MILNEWS.ca News Highlights – January 26, 2015

Veterans & Helping Veterans

• “Minister of Veterans Affairs affirms Government’s commitment to Canada’s Veterans and their families” – “Erin O’Toole, veterans affairs minister, announces ‘veteran-centric’ approach — Canada’s new veterans affairs minister has announced a new three-point “veteran-centric” plan for 2015, part of the government’s renewed efforts to mend a fractured relationship with its servicemen and women ….” – “Veterans Minister O’Toole to Make a ‘Respectful’ Approach” – “Erin O’Toole Vows Kinder Approach To Angered Veterans”
  
• PM Names New Parliamentary Secretary (PS) for VAC – VAC PS bio shows CF experience …. – …. joining new Minister with CF experience …. – …. and a DM with CF experience

Attacks on CF in Canada

• “Gun grabbing prompted ceremonial guard security probe — A month before a soldier was shot dead at the National War Memorial, a series of security incidents prompted an internal investigation into guards’ safety, the Citizen has learned ….”

#CANvsISIL

• “Technical briefing to provide update on Canadian combat operations against Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (this morning)”
• Commentary  “Stephen Harper’s lovely little war” – “Spinning Canada’s mission in Iraq” – “Letter: When military forces are in a war zone, combat is expected” – “Were Canadians misled about the mission in Iraq?”
• Iraq Situation Report: January 22-23, 2015
• More on Canada’s Operation IMPACT here, and on news from around that part of the world here (list of links) and here (Twitter list)

Internal Security

• “Stephen Harper says jihadist terrorism ‘seeks to harm us here’ “ – “Harper touts anti-terror bill, balanced budget in election-type speech” – “New security bill aimed at combating lone wolf attacks”
• “Khadr will seek to be released on bail — Former Guantanamo Bay detainee Omar Khadr will seek to be released on bail pending a decision on the appeal of his convictions in the United States ….” – “Omar Khadr will seek bail in March while he awaits appeal of his conviction in U.S. court”
• “Canadian man extradited to US pleads not guilty to providing support to suicide bombers — Iraqi national Faruq Khalil Muhammad ‘Isa, 36, allegedly provided support to Tunisian extremists who carried out a 2009 suicide bombing in Mosul that killed five soldiers on a US Army base ….”
• Commentary  “Radical Islam poses a real, direct threat to the West — including Canada” – “Canadian expert: What occurred in Paris was theater on a grand scale” – “Militarization of police forces not the answer to complex threats”

Ukraine

• From Canada’s Info-machine  “Minister Fast Leads Trade and Development Mission to Ukraine” – “Canada Outraged by Indiscriminate Rocket Attacks on Mariupol”
• “Modernized Canadian frigate departs for Mediterranean Sea over Ukraine crisis”
• Crisis in Ukraine: Daily Briefing – 23 January 2015, 7 PM Kyiv time (Ukrainian Canadian Congress)
• “Almost 62 thousand people called up within fourth wave of (Ukrainian) mobilization”
• ” ‘Support Ukrainian Army’ Campaign: MoD of Ukraine received UAH 153,843 mln. ($CDN 12.3 million)” (UKR MoD)
• “Ukraine general staff reports 184 Ukraine servicemen in militia captivity”
• ATO map, 26 Jan 2015 (English – UKR govt)
• ATO map, 24 Jan 2015 (Russian – pro-separatist page)
• Situational Report: 25 Jan 2015, 15:25 UTC (slavyangrad.org, pro-separatist)
• Situational Report: 23—24 Jan 2015, 14:00 UTC (slavyangrad.org)
• Situational Report: 19 Jan 2015 (slavyangrad.org)
• “Full-scale attack, report from Novorossiya” (pro-separatist media)
• “Rebels continue attacks against Ukrainian military positions” (UKR MoD) – “President’s address on the occasion of terrorist attack in Mariupol”
• “At the Heart of the Mariupol Crisis (Stratfor) — The current round of fighting around Mariupol has quieted down. That does not mean that it is over, however, because the strategic issues underlying the problem have not changed ….”
• “(UKR) President: Ukraine has evidence of Russia’s involvement in Donbas crimes”
• “Cargo 200 was delivered to Ulan Ude, Buryatia” (pro-Ukrainian site)
• “January 25 is proclaimed the Day of Mourning in Ukraine”
• “(UKR) PM appeals to western partners to immediately convene UN Security Council” – “UN Security Council to urgently consider impact of terrorist attack in Mariupol” – “UN Security Council to hold extraordinary meeting over Ukraine”
• “Obama not to interfere in “military conflict with Russia” “
• “Russia appreciates Israel’s readiness to mediate Ukrainian settlement — Kremlin spokesman”
• More of the latest from Ukraine here and here

Way Up North

• “Governor General Johnston discusses CFS Alert”

Other

• February 2013:  CF seeks poutine in a pouch – January 2015:  CF Info-machine talks (a bit) about poutine in a pouch
  
• “Over the horizon: a professional association for the Canadian military?”
• “Ottawa’s IT wing faces more delays in secure network project — Shared Services Canada pushes back project to replace existing system another year, citing a lack of resources and issues with federal security services ….”
• “Second Battalion (Royal Newfoundland Regiment) has a new commanding officer“
• “Loreena McKennitt formally invested as honorary colonel of the Air Staff and RCAF”
• “National Capital Open to support troops”
• “Canadian Government equips Ghana Navy to enhance patrols”

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