A Rick Hiller keeps those political types in a box where they belong, I wondered when something like this would surface. You know the real strength of anything when it can't compete on it's own merits and someone else’s in curtailed. If it's true I figured Harper and Company were a little stronger that this would indicate.

That should read -- are curtailed, Hillier.

Well, first of all, I never believe a word that comes out of Fife in any event.

This may have more to do with Peter Mackay then anything. A failure in External Affairs, and unfortunately, soon-to-be failure in Defence as well. Peter's only real use is in the House. There is no doubt Hillier is a tough man to rein in, but that's what you want in a fighter. As damian say, the men need someone they know has their back, and Hillier is that. God knows, they know the politicians don't. Changing out Hillier will be a clear signal that we're done in A'stan, and a failure there, too.

Generals are authorities on the army and wars...not politics.

Politicians are well, experts on nothing but we pay them to be political leaders not warriors .

The two should never cross the fence into the other's pastures.

I am wondering why it should be a surprise that Hillier might be gone in Feb 08......... Three years is the norm for a stint as CDS.

They only reason this is a "story" is that there are actually a number of people outside the CF who actually know who the CDS is for a change.

Our dumb radio chick this morning kept on about "Canada's top soldier in Afghanistan" being replaced.

Isn't it kind of scary that every bodunk news outlet in Canada has three "entertainment" correspondents, but even the largest ones don't have credible defence experts.

If the rumour is true, and I frankly have my doubts, given what Peter McKay said (he will look weak and silly if his strong denial), then I would be disappointed. WRT DND civilians, yes a lot of think they are the "continuity" of the Forces because they stay, and the uniforms get posted out. They are there to support our missions, and from my experience don't have the vision and experience of military commanders. That is why they shouldn't prevail. They should get on with their jobs, and if they are unhappy with military leadership, they can resign.

I think Hillier is an outstanding CDS whose term is up (CTV even opined he wants to go, so rumours are all over the map). I'll withold full judgement until confirmation comes in.

No surprise that there are precious few defence experts in the media James. The vast majority of us have so little use for them while in uniform that the thought of working with them after retirement is stomach turning.

The Liberals used to cluck that Hillier was partisaned and pro-Conservative. I think the way he stands up to the current government is proof to the contrary.

Hillier is truly a non-partisan. He does what's right for the military, not any particular political party.

I think it makes Canada stronger to have a CDS who stands up for soldiers, regardless of who the political masters of the day are.

So just who are Fife's "sources ??

"They", "observers", "insiders" --- Aunty Mary ?

Yesterday CTV headlines;
[Hillier to be replaced when term ends: CTV}

Today, CTV back pedals;

[However, Hillier may have personally decided not to stay on as the Armed Forces' chief of defence staff when his term expires.]CTV

Is Fife trying to undermine our military --- will even use anonymous "sources" to stir the pot. In some countries that is called treason.

Robert Fife??
This is an utter confabulation!
Fife is a waste of skin trying to justify his existence!

I give Robert Fife the same treatment I give Neil MacDonald: change the channel.

Who starts all this rubbish anyway?

When the MSM starts trying to prognosticate who may or may not be the CDS post 2008 I know to tune out. Since when did the MSM suddenly get interested which general is leading the CF.
In the decade past, they could have cared less.

It is simply not the MSMs call, but rather the government's call. Who is the MSM to evaluate the CDSs curriculum vitae anyway?

CDS Rick Hillier may be outspoken, but thats what you want in a CDS whose soldiers are taking a hit on the front line. About the only time that CDS Rick Hillier may have strayed into the political realm was the occasion when he referred to the LIEberal reign as a "decade of darkness" for the CF. The description was not only accurate and true, but probably warranted.

The CDS job is to ensure that the CF can defend against any and all threats. Asking the CF to defend with 30 year old equipment and constant cutbacks left some parts of the forces skeletal in structure. Jack Granatstein described the capability situation as a disastrous 'wreckage'. One might pose the question as to why previous CDS didn't raise the alarm sooner.

But of course defence was not a LIEberal priority.

For rebuilding the equipment end of the CF we can thank Gordon O'Connor for steering purchases of budget items through the various Commons committees.

Other than the Nyala vehicle, I can't recall the purchase of any significant equipment under the LIEberals reign. I'd say the bureaucratic constipation of the equipment replacement cycle was palpable.

I have no problem with a CDS being a strong advocate for his soldiers; provided at the end of the day they take their marching orders from Parliament.

Further, current Defence Minister Peter MacKay has suggested there is no basis to the rumours.

Looks like a tempest in a teapot to me.

The MSM can't get to first base with the Harperites, so to remain relevant they stir the rumour pot, chuck mud etc, to see if it sticks. These guys are floundering in the dark, now that their usual sources are not talking to them. Gordon O'Connor and Gen. Hillier have been the perfect tag team for our boys and girls in uniform, to get them what they need to do the job, despite the civi minders at DND, who think they run the show.

