy attack”

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