By: David Pugliese, Defence Watch
Michael Staples at The Daily Gleaner newspaper in Fredericton recently had an interview with Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Jon Vance, in which some of the general’s interesting views emerged.
During the interview Vance claimed that all the discussion over the last several months about a Canadian military mission to Africa was just an “assumption” based on “people’s own assessments in the media.” “It’s been “over reported,” Vance claimed.
“Right now, I’ll tell you, honestly, there is no such thing as an Africa mission,” Vance told The Daily Gleaner. “It’s been over reported based on peoples’ own assessments in the media, in my view, that if you look at the world, it’s going to be an African mission. It’s an assumption.”
I wonder where all that “over reporting” came from? How did these media commentators ever, ever come to the “assumption” that the Canadian military was going to conduct an operation/operations in Africa?
Could it be in August when Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan told journalists that the Canadian military was looking at a number of countries in Africa to contribute troops?
Maybe.
Or how about this statement back in July?
“Internationally, the Army is at the forefront, managing conflicts around the world, contributing to operations in Iraq, building capacity with allies and partners in Poland, Ukraine, and very soon in Africa.”
Who said that?
Yes, that came direct from…..Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Jon Vance.
Saturday, October 8, 2016
CAF Disaster Assessment Team sent to Haiti: DART on Standby
By: David Pugliese, The Ottawa Citizen
The Canadian government has sent a Canadian Disaster Assessment Team (CDAT) to Haiti and put aside up to $3 million as an initial humanitarian response for those in Haiti and other countries in the region affected by Hurricane Matthew.
“The CDAT will rapidly assess the situation, which is a critical step in ensuring that a Canadian response to the hurricane is coordinated, evidence-based and tailored to the needs on the ground,” the government stated in a news release. Canada is also supporting the United Nations disaster assessment teams in Jamaica and Haiti, who are still examining the situation and assisting local authorities.
Canadian military sources say the Disaster Assistance Response Team is getting ready to move out when they get the word.
Here are more details from the government news statement:
On October 4, 2016, Hurricane Matthew tore through Haiti, Jamaica, Cuba and the Dominican Republic.
Over 1.24 million people are estimated to have been affected by Hurricane Matthew in Haiti.
Haiti was the hardest-hit country and requires attention in at least 11 communities around the Grand’Anse, Nippes and Sud areas, where there has been coastal flooding.
The role of the CDAT is to meet with local and international representatives to assess the needs on the ground and to identify potential follow-up response options for the Government of Canada.
The CDAT comprises three experts from Global Affairs Canada and three officers from the Canadian Armed Forces, including the Disaster Assistance Response Team Commander.
The Canadian government has sent a Canadian Disaster Assessment Team (CDAT) to Haiti and put aside up to $3 million as an initial humanitarian response for those in Haiti and other countries in the region affected by Hurricane Matthew.
“The CDAT will rapidly assess the situation, which is a critical step in ensuring that a Canadian response to the hurricane is coordinated, evidence-based and tailored to the needs on the ground,” the government stated in a news release. Canada is also supporting the United Nations disaster assessment teams in Jamaica and Haiti, who are still examining the situation and assisting local authorities.
Canadian military sources say the Disaster Assistance Response Team is getting ready to move out when they get the word.
Here are more details from the government news statement:
On October 4, 2016, Hurricane Matthew tore through Haiti, Jamaica, Cuba and the Dominican Republic.
Over 1.24 million people are estimated to have been affected by Hurricane Matthew in Haiti.
Haiti was the hardest-hit country and requires attention in at least 11 communities around the Grand’Anse, Nippes and Sud areas, where there has been coastal flooding.
The role of the CDAT is to meet with local and international representatives to assess the needs on the ground and to identify potential follow-up response options for the Government of Canada.
The CDAT comprises three experts from Global Affairs Canada and three officers from the Canadian Armed Forces, including the Disaster Assistance Response Team Commander.
Thursday, October 6, 2016
General: Canadian Special Forces have been in Firefights with ISIS
The Canadian Press
Information from a Technical Briefing from the Canadian Forces
Canadian special forces troops are spending more time on the front lines in Iraq and have engaged in a number of gunfights with Islamic insurgents in the last few months.