...history repeating itself.

Remember Rome and its senate?

Et tu, Brute?

Hillier publicly kneecapped his boss, who happened to be not only a former Brig. General and a decent man, but the man responsible for delivering planes in an unheard of 18 months. I'll be glad to see him go.

And in light of the extortion Newfoundland is gleefully practicing on the rest of Canada and the lowering of the Canadian flag there I would rather not see a Newfie running the Canadian Forces.

Fife is just a Liberal stooge. As a journalist, he is worthless.

It is my belief that Hillier has a MacArthur complex. Though popular with his troops and good at his job, he has over stepped the responsibilities of his position by meddling in political affairs on many occasions.

Granted if the conservatives had the b*lls to replace someone who fundamentally was not up to managing the political aspects of the Afghanistan issue (Canada's most significant foreign policy commitment in decades) maybe Hillier would not have felt compelled to cross the line.

Harper is to blame hear for trying to run his one man show and letting the situation deteriorate.

Rick is good at getting the military message across, therefore a serious threat to the left agenda, so they must dispose of him one way or another.

CBC gives

this quote from the MND:

"This speculation that's out there is really just that. There is no basis to this discussion right now."

But "There is no basis to this discussion right now" sounds a mite slippery.

Mark
Ottawa

"They'd see a leader, a rare and once endangered species at National Defence Headquarters."

While I understand Damian's intent this line is a disservice to the many, many real leaders at NDHQ. It would be a shame to see General Hillier go, he was My CO once upon a time, and I would follow him to Hell just to get ice cream, but DND will not collapse without him. Indeed it is a testament to the man himself that there are so many highly qualified, highly skilled and charismatic leaders behind him, ready to take up the fight.

Bobbie Fife would like to see the General retire. I think our powerful, outspoken General Hillier makes Bobbie and his ilk feel like small men.
Peter Mckay said the rumour was false. End of story, that never was, Bobbie.

'Harper is to blame hear for trying to run his one man show and letting the situation deteriorate.'

What exactly has deteriorated?

Oh yeah...some idiot by the name of Bob Fife (Barney's twin?) is wishing out loud!!!

Fife is so desperate to get his puppet-master liberals back in power that he would blather anything just to keep alive that carrot of a senate seat.

Methinks he should stop inventing rumours and help Dion remove those shivs from his back... that poor sod has bled all over La Belle Province in the last week.

Jim is right, its normal for the CDS to be replaced after three years. While it would be nice to keep Hillier for a couple of more years, doing so would mean that there are subordinate generals that cannot be promoted until he moves on.

As someone who has seen this happen before when I was in the military, it can cause a lot of heartache as the number of promotions is held up waiting for someone to retire or move on.

They(msm)certainly suceeded in changing the channel, No one is talking about Dion & his inner circle flunkies today.
Maybe the rumor or insinuation should have been that liberal insiders are also changing Dion's job along with Carrol.

We have to realize Hillier, O'Connor and Harper are a combination the Left couldn't handle. They became obsessed with them.

Harper believes we need a strong Military and rightly so. O'Connor did a fantastic job equipping the Forces with what they need in collaboration with Hillier, the best CDS we've had and a perfect General for this mission.

The MSM will be sorely disappointed, but Hillier is staying put, McKay says so and he says so.
We are in a war, and a smart person would not change Generals in the midst of it. Harper is a smart person, too bloody bad for the MSM and the likes of egotistical Scott Taylor.
Sad days for the hacks and hounds, this Conservative Prim Minister, General Hillier and our previous Defence Minister, O'Connor do not suffer fools. McKay is also on the right track, good for him.

Oops, It's Prime Minister not Prim Minister!!

As for Bob Fife, he should put his time to better use, get the right hair dye for his hair or something. Both he and Craig Oliver look like they've stayed too long at the fair.

"Politicians and the parasites that feed off them" is somewhat redundant. It should read "Politicians and the 'other' parasites that feed off them"

Hillier serves at the pleasure of one man, and one man only - if he's gone in February I wonder if there will be the same outrage directed at that one man who ousted him?

It all started when the poisonous gases from "Trudeaumania" displaced the oxygen in our brains! The vibes coming from the east were always going against the current of common sense.
I believe that the west is rapidly growing, (population and economics,) "we" will overcome.
The four western provinces will soon exceed Ontario's population. And Ontario is where a lot of the foul thinking is coming from.
As for our heroes, they are a necessary fabric in our society.

What ever happened to reporters confirming stories before printing the rumours? I guess that's asking too much.

bob fife isnt fit to lick Hillier's boots.Make that the soles of Gen Hilliers boots.

