No matter what mainstream political spectrum one comes from, you’d think that we should all be able to agree that a healthy, modern, and robust Canadian Armed Forces is a good thing. Whether deployed to offer aid, intervene in genocide, or support our allies in time of need, a refurbished, regenerated, and reenergized Canadian Armed Forces can do nothing but assist Canada in her long term strategic needs. What’s amazing though, is that for decades, one the most important facets of a country’s independence, her military, has been the abused child of successive governments.
The Torch: The senators say the government needs to pump billions more into defence and recruit thousands of more people if it wants to meet what they call its No. 1 responsibility: the protection of Canadians.
NATO: NATO Spokesman James Appathurai told reporters that NATO has for many years gone through very fundamental changes in terms of what it is doing and this development will bring the force planning further into line with the realities of the 21st century. It represent a substantial realignment of the way in which NATO will plan to structure its forces, he said.
Celestial Junk: Pierre Elliot Trudeau, Jean Chretien, Brian Mulroney, and Paul Martin should go down in history as the leading proponents of the new warfare called, “killing an Military with a thousand cuts”. Over the past decades every opportunity has been taken by these gentlemen, all former prime ministers, to slash, cut, and trim down, the Canadian Forces.
Daimnation: Canadians seem incapable of understanding that, in terms of enforcing international peace and security, there is no such thing as the UN. There are the five permanent members of the Security Council, each pursuing its own national interest. Only rarely – as with the 1991 Gulf War and currently with Afghanistan – do those interests coincide to the extent of authorizing the use of armed force. Maj.-Gen. (ret’d) Lewis Mackenzie explains.
DND on Joint Support Ship: The new Joint Support Ship’s (JSS) ultimate goal is the delivery of three multi-role vessels with substantially more capability than the AORs. In addition to being able to provide at-sea support to deployed naval task groups, they will also be capable of sealift operations as well as support to forces deployed ashore.
Amen to one and all who blog/write in support of the Forces.
Canadians will appreciate PMSH & MND O’Connor as they make the tough calls to invest in our troops.
It is the proper thing to do, good work.
So long overdue, it’s beyond belief. I remember O’Connor from the armoured corps school. He was a straight shooting (literally) no-nonsense kind of man then and I’m sure that hasn’t changed. I’m sure he’ll be aiming to get the best for the troops.
Long overdue. I say anyway.
The number one function of ANY government is the security of our boarders inside & out.
That destroying the military has not helped health care one iota, is a fact.
The system has gotten worse in waiting times & surgical practice. No the least is the lack of med tech, which we have developed mostly being used in our own Nation.
It went into the pockets of hospital administrators. The Federal Government as well. Lot of happy ad company exec, campers too.
Just a perusal of our highways & other institutions not affiliated with federal largesse. This alone is enough to show us it was not military expenditures that hurt this Country. It was pure graft.
To project one values you have to be able to back em up. This soft power BS was a con game by Liberals as an excuse to raid the cookie jar for personnel use.
With the size of this Nation & small population. Asking 2% of our GNp going to the military is peanuts.
Just getting rid of the freeloaders would pay it off. That there now taking this as serious as they are in ALL party’s . Shows just how die things are . If not how close we are to world war, if not fighting one now.
I might state again for the less discerning. During war, things like gay pride & eco -nut fantasizes have a short shelf life when individual survival is in jeopardy. Only a self indulgent decadent society can suffer fools for long. Or support there inanities with monies needed for self defense.
Lets do our Military proud & God Bless them for the fortitude & sense of duty these young people are bringing us. I pray for there safety, that there job in afstan or wherever there called, will be a success. We may have to sacrifice for a wee bit of a time to upgrade the fighting men & Women, but in the end it will be a smart move.
I always wonder what these anti military people think? Do they really believe there will never be a war again or someone trying to conquer them? That is moonshine laced with LSD.
Yes, we should all be able to agree what is required. It’s a no-brainer.
