Election 2015: Kenney - Conservatives to Increase CANSOFCOM

In an election promise that was made about 2 weeks ago - but went unnoticed by many - Defence Minister Jason Kenney who is running for re-election in Calgary-Midnapore announced in Regina that if the Conservatives are re-elected, they will increase the size of the Canadian Armed Forces Special Forces by 35% over the next several years.

CAF JTF2 Members in Jamaica; helpin train the Jamaican Military on counter-insurgency engagement. Photo: Ottawa Citizen December 2014

The Canadian Armed Forces Special Operations Command (CANSOFCOM) is currently made up of five units; composed of just over 1,900 personnel. The Conservatives want to increase the Special Forces community by some 665 members by 2022. 

Such a plan, according to Kenney would require $75 million over the next four years. Kenney said that the Conservatives would invest $10 million in 2016-17, increasing to $30 million in 2019-20. Once the expansion was complete, the new CANSOFCOM would require $50 million a year to maintain the troop levels. 

Increasing the Special Forces community would help the CAF meet all its operational requirements, within Canada and Internationally. "Expansion of the Special Forces units will ensure that our Armed Forces are prepared to respond to the terror threat posed by groups such as the so-called Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS)," Kenney said. 

Refugee Crisis: CAF Can Help - Deploy Them

In the wake of the recent tragic death of 3 year old Alan Kurdi, his brother and mother - there have been calls for Canada and the World do to more to help Syrian and Iraqi refugees fleeing the Middle East. Minister of Defence Jason Kenney comes out and said that Canada has no responsibility to help the migrant issue. We had no 'onus' to help.

What about the human responsibility? While I have always been a proponent of the Peacekeeping Myth - that Canada became a Peacekeeping country as a war by other means during the Cold War. Canada has always cared about those in need.

According to the UN an estimated 350,000 refugees crossed the Mediterranean fleeing the Middle East in the last year - and approximately 2,500 have died trying. Earlier this year Italy made a global outcry for help on the migrant problem, as their Navy is baring the brunt of the rescue.



Other European nations have send support. In May Great Britain deployed HMS Bulwark to help. It rescued 500 migrants off of Libya earlier this year. The Irish Naval service also deployed a ship, and it has rescued some 2,000 migrants. As of August 22, 2015, the Italian Navy has rescued more than 3,000 migrants.

Canada has had a Naval vessel deployed to the Mediterranean since 2014, and could have went to the aid of migrants. But, according to the Royal Canadian Navy, they were never given the order to intervene by the Conservative Government.

My question is why not? Why does Canada not have any military responsibility to help European nations struggling with the thousands of migrants?

It would not cost any extra money to have the RCN vessel that is already deployed to help support Eastern Europe. Not sending help when it is the vicinity, is like not stopping at the scene of a horrific car accident on a back road, when you know paramedics will not make it in time.

Why not help at the refugee centers? Hungary has thousands of migrants blockaded in their train station. While this situation needs political help to help move the trains to locations willing to accept the migrants - the camps in Turkey and Jordan are huge, and quickly outgrow their boundaries. Canada could easily deploy the DART (Disaster Assistance Response Team) to one of the regions to help. This team specializes in setting up and helping in humanitarian crisises. They are usually deployed for a month long period, but with added support - the team could be deployed for a longer period of time.

In the current election campaign, the Liberals and NDP have both said they will do more to help the humanitarian issue caused by ISIS and the Syrian Civil War - neither are willing to continue to stand up and confront ISIS. Yet, now it seems the Conservatives are unwilling to help through  humanitarianism. What we need is a government that will step up on both fronts - the CAF can help in the refugee crisis all we need is a leader who will deploy them to do so.

Canada's War against ISIS to expand to Syria

Prime Minister Stephen Harper has asked the Canadian Parliament to support a motion that will be put forward to debate on Thursday March 26, 2015 to extend and expand Canada's current support for Op IMPACT. PM Harper has asked for a 1 year extension through March of 2016, and an expansion of the RCAF Air campaign into neighbouring Syria.

