The rules

Since 2002, we've had literally tens of thousands of CF members rotating through Afghanistan. The overwhelmingly vast majority have handled themselves in an exemplary fashion. But, statistically speaking, allegations like this were only a matter of time:

The Canadian Forces National Investigation Service is investigating whether proper procedures were followed surrounding the death of a "presumed" insurgent in Afghanistan.

At a news conference in Kandahar, Canadian military officials gave sparse details and took no questions about the investigation.

Master Warrant Officer Bernie Caron, Kandahar detachment commander for the NIS, said a probe has been launched into the death, which occurred on or around Oct. 19, 2008, in Helmand province.

He said the commander of Task Force Kandahar was notified of the allegations on Dec. 27, and quickly notified the NIS, which immediately launched an investigation.

"The Canadian Forces National Investigation Service is investigating the allegation to determine the facts, analyze the evidence and if warranted lay the appropriate charges," Caron said.

Acting commander of Task Force Afghanistan, Col. Jamie Cade, confimed he learned of the incident in late December, and quickly informed the NIS.

Good on the CF for moving as quickly as they did on this once the allegations came to the attention of the senior leadership in theatre. Good on them for calling in the NIS. Good on them for releasing as much information as they can to the public proactively, rather than waiting until it had to be dragged out of them by a reporter with a tip.

As to the allegations themselves, obviously the release is pretty vague. Not following "proper procedures" surrounding the death of a presumed insurgent could suggest anything along a broad spectrum of actions, from not filing a proper report, to standing by while ANSF do bad things, to killing a detainee out of hand. But if the NIS has been called in, I'd suggest it's a bit more serious than just filing an improper report.

I have to admit, I'm more than a bit surprised at the reactions in comments on the CTV article, the majority of which express sentiments similar to this:

Zhimmy
Does this ever make me angry! Yesterday they were blowing our guys up with IEDs and today were conducting an investigation against our own people as to how we treated him. Its unbelievable! Were always having to play the better person! Who cares what happenned to him!

You won't find anyone in Canada who's more supportive of the Canadian soldier than me. But from a military standpoint, following the rules of war and the lawful orders of your superiors is crucial from a purely disciplinary point of view. You may not agree with the particular rules our soldiers are required to follow - when they can pull the trigger, and when they can't, for example - but the idea that they have to follow them is a no-brainer. Nobody who's thought about it for any length of time wants soldiers freelancing as to how they apply force - that makes them no better than an armed gang. The fact that they are controlled by a lawful government authority is what makes the violence they apply morally acceptable.

So, in that context, an NIS investigation is exactly the right thing to do - for the soldier involved, for the other soldiers in the Task Force, for the broader CF, and for the country. Now they just need to make sure the investigation goes by the numbers. If it ends up looking like either a whitewash or a witch-hunt, I'll be the first to cry foul. But until that time, we all need to hold our fire and let the investigation take its natural course.

We'll see how this develops.

Update: Well, it looks pretty damned serious. And the usual cast of suspects is already screaming 'cover-up!':

Amir Attaran, a law professor with the University of Ottawa, told CTV News the timing of the charge "doesn't pass the smell test."

He questioned how quickly the military went from launching the investigation to laying a charge, suggesting that they already knew "who their man was."

The murder charge stirs up unpleasant memories of the Canadian Forces mission in Somalia.

There was a similar reporting delay in the 1993 beating death of a Somalia teenager by members of the Canadian Airborne Regiment. The affair hurt the reputation of the Canadian military and a public inquiry was launched, leading to the disbanding of the Airborne Regiment.

Blatchford says what needs to be said, as usual. And, yes, I'll admit to having a bit of a puffed-chest moment seeing The Torch quoted in her column...

2008 Weblog Awards

Imagine my surprise to learn that The Torch has been nominated in the Best Canadian Blog category at the 2008 Weblog Awards. It took a bit of clicking to find out who tossed our name into the hat, but a big thank you to Master Flea for his expression of support.

Here's the list of finalists:

Best Canadian Blog

• Dust My Broom


• The Canadian Sentinel


• We Move to Canada


• Ezra Levant


• Buckdog


• Calgary Grit


• five feet of fury


• The Torch


• Attack of the Redneck Mommy


• Abandoned Stuff

Personally, I read DMB, Ezra, Calgary Grit, and the irrepressible Kathy Shaidle at FFofF regularly. Any of them would be worthy winners, and all of them have daily traffic that, quite frankly, dwarfs ours.

(And it goes without saying that Ghost of a Flea should have been on the list as well.)

But that doesn't mean I won't be encouraging you, Gentle Reader, to cast a ballot for us once the voting begins on January 5th!

Three wise men?

The holiday-themed title was too good to pass up...besides, I normally can't think of anything remotely clever to title my posts with, so this is as good as you're likely to get.

Paul Wells was recently in Afghanistan, and has penned a very good article here. If you haven't already read it, you should. But in a blog post at Inkless Wells, he links to two of his fellow travelers on the trip, and their writings are also well worth your time.

Michael O'Hanlon lays out some of the lessons of Iraq that can be applied to Afghanistan, much as everyone rightly warns of the dangers of conflating the two conflicts. One of the points I thought most useful was this one:

The strategy for securing the country is following the concept of "clear, hold and build." Until now, NATO forces have often moved into populated areas to pursue insurgents and then pulled out once a given search and destroy operation was complete. They have then ceded control of the town back to Taliban and other insurgent forces, whereupon friendly Afghans were often killed or intimidated into never helping us again. This method does not work, as we also learned during the first four years of the Iraq war. Today, as in Iraq, NATO and Afghan security forces are proceeding more deliberately, only moving into new regions when forces are available to hold onto them after the initial incursions.

I say "useful" because when Canadian and other allied militaries have called for more boots on the ground in Afghanistan over the past few years, I'm not sure they've always done a good enough job explaining just why the numbers matter. That's important, and I think those reasons need to be explained to the general public with more consistency and patience until they sink in. Otherwise, it's awfully difficult to maintain the requisite political support for such a move.

I was also interested to read Roland Paris' piece in the Globe & Mail, and especially the part where he lays out possible next phases of a Canadian mission:

For Canada, too, 2009 may be crucial. Although 2011 seems far off, we'll soon have to decide whether to continue our Afghan engagement, and in what form if we do. NATO is already planning for the arrival of new U.S. forces in Kandahar. If we wish to carve out specific responsibilities for ourselves, we'll need to make a claim to them, probably before 2010.

Such decisions, however, presuppose serious public debate in Canada over the next year, informed by the evolving circumstances of the mission.

Apart from withdrawing our 2,700-strong contingent or simply continuing the existing deployment, four other options should be examined:

1. Move Canadian troops to safer parts of Afghanistan (although this is not where NATO forces are most needed).


2. Focus our military mission on Kandahar city and the strategically important districts of Panjwai and Zhari (which may be possible with a reduced force of about 1,800 soldiers, including support elements).


3. Keep only a garrison in Kandahar city to provide security for residents and Canadian development officials (requiring a few hundred soldiers, including support elements).


4. Shift entirely to a training mission for Afghan army and police units (the risks should not be underestimated, since trainers typically accompany their units on operations).

But first, we must decide whether it's in Canada's interest to remain in Afghanistan at all. We have no obligation to make further sacrifices, particularly if the mission's prospects do not improve. But the costs of allowing Afghanistan to collapse back into civil war would be enormous – for regional security (the stability of nuclear-armed Pakistan is at stake), for our own security (as we learned in the 1990s when al-Qaeda used Afghanistan as a base for global attacks), and not least for ordinary Afghans, who have suffered through decades of war.

Good on DND for getting these thinkers over there.

The trees, but not the forest

Ashraf Ghani, a former Afghan finance minister (post-Taliban) and now chairman of the Institute for State Effectiveness, has written an interesting article on what's required to move forward in Afghanistan. I was with him right up until these last two paragraphs:

The instruments currently used by the international community in Afghanistan, however, are part of the problem. The system can be made effective and efficient by eliminating the tens of thousands of scattered efforts, which create waste and parallel structures, and instead unifying foreign aid behind the single instrument of the Afghan national budget. The government and its international partners should delineate a set of objectives to deliver a dividend to the population and establish clear rules for accountability and transparency, including the creation of joint decision-making committees that bring international figures together with Afghan civil society and business oversight. This kind of partnership will require a new design for the use of aid, by a group similar to that which designed the Marshall Plan.