Implementing the remedies to rebuid what we have spent 2 generations destroying is my worry. There seem to be at least 3 major hurdles we as Canadians have to clear;
1. Provide the leadership and basic infrastructure at the political level. Anouncements such as the above is a good start…But I’ll believe it only when I stand on the deck of the new ship or twist the steering wheel of the new truck…
2. All the money spent on recruiting initiatives will not be successful (to the extent required) unless a lot more Canadians feel a personal responsibility, and join the Forces, Regular or Reserve. Dare I use the scary, politically incorrect term “Patriotism”? Successfully encouraging that attitude among Canadians will be a huge and long term task. We have the ramifications of generations of Trudeaupia to undo.
3. Reversing what I call the “Loss of Institutional Memory”.
Imagine a picture. it is comprised of Picture Elements, or Pixels. You can take some pixels out, and you need only step back a bit, and the picture is still there. But, if you keep removing pixels, eventually the picture dissolves into random dots. Too many of the experienced field leaders warfighters are gone. The Forces has gotten so small, bureaucratic, and entitlement oriented at the senior levels that this is my greatest concern. At some point in the near future, we’re going to have to take our few remaining warriors out of the field and have them train new personnel. This will apply to all branches of the Service. (as an aside, a general housecleaning of senior ranks and civil bureaucrats is also required)
A modern military cannot magically appear overnight. There is no “Break Glass in Case of War” box on the wall. Even in the past, when the knowledge and professionalism required was less important, it doesn’t happen quickly. We spent the first 3 years of WWII losing badly, at the cost hundreds of thousands of lives. In this day and age, we don’t have 3 years to “spool up” our country.
I’m not being pessimistic, I’m being realistic.
Do we, as a country, have the determination and commitment to do it?
I fervently hope so.
I fully agree; we’ve arrogantly ignored our military and defence obligations in the free world.
By ‘arrogantly’ I mean that we have instead relied on the USA to protect democracy, a free economy and our liberal interests in the world. And while we relied on the US to provide this infrastructure, on the US taxpayer to support that infrastructure and on Americans to actually fight and die for that infrastructure, we constantly informed them how superior we are, how we are ‘peaceful’ and tolerant.
But it was the other way around. We offloaded all our obligations onto them, while we reaped the democratic and economic benefits.
So, it’s about time that Canada mature and start to take on mature obligations in the world.
I probably posted this before but…
Back in about 1978 I was driving back from a drill rig in northern Alberta and I picked up a young Indian man hitchhiking. He was 18, long hair, coke bottle eye glasses, terrible acne, sorry to comment on someone’s physical appearance but – he didn’t strike me as one of life’s winners. Anyway, he was on his way to Edmonton to enter the armed forces, he expected to learn to be a diesel mechanic. He may not have struck me as “one of life’s winners” but when I dropped him off I was left with a good feeling of hope and optimism regarding this young man’s future. But that was back in the days before “progressive” political philosophies had really taken over Canada. What in the world would ever motivate a young Indian man to find such a way to learn a trade in the Canada of today?
For a country the size of Canada, with all that airspace and coastline to protect and defend, the size that the Canadian Armed Forces has been forced to is totally disgusting. I was one of the victims of the Cretien cuts of ’93 and I ended up “retiring” with mixed emotions. Sad, because I was leaving a career I loved but glad that I didn’t have to put up and shut up as politicians screwed the military. Also, ever try to start a new career in your 40s? After 23 years of paying UI I was entitled to diddily squat and the taxes on the retirement package was an albatross around my neck as Revenue Canada couldn’t see to treat me like a liberal ethics commissioner.
I have yet to see any piece of military equipment be replaced before it is well beyond it’s due date. Canadian service people are the true inspiration for Red Green as I’ve seen more than my fair share of duct tape (or gun tape) being used as a fix.
Rebuilding the military will take a long time as the experienced hands have long gone, except for the mahogany bomber pilots (NDHQ chair warmers). Hopefully, new equipment and more people enlisting and staying will rebuild the ranks.
Amen and pass the ammunition.