The current mission is set to end on April 7, 2015. Both opposition parties have responded with their disapproval of the motion, and have clearly said they will not support the mission. The NDP says they will pull the plug on the military mission if they get elected. This is despite the fact a majority of Canadians support the mission. With the Conservative majority - the vote is expected to be the same as it was last fall when the Conservatives all voted in favour of the mission. The debate on Thursday will be symbolic if little else.

PM Harper clearly outlined that they will not ask for Syrian permission to invade its airspace, but follow the lead of the US who are currently the only coalition member bombing ISIS targets in Syria. The RCAF will be able to target ISIS's heavy equipment which has been moved out of Iraq to hide from coalition strikes. Canada will become the first Coalition member to bomb targets alongside the US in Syria.

Last Friday in was announced the CF-18s had bombed two more ISIS positions in Iraq, a weapons facility and a fighting position.

Defence Minister Jason Kenney said late last night that the RCAF is looking to increase the number of air strikes possible, which will be possible in Syria, as several other nations are also bombing ISIS targets in Iraq, leaving few for Canadian fighters.

No details we given whether an increase in air-strikes means an increase in the number of CF-18s in the region will increase, or what the increase in flight time means for the governments current life extension of the CF-18s through 2025.

The expansion of the RCAF air campaign into Syria will not include Canada's 69 Special forces members who are currently training Kurdish forces in Northern Iraq.

Two RCAF CF-18's taxi in Kuwait before their next mission, January 2015.
Photo: Op IMPACT CF Combat Camera

Canada in Iraq: Possible Increase in CAF Deployment

Members of Op IMPACT carry the flag draped casket of Sgt. Doiron in Kuwait
on March 9 2015. Photo; CF Combat Camera

Canada's current mission in Iraq is set to expire April 7 2015, but no one expects Canada to withdraw from Operation IMPACT at that point. Defence Minister Kenney and Foreign Affairs Minister Nicholson both have said on the record that Canada is in the fights against ISIS for the long run. Even the Prime Minister has said Canada will not sit on the sidelines.

As the Conservative Cabinet gets to planning Canada's expected extension to the mission the consideration of deploying more Special Forces trainers to Norther Iraq is being considered. The Special Forces regiment in Petawawa has said they are ready for whatever the government asks of them, and are able to deploy quickly as the supply chain is already in place.

It was released yesterday that members of Canada's secret JTF2 group recently finished a tour in Northern Iraq before being replaced by the Special Forces Regiment out of Petawawa.

Col. (Ret) Day, former commander of JTF2, said yesterday that he wants to see an increase in the mandate of the mission, calling for Canada and other Western nations to allow their Special Forces to 'Manhunt' ISIS leaders, financiers, and supply coordinators.

Australia recently announced an increase of 300 soldiers headed to Iraq. So Canada might likely follow suit, or they could keep the status-quo.

Another option being considered is expanding the Air campaign into Syria, and the RCAF says they are ready for whatever the government asks them, but all decisions will be made by the government.

CAF to the Ukraine? New Minister Hints at possibility

The new Defence Minister Jason Kenney hinted late Wednesday that Canada is considering joining the United States in training the Ukrainian Military. Kenney also left the option open to extending Canada's mission against ISIS.

Kenney did not confirm anything, and nothing from DND has anything being official yet, but US forces are considering deploying to the Ukraine to help train the military on how to better defend themselves against Russian weaponry, including artillery and rockets.

The US mission would not begin until March of 2015, and by that point Canada's mission in Iraq is set to expire - but the Conservatives are likely to extend the mission, especially now that President Obama has asked congress for a limited ground war - and the wording he used is very similar to the mission Canadian Special Forces are doing right now.

So perhaps come March, Canadian Forces will be adding another training mission in the Ukraine to their list of deployments.

Original Article from Maclean's Magazein.