Afghanistan debate (Hillier, new troops)

[Hydrogen]

We'll see what happens with the political hot potato that is to be the fixed wing SAR replacement for the Buffalo, gets its RFP out.

Viking Air's Buffalo replacement (the modernized version of the Buffalo) could win big political points. A Canadian-made design, to be produced in Canada, based on a legendary Canadian aircraft and a possible announcement in the midst of a recession.


http://www.vikingair.com/uploadedFiles/News/News_Item/Buffalo Response - Website.pdf

 

[kEiThZ]

Viking Air's Buffalo replacement (the modernized version of the Buffalo) could win big political points. A Canadian-made design, to be produced in Canada, based on a legendary Canadian aircraft and a possible announcement in the midst of a recession.

That's unfortunately the same argument as forcing the TTC to buy Canadian made subway cars. At least cars from Thunder Bay are a decent deal in terms of performance.

With the Buff replacement we are looking to replace both the buff and the Twin Otter and add capability particularly for operations over the arctic. So far that leaves two aircraft on the short-list:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C-27J (preferred)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EADS_CASA_C-295

Viking's proposal unfortunately only addresses the SAR requirements on the current Buff, not the Air Staff's requirements to bolster our abilities in the North (payload for example). That being said, a modernized Buff would still find plenty of customers around the world and with a little more extensive tweaking could meet CF requirements as well.

 

[jade_lee]

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090306.wdoug07/BNStory/Front

It's becoming too obvious.

Harper is quickly following the Obama leadership with respect to Afghanistan, right or wrong.
Go read it for yourselves, it's all over the news, Harper is now willing to speak to the "moderate Taliban"/Afghanis, who are clearly the enemy according to the war supporters here. Jack L. was advising this strategy way before Obama advised Steve of it. It appears that America has our Harper's ear. The Obamanization of Harper! Get your tickets now! 10 cents, one tenth of a dollar! Smirks.


Roman Spears from St. Catharines, Canada writes: G + M

If a stranger gets laid-off then its a downturn. If a neighbour gets laid-off then its a recession. If I get laid-off its a depression.

We will have to wait to see what's in Taliban Steve's speech but I suspect it will be more of, "Sorry to hear that you all are unemployed but I still have my job so everythings all right Jack."

Harper stepped up the military role of our soldiers in Afghanistan and spent billions on this failed mission. Harper now is spending the money of our grandkids to bail out big business.

We need to get out of Afghanistan.

 

[afransen]

Which cuts are you referring to exactly? They have had a few projects cut (JSS for example) simply because industry wasn't willing to bid on it or because of project risks, etc. Projects do get canned for more than political reasons. The CF has so far done well under the Conservatives. Though in fairness to Martin, had he stuck around, I think the CF would have done almost well with one exception....there was no way the Liberals were going to get us the C-17s despite the Air Staff requirements. Chretien was an altogether different story. The guy essentially hated the military to the point where he would not even read defence intelligence briefs (Iraq was probably the exception). And some projects I was glad to see get canned like the LAV AGS...no replacement for a Leopard tank, especially against an IED. We'll see what happens with the political hot potato that is to be the fixed wing SAR replacement for the Buffalo, gets its RFP out.

I thought the icebreakers that were announced earlier in his first term were quietly canned just before the election?

 

[urbandreamer]

Here's a solution: nuke the country. The survivors can come to Canada.

 

[Hydrogen]

Here's a solution: nuke the country. The survivors can come to Canada.

Is this a "final solution"?

 

[lordmandeep]

I doubt nuking would little effect in the mountains.

One nuke would just trapped in a mountain valley, unless you use the TSAR BOMBA!!!!

 

[kEiThZ]

I thought the icebreakers that were announced earlier in his first term were quietly canned just before the election?

http://thechronicleherald.ca/NovaScotia/1109203.html
http://www.thestar.com/News/Canada/article/600105

They are back on. There were project issues on both the Coast Guard and Navy sides. The Navy sees no utility for expensive armed icebreakers. That sounds good to the public, but in a world of arctic warming there is utility in having quantity (more patrol vessels) over quality (ice strengthened hulls). So the plan got modified once the campaign rhetoric met the Maritime Staff requirements. They are still building the Arctic port and the Arctic Warfare Centre....not places most CF personnel want to be posted but essential for our national security.

One more point to be made, sometimes these projects are best left to a recession (where the price of steel comes down and the jobs are most needed).

 

[kEiThZ]

Here's a solution: nuke the country. The survivors can come to Canada.

Ever seen pics of Afghanistan...not much there to nuke! That and the Canadian public seems to have limited tolerance for nuclear weapons (probably a good thing).

 

[lordmandeep]

lol Afganistan is a complicated country.

Ask the British and Indians who were trying to take it. People pop out of Nowhere!!

 

[Brian69]

Only one man can tame Afghanistan...

Oh, Hollywood, you make life so much simpler...

 

[lordmandeep]

they say the only white man to tame Afghanistan was Alexander the Great...


Well the Mongols were able to as well but they killed and mascaraed the whole Region from India to Mesopotamia...

 

[kEiThZ]

There's always Chuck Norris....

Also, I urge anyone interested in understanding our mission more to watch the show 'Combat School' on Discovery Channel on Tuesdays at 10pm. It covers the work ups of a previous roto into Afghanistan. It shows the training they go through and the potential scenarios the soldiers face in theatre.

 

[Prometheus The Supremo]

i can't believe this sort of stuff is still happening!......

Sayed Pervez Kambaksh, the student journalist sentenced to death for blasphemy in Afghanistan, has been told he will spend the next 20 years in jail after the country's highest court ruled against him – without even hearing his defence.

Mr Kambaksh was found guilty of blasphemy and sentenced to death last year for circulating an essay on women's rights which questioned verses in the Koran.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/student-facing-twenty-years-in-hell-1643069.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pervez_Kambaksh



why do we keep propping up this corrupt government? this example is just one of the cases we hear of. i can imagine how many more cases are never heard of.

it seems to me that these people being arrested for woman's rights, blasphemy, etc. are the ones that should have positions in the government. the government officials who condemn these people to death are the ones who should be in jail. afghanistan's best and brightest are systemically being jailed and killed by the irrational leaders we continue to support. we seriously need to overhaul their government and weed out those with taliban tendencies.

 

[kEiThZ]

^ We have to be patient. It's not a perfect system but let's not forget that it's only been a few decades since segregation ended in the US for example. We really can't expect the Afghans who have very little to begin with to all of a sudden drop their battle for survival and place human rights on top of the agenda. It takes time to build a society and judiciary from scratch. Developing the judiciary is actually a part of our assistance to Afghanistan. Till the systems develops to our liking, our diplomats do apply pressure on cases like this. Rulings like these do usually get revoked quietly down the road by the President later.

And cue Mot and Jade_lee using this as evidence that our mission is failing and simultaneously complaining about how we are not working to improve human rights in Afghanistan.....