Brig.-Gen. Peter Dawe, deputy commander of the special forces, says the additional time on the front lines is a result of Kurdish allies needing less training.
Instead, Dawe says his soldiers are helping and mentoring the Kurds as they launch attacks against forces from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.
Dawe says Canadian troops have fired back on a number of instances either to protect themselves or friendly forces.
He says no Canadian soldiers have been killed or injured in the recent battles.
Canada has about 200 special forces soldiers helping Kurdish forces fight ISIL in northern Iraq.
Canadian special forces troops are spending more time on the front lines in Iraq and have engaged in a number of gunfights with Islamic insurgents in the last few months.
Brig.-Gen. Peter Dawe, deputy commander of the special forces, says the additional time on the front lines is a result of Kurdish allies needing less training.
Instead, Dawe says his soldiers are helping and mentoring the Kurds as they launch attacks against forces from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.
Dawe says Canadian troops have fired back on a number of instances either to protect themselves or friendly forces.
He says no Canadian soldiers have been killed or injured in the recent battles.
Canada has about 200 special forces soldiers helping Kurdish forces fight ISIL in northern Iraq.
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| Military officials, Lieutenant-General Stephen Bowes, Brigadier-General Peter Dawe, provide update on Canada’s role in fight against ISIS on Thursday, Oct. 6, 2016. |
HMCS Brandon, Edmonton and Kingston departing for Op CARIBBE
DND Press Release
Over the next two days, Her Majesty’s Canadian Ships (HMCS) Brandon, Edmonton and Kingston are departing to participate in Operation CARIBBE, Canada’s contribution the multinational campaign against illicit trafficking by transnational criminal organizations in the Eastern Pacific Ocean and Caribbean.
Operation CARIBBE is one of the many activities undertaken by the Government of Canada and DND/CAF as part of Canada's broader commitment to engagement in the Americas. This annual operation directly supports the CAF's mission to defend against threats and security challenges to Canada, North America, and our defence and security partners.
"One of the Royal Canadian Navy’s most fundamental responsibilities is protecting and maintaining maritime security at home and abroad," said Rear-Admiral Art McDonald, Commander, Maritime Forces Pacific. "We are committed to working with our partners who share our common values and goals in promoting regional stability while supressing criminal activity at sea. Operation CARIBBE builds upon and strengthens existing relationships and this is what enables our sailors to continue their success during this operation now and well into the future."
HMCS Brandon and Edmonton depart Esquimalt, B.C. on October 6 to participate in Operation CARIBBE in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. HMCS Kingston is planned to depart Halifax on October 7 to conduct operations in the Caribbean area of operations. Following readiness training at-sea, the ships will formally join Operation CARIBBE in the coming days.
"On behalf of all the personnel in Maritime Forces Atlantic, I wish the ship's company of HMCSKingston a safe deployment to the Caribbean Sea," said Rear-Admiral John Newton, Commander Joint Task Force Atlantic and Commander Maritime Forces Atlantic. "This cooperation with fourteen like-minded nations to stem flows of illicit drugs on the international sea lanes is a valuable contribution to regional stability. Moreover, the professionalism at sea and ashore will reinforce Canada's contributions to confidence and capacity building measures in the region. To all aboard Kingston, I know you will make us proud."
This deployment will look to build upon the success of HMC Ships Moncton, Summerside, Edmonton, Saskatoon, and Vancouver, which so far in 2016 have seized and disrupted a total of approximately 2,930 kg of cocaine and 1,520 kg of marijuana while working with the United States Coast Guard and embedded Law Enforcement Detachments.
The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) have conducted Operation CARIBBE since November 2006 and remain committed to working with Western Hemisphere and European partners to address security challenges in the region and to disrupt illicit trafficking operations
Over the next two days, Her Majesty’s Canadian Ships (HMCS) Brandon, Edmonton and Kingston are departing to participate in Operation CARIBBE, Canada’s contribution the multinational campaign against illicit trafficking by transnational criminal organizations in the Eastern Pacific Ocean and Caribbean.