The present crisis was not inevitable, but rather the result of avoidable missteps. The Afghan population is still waiting, still hoping for an approach to answer their aspirations for a stable and just order. With that hope as its foundation, the right approach can bring Afghanistan to true stability.

While his observations ring true to me, his conclusions and recommendations seem misguided.

"Scattered efforts" aren't the problem. I believe that small, flexible, user-driven initiatives are generally more effective than big, cumbersome, top-down behemoths...if there is central guiding purpose that points the strategic direction.

In the military, it's called "commander's intent." Generals don't plan section tactics. They lay out their vision at the top level and tell their commanders what they're trying to do - they lay out what is to be done and within what parameters, and then let their subordinates work out the how of it. That process is repeated down the chain of command to the lowest level.

One of the benefits of such a process is that when the plan hits an unexpected obstacle - and the old saw that "no plan survives first contact with the enemy" is a cliché for good reason - those affected can improvise another how quickly, because they know what their "commander's intent" is.

In this light, Ghani's recommendation for putting all aid through the central government seems to me a recipe for disaster - especially given the well known corruption issues he lays out earlier in the article.

Likewise, his invocation of the Marshall Plan is misplaced. The rebuilding of Europe had a substantially different starting point than the rebuilding of Afghanistan must have - because we're not "rebuilding" it, we're trying to help them build it from nearly scratch. Europe had institutions, bureaucracies, economic mechanisms, educational foundations and a lengthy list of other latent advantages that Afghanistan simply doesn't. Why do you think we were running the SAT-A? Because Afghanistan had no civil service to speak of, and no ability to create its own from the talent pool that existed after the fall of the Taliban.

I'm not saying that the international community is doing everything right in Afghanistan. More resources and a better plan are required. I suspect General Petraeus will discover that, unlike Iraq, his biggest challenge will not be developing and executing a counterinsurgency plan with U.S. troops, it will be herding the various cats that make up ISAF so that they're all moving in the same direction. It will be getting buy-in from the seeming cast of thousands who are currently pulling in different directions in Afghanistan.

No, I'm definitely not saying that the international forces are getting it right in Afghanistan. I'm saying that consolidating and centralizing power and delivery behind an inexperienced, largely corrupt Afghan government doesn't strike me as the most promising way forward.

"Afghanistan: Introducing ‘Task Force Kandahar’"

A tune for the pipes, via Paul Wells:

This is a treat, and an honour. At the end of my recent article about Afghanistan I speak with Warrant Officer Colin Clansey, one of only two bagpipers in the current Canadian rotation in Kandahar and, he believes, the first piper deployed in that role to a war zone by Canada since World War II. Clansey has played at perhaps 25 “ramp ceremonies” for the departing remains of Canadian, American, British and Australian soldiers. In November, he told me, he wrote a new piece. From the article:

Soldiers from every country come, if their operational duties permit, to attend the ramp ceremonies. When the three who died on Dec. 5 went home, 2,000 of their comrades were on hand. Clansey sometimes plays Amazing Grace or songs associated with specific regiments, but this time he played a new song he wrote in November, Task Force Kandahar. “It’s a funeral march, so it’s very sombre at the start,” he said. “But as it progresses, I tried to give it a more positive tone, so it has elements of hope and joy at the end. As if to express the hope that all this isn’t in vain.”

Of course I asked whether there is a recording of the piece. Clansey said there is one and gave me the name of the public-affairs officer who had it. It took until today to track that recording down, because the officer who had it was “outside the wire.” Here, then, in a bit of a world premiere, is Warrant Officer Clansey’s piece, Task Force Kandahar.

It was recorded outdoors with a little digital recorder normally used for reporters’ interviews, and the performance has one rough spot, but I think this captures the tune’s character well. Everybody over there, military and civilian, is working as hard as they can, whatever the task, with no certainty about the outcome. I felt proud to be able to spend some time with them. Merry Christmas.

Buffed up?

A nice idea, but I doubt it will fly with the Air Force (via Spotlight on Military News and International Affairs):

Viking Proposes Resurrection Of DHC-5 Buffalo

Earlier this year Viking Air, of Victoria, B.C. Canada resumed production of the de Havilland Twin Otter [more here] and now it has its sights set on an even more ambitious project. The company, which owns the type certificate to seven de Havilland models, is proposing to start building the DHC-5 Buffalo, a large twin-engine utility aircraft with ultra short takeoff and landing capability and a rear cargo door that accommodated bulky cargo. The aircraft has been the backbone of the Canadian Forces' fixed wing search and rescue fleet for decades [only at CFB Comox, B.C., for the last 11 years] but the military is now looking for replacements for the 40-year-old aircraft. Viking President Dave Curtis says the most affordable answer is an updated Buff. "The requirement to replace the present fleet is not based on a lack of ability for the Buffalo to do the job, but simply due to the aging of the aircraft," Curtis said.

Curtis said other countries have expressed interest in a modernized Buffalo, which would include more efficient, more powerful Pratt and Whitney Canada PW150 engines, glass cockpit with enhanced vision and NVG capability. There are at least two Buffaloes in commercial service in Canada's north and Viking says there is a potential market for civilian versions of the aircraft. Viking is proposing to phase in the new Buffaloes by upgrading existing aircraft first. New aircraft would be built at Viking's facilities in Victoria and Calgary.

As I wrote in May when Viking Air first floated the idea:

I can't see the Air Force going for this. They want one plane for fixed-wing SAR across the country (instead of now the six Buffalos in B.C. and our remaining C-130Es in the rest of the country--I'm pretty sure nineteen are not still flying). I think they also want a plane that can double effectively as a tactical transport within Canada [and maybe the hemisphere] to supplement our C-130Js when the C-130Hs are retired. And I don't think the Buffalo, old or new-build, fits that role.

It looks like the Air Force wants the C-27J, a much larger aircraft, to fit that role--see the end of this post.

Here's a letter from Viking Air with more details of their proposal.

Update: A relevant comment by Zoomie at Milnet.ca:

As it stands - unless Viking dramatically changes the design of the original DHC-5 Buffalo - nothing they make will be sufficient.

a) too slow;

b) not pressurized;

c) insufficient range; and

d) design is outdated.

The Buff was designed to be an intra-theatre tactical lift aircraft. If Viking wishes to pitch that role to the CF, I am all for it. It does not meet the needs of our frugal Airforce and its FWSAR replacement program.

Sorry Viking, too little too late.

Upperdate: An interesting editorial in the Victoria Times Colonist (via David Pugliese):

Consider options for rescue plane

Defence Minister Peter MacKay and the federal government should welcome a proposal from Victoria-based Viking Air to replace the air force's aging CC-115 Buffalo search-and-rescue planes.

It's not that Viking Air is asking for special consideration because it is a Canadian company. The firm's president, Dave Curtis, says Viking has a solution that would be cheaper by about $1.5 billion than what it would cost to buy and service a fleet of Italian-designed Alenia C-271Js.

While Viking's proposal to modernize the Buffalos would also create 350 jobs, its primary appeal is that the company is willing to compete with the world for this work. In that way, it differs dramatically from the arguments supporting construction of B.C.'s new ferries in Canada as opposed to in Germany, where they were eventually built. B.C.'s shipbuilding industry simply couldn't match the Germans on price and value.

If the military is going to consider Viking's proposal, then it might also have to take another look at Bombardier's proposal to replace the Buffalos with the Q200, which had already been rejected for lack of a rear ramp. As much as any Canadian company, Bombardier has survived and thrived on the fat of federal government pork.

Unfortunately, one perverse good reason for buying outside the country is that it would avoid the regional battles over these kinds of contracts. Witness the challenge from Irving Shipbuilding in Halifax last year after B.C. shipyards were awarded $1.5 billion in contracts to maintain Canada's four submarines.

Of course, Viking will have to prove it can produce planes that meet air force specifications for search and rescue. One of the more attractive features of the C-271J is its cruising speed of 600 kilometres an hour, nearly twice that of the Buffalo. That means the C-271J can zip from airbases in southern Canada to the Arctic much more quickly. On the other hand, the Buffalo is far superior at short takeoffs and landings, which is also valuable in Arctic and other extreme conditions.

Another asset of the Alenia C-271J is its pressurized cabin, although an unpressurized cabin also has advantages. Such a plane has a lighter airframe and the doors can be removed to facilitate cargo drops, according to a posting on the website of the Canadian American Strategic Review [not sure which one of these is referred to].

