Here's their archive covering all issues from Spring 2000 to the present
Plenty of interesting articles on SOF, Humanitarian and Peacekeeping Ops, interspersed with conventional Army issues; all from the perspective of our allies to the North, eh.
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Here's their archive covering all issues from Spring 2000 to the present
Plenty of interesting articles on SOF, Humanitarian and Peacekeeping Ops, interspersed with conventional Army issues; all from the perspective of our allies to the North, eh.
2 July NY Times - Canada Plans to Upgrade Its Military Equipment and Mobility.
Quote:
Prime Minister Stephen Harper's Conservative government has announced the most aggressive upgrade of Canada's military equipment in decades, laying out new expenditures of $15.3 billion to improve transportation capacities.
The new spending fulfilled Mr. Harper's campaign promises from January's election and did not come as a big surprise. But it represented the biggest break in policy by the new and mostly cautious Conservative government from 13 years of Liberal previous governments. The Liberals reduced military spending to a low of $8.4 billion in 1998, one of the lowest per capita among industrial countries.
But as Canada takes part in more global aid missions and stretches its military muscles in Afghanistan, where it is involved in its biggest combat operation since the Korean War, the government has made a case that the military needs more mobility and muscle.
The spending plan, detailed in a series of four announcements this week, sets aside money for new helicopters, planes, vehicles and ships that will give the armed forces a level of independence not seen in years after budget cuts in the 1990's halted replacements and upgrades for much of the military's transportation equipment. Most soldiers today are using equipment that should have been replaced a decade ago, some military analysts said.
In recent years, the Canadian military has often been forced to rely on foreign and commercial equipment to transport its troops to global conflicts and emergencies. Critics often point to the December 2004 tsunami that struck Southeast Asia, when it took 12 days for the Canadian disaster relief team to secure transportation to the region...
This report marks a fairly major shift in the Canadian public rhetoric of defense. In addition to more conventional defense issues (e.g. spending limits, Arctic sovereignty), there is some interesting insight into how the debate is shifting towards a more COIN oriented strategy. The full Senate report is available here.Quote:
Canada should not waste military resources on defending the Arctic, but should sign on to the U.S. ballistic missile defence program and double the amount of money it gives for foreign aid, a Senate defence committee report released Thursday says.
Source: CBC.ca news story, October 5, 2006
Marc
From CBC.ca
If they try, they will discover why Alberta is called "Texas North".Quote:
Al-Qaeda calls for attacks on Canadian oil facilities
Last Updated: Wednesday, February 14, 2007 | 12:46 PM ET
CBC News
Al-Qaeda has included Canada in a list of countries that it believes should be attacked for providing oil to the United States.
The Saudi Arabian arm of the network posted the threat on Sawt al-Jihad (Voice of Jihad), the group's online magazine, according to the Search for International Terrorist Entities (SITE), a U.S. non-profit group that monitors militant websites.
According to the latest figures, Canada remains the top supplier of oil to the U.S., followed by Mexico and Saudi Arabia. Despite the tense relations between Washington and Caracas, Venezuela is listed as fourth on the top list of suppliers.
More...
Marc
Canada, the US, Austrailia and England can always count on each other and be counted on to do what is necessary. Not much blood will be allowed on the ol' Maple Leaf, that's for sure. God save the Queen, errr, the PM I mean.
LOLOL Definite "the Queen" - PM's are replaceable :D.
On a more serious note, I find it fascinating that they are openly calling for an attack on Canada. Given Canada's immigration laws and much more "liberal" culture, as well as our easy access to CONUS, I take this as a mark of either desperation or stupidity (six of one, half a dozen of the other). We may be laid back, on the whole, but they really don't want us to "get personal".
Marc
Likely for Canada's role in Afghanistan. God bless the CF.
and straying off topic a bit, isn't it a Canadian that holds the record for the longest sniper shot made, eh? I'm pretty sure it is, done in Afghanistan a year ago or so. I think it's equal amounts of stupidity and desperation for AQ to be calling for attacks on Canada.
