02.05.2016 11:02 AM

ISIS: the right decision, finally

Quote, from the (simply amazing) Bob Fife:

“Sources say Canadian Special Forces are expected to continue training Kurdish militia, and the number of trainers will more than double to about 150. CF-18s will be pulled out, but two CP-140 Aurora reconnaissance aircraft and a CC-150 aerial refuelling plane are expected to stay in place.

Canada is also expected to participate in a proposed NATO-led training mission that will set up shop in military camps in Jordan, Turkey and possibly Lebanon.

One proposal was for Canada to provide an army battalion.

“How they structure that battalion will determine the size. It could be anywhere between 500 to 1,000, but it is a pretty wide window,” a military source said.”

Some of us have been saying for a couple years, now, that pulling out of the multi-nation coalition fighting ISIS was wrong, wrong, wrong. Glad to see that the Trudeau government now agrees with that, and is enhancing our role there.

13 Comments

  1. Greyapple says:

    I doubt this will satisfy many people. The warhawks will be angry that the CF-18s are being pulled out, and I doubt many peaceniks will be too thrilled about our presence on the ground being expanded. Looks like they are trying to be all things to all people. We’ll have to wait and see how it turns out.

    As for myself, I think this is still somewhat incoherent. If the struggle against ISIS is so vital as to command and expanded Canadian presence, why pull the planes out? Yeah, it’s an election pledge, but so were 25,000 refugees by year’s end and $10 billion deficits. Frankly, I’d be more comfortable having out planes still active so as to provide our troops air cover if they come under attack, which they might.

    • Greyapple says:

      Cripes, two typos, that should be “an expanded Canadian presence,” and “our planes still active.” Sloppy on my part.

  2. doconnor says:

    By training do they mean doing operations behind enemy lines, like they were under the last government?

  3. Matt says:

    Except Trudeau and the Liberals went ape shit crazy when it was learned the trainers were occasionally accompanying their trainees to the front lines as it was necessary because some things can only be taught in battle.

    They screamed Harper lied and Canada was really in a combat mission and Harper was putting their lives in danger.

    Now the Liberals are doubling those trainers.

  4. Peter says:

    The random survey of 1,000 Canadians, conducted between Jan. 30 and Feb. 1 by Nanos Research Group, found that 29 per cent of Canadians believe Ottawa should provide fighter jets to the air war, and 20 per cent favoured military training of local Kurdish forces. Only 14 per cent supported ground training outside Iraq. Nine per cent said Canada should provide surveillance and refuelling aircraft.

    Who knew Canadians were so well versed in military strategy? If they had asked me, I probably would have said send in the navy, but maybe that’s just because I used to be a Sea Cadet. Anyway, let’s hope that somewhere in the bowels of National Defence there is a least one boffin who believes this means more trouble for ISIS.

  5. e.a.f. says:

    I will be happy when those jets return to Canada. The bombing which is being carried out kills as many civilians as “terrorists” and when you have a look at some of the cities, its absolutely beyond belief, that a “civilized” society bombed another society back into the stone age. Disgusting. We do not have to participate in bombing. Its the murder of civilians, of children. it has done little to get rid of ISIS, so I’m good if Trudeau and Cabinet decide to send in trainers to assist the Kurds, who seem to be doing the best job of establishing themselves.

    If they want to send in Auraras, fine. I’m still up in the air about the oil refuelers. Sending a battalion would help, but lets make sure some of that battalion knows how to teach school, health care, etc.

    • Maps Onburt says:

      The Canadians (and the rest of the allies for that matter) have not been indiscriminately bombing cities like you suggest You need to get your information in the right Galaxy at the very least. The purpose of the bombing campaign is and was to deny ISIS supply lines, the ability to go on the offensive to take more ground and to put an end to attackers going after allied positions. In this respect they have been largely successful as evidenced by the fact they Isis hasn’t taken any major cities since it started. The ground forces allied with us have even managed to push isis out of currently held locations. Air cover will NEVER take new ground but it does provide our allies with help in that their enemy can’t go across open ground to take new positions. This is the most impact at least risk to our limited forces. It was the right choice which is why just about everybody from the Italians, Dutch, Americans and even the French are doing it too. The ONLY reason we are getting out is because Sonny Dazed spouted his garbage on the campaign trail and he’s too chickenshit to reverse to anything sensible. No wonder the allies don’t want anything to do with us on the issue.

  6. lance mclean says:

    Just more sucking and blowing at the same time, jets bad ( only a few pilots in harms way) infantry good. Lets increase the number of Canadians, possibly up to 1000 and put them in harms way. Awesome!! Highway of heros will be getting well used again and it will be all on Trudeau and his advisors.

  7. lance mclean says:

    Just more sucking and blowing at the same time, jets bad- infantry good?WTF? Bring home a few pilots (barely in harms way) to increase our ground forces to up to 1000 soldiers who will be directly in harms way. Looks like the highway of heroes will once again be seeig the repatriation of our sons and daughters and it will be all on Trudeau and his advisors.

  8. lance mclean says:

    Sorry for double post

  9. Ronald O'Dowd says:

    Warren,

    Is this sufficient to serve as after-the-fact terrorist assurance on Canadian soil? I don’t think this provides enough political cover. But that’s just me.

  10. Maps Onburt says:

    Sure, the armies fighting Isis are going to want to leave the battlefield to go train in Jordan…. How fucking stupid can we be on this issue. No wonder the allies have dropped us from deliberations on strategy.

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