The review argues that the military's fixed-wing search-and-rescue project has become an air force catch-all, encompassing "tactical transport, spares delivery and Arctic utility" on top of SAR. The review also notes that most of Canada's allies are privatizing that function.

More significantly, the review says the Alenia C-271J can't match the Buffalo's performance as a search-and-rescue plane.

That raises the question of whether or not the federal government should re-evaluate what it wants of the Buffalo replacements.

If it wants a versatile, high-speed aircraft, then the Alenia C-271J makes sense. If the government wants a superior search-and-rescue plane, then Viking might have the best answer.

Viking demonstrated earlier this year that it can modernize a classic flying workhorse, the Twin Otter. The company announced in November that it already had orders for 40 of the $4-million aircraft.

So Viking doesn't need the federal government's help to build a vibrant business. The government, though, might benefit from Viking's help in developing the search-and-rescue aircraft best suited for this country.

Just remember that for most of the country a regular military transport, the C-130E, has been performing the fixed-wing SAR role for over a decade--while doubling in the transport role. As I wrote in a post mentioned above:

As for that secondary transport capability, take a look at these squadrons:

435 Squadron, Winnipeg
424 Squadron, Trenton
413 Squadron, Greenwood

Uppestdate: From one who flies with Buffs, at Army.ca:

As someone who works in the Buff and loves it, I can say, that the only reason I would prefer a new "tatonka" would be nostalgia. The old "she's good in the mountains" only rings true when we are working down low in them. Any time we are trying to get over them in a hurry, to render aid to anywhere other than Coastal BC, it can be a royal pain to be tethered to an oxygen mask. the buff is box shaped in cross section, and basic geometry states that rectangles aren't stong enough to be pressurized. (maybe its physics, or some other science, but for sure you can't pressurize the buff.) SAR will be different when we get the new plane. I hope it is the C27, for the reasons I have stated way back pages ago when i first started to think we might someday get a new plane. This Viking/ Bombadeer conglomeration is not going to help us find the right plane. it is only going to hurt, and no doubt contribute to muddying and lengthening the procurement process. My planes are worn out. Totally worn out.

"Christmas in Kandahar"

A post by Damian Penny:

Today, the men and women of the Canadian Forces, and their family members, are in our thoughts and prayers. Merry Christmas to all.

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan — Canadian soldiers stationed in Afghanistan celebrated Christmas with a traditional dinner with all the trimmings.

Hundreds of troops packed a mess hall at Kandahar Airfield to enjoy a holiday feast of turkey, mashed potatoes, vegetables, yams and sumptuous sugary delights.

Some soldiers sported red Santa hats lined with fluffy white trim, while others donned reindeer antlers and bushy Kris Kringle-like beards.

Col. Jamie Cade, deputy commander of Task Force Kandahar, told the troops Christmas is a time to be with family and friends.

And while the families of most soldiers are back in Canada, Cade said there’s no doubt the men and women in the room are all friends.

Cade praised the troops in the room as an “amazing group of people” who do important work, and do it well.

More:

Front-line Christmas: Turkey, beer, a visit from the boss

Bombadier Shaun Swallow, 23, of Ottawa and Bombadier Mark Hancock, 24, of Labrador, both with 2RCHA Arillery - Petawawa, plant a Christmas tree outside their observation post while on patrol in the Zhari-Panjwaii district in Afghanistan on Wednesday.
Photograph by: Silvia Pecota

PANJWAII DISTRICT, Afghanistan — Christmas on Afghanistan's front lines was as festive as a company of tired soldiers could make it.

There was turkey and trimmings, red Santa hats, as well as a Christmas tree decorated in candy canes and photos of pretty girls...

Troops kick back and enjoy Christmas eve under Afghan skies

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan — Canadian troops stationed in Afghanistan spent the night before Christmas being entertained under the stars at a concert at Kandahar Airfield.

Ottawa-area singer-songwriter Kathleen Edwards and stand-up comedian Mike MacDonald performed for hundreds of soldiers enjoying a rare night off.

As is customary at these types of events, the troops were allowed two beers - a definite morale booster on a military base where Canadians are usually prohibited from drinking alcohol.

But after the night's festivities, it's back to work for soldiers on the base...

Kandahar kids get Canadian Christmas gifts
Soldiers hand out toys, warm clothing outside NATO base in southern Afghanistan

Canadian soldiers outside Kandahar Air Field in southern Afghanistan faced a rowdy crowd of local civilians Wednesday but the encounter had a happy outcome.

Dozens of Afghan children walked away from the meeting with soldiers carrying stuffed toys, new clothes and other Christmas gifts from Canada's Armed Forces.

Two military trucks pulled up just outside the main base at the airfield and soldiers were immediately surrounded by boys and girls of all ages. Troops handed down purple, white and lime-green teddy bears, bars of soap, sweaters and scarves...

God bless...

At my grandmother's and grandfather's house at Christmas, the last words of the evening grace were always "...and God bless all the other ones, wherever they may be. Amen."

Now, I don't care if you say grace or not before Christmas dinner. Or if you celebrate it at all, for that matter.

But no matter your own traditions or beliefs, I think the sentiment should hold true. There are a lot of Canadians overseas, and if you could spare a moment to raise a glass to them or send your best wishes, I'm sure they'd appreciate it.



I hope you and those you love have a safe, and merry Christmas.

Talk about headline spin: "Canadian Forces To Receive Helicopter Fleet With Leading Edge Technology"/Upperdate: Cormorants

The government has caved in to Sikorsky (the title headline, at the link, is so, er, "Canada's New Government"--hurl). What a balls up:

Sea King replacements to start rolling out in 2010

Canada's air force will take delivery of its first new maritime helicopter in half a century by November 2010, two years behind schedule and with changes that will cost $117 million [emphasis added].

Defence sources tell the Canadian Press that a deal with U.S. defence contractor Sikorsky was concluded recently.

It resulted in a firm delivery date for the first of 28 CH-148 Cyclones, which were initially supposed to start flying from the decks of Canadian warships last month.

"We hope to have the program on track relatively soon," said a senior defence official who spoke on background.

The first helicopter — known by tail number 001 — is expected to arrive at Shearwater, N.S., the air force's principal base on the East Coast, and will be used to train flight crews, said the official.

The aircraft-maker isn't expected to complete delivery of all aircraft until 2012 and the fleet won't be fully operational until 2013 [emphasis added].

National Defence is confident enough in the timetable that it has begun drawing up a schedule to retire its antique fleet of CH-124 Sea Kings, which have been in service since the early 1960s.

It became apparent last year that Sikorsky wasn't going to meet its contract deadlines for delivering the Cyclones [from January 2008: "The $1.85-billion deal announced with fanfare by the federal Liberals in 2004 required delivery of the first of 28 maritime helicopters by Nov. 30, 2008. That has been changed to Jan. 9, 2009..." Ha. Ha.]

During the intense negotiations that followed between the company, Public Works Canada and the Defence Department, it was suggested that taxpayers could end up forking out an additional $200 million beyond the already planned $5-billion budget.

Defence Minister Peter MacKay, as late as September, was expecting some form of additional cost to be tacked on to any potential agreement with Sikorsky.

In a statement late Tuesday, Public Works Canada confirmed a deal had been reached at a cost of $77 million for the helicopter purchase and $40 million for the 20 year in-service support contract.

But senior defence and military sources insisted that the extra cash will be made up from within the project's overall $5-billion initial price tag.

"It stays within budget," an official declared.

At one point during the talks, Sikorsky was told the federal government was prepared to impose late delivery penalties of $100,000 per day — to a maximum of $36 million — as provided in the original contract.

It's unclear if Ottawa followed through or whether the threat played a role in delivering the settlement. There was also speculation the Conservatives would simply cancel the deal...

The Cyclone's design was based on Sikorsky's already proven H-92 civilian helicopter, which is widely used in the offshore oil industry.

The recast, militarized version has the addition of a folding tail and rotors for storage aboard warships, anti-submarine warfare electronics, and a fly-by-wire system that allows the aircraft to be flown by computer.

"You have no idea how hard it has been" to re-engineer the aircraft, said a military official who has followed the program [then why the hell was the contract signed in the first place?].

The extra equipment has made the Cyclone heavier, forcing Sikorsky to upgrade the GE CT7-8A engines to a more powerful variant. That has taken time and money...