I think this is all a deception operation conceived by Marc to harden Canadian resolve. After many beers, the Prof of Computer Science of the group, decided to find an enemy server and gain root. After that they simply uploaded the message to sow confusion. Soon we will start seeing Operas preaching kindness and a rejection of extreme Jihadist views being disseminated from AQ. Of course the arabic being sung will have a distinct Canadian accent, eh. I'm looking forward to more of their perception management operations. Someone should be doing it.....
Perhaps this would be a good opportunity for Canada to recall Celine Dion and deploy her to Pakistan thereby helping both the US and Canada.
SFC W
Hi Uboat,
I think that every Canadian is proud of Celine Dion - consider, for example, what one of our top groups has written about her :cool:. Still and all, we are solid believers in Coalition operations so, we would have to ask for US entertainers of a similar stature to go on a joint operation: maybe Paris Hilton? :eek:
Marc
I had the pleasure recently of meeting the Devil Dog who held the flag [yes, the upside down one] in that color guard. He was a Cpl then. He's a Maj now. I couldn't believe it was that long ago, thought he was pulling my leg, but several folks vouched for him and swore that, yes, it was him, it was that long ago, and I'm just getting old. Doesn't seem to have hurt him any. Nor the flow south of talented entertainers, oil, maple syrup, and shoe bombers.
But I refused to believe the bit about his threesome with Celine Dion and Paris Hilton backstage during a USO show. ;)
Wonder if they just re-wrote the 'how to make a wheel' book?
March 9, 2007
Guerrillas' lessons lost
By PETER WORTHINGTON
http://www.torontosun.com/News/Colum...f-3719381.html
Quote:
In the category of "better late than never," the Canadian army is publishing a 250-page manual to instruct troops on how to fight guerrilla and counter-insurgency operations.
According to the National Post, this is the first time an effort has been made to familiarize soldiers with this form of warfare presently being fought in Afghanistan.
The fact such a manual is only now being published in this first decade of the 21st Century, persuasively supports Gen. Rick Hillier's controversial view that for our military, the 1990s was a "decade of darkness." Hillier's bluntness has the Liberals in a tizzy, claiming he's parroting the Tory government's line.
What nonsense! As one who has paid some attention to the goings-on of our military, I'd argue that Hillier's "decade of darkness" is overly generous: Our military has been in a progressively darkening twilight zone since Pierre Trudeau became PM in 1968.
About a dozen years ago, I was invited to lecture at Canadian Forces College (CFC) in Toronto. Later, I worked with several Canadian officer colleagues at CGSC Fort Leavenworth, one of whom was then Major, now Lt. Col. David Last who is now the Registrar at the Royal Military College. Through that association, I was invited to evaluate the Master of Defence Studies program at CFC this past Fall.
I was very impressed with the difference and strides made by CFC in the last decade. Their program, patterned after Leavenworth's MMAS, is as rigorous but has a better complement of permanent civilian faculty, all of whom were chosen for their academic credentials and substantive expertise. The program can (and does) also draw on academic talent from RMC and other Canadian universities.
One of the outstanding young academics is Dr. Chris Madsen, whose article "Canadian Troops and Farm Burning in the South African War" in CANADIAN MILITARY JOURNAL, Vol 6, No 2, is an outstanding piece of historical work on "COIN" operations during the Boer War. In addition, Dave Last has co-edited a 2 volume study of SOF with reference to Canada, entitled CHOICE OF FORCE and FORCE OF CHOICE, published by McGill-Queens University Press.
I supect that the new manual is just part of this renaissance in Canadian Military thought and I hope it takes the best from British, American, and French doctrine and tempers it with Canadian experience in PKO and operations in Afghanistan. If it does that, it will make a superior contibution to the cross national military doctrine discussion and debate.
The so called 'decades of darkness" were the response of both Conservative and Liberal governments to the demise of Canada's only convenetional threat, the USSR. Given the realities of government financing and politics, they had no other reasonable option but to reduce defence spending. The military was still given enough cash to be the second most expensive force per man in the world with total cash outlays 6th in NATO and 16th in the world. The CF made choices on what to spend it's budget on. It could have had more soldiers attend US Army Ranger and SF courses. It could have taught more foriegn languages (it only offers Spanish) at the Royal Military College. It could of had a mountain school. It could have offered COIN as a subject on it's Master of War Studies program. It could of had COIN as a subject at staff colleges. It could of bought suitable aircraft. It did none of these things but not for want of cash and not from interferance from politicians. I suggest that it was because the officer corps could not imagine particpating in a "Viet Nam", found language study difficult (in the CF it still makes far more career sense to perfect French or English than to learn Dari or Pashtu) and found playing tank versus tank war games much more fufilling than thinking about politics, culture, reconstruction and police work.