Looking forward to the procurment of new heavy lift aircraft. I can’t tell you how embarrasing it was to see our troops arriving back in Edmonton from Afghanistan on a chartered Malaysian Airlines 747. Frickin Chretien/Martin.
Our CF-18’s a re starting to get a little long in the tooth as well. Back during Desert Storm I we had to borrow batteries from the Spanish Air Forces to get our Hornets back home.
A replacement A/C for the Snowbirds…….?
I was hoping (and it would have been great optics) that PMSH would get rid of the two Challenger jets that the Liberals snuck in during a past baudget deadline. It was rumored that after the two jets left the Bombardier assembly line, they were wisked down to Ft.Worth where they spend several months being outfitted in walnut and marble bling, thus increasing the “dealer sticker price” by over 50%.
new equipment is only part of the answer; the other part is getting rid of the carearist mentality, emphasis on management rather than leadership and the buck passing by senior leadership.
YES, surely this thread will be unanimous (and my veteran father may stop rolling in his grave).
From a libertarian perspective, job 1 of government is protection from domestic threats (violence/fraud) and from outside our borders. With rock-solid consistency our Natural Governing Party has made job#1 job#999 by being soft on domestic crime, soft on terrorism (allowing 10s of thousands of immigrants from high threat countries like Pakistan and Afghanistan post 9/11) and criminally negligent on the military, while adopting a sickening stance of moral superiority and outright contempt for our guardian and trading partner, the US.
Another thing libertarians expect of government is the enforcement of contracts: if memory serves one of the first acts of the Libranos was the tearing up of a contract and, to emphasize its perfect perfidy, a military contract at that.
Canadians that know & respect our forces understand how far our military has been reduced over the past number of years, lack of spending, constant make due with what you have has drastically reduced us in eyes of our fellow Nato members. Trying to fix sub’s due to ill-fated purchase’s, Sea-Kings flying more hours then would be allowed in the private sector, Ships that are over 40yrs old with equipment on board that you can’t even get parts for & trucks that have rusted right through that would not even pass a saftey on our highways, renting airlifts from the russian’s, borrowing batteries from Spain the list goes on & on. Yet what was the first question to O’Connor from the press “how much are you tied in with the manufacturers”. Daliwal & NDP think its a complete waste of monies & that it could be spent else where. Well thanks to the dippers we have to spend money like this just to try & catch up with other Nato countries. The moral in our forces has been at it’s lowest in years because of these actions. Well done Mr.Harper & Mr.O’Connor iam sure that our forces will once again be the proud force we once were.
Oh & BTW did you notice the ship behind O’Connor when making the annoucement.
Kate,
You forgot to mention that CBC Radio referred to a “Conservative spending spree” in all of its news reports yeaterday.
Anything that helps our soldiers do their jobs more effectively is a good investment.
This investment is a great start.
But it is only that, a start.
It gives us a partial strategic lift capability, which is important, and easy to justify, because it can have non-military uses.
But we still need: new (non-defective) submarines, partrol ships that can actually do the job, new fighters (and munitions for them), main battle tanks (we’re phasing ours out), and some sort of long range strike capability (i.e. bombers).
Still, this is a vast improvement over the years when I was an army reservist (during the 90’s) when we didn’t even have enough blank ammunition to run proper excercises.
National defence is a classic example of something the government MUST do, because it is something that families and the private sector CAN’T do.
But of course, I’m sure there are some at Rabble wondering why this money wasn’t spent on day care centers…
Ref. Cjunk’s remarks:
There’s no excusing Canada’s poor showing relative to it’s NATO/NORAD partners spending on defense. But I wouldn’t lump Brian Mulroney in with Trudeau and his fellow Liberal PMs. The Liberal attitude to defense was truly appalling.
Canada’s defense spending peaked in 1951 at about $14.3B. From there it hit a low point at about $8B under P.E.T.
Mulroney’s government boosted it back up to around $14B bringing in big ticket equipment such as the CF-18, ADATS and frigates. Mulroney with Perrin Beatty as Def Minister brought Canada’s forces in Europe up to a respectable level after years of neglect by Liberals.