Canada, under the Liberals for political reasons (i.e. no more EH101s, not that that aircraft turned out that well, more here), bought a military version of a civilian helicopter that no other country has yet bought--and it's only just flown for the first time! Contract didn't work out too well, did it? So now we're eating the costs because there's nothing else to do. But don't forget the Conservative government has promised to improve defence procurement (from Update at link):

The Speech from the Throne also said this about defence procurement:

Fixing procurement will be a top priority. Simpler and streamlined processes will make it easier for businesses to provide products and services to the government and will deliver better results for Canadians. Military procurement in particular is critical: Canada cannot afford to have cumbersome processes delay the purchase and delivery of equipment needed by our men and women in uniform.

I answer: "Oink!" (with the CF now promoting rooting themselves). More on the Cyclone debacle here, where I wrote:

There should be a formal investigation, with the results made public, into how Sikorsky won the competition [lots of pork--"Benefits for all Canadians"]--and into the subsequent management of the project. I think it disgraceful that the Liberal government of Paul Martin, the CF, and Public Works chose in 2004 to buy a paper aircraft--that still has no other buyer, an aircraft that in reality simply could not meet the contract's terms without major changes to the original specifications of the machine...

And almost three years after the Conservatives took office we are still, supposedly, almost two years away from first delivery. Stinks.

Update: Another blogger puts out the government press release. Wow.

Upperdate: Latest on Cormorants from Aerospace Daily & Defense Report (h/t to Fred in "Comments"):

The availability of Canada’s CH-149 Cormorant search-and-rescue helicopters is improving after manufacturer AgustaWestland took action to improve spares provisioning, and inspection requirements were changed.

Earlier this year, an official report revealed availability of the 14 helicopters was less than 50 percent, well below the 75 percent expected when Canada purchased the EH101-based Cormorants in 1998.

The study said minimum operational requirements could only be met by buying more aircraft or reducing maintenance inspections. Canada purchased 15 Cormorants, but lost one, and the helicopters equip only three of the originally planned four operating bases.

The Department of National Defence (DND) denies Canadian media reports it is considering buying or leasing up to five more Cormorants [emphasis added], but says it is still evaluating the effectiveness of AgustaWestland’s recovery plan.

An operational availability improvement program instituted with Canada has made “genuine inroads” into overcoming the issues, says Jeremy Tracy, AgustaWestland’s head of region for Canada.

The program involves more attention to spares provisioning and the return of repaired and overhauled items, he says. Suppliers are being held to the provisioning times offered, and inspection intervals have also been adjusted to reduce maintenance downtime.

“As the aircraft matures we are able to reduce the maintenance burden,” Tracy says. Canada has now begun inspecting tail-rotor hubs for cracks every 200 flight hours, in common with other EH101 operators, instead of every 100 hours.

Working with the DND and maintenance prime contractor IMP, AgustaWestland has been able to get a better understanding of spares provisioning requirements, he says. “We have provided as many as we can against the target threshold.”..

Tracy says the program already has improved the availability of the Cormorants, citing recent statistics showing nine aircraft out of 14 available. This is an improvement over the 50 percent rate, but still short of the 75 percent target.

Availability varies day to day, the DND says, adding that “while the trend appears to be improving, the availability rate for the Cormorant has recently averaged six to seven aircraft available out of the total of 14 [That's bloody it! After over six years in service? - MC].”..

Remember also that our Cormorant is a unique, Canadian-specced, search and rescue version of the EH101 (now AW101) that no other country operates.

What our media are not reporting about the Taliban

A topic at Milnet.ca on a report by the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission that seems to have been generally overlooked (emphasis in orginal at link; scroll down link for more details):

AFG Rights Group: "Taliban .... targeting civilians intentionally"

Since MSM are focussing on this report (.pdf) for the moment, here's what the same human rights group had to say about the bad guys (.pdf) - highlights mine...

"Insurgent Abuses against Afghan Civilians"
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Ordinary citizens increasingly feel the impact of Afghanistan’s ongoing armed conflict. Both Anti government elements (AGEs) and other parties involved in the conflict are responsible for violence that affects the civilian population. This report documents how, in their attempts to weaken the Afghan Government, the Taliban and other AGEs are systematically terrorizing the civilian population with “night letters,” kidnappings, executions (often by beheading) and other crimes.

In their campaign to undermine support for the Government the Taliban fail to differentiate between military objectives and civilians, targeting civilians intentionally. Their targets include doctors, teachers, students, tribe elders, Ulema Council members, civilian government employees, suppliers and day laborers of public-interest reconstruction projects as well as former police and military personnel. For instance, the simple act of being a civil servant or being friendly with government officials is frequently seen as enough to justify an attack. In an attempt to further weaken public support for the government, insurgents have also targeted schools, medical services, humanitarian aid and commercial supply lines. These attacks have a severe impact far beyond their immediate victims and the effects of these abuses on Afghan society as a whole will be described, with a focus on the specific areas of social economy, education and health care.

This report focuses on serious violations of Islamic principles, domestic and international law caused by the Taliban from 2006 to mid 2008. The actions documented are in direct contravention to Islamic Shari’a, Afghan domestic and international law. All three sources provide clear strictures about the protection of civilians during armed conflict, which are set out in the report. A panel of respected Islamic scholars has provided a religious interpretation of these breaches, using the principles of Islamic Shari’a. While the Taliban claim to observe Islamic principles, which they consider above the strictures of domestic and international humanitarian law, this claim will be largely disproved.

Alerted by reports from around the country, the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) conducted a detailed investigation into the allegations of a campaign of terror carried out by insurgents. The team interviewed over 100 victims and witnesses, tribal elders, community representatives and local government officials on the ground, in order to gain an authentic and exact image of abuses against civilians perpetrated by AGEs. The information gathered by AIHRC includes testimonies from the most insecure regions of the country including as the east, south and southeast.

Beyond its specifically informative content, AIHRC makes clear recommendations to all parties in the armed conflict in Afghanistan at the end of this report.

Tony Prudori
MILNEWS.ca - Military News for Canadians
News - http://milnews.ca
tony@milnews.ca

Update: Just what one might expect from the Globe and Mail:

Report slams tactic of night raids on Afghan homes
...
The AIHRC also released a report Tuesday on Taliban atrocities, describing the insurgents as inflicting more harm on civilians than the pro-government forces [that short para is buried almost at the end of the story, natch]...

But good on the Ottawa Citizen (sort of):

Group blasts Taliban for rising death toll among Afghan civilians

Commander defends Canadian 'track record' after rights commission also blames soldiers for deaths

...coalition forces, including Canada's contribution of more than 2,500 soldiers, were also blamed for the rise in the civilian death toll, noting airstrikes have been the primary cause of the increase...

In other words, it's not the Canadian soldiers directly causing some civilian deaths, but rather airstrikes they may call in. Meanwhile, the headline and end of a CTV story; focused on the bad news but with a decent headline:

Air strikes, night raids a 'last resort' in Afghanistan
...
A second commission report -- also released Tuesday -- claims there have also been a litany of Taliban abuses. They include kidnappings and executions against Afghan civilians.

"Attacks against government civilian officials and institutions have increasingly chipped away at the government's ability to provide services to hundreds and thousands of people," the report on the insurgency says.

"It is often the poorest people of Afghanistan who are being threatened, kidnapped, and executed because they work on government or international construction or development projects."

Working life

Until retirement. I was tagged:

It’s simple. Just list all the jobs you’ve had in your life, in order. Don’t bust your brain: no durations or details are necessary, and feel free to omit anything that you feel might tend to incriminate you. I’m just curious. And when you’re done, tag another five bloggers you’re curious about.

-Summer jobs with the federal government (DND, Canadian Gov't Travel Office, Post Office, External Affairs)

-Postal clerk (mail sorter)

-Teaching assistant, International Affairs, Carleton U.

-Researcher, LeDain Commission of Inquiry into the Non-Medical Use of Drugs

-Research assistant, Historical Division, External Affairs (Documents on Canadian External Relations, Vol. 6, 1936-39)

-Research assistant, memoirs of Mike Pearson and of John Diefenbaker

-Research assistant, CBC documentary series "The Canadian Establishment" (actually while on leave of absence from External Affairs, see below)

-Foreign Service Officer, External Affairs (posted to Pakistan/Afghanistan, Yugoslavia/Bulgaria, also two years' secondment to Privy Council Office)

-Bureaucrat, Solicitor General Canada, then Canadian Coast Guard.

I got a construction job with the British Army in West Berlin in 1966, but hitch-hiked to Morocco instead.

