MILNEWS.ca Highlights – November 1, 2016

#CANvsISIL

• “Canada’s Governor General concludes visit to Jordan”
• DND’s latest on Operation IMPACT

Everyone Else Vs. ISIL

• “Inherent Resolve Strikes Target ISIL in Syria, Iraq”

Syria

• “Russia says resumption of Syria peace talks delayed indefinitely” – “West failure ‘caused indefinite delay in Syria talks’ “ – “West battles Russia but not terrorists in Syria – (RUS DefMin) Shoigu” – “Russia Needs International Help in Eradicating Terrorism in Syria” – “Anti-Russian Defamation Over Syria Campaign Helps Terrorists”
• “Overview of Military Situation in Aleppo City on November 1, 2016” (southfront.org, pro-RUS OSINT) – “Syrian War Report – October 31, 2016: Al-Nusra-led Forces Failed to Break Aleppo Siege” (southfront.org) – “Syria : Rebel assault to break Aleppo siege slows” – “Rebel Bombardment of Aleppo Killed 84 in Three Days: Syrian Army”
• “Syrian army makes gains in Damascus”
• “120 Daesh, 2 PKK/PYD targets hit in Syrian operation”
• “U.S. and Russian aircraft came close to crash over Syria”
• “UNICEF has been duped in Syria, says Russia’s defense ministry”
• “Partition is the best option for bringing peace to Syria” – “Why confederation can work in Syria”
• “Half of Russians fear Syria standoff could spark WW3, poll shows”

Iraq

• “The Campaign for Mosul: October 29-31, 2016” (ISW) – “Iraq forces poised for first push into Mosul” – “US aircraft to block ISIL militants fleeing Mosul in Iraq” – “Special forces hammer ISIS positions at gateway to Mosul”
• “Riyadh meddling in Iraqi Kurdistan region: Iranian official” – “Iran says can mediate between Iraq , Turkey”
• “Driven From Mosul, Islamic State Threatens New Territory in Iraq”
• “As Iraq raises oil production the burning question is — what happens after IS?” – “Iraq Oil: Positive Long-Term Opportunity” – “Some OPEC Members May Agree on Iraq’s Special Case in Production Freeze Deal”
• “UNHCR, Ministry of Interior achieve milestone in refugee rights in Iraq with new memorandum signing” (UN High Commissioner for Refugees)

Libya

• “Libyan Forces Begin Final Assault on Daesh in Sirte”
• “French-Emirati airbase in Libya ‘supporting Khalifa Haftar operations’ “ – “UAE’s military base in east Libya is shared with French troops to support Haftar”
• “Libya’s Chaos Prompts New US Calls for Action” – “Kerry, UK Foreign Secretary Host Meeting on Libya Stalemate” – “Western powers voice support Libyan PM in standoff with rivals” – “Western powers voice support Libyan PM in standoff with rivals” – “Are the West’s ‘Save Libya ‘ meetings really about saving Libya ?” – “After breaking it, West belatedly trying to put back Libya together”
• “Libya Doubles Oil Production Since OPEC’s Algeria Meeting”

Canada into Africa?

• “Africa mission could be risky and long-term, senator warns”
• “France Officially Ends Military Operation in Central African Republic” – “Central African Republic: 20,000 stranded at UN base — Humanitarian workers suspend relief efforts amid renewed fighting between militia groups, putting thousands at risk …”

Mo’ Peacekeeping?