Operation CARIBBE is one of the many activities undertaken by the Government of Canada and DND/CAF as part of Canada's broader commitment to engagement in the Americas. This annual operation directly supports the CAF's mission to defend against threats and security challenges to Canada, North America, and our defence and security partners.
"One of the Royal Canadian Navy’s most fundamental responsibilities is protecting and maintaining maritime security at home and abroad," said Rear-Admiral Art McDonald, Commander, Maritime Forces Pacific. "We are committed to working with our partners who share our common values and goals in promoting regional stability while supressing criminal activity at sea. Operation CARIBBE builds upon and strengthens existing relationships and this is what enables our sailors to continue their success during this operation now and well into the future."
HMCS Brandon and Edmonton depart Esquimalt, B.C. on October 6 to participate in Operation CARIBBE in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. HMCS Kingston is planned to depart Halifax on October 7 to conduct operations in the Caribbean area of operations. Following readiness training at-sea, the ships will formally join Operation CARIBBE in the coming days.
"On behalf of all the personnel in Maritime Forces Atlantic, I wish the ship's company of HMCSKingston a safe deployment to the Caribbean Sea," said Rear-Admiral John Newton, Commander Joint Task Force Atlantic and Commander Maritime Forces Atlantic. "This cooperation with fourteen like-minded nations to stem flows of illicit drugs on the international sea lanes is a valuable contribution to regional stability. Moreover, the professionalism at sea and ashore will reinforce Canada's contributions to confidence and capacity building measures in the region. To all aboard Kingston, I know you will make us proud."
This deployment will look to build upon the success of HMC Ships Moncton, Summerside, Edmonton, Saskatoon, and Vancouver, which so far in 2016 have seized and disrupted a total of approximately 2,930 kg of cocaine and 1,520 kg of marijuana while working with the United States Coast Guard and embedded Law Enforcement Detachments.
The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) have conducted Operation CARIBBE since November 2006 and remain committed to working with Western Hemisphere and European partners to address security challenges in the region and to disrupt illicit trafficking operations
Wednesday, October 5, 2016
Granatstein: Think Carefully before deciding to Deploy Peacekeepers
By J.L. Granatstein, The Globe and Mail
October 3, 2016
Some nations, Bangladesh for one, provide troops to United Nations operations for the money the UN pays for each soldier’s services. That cash is a good boost for its scarce foreign exchange reserves. Canada, however, is much different. We don’t need the foreign exchange. Instead, we are offering the UN up to 600 soldiers and 150 police in exchange – we hope – for votes for a term for Canada on the UN Security Council a few years hence.
Trolling for votes with our men and women in uniform as bait is uniquely unseemly for Canada, but what makes this even worse is that we don’t yet know which UN mission(s) we want to support. Canada is preaching for a call somewhere, some day. But as the Chief of the Defence Staff, General Jonathan Vance, says, this quest is not politically motivated: “I reject the notion that this is done simply for political reasons and putting troops in harm’s way into risky areas for anything other than the true merits of the value of the use of military force,” he told a parliamentary committee. There, that’s settled.
So where will the troops go? Somewhere in Africa seems to be the government’s preferred option, with Mali, the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Central African Republic and South Sudan always mentioned. None of these existing operations is a traditional peacekeeping mission where a blue helmet and an unloaded rifle once sufficed. These are wars with mass civilian killings and heavy casualties between opposing forces and “peacekeepers.”
Yes, Canadians can play a useful role in such conflicts, but we need to understand the desiderata before we send our men and women overseas. First, there must be strong support at the UN with the full Security Council on board. Then, the parties that are doing the fighting must accept the UN deployment – if not, we must understand we will be fighting against one (or more) sides in the dispute. Next, Canada must ensure that its contingent is well-trained and well-equipped for the particular mission, something that takes time and money. There must be reliable allies on the UN force, a safe logistical base, and a way into the operation – and a way out if the mission collapses into chaos. And we require a set withdrawal date – no more 30-year commitments such as the UN Cyprus operation that kept as many as a thousand Canadians there from 1964.
In addition, we need to consider carefully some other factors. There may be no value in putting our soldiers into the jungles of the Congo, for example, not least because white troops are unwelcome to the factions at war there. The infrastructure of that huge nation is also underdeveloped, making logistics a challenge. Think very carefully before deciding to deploy, in other words.