I tag Damian, Terry (his response here), Raphael, John and chucker.

The way ahead in Afstan

Two stories.

1) Canadian Press (Murray Brewster):

Comparisons to Iraq highlight re-enegized Afghan war in 2009

Canada's mission in Afghanistan was originally due to end in February 2009 but instead will grow in scope and cost in the coming year because of a political compromise arranged last spring by the Harper government.

With 103 soldiers dead, hundreds more wounded and an estimated price tag of $18.3 billion, the country appears resigned to a long, costly fight in a war that for some has come to resemble the bloody stalemate in Iraq.

Tens of thousands of fresh U.S. troops are due to surge into Afghanistan starting in the spring, much as they did in Iraq two years ago.

The Americans appear ready, over the objection of some allies, to adopt a transplanted strategy to pacify Afghanistan. Ground commanders have warned of more confrontation with the Taliban and escalating violence.

As well, Afghans will be headed to the ballot box in the fall of 2009, giving militants another reason to increase attacks.

"One can expect a more intense insurgency and a more determined effort on the part of the Taliban to disrupt democracy," Defence Minister Peter MacKay said in a year-end interview with The Canadian Press.

The influx of as many as 30,000 more American troops is reflection of president-elect Barrack Obama's determination to make the war in Afghanistan the central front in the fight against terrorism.

Reinforcements are coming from battle-hardened units drawn down from Iraq, where violence is slowly subsiding.

Even without the political push of a new U.S. Democratic administration, there have been signs throughout 2008 that the battle in Afghanistan's desert wastelands and mountain creases may become the conflict of choice for Islamic jihadists.

Where once the south presented the greatest challenge to stability, security in the once relatively quiet eastern region of the country descended this year into an unanticipated cauldron of bombings and fire fights.

The most graphic illustration was the massacre of 10 newly-arrived French soldiers, ambushed in a mountain pass last August not far from the capital, Kabul.

Despite the bloodshed and the alleged influx of foreign fighters, the head of the Canadian army said only a superficial comparison can be made between Afghanistan and Iraq.

"I wouldn't say it's the war of choice for jihadists - yet," said Lt.-Gen. Andrew Leslie.

"The Afghans themselves (are) very proud, very ancient people, with very rich tribal cultures and in the hinterlands relatively xenophobic to outsiders."

The "natural suspicion and hostility" toward foreigners is not restricted to westerners and extends to those "who seem very keen to use their young men to attack NATO forces," he added.

Leslie, who did a stint as commander of NATO's International Security and Force, or ISAF, five years ago in Kabul, said "there are enormous tensions between Afghans, no matter what ethnicity, and non-Afghans" that will likely temper the violence to levels below what Iraq experienced.

Much of the bloodshed in and around Baghdad since 2004 involved Sunni and Shia Muslims tearing each other apart in vicious sectarian feuds, with U.S. and British troops caught in the middle.

Afghanistan does not have the same toxic demographic mix - a fact MacKay took pains to emphasize...

The cornerstone of Ottawa's withdrawal plans involves training Afghan National Army and police to handle their own security in Kandahar.

With 288 combat deaths among NATO forces as of mid-December and an estimated 4,000 civilian casualties, 2008 has turned out to be the bloodiest year since the overthrow of the hard-line Taliban regime.

The number of Canadian soldiers who have given their lives since 2002 surpassed the psychological milestone of 100 in early December, a majority of them victims of indiscriminate roadside bombs and booby traps.

Although they can't guarantee it, the country's generals are hoping the introduction of battlefield transport helicopters, armed escort choppers and unmanned surveillance drones will reduce the steady flow of casualties in 2009.

The public angst and political outrage that characterized the war throughout much of 2006 and 2007 faded from view in 2008 after Prime Minister Stephen Harper engineered a bi-partisan compromise with the Liberals that extended the country's military deployment in Afghanistan until 2011.

Late in the year, even the New Democrats, the most vocal opponents of the war, dropped their demand that troops come home immediately in their own political compromise with the Liberals.

It may appear that the mute button on political opposition has been hit, but opinion polls have repeatedly shown the public remains ill at ease with the war and longs for the days when Canadian soldiers were peacekeepers instead of peacemakers [emphasis added]...

2) LA Times:

Agencies prep Obama for 'tourniquet' on Afghanistan
Many military leaders seek a new strategy to deal with the growing violence and advances by the Taliban and other extremists.

The Pentagon and U.S. national security officials are transmitting a battery of new information about the Afghanistan war to President-elect Barack Obama's transition team in hopes that the incoming administration will act quickly to prevent U.S. fortunes there from eroding further.

The effort underscores a sense of urgency about addressing an increasingly dangerous situation in Afghanistan. Many military leaders think a broad strategic shift is needed to reverse the growing violence and to turn back troubling advances by the Taliban and other extremists.

Obama's staff is being given detailed information on the findings of separate strategy reviews by the Pentagon and the White House National Security Council. The reviews cover proposals to beef up U.S. force levels, improve coordination among government agencies and overhaul U.S. foreign aid efforts, including to countries such as Pakistan.

"Right now there is a sense you need to apply a tourniquet of some kind," said a senior Defense official who spoke on condition of anonymity when discussing contacts with the transition team. "You need to control bleeding at the site of the wound, you need to stabilize, and you need to see what you need to do next."

After a record number of U.S. deaths in Afghanistan this year, national security officials consider it crucial for the new administration to act soon after taking office. The senior Defense official said Obama would have a limited time period to announce a new strategy for Afghanistan and build up the troop strength.

"Over time, it will be harder to put more stuff in," the official said. "You have a window where you can do dramatic things. But the opportunity to do dramatic things reduces over time."

During the campaign, Obama said he wanted to intensify the military's focus on Afghanistan, elevating the war to a primary Pentagon effort.

Obama was briefed in person last week by Navy Adm. Michael G. Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, on details of war plans.

Among other issues, Mullen described the size of the units the Pentagon plans to send to Afghanistan and when they would be sent, Defense officials said.

There are 36,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan. Based on plans already made public, about 20,000 new troops will be headed to Afghanistan in 2009. They include an additional Army brigade announced by President Bush in September and as many as four more brigades under plans endorsed by Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, who will remain in his post under Obama...

Too many U.S. troops could weaken the Afghan government's will to build up its armed forces and take more responsibility, Gates is said to believe.

"He supports the additional combat brigades and aviation brigade," the official said. "Beyond that, it will start to look less like an Afghan operation and more like an occupation."

Mullen is overseeing the Pentagon strategy review. Army Lt. Gen. Douglas E. Lute, appointed by Bush to coordinate war planning for the White House, is supervising the National Security Council review.

A third review is underway, overseen by Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, head of the U.S. Central Command overseeing forces in the Mideast. Obama will probably be briefed on the conclusions of that review too.

The Mullen and Lute reviews both conclude that any new strategy must examine Pakistan as well as Afghanistan, officials said. Both also discuss ways to increase cooperation between the Defense and State departments [emphasis added]...

No wall flowers here

If we're talking tens of billions of dollars in stimulus spending, it's worthwhile to get your pitch in early. Leslie's making sure he's in the hunt.

New vehicles for army could boost economy, top soldier says
Rush orders for trucks, LAVs could help automotive sector, chief of land staff says

CAMPBELL CLARK

Globe and Mail Update

December 23, 2008 at 4:15 AM EST

Gen. Leslie also said that the government should probably think hard "in the very near future" about whether it wants to invest money to upgrade its fleet of light armoured vehicles.

The LAVs, which have suffered the wear and tear of service in Afghanistan, could see their life extended for 15 years through work done at plants in London, Ont., and Edmonton.

"We're probably going to want to spend some taxpayers' dollars - which by the way translates to jobs for Canadians because these things are built in Canada," he said.

"Am I making a pitch?" he said. "Absolutely."

2011 the limit for Army's current Afghan mission/Generals lobbying publicly

From Chief of the Land Staff Gen. Andrew Leslie:

...
Gen. Leslie, the officer responsible for the training and equipping of Canada's land forces, is hoping to provide for his troops at a time when the army is seeking to expand and rebuild after enduring the long war in Afghanistan.

Canada is to leave its mission in Kandahar in 2011, despite calls from U.S. president-elect Barack Obama for the world to commit to greater efforts in Afghanistan [but is the "Prime minister going wobbly on Afstan withdrawal?"]. Gen. Leslie said the army would have been stretched too thin to continue the Afghan mission much longer.