It occurred to me upon rereading this post that the only creature that would really care to do anything in Bob's ear would be a blowfly.... or possibly an earwig....

Methinks this could be the somewhat partisan press gallery's attempt to divert from the shi*t load of trouble the Lib's are in.wonder who thot this strategy up?I also notice,that on CTV National news,there was nary a mention of the whole Lib/Carroll fiasco last eve,only political story was the almost orgasmic Fife leaking this big news..and Lloyd eating it up.What gives bobbie,too crushed to deliver all thew news??

After going back to CTV's report ... which has been changing as the day goes on..... I'm beginning to see that some good may come of this.

Could it be that Bob Fife has confabulated his last story??
Perhaps a letter writing campaign to CTV would help that end??

Think Fife will notice his own credibility is taking a hit when he's making up this story?

Hillier's term is up.

Normal procedure is he gets replaced.

There's no mystery here.

Andrew @12:53...Your 'interpretation' of the communication situation from a few months ago matches the MSM's spin.I don't believe 'Hillier kneecapped his boss'. If anyone has links to that story I'd like to check it out. If I'm wrong I'll humbly apologise.

Fife wiggles and suirms and smirks like a silly gossiper at a bridge party when he thinks he has some dirt on the CPC and Prime Minister.

I took notice of the "ceremony" re: former Minister of Defense OConnor thanked in what was described as a parking lot.

Y'know a professional cameraman could have composed the shot without showing the large "ceremonial" dumpster, filling the frame.

A picture is worth a thousand words .... or knives.

"Hillier publicly kneecapped his boss, who happened to be not only a former Brig. General and a decent man, but the man responsible for delivering planes in an unheard of 18 months. I'll be glad to see him go."

Andrew... you are a smarmy little idiot who wouldn't be fit to wear our nation's military uniform. Crawl back under whatever partisan rock you came from and bother us no longer. General Hillier has more integrity than most Canadians can ever aspire to, and certainly more than a little worm like you. If you have never served in the CF, you don't have even the beginning of a clue. You sound like a liberal at his worst. Begone, pest.

when dealing with iffy information,
rule #1 is always consider the source. Who is the info coming from? CTV. Is the source reliable? no.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chief_of_the_Defence_Staff_(Canada)

It seems the standard to serve 3 to 4 years and that is it.

"If you have never served in the CF, you don't have even the beginning of a clue. "

And if you haven't served on Parliament Hill, my hinterland inhabiting friend, you'd best shut your ignorant cakehole. Consider yourself lucky that Canada manages to retain high value adding technological freaks like me to pay the bills that make this country happen - for now.

Hillier serves at the pleasure of one man, and one man only - if he's gone in February I wonder if there will be the same outrage directed at that one man who ousted him?

Stageleft, depending on what I hear about whether Hillier wanted to stay and was forced out, or if he was ready to go, you'll find outrage from my little corner of the blogosphere or not.

But this story is about Hillier supposedly getting too big for his britches, and I think that's a crock of crap.

I heard Prime Minister, Stephen Harper say that the three year position that General Hillier holds is not a term position. He said that Bobbi Fife's fabrication re: the retirement of General Hillier had never been discussed in his office. Bobbi has a credability problem. He should tell his readers where he got his information.

I was at the farewell to Minister O'Connor. Fife spent over two hours hanging around outside. I watched him personally directing the placement of the camera and shots to ensure it looked like the quarter guard was beside a dumpster.

The minister arrived early (CDS was right on appointed time) and went immediately to dais, thus VCDS accompanied him.

Fife's story (come to think of it "story" is the right word)is an entire constuct - there is no whole cloth in it. Unnamed insider sources, usual throw-away comments from Taylor, in other words a manufactured item with no truth in it.

Perhaps it's time the media contented themselves with reporting and/or analyzing the news, rather than creating it?

Or perhaps Fife seems himself as a king-maker/king-breaker?

Fife - a pathetic bitter little man with delusions of grandeur?
- a sycophant of the liberal elite who are elite no more ?
- possibly he's still dreaming of reaping the usual rewards of devotion to the liberals ?
- Perhaps he sees his dreams of riches and praise lost ?
- Continues to carry water for them out of habit or faint hope?
- Perhaps a drowning fearful soul lost with a sinking boat and clutching at straws?
-
In any case and IMO - Fife never WAS a reporter of any talent or significance but depended on the steady drip of 'leaks' from liberal insiders who could rely on him to promote the party line.

When he is gone ... and it should be soon .... the world of reporting will have been cleaned up just a little.

Oh come now Damian, we both know that regardless of how it rolls out when Hillier leaves it will be proceeded with a statement from Harper that begins with It is with deep regret that I have accepted......

That's the way things work at that level of politics and we both know it.