Jed--
Thanks for the edit. Being able to locate the books easily will help anyone who is interested in the subject. But I am most grateful for your posting of Chris Madsen's article. It really is relevant to this site.
On the "for fun" aspects, the photo reminded me of the famous photo of the Pershing Punitive Expedition to Mexico in 1916. The US and Canadian uniforms of the era were practically the same; both armies used similar bridles; but they differed with respect to saddles. The US used the McClellan (which I have never ridden but some swear by it while others hate it); the Canadians used the British Universal Pattern (UP). I have a modern version that is supremely comfortable - of course it does use a modern gel cushion for my tired old butt!
John
Canada paid a heavy price during WWI. Was cautious and didn't have a hard time during WWII as opposed to the British and Americans. They lost their punch. It is taking nearly a hundred years to get it back. I did see the Snowbirds one time and they were awesome in their slower CT-114 tutor jets. But that group, type of aircraft, and choice of name is typical of Canadian military mindset.
All I can say, is that this is typically Canadian :confused:
There's also a larger version with more details here.Quote:
Native reference will not appear in Canadian terror manual
BILL CURRY
From Monday's Globe and Mail
OTTAWA — References to radical natives in the Canadian Army's counter-insurgency manual will not appear in the final version of the document, Defence Minister Gordon O'Connor announced.
The use of "radical Native American organizations" as an example of insurgents in a draft version of the manual has outraged native leaders, who viewed the wording as a threat to their political rights to protest.
More...
Marc
The experince of the Canadian Forces with the natives (specifically Oka) is one of the main domestic examples of how the Canadian military responded. It is very different than what the CF is going now in A-Stan. Regardless, it is a great case study similar to the protection of the Olympics in Montreal and the FLQ October Crisis. It should be in there even if the term "radical" maybe is not used.
I wonder if these Mohawks complied with Canadian law and had only five-round magazines? Check the photo, their spokesman looks like a real winner
http://www.ottawasun.com/News/Nation...99262-sun.html
DESERONTO — A small group of angry Mohawk protesters made good on their threats to disrupt transportation in Canada’s busiest travel corridor on a national day of action to raise public awareness of native concerns such as poverty, health and land claims.
*
Earlier, the Mohawk protesters near Deseronto who threatened that they had arms and were ready to use them, parked an old school bus across secondary Highway 2, forcing a steady stream of traffic and heavy trucks to turn around.
“We’ve made no secret that we have guns within this camp,” protest leader Shawn Brant told The Canadian Press in an interview. “It’s our intent to go out and ensure a safe day. Unfortunately, previous incidents have shown that aggressive tactics by the police need to be met with equal resistance by the people that they’re bringing those against."
Later, the protesters closed the nearby CN Rail main line, using jumper cables to activate crossing barriers before moving another old school bus onto the tracks.
?Quote:
Was cautious and didn't have a hard time during WWII as opposed to the British and Americans.
I dont know how we had an easy time...................
check out the casulity rates of Canadians during the battle of normandy.......
Find out which divisions took the most killed and wounded.......
we did not go all infantry of course, and we tried to only build up the forces we could replace, and we lost less people than we did in ww1.
But I disagree we had an 'easy' time.
I dont think you could say any of our major army operations were easy.
Hong Kong
Dieppe
Italy (including the island and mainland)
Normandy
NW EU
Doesnt seem 'easy' to me.
SSI, 3 Aug 07: Shaping Commitment: Resolving Canada's Strategy Gap in Afghanistan and Beyond
Quote:
Release of Canada’s first-ever National Security Policy (NSP) in 2004, followed by the International (Foreign) Policy Statement and Defence Policy Review in 2005, has publicly articulated Canada’s principal security interests for the post-September 11, 2001 (9/11), world. Nevertheless, the realities of Canada’s present engagement in Afghanistan have highlighted a gap between stated national security and foreign policy goals on one hand, and the Canadian military, diplomatic, and development effort in theater, on the other. National interests and values, articulated within the NSP and the International Policy Statement, are insufficient to frame the context for such a complex endeavor. Only a clearly defined strategy based upon rigorous analysis of ends, ways, and means and assessment of risk can enable informed national and political debate, provide the required guidance for campaign planning among government departments, and determine Canada’s preferred stake in the wider international arena, including the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT). Recommendations are provided with respect to resolving Canada’s strategy gap in both the immediate and longer term.