Note: all figures in constant year 2002 dollars.
BTW, one other thing:
When the Cbc mentioned this on their website, it was referred to not only as a “spending spree”, but as the military “getting new toys to play with”.
I am outraged at this desciption. These are NOT “toys”. They are vital tools to our national security. Military equipment saves lives.
To treat these purchases as “toys” (presumably to be played with by the “big kids” in the military) degrades a noble and vital profession.
Of course, if the money were for, say, new broadcast equipment for the cbc, I’m sure it would be “a vital part of our cultural mosaic….” or some such nonsense.
I appreciate that Canada is getting ready to spend another billion on the Navy, and I think that this is splendid and long overdue.
However, you simply must get helicopters to your troops in Afghanistan. These guys are already deployed and in harm’s way.
They have to travel long distances through hostile territory on the ground in order to re-supply. While on these treks, they are killed and maimed in innumerable different ways.
Other forces in the region use helicopters for this as well as combat purposes, and so most coalition forces have protection from the danger that evolves from exposure to hostiles simply getting from point A to point B.
There was an article about it in NealeNews yesterday. And as it takes about a year for a pilot to get up to speed on dealing effectively with a helicopter, you really need to get started right away.
In the meantime, borrow or rent some from us. We already help out a lot in this capacity, but you really need access to this vitally important support element, and you need it today.
There’s simply no excuse for not having your own helicopters in Afghanistan.
Excellent post Mad Mike.
As August1991 pointed out the leftist MSM are staking out their typical position.
I caught Craig Oliver interviewing O Conner on sunday’s edition of Question Period. Craig did his damndest to characterize the purchase of heavy lift aircraft and chinook choppers as a move towards a hawkish military policy stance.
Craig seems to believe that rapid troop deployment capability equates to some hidden conservative conspiracy of Canadian imperialism.
I swear that crusty old fart is becoming seriously senile.
The left believes that the Canadian military exists solely for blue beret operations and disaster relief. Yet these same fools forget that we lacked the heavy lift capabilities to insert the DART units after the boxing day tsunami disaster.
If I remember correctly the Italians had similar units on the ground in three or four days. Meanwhile Dithers sent some military brass to tour the disaster and nod their heads empathetically. I believe we finally rented some Russian heavy lift and inserted two dart teams some three weeks after the disaster.
It was a f**king international embarassment!!!
But that simply outlines the fatal flaw in leftist logic and policy. Platitudes and feel good policy is worse than useless when the rubber meets the road.
These military purchases mark the first step towards Canada reclaiming some respect on the international stage.
As Texas Canuck posted earlier… Amen and pass the ammunition!!
Where it would seem anyone with common sense should see the need to implement these long overdue investments,it’s only a matter of time before someone here bitches at the idea.The CBC hacks inflammatory rhetoric aside,CKNW had no problem this AM with finding a’peacenik’guest to ridicule the investments.Actually,he was demanding we invest as many millions in diplomacy and disarmament.
Yes,these avenues must also be supported and pursued,however if we are really focusing on the safety of Canadians,CSIS,the Coast Guard,and RCMP should all be modernized and properly manned!
“However, you simply must get helicopters to your troops in Afghanistan. These guys are already deployed and in harm’s way.”
Greg,I’m with you 100%,an ABSOLUTE PRIORITY!
It is long overdue. Our armed forces should be among the best equipped in the world. If you do not spend money to have well trained men and state of the art eqipment then you shouldn’t even pretend to have a military. I hope this is well planned so that we don’t waste our money on any more caste-off garbage(ie used subs).
Let’s give Martin a little credit for beginning this rejuvination shall we?
“When the Cbc mentions this on their website, it was referred to not only as a “spending spree”, but as the military “getting new toys to play with”.
CBC is the omly spending spree I know of . . a $billion flushed own the toilet every year for that kind of crap.
Lets get the CBC to send the reporter who wrote about the “new toys” to go spend six months in the field with the troops at the pointy end of the stick – not the ones on the base on Kandahar who go to Timmies for lunch – the ones out in the boonies “doing the pointing, using the stick”.