He said the army is already operating at a frantic pace to keep its Kandahar battle group in the field for so many years, with some soldiers going back for the fifth and sixth time before the mission's end date. The army will need about a year off in 2011 before it can take on a mission of that scope again, he said.

"If the government hadn't said we're out in 2011, then probably over the course of the next couple of months I would have had to go to my boss and say: 'In 2011 we have a problem,' " he said.

"I'm now looking at sending soldiers back perhaps for the fifth and sixth time - in modest numbers - by the time we pull out in 2011. And that is an awful lot. Of course the soldier is only as good as the supportive family will be. And so far, the military families have hung tough ... But I suspect by 2011, the army will be stretched really thin," he said.

"We're going to need a bit of a reset, rest period. [But] it doesn't mean we're going to stop everything we're going to be doing post-2011, because there may be other missions."

The army now counts about 20,000 regulars, and plans to boost those numbers by just over 3,000, but it has been able to add only about 500 a year so far, largely because of limits on its training resources, he said. And it cannot devote all of its training to new recruits when it has soldiers heading into combat.

"There's close to 8,000 reservists who are in full-time service right now. And that's how we're getting it done," Gen. Leslie said.

But I would think the Army should be capable of a different and reduced mission after 2011, should the governement decide to continue a significant CF role in Afstan--some possiblities are outlined here.

And, further to BBS's post on the vehicles part of the above story, an earlier post:

"DND seeks more than $2B for vehicles for Afghanistan...

... Insiders question strategy given tough economic times".

More at the Upperdate here.

By the way, does anyone else find it a curious coincidence that the Chief of the Land Staff has joined Chief of the Air Staff Lt.-Gen. Angus Watt by, in effect, lobbying publicly for equipment (and putting some pressure on the government)?

More Cormorants?

See also the end of this post:

Fixed-wing SAR: The C-27J after all?

The fighting left

From a post by Terry Glavin:

What Effective Progressive Activism Really Looks Like

A glimpse, in today's Globe and Mail, from a profile of our pal Lauryn Oates, co-founder of the Canada-Afghanistan Solidarity Committee.

Contrary to naysayers, Ms. Oates said, ordinary Afghans want international aid and intervention. "People have this incredible resilience," she said. "If they're willing to go on, we have to be behind them. The least we can do is stand by them. This is not about charity or pity."

For the opposite of progressive politics (the kind that animates the "anti-war left" in Canada today) and which our friends over at Shiraz Socialist have properly characterized as "a piece of propaganda for a fascist movement that would have been shocking six or seven years back, but wouldn’t raise an eyebrow now," you can read a thorough whitewash of the Taliban, if you can bear it, in International Socialism. Better to just read Shiraz, so you won't feel soiled...

Update: Mr Glavin has drawn this well-reasoned article in the straight.com to my attention--note the authors:

Canadian soldiers aren't dying for nothing in Afghanistan
...
Sverre Frisch studies political science at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. He spent five years as an officer with the Norwegian Army, including two tours as a peacekeeper in the Balkans. Tylere Couture is a captain with the Canadian Forces and recently returned from a seven-month tour in Afghanistan with the Kandahar Provincial Reconstruction Team in Kandahar City. Couture and Frisch are both members of the UBC chapter of the Canada-Afghanistan Solidarity Committee.

Afghan news and Brit views

Lots of things from "The Sandbox and Areas Reports Thread" at Milnet.ca. Note:

NATO to engage Afghan tribes in Taliban fight
Canada 'not onboard' with U.S. plan to arm Afghan militias: MacKay

Expansion for Canada Aviation Museum

Great, if you like aircraft as I do:

OTTAWA — Long considered the poor cousin in the family of federal museums, the Canada Aviation Museum is poised for a major expansion that would catapult it into the big leagues [photo here].

The National Capital Commission has approved the final plans of a $7-million expansion that would add a new foyer, auditorium, classrooms, cafeteria, lookout tower, retail space and landscaped entrance. All told the expansion is to add 2,600 square metres or 18 per cent more space to the museum.

Work is to begin in May and be completed in the fall of 2010. While at 26,000 square metres the east-end museum will remain one of the smallest major museums in the city, the expansion will dramatically enhance the celebration of Canada’s aviation history and heritage.

“Aviation is embedded in the fabric of the Canadian experience, but currently we look like a hangar for aircraft rather than a museum,” said Stephen Quick, the associate director-general.

“The purpose of this expansion is to show to the visitor to Ottawa that we are really a museum. When you come into the museum, it will have what we call a ‘wow factor.’ You begin your experience as you enter the door.”

As the national repository of the country’s aviation heritage, the Canada Aviation Museum showcases this important part of our history.

It began in 1964 in Rockcliffe as the National Aeronautical Collection, but grew into a full-fledged museum in 1988, with a treasure trove that includes 130 aircraft dating back to 1910, plus 180 engines and assorted artifacts.

Among its world-class holdings are the iconic De Havilland Beaver, the first aircraft used to open up the Canadian North; the last remaining pieces of the ill-fated Avro Arrow; and a replica of the aircraft Alexander Graham Bell used for the first controlled flight in Nova Scotia. It also has vintage aircraft from the two world wars.

More than any nation in the world, Canada used aviation to explore and open up the vast land mass and Mr. Quick says there is a rich history that the museum “safeguards for Canadians.” As the collection grew in importance, a new storage wing was added in 2005 to house aircraft parked outside at the mercy of the elements.

Still, Mr. Quick said the Canadian Aviation Museum lacks the programming space and all the elements that make it stand out as a real functioning museum. He says the museum hosts a lot of school children but when they come in, there is no dedicated area for education programming.

The expansion, which is concentrated on the front end of the building, will change that. The museum will offer visitors a new glass entrance that leads into a new foyer. A snow-bird aircraft that is suspended from the ceiling will greet visitors as they walk in. Interpretive elements such as touch screens will help immerse visitors in the museum experience. An attached 300-seat auditorium, complemented by classrooms for educational programming, will anchor the new development. The auditorium, with its retractable seats, could be converted into a banquet hall, with the foyer serving as a gathering place for cocktail parties. It would also have a stage and theatrical lighting so that theatre groups, especially in the east end, could stage plays. The adjoining classrooms will provide the space for proper educational programs that have long been absent for lack of space.

The NCC believes the auditorium could become so special as to attract people from all parts of the national capital region. It has advised that a plaza in front of the main entrance should remain a gathering place and vehicles should not be allowed to go through it.

Mr. Quick says the expansion will offer not just a new experience for visitors to the museum, but new opportunities for the east end community as well.

“When we took a look at it, we realized that the east end of Ottawa doesn’t have a conference centre, the communities there have no place they can go to do community theatre,” he said. “Now you can do that.”..

What the Brits may do in Afstan, and what the US thinks

Two stories from the Sunday Times:

Defence chiefs plan to deploy 3,000 more troops in Helmand [but no political decision]

US opens fire on Brown’s ‘war fatigue’
American defence chiefs believe Britain is not pulling its weight in Afghanistan and say more British troops are needed

Seeems to me the Times papers are still trying to stir things up--see the end of this post. And this is what The Times was reporting six days ago (at preceding link):

Secret planning has been under way for some time to deploy another 2,000 troops, although the Ministry of Defence has previously denied reports that reinforcements were likely to be sent next year.

"Quality" Brit journalism at work: 3,000, 2,000, what's the diff?

Meanwhile, I think these views are also quite applicable to Canada:

Britain has lost the stomach for a fight [by Michael Portillo]
...

The extent of Britain’s fiasco has been masked by the media’s relief that we are at last leaving Iraq. Those who have been urging Britain to quit are not in a strong position to criticise the government’s lack of staying power. Reporting of Basra has mainly focused on British casualties and the prospect for withdrawal. The British media and public have shown scant regard for our failure to protect Iraqis, so the British nation, not just its government, has attracted distrust. We should reflect on what sort of country we have become. We may enjoy patronising Americans but they demonstrate a fibre that we now lack.

The United States will have drawn its conclusions about our reliability in future and British policy-makers, too, will need to recognise that we lack the troops, wealth and stomach for anything more than the briefest conflict. How long will we remain in Afghanistan? There, in contrast to our past two years in Basra, our forces engage the enemy robustly. But as a result the attrition rate is high. We look, rightly, for more help from Nato allies such as Germany, although humility should temper that criticism, given our own performance in Iraq...