• “The politically-charged issue of Peacekeeping”

Ukraine

• General Staff of the UKR Armed Forces (FB with photos, in Ukrainian):  “The inspection team from Canada, the Kingdom of Denmark and the Netherlands under the chairmanship of Lieutenant Colonel Francois Kasso met with the command of the 93-th separate Guards Mechanized Brigade Kharkiv …” – “NATO troops test Ukrainian weapons in Donbass”
• “Russia Opens Cases Against Ukraine Officers for Shelling Donbass Civilians”
• Updates from All Sides  “Latest from OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine, based on information received as of 19:30, 30 October 2016” – “Chief Monitor of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine calls for greater inclusion and recognition of role of women in peace-building” – UKR govt ATO map, 1 Nov 2016 – “Situation Update, east of Ukraine as of November 01, 2016” (UKR MoD) – “Militants launch 36 attacks on Ukrainian troops in Donbas in last day” – “Ukraine reports 1 KIA, 8 WIA’s in past 24 hours” – “One person killed, three injured as grenade explodes in Kropyvnytskyi military unit – media”
• “Alleged organizer of attempted homicide on Donbass militia leader gets 14 years in prison”
• “Ukraine’s Humanitarian Crisis Simmers”

Cold War 2.0

• “Canada Expanding OP REASSURANCE to Black Sea Region”  – “Media are invited to participate in a one-on-one telephone interview with the Commanding Officer of the Land Task Force currently deployed in Poland on Op REASSURANCE, Canada’s support to NATO assurance and deterrence measures in Central and Eastern Europe (Wednesday & Thursday) …” – “Romania and Bulgaria to Host Greater NATO Presence in the Black Sea Region”
• “Russian envoy says NATO refuses to discuss air defense in the Baltic at Moscow meeting”

What’s Canada Buying?

• Big Honkin’ Ships  “… Despite the issuance of the RFP for CSC, it is still not known how many new warships will be built – the program originally called for 15-16 ships – and we really do not know what the cost will be …” – “Public works clarifies gag order as experts warn of chill in warship debate”
• F-35 Tug o’ War  “What Keeps the F-35 Fighter Jet Alive?” (Centre for Research on Globalization)
• Wanted:  research into paper strips that can detect all sorts of nasties  “HIGH-DIMENSIONALITY COLORIMETRIC ARRAYS FOR MICROBIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL DETECTION-IDENTIFICATION … Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC) Suffield Research Centre (SRC) has an opportunity to develop and exploit an inexpensive and versatile detector, based on high-dimensionality colorimetric arrays, essentially a test panel of responsive indicators arranged on a disposablefilter paper fragment. The chemical nature of the responsive indicators is such that within a selection of 50-100 such indicators, millions of unique responses are possible, and unknown compounds will cause an unpredictable, but reproducible response …”

Internal Security

• “Functions of parliamentary accountability in national security” (National Security Law Blog)

Veterans & Helping Veterans (or Not?)

• “Defaulting on the debt — Are the Liberals Defaulting on the Debt Owed to Veterans? …”

Way Up North

• “Canada’s Foreign Policy – A Review: Episode Seven – Human Security and the Arctic” (CGAI Podcast)

Afghanistan

• “Audit of road-building projects in Afghanistan –20 percent now destroyed, rest falling apart”

Other

• “Job dissatisfaction and repeated moves across country causing Canadian soldiers to quit, report says” – Colonel Ted’s Take:  “A perpetual problem”
• “Ottawa faces class-action lawsuit over fired LGBT civil servants” – “Former military members who were discharged over sexuality launch class-action suits” – “Commons committee demands service record change for LGBTQ kicked out of the Forces”
• “Canadian Army Construction Exercise in Atlantic Canada helps ‘Build’ Soldiers’ Skills”
• Remember, under the Charter, “Any person charged with an offence has the right … to be presumed innocent until proven guilty according to law in a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal”  “Drug charges laid against military member at CFB Shilo” – “Soldier at CFB Shilo accused of trafficking cocaine”
• From the CAF’s Research Arm  “Neck pain research yields solutions” – “New common competency dictionary developed for performance appraisals”

Remembering

• “Kimberley veterans ‘sickened and saddened’ by cenotaph vandalism” – “Heartless vandals hit central Alberta veterans memorial’ – “Veterans memorial in Sylvan Lake vandalized”
• “The red poppy: an enduring symbol of remembrance around the globe since the First World War”
• “The 150th anniversary of the Fenian Raids: the militia roots of today’s Army are planted”
• “First Canadian woman army colonel oversaw creation of CWAC”

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