Then ask that blithering fuckwit of a CBC turd asshole reporter if he he or she still thinks getting proper kit for the troops is a toy buying exercise
CBC is just so uesless leftwing socialista know buggar all waste of time & space . . . . .
Just my opinion, I could be wrong . . . NOT
Steve d, bravo on the first para. I give credit where credit is due and you actually made a valid comment. But giving Martin credit for anything positive is sooo left field (pun intended).
Greg..
There are rumours going on around my neck of the woods about just that..renting or borrowing heavy lift helicopters from the U.S.
This may be why a subtle call has gone out for ex-heavy helo jockeys in the private sector.
It would be they who would have working knowledge of Chinooks etc.and take less time to get up to speed
I happen to know,as i visit regularly,that there are aircraft parks in Arizona that have these helos in mothballs in quantity…
But I do envy our reputation:
http://www.encyclopediadramatica.com/index.php/Image:Canadiannavy.jpg
Also, I too blame that stumpfucker Trudeau. Is there ANYTHING messed up about Canada that can’t be blamed on him? Really! Tsk! (And that pervert Chretien. Liberals! GRRR!!)
“Syncrodox”:
Thank you. When it’s important to me, I try!
As said, and reiterated by the plethora of comments above, most everyone here “gets it”.
But I hope it’s realized that I’m “getting personal” when I say:
“2. All the money spent on recruiting initiatives will not be successful unless a lot more Canadians take personal responsibility…” (yes, phrasing could be better)
It’s not enough to just vote for the right politicians every 4 years, even though it’s very important. It’s not enough to comment on blogs, or vilify our philosophical enemies, even though “hearts and minds” is very important. Stephen Harper can’t put on the uniform, (he’s a little busy right now), and the Queen already has one. So, what’s the gist of that part of my comment? Simply:
This Means You!
Look out the window, look down at your feet, let go of the mouse and stand up.
If you’re between 17 and 52, healthy, and think you can pass the tests, slide down to the local recruiting center and have a look. If you can’t serve, make a personal commitment to actively encourage those you know. If you can take a few years to do something great, join the Reg Force. If you can spare an evening a week and a few weeks a year training, join the Reserves.
Like I said, I’m getting personal…It’s not everybody else’s job, it’s all Our Job.
How dare I make such a suggestion? Again, simple.
If I can, you can.
That’s not jingoism, it’s reality.
.
steve d has been hanging out here in common sense land for awhile, regularly getting his ass kicked, his head whupped upside and his political views shredded with cool, cold logic.
Looks like the education is starting to pay off. Couple of more months & maybe he’ll enlist in the Army to go off & serve for freedom & democracy.
Hang in there stevy buddy, there’s lotsa upside for ya yet.
texas canuk
Don’t act so surprised, I’m always making valid comments. Thanks for the 1/2 kudo.
BTW: Martin did start the re-investment in the military. I know he was finance minister for cuts too but those cuts would have happened anyway. The conservatives were pressing for them and the Liberals took it on to take the wind out of their sails.
Darn.
We had steve d by the collar, and were getting ready to pull him into the boat, but he struggled and slipped back into the current…
Sigh.
😉
.
Mad Mike—— Good challenge!! As a sixteen yr. old I obtained my private pilots licence. After a few years of playing around with a 1947 C-120 I bought a friend and I thought that joining the CF would be a great way to advance our flying careers, so we went to enlist. I washed out on the CF’s flying medical (corrective lenses) he went on to fly hercs.
I went up north and hooked up with a bush flying outfit, dockhand, joe-boy, part time wrench puller and eventually bush pilot. In the winters I worked the rigs. Unfortunately I ended up on the “stupid side” of a 36 inch pipewrench and got sflapped up the side of the head. Retinal detachment and no sight in my left eye. End of flying career.
While I fall inside the age range you mentioned I honestly think if our military is down to accepting half blind 43 yr. old rig pigs I think we are seriously screwed! LOL!!