First Griffon arrives at Kandahar Air Field

Looks like the helicopters will have a close combat role after all--the details:

First of 8 armed Griffon helicopters arrive in Kandahar to support Canadians

The first of eight armed CH-146 Griffon helicopters arrived at Kandahar Airfield on Saturday.

The Griffons, which have been given extra sensors and Gatling guns on top of their existing side door machine-guns and armour plating, will provide escort and protection for the larger Chinook transport helicopters.

The lumbering Chinooks are more vulnerable to attack by ground fire and rocket-propelled grenades, so they typically travel with smaller, armed escorts like the Griffons.

The Griffons will also give air cover to ground convoys [emphasis added], and will be on standby to evacuate battlefield casualties.

The commander of Canada's air wing, Col. Christopher Coates, says the Griffons may also be used to spot roadside bombs, which have killed more than half of the 103 Canadian soldiers lost in the Afghanistan mission.

"We can avoid areas where there are known IED (improvised explosive device) threats," Coates said.

"Some of the Griffons may be used in other roles like helping spot IEDs or other activities on the ground, surveying convoys as they move."..

Prime minister going wobbly on Afstan withdrawal?

This is phrased in a curiously cautious fashion:

Prime Minister Stephen Harper has appeared to leave the door open to a longer deployment in Afghanistan than the scheduled end of mission in December 2011.

In an interview taped Thursday, to be broadcast tonight on CTV, Harper discusses the difficulties of the Afghan mission, but defends the work Canadians are doing there.

Asked if Canadian troops might possibly come home any earlier, Harper said flatly, "no."

But asked about whether there are any conditions under which Canada could extend its mission beyond December 2011, in light of the vow by U.S. President-elect Barack Obama to increase American efforts there, Harper called it a "hypothetical," and dodged a direct answer.

"We took a resolution to Parliament; we got agreement of ourselves and the Liberal party on the extension of the mission to 2011. We have very definite goals we want to achieve by 2011, including being in a situation where our military mission can end.

"We're aiming for that [emphasis added]. A big emphasis is the training of the Afghan military. That is progressing, and we do want to be able to achieve what we set out to achieve. And at the moment, at the end of 2008, I'm not prepared to speculate on other scenarios for 2011. We're committed to the track we're on."

Harper, in response to a videotaped question from a Canadian soldier in Kandahar about what he believes will be achieved by then, concedes "there's no doubt this remains a tough mission."

He said troops are in the "single toughest province in the entire country. Kandahar is the centre of the resistance." But he continued to claim that progress is being made.

Harper says "the big problem" is "with the Pakistan-Afghan border" noting insurgents cross back and forth, and are causing "increasing problems in Pakistan itself."

Harper lamented the "inadequate" NATO troop levels in Afghanistan, saying "Canada, Britain, the United States, the Netherlands – there's a handful of countries (that) are carrying the load [pity he forgot about the Danes--more at Update here]."

Canada has about 2,500 troops in the volatile Kandahar region. Since 2002, 103 Canadian soldiers have died in the conflict.

Harper insisted the situation is much different from the bleak scenario faced by Soviet troops in Afghanistan, when U.S.-funded mujahideen countered the invasion.

"The truth of the matter is we have nowhere near the kind of fighting force the Soviets had, and the insurgency is much weaker than it was in that period.

"And this is the tragedy. I think if we would all put our shoulders to the wheel, this is a problem we can deal with. It's a much smaller insurgency than we saw 30 years ago, much less effective, but it does need sustained, concentrated efforts by the allies and this is a big test of NATO." He said there has been renewed engagement by NATO allies, "but there has to be more again."

I wonder if that nudge by US defense secretary Gates has been followed up with some sharp, if discrete, diplomacy--maybe a hint of linkage to keeping some automobile production in Ontario? Just wondering.

The aviation part of the (maybe very large indeed) US Afghan surge

This has been in the works for some time (Oct. 29: "The pressing needs in Afghanistan include a U.S. aviation brigade...") and is now done:

Secretary of Defense Robert Gates has signed a deployment order to send a combat aviation brigade, about 3,000 troops, to Afghanistan in early 2009.

The brigade, from the 82nd Airborne [the 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade, one assumes--more here], will fulfill one of the critical deficits for U.S. forces in that country right now -- helicopters.

Last week, Gates said he expects to have three more brigade combat teams in Afghanistan by "summertime." A senior defense official said that the combat aviation brigade is not among those brigades mentioned by the secretary (one brigade, the 3rd Brigade, 10th Mountain Division, deploys there in January [see 2) here]).

So, with the addition of this aviation brigade, the three BCTs Gates spoke about last week, and the logistics forces needed to support all of these new troops, the U.S. now plans to send between 21,000 and 25,000 new troops to Afghanistan in 2009.

That nearly doubles the number of U.S. boots on the ground there now, which stands at 31,000.

As for a really big surge:

KABUL, Afghanistan -- The top U.S. military officer said Saturday that the Pentagon could double the number of American forces in Afghanistan by next summer to 60,000--the largest estimate of potential reinforcements ever publicly suggested [emphasis added].

Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said that between 20,000 and 30,000 additional U.S. troops could be sent to Afghanistan to bolster the 31,000 already there...

Mullen said that increase would include combat forces but also aviation, medical and civilian affairs support troops.

"So some 20,000 to 30,000 is the window of overall increase from where we are right now," he told a news conference at a U.S. base in Kabul. "We certainly have enough forces to be successful in combat, but we haven't had enough forces to hold the territory that we clear [emphasis added]."..

Another country fully committed:

3 Danish soldiers killed, 1 injured in Afghanistan

Three Danish soldiers and one from the Netherlands were killed in separate incidents in Afghanistan on Friday, losing their lives just as the commitment of some countries to the fight in Afghanistan begins to wane.

In Copenhagen, the army said the three Danes were killed and a compatriot badly injured when their armored vehicle drove over a bomb or a land mine in Helmand province – the most dangerous part of Afghanistan.

"Today we lost three Danish soldiers in a tragic way," said Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen. "It is the biggest single loss for the Danish engagement in southern Afghanistan."

Denmark has about 700 troops in the NATO force in Afghanistan. Twenty-one have been killed since Denmark joined the U.S.-led coalition in Afghanistan in 2002...

The population of Denmark is one-sixth that of Canada. You do the math for for comparative fatalities on a per capita basis. And there will be a "surge" by the Danes--see Update here.

But another country looks like it may be checking out (and not just from Afstan):

The lower chamber of Czech parliament has failed to extend a mandate for the deployment of the country's troops in Afghanistan, Iraq and other foreign missions for next year, meaning the soldiers will leave soon.

The mandate for as many as 415 Czech servicemen serving in the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, and for another unit of 100 elite troops with the U.S.-led operation against al-Qaida and Taliban fighters, expires by the year's end.

"I am ashamed of the vote," Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek said.

Topolanek said later Friday the government used its constitutional rights and delayed the troops' return home by 60 days, starting Jan 1.

"It is a serious situation," Czech military chief of general staff Lt. Gen. Vlastimil Picek said. "It is a very bad signal for our partners," he said.

Of the 192 lawmakers present in the 200-seat house, only 99 deputies voted to extend the deployment by one more year and to increase the number of troops in Afghanistan by another 230 soldiers. The governing coalition needed 101 to win.

Seventy-five deputies voted against the move, while 18 abstained...

The chamber's decision Friday means the end of all current foreign missions. The 550 troops deployed in the NATO-led peacekeeping force in Kosovo — the mission known as KFOR — will have to be withdrawn, as well five officers who were slated to train officers on Iraq for one more year.

The Czech Republic will also not make available next year 229 soldiers for NATO's rapid reaction force or NATO's Response Force and 1,800 more for an EU battle group unit.

Three Czech service members have died in Afghanistan.

Update: It is the 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade going (via Canadian Armed Forces Blogger).

Every Man has Leaned on the Past...

I was corresponding with one of my grandfathers by e-mail earlier today. He's a WWII veteran, with experiences in a Lancaster bomber that he cannot speak of even to this day. He was commenting on the family picture we sent to my grandmother and him, saying he never expected to make it to over eighty years old, and certainly didn't expect to meet his great-grandchildren, the eighth generation of Canadians in our line.

I reminded him that we're pretty proud of where we come from. When I was at Air Force Indoctrination school at CFB Comox more than fifteen years ago, our class was shown a poem. Much of it remained with me over the years, but I wanted to make sure I got it right before I sent it to him.