A very interesting article. I think he does capture a lot of the core cultural questions going on right now. I'm going to have to think about this one a bit more and reread it.
Marc
I was having a coffee (double-double, of course) with the guys from AQ in Tim Horton's today, and caught the following headline in the Globe and Mail:
The Tamil Tiger guys didn't agree, which started a big fight with the PKK/Kongra-Gel contingent. Who knows, eh?Quote:
U.S. senators blast Canadian border security
Claiming Canada has more terrorist organizations than any other country, a U.S. senate hearing has demanded upgrades to the shared border....
Excepting the quote of Sen Salazar of Colorado - here is what the story was about:
Quote:
American senators are demanding security upgrades at the Canadian border after a U.S. government report said it would be easy to smuggle dangerous material into the United States.
The independent Government Accountability Office sent investigators to test how easily they could transfer large red duffel bags at four unguarded and unmonitored spots along the more than eight thousand kilometres of U.S.-Canada border.
The G.A.O., the investigative arm of Congress, described in a 13-page report delivered to Congress Thursday how easily they were able to penetrate the border at several spots.
The report claims that shows how easy it would be to bring in radioactive material and other contraband...
Here's the 27 Sep 07 GAO report:Quote:
...The G.A.O., the investigative arm of Congress, described in a 13-page report delivered to Congress Thursday how easily they were able to penetrate the border at several spots....
Border Security: Security Vulnerabilities at Unmanned and Unmonitored U.S. Border Locations
Quote:
....On the U.S.–Canada border, GAO found state roads close to the border that CBP did not appear to man or monitor. In some of these locations, the proximity of the road to the border allowed investigators to cross without being challenged by law enforcement, successfully simulating the cross-border movement of radioactive materials or other contraband into the United States from Canada. In one location on the northern border, the U.S. Border Patrol was alerted to GAO activities through the tip of an alert citizen. However, the responding U.S. Border Patrol agents were not able to locate GAO investigators. Also on the northern border, GAO investigators located several ports of entry that had posted daytime hours and were unmanned overnight......
For those with access, a draft copy of the Canadian Small Wars Manual, dated 23 Oct 07, has been posted on the BCKS COIN forum: B-GL-323-004/FP-003 Counter-Insurgency Operations
Quote:
Scope
This publication provides a wide range of material in support of commanders and staff at all levels of command. It reflects the concepts of Canadian doctrinal philosophies and principles. This publication addresses the following:
a. introduction to understanding insurgencies;
b. a description of insurgencies and their objectives;
c. the overarching philosophy and principles by which a COIN campaign and its operations should be conducted;
d. considerations for force employment at the strategic, operational and tactical levels;
e. considerations for intelligence staff in support of a COIN campaign;
f. considerations for information operations, specifically focused on influence activities;
g. considerations for sustainment in a COIN campaign; and
h. considerations for pre-deployment and in-theatre training in support of a COIN campaign.
That is the clearest set of useful headings I have ever seen relating to so called COIN. If anyone can direct me at a copy of this, I would be very grateful. - and BTW, traditionally, the old Beaver Chasers actually write good manuals. Not as BS free as Aussie manuals but a really good start.Quote:
a. introduction to understanding insurgencies;
b. a description of insurgencies and their objectives;
c. the overarching philosophy and principles by which a COIN campaign and its operations should be conducted;
d. considerations for force employment at the strategic, operational and tactical levels;
e. considerations for intelligence staff in support of a COIN campaign;
f. considerations for information operations, specifically focused on influence activities;
g. considerations for sustainment in a COIN campaign; and
h. considerations for pre-deployment and in-theatre training in support of a COIN campaign.