On the upside the second of my three boys is a proud Army Cadet. My ex-wife, being a bit of a lefty was furious but I went to bat for him and even she is proud of him now. I suspect my youngest will join the Cadets when he’s old enough.
I have to admit I surely do feel proud to be Canadian when I see my 14 yr. old in his uniform.
Ahhh…..living vicariously through my children. I guess that’s what we have them for….well that and the beer and popcorn!!
Syncro
Syncro:
Good for you. You’re doing more than most, all physical limitations aside.
Can you help out the CIC officers of your sons’ Corps? They usually really appreciate the civilian instructors they get…
Proactive Self-Defense (NATO takes over in Afghanistan)
The Weekly Standard ^ | 07/03/2006 | Max Boot
Excerpt:
A whirlwind trip to Kabul and Kandahar, organized by NATO for a group of policy analysts and journalists, did not leave me sanguine about the answers to those questions. I did come away with admiration for the nations that are willing to undertake such a daunting task.
The most gung-ho are Britain, Canada, and, surprisingly, the Netherlands,
which together are sending 6,700 troops to the south–more than the United States deploys in that region. Romania, Estonia, and Australia are contributing smaller contingents, totaling under 1,000 soldiers.
In Kosovo and Bosnia, NATO troops were strictly limited to “peacekeeping.” That is also the role of the NATO troops deployed to Kabul and the northern and western areas, where the Taliban have little support.
But it’s a different matter in the Pashtun-dominated south.
Here, a war is raging, and NATO is getting into the middle of it.
A visit to Kandahar Airfield, the hub of operations in the south, found breakneck expansion underway. U.S. cargo aircraft, fighters, Predator drones, helicopters, Dutch Apache gunships (and soon F-16s), British Harrier jump jets–all maintain a frenetic pace of operations. One officer told us this was the busiest single-runway military airfield in the world. More runways are under construction, as are hangars, barracks, and recreation facilities. Two concrete plants located on the base are constantly churning away, and large numbers of fuel tankers are making the drive from Pakistan. …-
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1656701/posts
Mad Mike
Maybe I can be hooked on something just a tad more Canadian, like buttertarts.
When Kate poses the question regarding buttertarts I’ll be there. There will be no quibbling over buttertarts. Buttertarts are unequivacable(?).
Let us not forget the politics that brought us to this sorry pass: the voting power of Quebec in the Confederation. Quebecers join the Forces in proportion to Quebec’s population, and good for them. But Political Quebec hates the military. Remember almost 90% opposed going after Hitler and the near rebellion of Quebec regiments faced with going Overseas. Starving the military has always played well in Quebec. And continues to do so. The Vichy government would have been right at home in Quebec City.
Let us not forget the politics that brought us to this sorry pass: the voting power of Quebec in the Confederation. Quebecers join the Forces in proportion to Quebec’s population, and good for them. But Political Quebec hates the military. Remember almost 90% opposed going after Hitler and the near rebellion of Quebec regiments faced with going Overseas. Starving the military has always played well in Quebec. And continues to do so. The Vichy government would have been right at home in Quebec City.
steve d:
Evidently you really like buttertarts, they being the quintessential symbol of Canadiana for you.
It appears you are living proof of the old adage; “you are what you eat”.
“Beer and popcorn” for me, of course. 🙂
Cheers!
.
“buttertarts”
Whoaa!!! Please describe them to me.
Been to Toronto a number of times and Nova Scotia. There isn’t a Canadian pastry I didn’t like. Hey, I even drool at Tom Horton’s over those little tarts that are like pecan pies without the damn nuts, what’s the name?
Our fondest memories of Novia Scotia was eating well, let alone the nice neighbors and gorgeous scenery.
Please, please, dear Lord, bring Tim Hortons to Florida.