Finally, the government needs to consider how to sustain and maintain our troops. We have Special Forces operating in Iraq against Islamic State; we have trainers working in Eastern Europe; and we recently put a frigate into the Black Sea. Canada has also committed to station some 450 soldiers in Latvia as a counter to possible Russian aggression. Each one of these deployments requires logistical support, and when the military adds another 600 soldiers in Africa, the supply and air transport demands will quickly become very large. Add to this that troops need to be rotated every six to 12 months, that new deployments must be trained, and that soldiers cannot do deployment after deployment without a break. The challenge to sustain the Canadian Forces abroad can quickly become unsustainable.
So what should Canada do? Peace operations can be useful, and the government should undertake them if the requirements are met, but only if they are met and the operations are sustainable. To ensure that this is so, Parliament should be asked to vote to support every substantial deployment overseas. Without a parliamentary mandate, there cannot be long-lasting public support, and it is always important for our MPs to accept the burden of responsibility for the lives of Canada’s soldiers. The government is under no obligation to get the House’s support, but it should.
----
October 3, 2016
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| Canadian "Peacekeepers" in Haiti following the most recent earthquake. Image :MCpl Marc-Andre Gaudreault, Canadian Forces Combat Camera |
Trolling for votes with our men and women in uniform as bait is uniquely unseemly for Canada, but what makes this even worse is that we don’t yet know which UN mission(s) we want to support. Canada is preaching for a call somewhere, some day. But as the Chief of the Defence Staff, General Jonathan Vance, says, this quest is not politically motivated: “I reject the notion that this is done simply for political reasons and putting troops in harm’s way into risky areas for anything other than the true merits of the value of the use of military force,” he told a parliamentary committee. There, that’s settled.
So where will the troops go? Somewhere in Africa seems to be the government’s preferred option, with Mali, the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Central African Republic and South Sudan always mentioned. None of these existing operations is a traditional peacekeeping mission where a blue helmet and an unloaded rifle once sufficed. These are wars with mass civilian killings and heavy casualties between opposing forces and “peacekeepers.”
Yes, Canadians can play a useful role in such conflicts, but we need to understand the desiderata before we send our men and women overseas. First, there must be strong support at the UN with the full Security Council on board. Then, the parties that are doing the fighting must accept the UN deployment – if not, we must understand we will be fighting against one (or more) sides in the dispute. Next, Canada must ensure that its contingent is well-trained and well-equipped for the particular mission, something that takes time and money. There must be reliable allies on the UN force, a safe logistical base, and a way into the operation – and a way out if the mission collapses into chaos. And we require a set withdrawal date – no more 30-year commitments such as the UN Cyprus operation that kept as many as a thousand Canadians there from 1964.
In addition, we need to consider carefully some other factors. There may be no value in putting our soldiers into the jungles of the Congo, for example, not least because white troops are unwelcome to the factions at war there. The infrastructure of that huge nation is also underdeveloped, making logistics a challenge. Think very carefully before deciding to deploy, in other words.
Finally, the government needs to consider how to sustain and maintain our troops. We have Special Forces operating in Iraq against Islamic State; we have trainers working in Eastern Europe; and we recently put a frigate into the Black Sea. Canada has also committed to station some 450 soldiers in Latvia as a counter to possible Russian aggression. Each one of these deployments requires logistical support, and when the military adds another 600 soldiers in Africa, the supply and air transport demands will quickly become very large. Add to this that troops need to be rotated every six to 12 months, that new deployments must be trained, and that soldiers cannot do deployment after deployment without a break. The challenge to sustain the Canadian Forces abroad can quickly become unsustainable.
So what should Canada do? Peace operations can be useful, and the government should undertake them if the requirements are met, but only if they are met and the operations are sustainable. To ensure that this is so, Parliament should be asked to vote to support every substantial deployment overseas. Without a parliamentary mandate, there cannot be long-lasting public support, and it is always important for our MPs to accept the burden of responsibility for the lives of Canada’s soldiers. The government is under no obligation to get the House’s support, but it should.
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J.L. Granatstein is a Fellow of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute, as well as a highly reputable Canadian Military Historian.
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