Hopefully this one will be as original as possible; B-GL-322-007/FP-001 Unique Operations - Urban was in some ways little more than a modified reprint of FM 3-06 Urban Operations. That said, it's about time the CF has its own COIN Pub; since the demise of the old 3-volume Aid to the Civil Power, COIN doctrine had almost disappeared (not that it was overly developed beforehand anyway).
If the pub does not have a "loss or suspected compromise" warning in the Preface, I would be most grateful for a copy from whomever may have access to it, please.:)
The Ottowa Citizen, 20 Mar 08: Elite military unit's blueprints for new HQ found in trash can
....it's an odd coincidence that they just happened to be found by an analyst from the Rideau Institute.Quote:
Plans showing the layout of a new building for a Canadian Forces counter-terrorism unit based in Trenton, Ont., have been found in a pile of garbage on Bank Street.
The 26 blueprints, stamped with Department of National Defence markings, show everything from the location of the security fence to the floor plan of the new home of the Canadian Joint Incident Response Unit at CFB Trenton.
The unit is the military's main responder to a terrorist attack using a weapon of mass destruction......
From the Globe and Mail...
Just lovely! But, lest you give the Rideau Institute too much creditQuote:
Photographs provided by the Rideau Institute show that the schematics provide ample information about the layout at CFB Trenton and the new building, including sensitive details about the security fencing, the electrical grid scheme and the sewer system.
Of course, there is always this encouraging little note...Quote:
The blueprints list the names of six private contracting firms, including Smith and Andersen Consulting Engineering - which has an office near where Mr. Salloum found the plans - and Wood Banani Bouthillette Parizeau, another consulting engineering company. Both declined to comment.
Quote:
Mr. Salloum said he didn't take all the documents stamped with Department of National Defence markings at the Ottawa trash pile, saying he left six to eight other rolls of papers at the curbside.
Wow, that's almost as good as the time when the JTF2 guys had their van stolen from a Tim Horton's parking lot with disassembled pistols and their security cards inside. Or that one time the CSIS official had her laptop and all the classified documents inside stolen from her car while she was at a Leaf's game.
Holy smokes Norfolk! Do you think we should check to see if the government has left the keys to the country in the ignition?
Indeed, the Auto Pact is dead and the Auto Industry nearly so. And who needs a FOIA request when leaky security positively oozes whatever people with ill-intent may desire?:wry:
We used to have the Official Secrets Act, until it was replaced with, amongst some very odd and unsettling amendments to the Transportation Act, the Security of Information Act, several years ago. I would argue that that information was much better protected in the days when we still had the Official Secrets Act (though practical enforcement had slid badly by the 1990's) than since. All the new laws and regulations seem best suited to strengthening Government powers in ways that even the old War Measures Act (replaced by the Emergencies Act back in 1988 I seem to recall) did not surpass, or even equal in some measures I think. Not good.
From CBC.ca
Quote:
Gen. Rick Hillier, Canada's outgoing chief of defence staff, will be replaced by Lt.-Gen. Walter Natynczyk, the current vice-chief, CBC News has learned.
More...
Another Toad as CDS, and again from the RCD. Hmmm...very interesting [Norfolk narrows eyes to slits, suspiciously]. Well, the RCD are okay (as long as they stay in their own Mess and out of ours!), but they better remember their Brigade-mates, The RCR, too.;)
From CBC.ca
From DNDQuote:
Tories release $490B military plan without fanfare
Details posted online Thursday night
Last Updated: Friday, June 20, 2008 | 5:57 AM ET
The Conservative government has quietly released the details of its extensive plan to beef up the military, including spending $490 billion over the next 20 years to ensure Canadian soldiers are well-equipped, well-trained and highly active.
Details of the plan, known as Canada First Defence Strategy, were posted Thursday night without fanfare on the Department of National Defence's website.
More...
Full pdf version (5.3 mb)Quote:
"Canada First" Defence Strategy
Building on the government’s significant defence investments over the past two years, the Canada First Defence Strategy sets a detailed road-map for the modernization of the Canadian Forces. It puts forward clear roles and missions for the Canadian Forces, outlining a level of ambition that will enable the CF to maintain the ability to deliver excellence at home, be a strong and reliable partner in the defence of North America, and project leadership abroad by making meaningful contributions to operations overseas.
More...