Herc to the rescue! …-
Air Force turns to old standby for Army re-supply
Posted by SandRat
On 06/27/2006 4:48:52 PM PDT · 14 replies · 264+ views
Air Force Links ^ | Maj. David Kurle
6/27/2006 – BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan (AFPN) — The U.S. military has turned to an old workhorse as the delivery method for supplies and humanitarian cargo needed to sustain Operation Enduring Freedom. The C-130 Hercules has been around, in one form or another, since the 1950s. It is the aircraft of choice for inter-theater airlift in Afghanistan, where the U.S. Army is conducting operations from areas located on some of the toughest terrain on the planet. The last time “Herc” crews flew combat airdrops at this level was the Vietnam War. “It’s the perfect tool to use in this theater,”..
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1656756/posts
Buttertarts??? Dang, now you did it. I miss my mommy (or her baking). Canadian Pastry for 100 please Alex. Answer is Persian.
Nanaimo bars?
Steve and buttertarts…….nuff said. Too funny Mad Mike.
The conversation on this thread inspired me to dig a little into the MSM take on this.
For those interested please check out my blog and let me know if I’m off base.
Syncro
Syncrodox at June 27, 2006 05:48 PM
Hope you don’t blush, but I would have to describe yours as one of the most “manly” posts I’ve read here. Awful your flying career was cut short. I grew up around aviation, always wanted to fly, didn’t get around to it but discovered motorcycles back in 1999. Very similar feeling I thought: flying, riding.
Me No Dhimmi—- Thanks. No blushing here. It is what it is. I had dirt bikes as a kid in Fort Mac and a 750 “Shithawk” in my twenties.
The rush is similiar. It is a wonderfull feeling of freedom……of course with the inherent dangers and responsibilities.
Like the old man said…. “Don’t bite off more than you can chew!”
Syncro
These guys do a good job at coverering the issues froma pro military but cynical p.o.v.
http://www.sfu.ca/casr/index.htm
Russia, a founding, permanent member of the UN, is looking after its own interests.
Poutin’ Putin, a former KGB apparatchik, is now talking “tough”. Putin has more faces than a pancake.
Is Russia/Putin a paper tiger; a matryoshka? …-
Putin wants hostages’ killers hunted down
Posted by ketelone
On 06/28/2006 7:52:40 AM PDT · 20 replies · 377+ views
Yahoo News ^ | 27 Jun 06 | J Heintz
Putin wants hostages’ killers hunted down By JIM HEINTZ, Associated Press Writer 29 minutes ago MOSCOW – President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday ordered Russia’s special services to hunt down and “destroy” the killers of four Russian diplomats in Iraq, the Kremlin said. Nikolai Patrushev, the head of the Federal Security Service — the main successor to the Soviet KGB — later said that everything would be done to ensure that the killers “do not escape from responsibility,” the Interfax news agency reported. “The president has ordered the special forces to take all necessary measures to find and destroy the criminals…
free republic
What’s buzz? Why/how is it done? …-
Israel Warplanes Buzz Syria
Posted by Lunatic Fringe
On 06/28/2006 10:22:16 AM PDT · 83 replies · 2,161+ views
JERUSALEM (AP) Israeli officials say warplanes flew over the home of Syrian President Bashar Assad. …- free republic
Military to get 16 helicopters
EDMONTON (CP) – Defence Minister Gordon O’Connor says the federal government will spend at least $2 billion to purchase 16 medium-to heavy-lift helicopters for the military. …- cnews
(Canada) Feds pledge $8B for new aircraft
CBC News ^ | 2006-06-29
Posted on 06/29/2006 7:58:54 AM PDT by Clive
The federal government continued its military spending campaign on Thursday with the announcement of an $8 billion project to beef up the Canadian Forces aircraft fleet.
Defence Minister Gordon O’Connor announced plans at CFB Trenton in Ontario to acquire 17 regular tactical-lift planes and four strategic-lift aircraft for the Canadian Forces.
The cost of the aircraft was pegged at $5 billion. O’Connor said an additional $3.3 billion will be spent over the next 20 years in service and support for the aircraft.
The tactical planes would replace the aging Hercules fleet.
O’Connor said the additions would enable the Disaster Assistance Response Team to better respond to international disasters and prevent Canada from relying on allies or commercial providers for domestic crises. …-
free republic