Luckily, I found it online. I suspect Miles Selby picked the poem up the same place I did:

Every man has leaned upon the past.
Every liberty we enjoy has been bought at incredible cost.
There is not a privilege nor an opportunity
that is not the product of other men's labors.

We drink every day from wells we have not dug;
we live by liberties we have not won;
we are protected by institutions we have not set up.

No man lives by himself alone. All the past is invested in him.

We stand on the shoulders of giants. If you're lucky enough, as I am, to still have some of them to visit with, make sure you do it this holiday season.

"Times of Change"

Conference of Defence Associations media update:

The Conference of Defence Associations recently offered recommendations to the Minister of Finance as part of the National Consultation on Budget Actions to Protect Canada’s Economy:
http://www.cda-cdai.ca/Finance/Statement%20to%20Finance%20Minister%20Dec%2016...

In this week's media briefing, the Conference of Defence Associations
(CDA) would like to draw your attention to media coverage in the areas
of:

-Operational Stress Injuries
- Afghanistan
- Pakistan
- Strategy and Doctrine
- Recommended Reading

---Operational Stress Injuries ---

The Ombudsman’s Office has released a new report on Operational Stress Injuries in the Forces.
http://www.ombudsman.forces.gc.ca/rep-rap/sr-rs/osi-tso-3/index-eng.asp
http://www.ombudsman.forces.gc.ca/rep-rap/sr-rs/osi-tso-3/doc/osi-tso-3-fra.pdf

The Ottawa Citizen reports on the stress-related injuries that Canadian personnel are dealing with the need for more investment and action in addressing injuries and related issues.
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/soldiers+still+suffer/1088936/story.html

Alec Castonguay for Le Devoir reports on gaps in the system and the effects of an increasing number of soldiers with operational stress injuries.
http://www.ledevoir.com/2008/12/18/223889.html

Mike Blanchfield in the National Post details what happens when soldiers fall through the system’s cracks.
http://www.nationalpost.com/news/world/story.html?id=1088438

---Afghanistan---
John F. Burns for the New York Times reports on conflicting British opinions and messages concerning the Afghanistan mission.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/16/world/europe/16britain.html?partner=rss&emc...

Graeme Smith for the Globe and Mail and Bill Graveland for the Chronicle Herald report that Lieutenant-General Michel Gauthier, head of CEFCOM, expects increased violence in 2009 as the Taliban pushes back against additional troops in Afghanistan. While the situation is negative, LGen Gauthier expects it will be reversed.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081216.wafghancanada1216...

http://thechronicleherald.ca/print_article.html?story=1096301

Wendy Norris for the Colorado Independent covers the failings in Afghanistan. http://coloradoindependent.com/17489/why-were-failing-in-afghanistan

Ann Marlowe for the Weekly Standard reports on the problems with Afghan policing. She notes that police are in areas that are not yet even cleared, let alone held, or built, but are in the shaping phase, pre-clearing.
http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/015/922gzotm.as...

A Crisis Group report details the complications and challenges of building an effective police force in Afghanistan.
http://www.crisisgroup.org/library/documents/asia/south_asia/b85_policing_in_...
Following a recent visit to Afghanistan, Paul Wells in MacLeans reports on how Canada’s efforts along with NATO and Coalition efforts have been struggling toward development.
http://blog.macleans.ca/2008/12/18/the-growing-storm/
Peter Goodspeed in the National Post reports on the looming winter food crisis, given increased numbers of attacks, higher food prices, and the concerns of aid workers.
http://www.nationalpost.com/news/world/afghanistan/story.html?id=1080245

Rosie Dimanno for The Star looks beyond the casualties to see the value of war in Afghanistan.
http://www.thestar.com/printArticle/555117

An op-ed in the Edmonton Journal questions the Canadian political landscape in light of the Afghanistan mission.
http://www.edmontonjournal.com/opinion/editorials/hundred+lives+lost+Afghanis...

Christie Blatchford for the Globe and Mail reports on the media’s treatment of Canadian casualties in Afghanistan.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/GAM.20081217.BLATCHFORD17/TPStor...

P.J. Tobia for the Washington Post covers the soldier’s perspective on two-pronged approaches that combines combat and nation-building.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/12/AR20081212032...
Lorne Gunter for the National Post details why Afghanistan is still worth fighting for.
http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/fullcomment/archive/2008/12/17/lorne...
The Globe and Mail reports on the Canadian contributions in Afghanistan to date, and the significance of these contributions to the US and the coalition.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20081213.EAFGHANISTAN13/TPSt...

Samachaar reports on the Paris conference, which ended on a positive note.
http://samachaar.in/International/Afghanistan_conference_in_Paris_ends_on_pos...

A Radio Free Europe, Radio Liberty interview with Lakhdar Brahimi calls for a strategy that will help the Afghan people, claiming NATO has been a disappointment for Afghanistan. http://www.rferl.org/Content/Afghan_Bonn_Architect_Says_Peoples_Needs_Forgott...
Terry Glavin reports for the National Post on the hope that coalition and NATO forces will stay in Afghanistan.
http://www.canada.com/components/print.aspx?id=1080173&sponsor

Washington military analyst Michael O’Hanlon reports in the Washington Times on positive signs in Afghanistan compared to Iraq. There are indications that the population is shifting toward supporting coalition forces.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/dec/12/afghanistan-not-iraq---but/

Graeme Smith for the Globe and Mail reports on the difficulty in securing areas in Afghanistan due to local leadership problems and innovations by insurgents, such as their recently directly attacking the effective IED sweep teams.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081215.wafghanroad15/BNS...

Mark Thompson for Time reports that the US will have to scale down its vision for Afghanistan from a strong, central regime, to one focused on provincial and local militias.
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1866326,00.html

Bill Graveland for the Canadian Press reports that Brig-Gen Denis Thompson details his reservations about local defence forces, or militias in the South of Afghanistan.
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2008/12/15/7757736-cp.html

Richard Tomkins for RFE/RL reports on the Sons of Iraq.
http://www.rferl.org/Content/Incorporating_The_Sons_Of_Iraq/1359808.html

---Pakistan---
Christophe de Roquefeuil for the Associated Free Press reports on the meeting of Afghanistan’s neighbours and the agreement to 1) pursue existing initiatives, 2) reinforce cooperation, and 3) commit to effective implementation. The border was identified as key to addressing narcotics and terrorism in the region. Iran’s absence will be a challenge.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20081214/wl_asia_afp/afghanistanindiapakistandipl...

Attacks on NATO and Coalition supply convoys through Pakistan are becoming problematic for forces in Afghanistan. Al Jazeera net and Syed Saleem Shahzad for the South Asia Times report on the attacks on convoys. http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia/2008/12/200812186275608701.html
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/JL16Df01.html
Golnar Motevalli reports for Reuters that while most fuel supplied to NATO and Coalition forces in Afghanistan comes from the North, attacks on convoys is forcing other options to be explored, not just for the short-run, but for Afghanistan in the longer-run.
http://in.reuters.com/article/southAsiaNews/idINIndia-37026920081214

Abubakar Siddique reports for RFE/RL on the growing problem of securing NATO and Coalition supply lines through the Khyber pass. The organizations supplying truck drivers for the convoys are refusing to supply NATO and coalition forces due to risk. Germany has secured an agreement with Russia to use the latter’s rail lines.
http://www.rferl.org/Content/NATO_Supply_Route_Imperiled_As_Pakistani_Trucker...
A Times of India editorial comments on Pakistan’s responsibility in the Mumbai attacks and how Pakistan should be addressed.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Opinion/EDITORIAL_COMMENT__Seize_The_Oppor...

Daniel Markey reports for the Council on Foreign Relations that the Mumbai attacks are a battle in the war for Pakistan.
http://www.cfr.org/publication/17981/
Brajesh Upadhyay reports for the BBC News Washington that President-elect Obama should not focus too much on settling the Kashmir issue, which is too optimistic, but rather take a wider perspective on instability in the region.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7775160.stm
Carey Schofield reports for the Times Online on retribution against a Pakistani General when he allegedly opposed deals that senior Pakistani military officials had made with the Taliban.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article5337881.ece

Dawn reports on the conditions aligning against Pakistan and the difficulties it faces.
http://www.dawn.com/2008/12/19/ed.htm

---Strategy and Doctrine---
Gordon M. Hahn reports for the Mideast Monitor that the insurgents of the Caucasus are ahead of the curve compared to other insurgents in terms of implementing evolving and innovative tactics and is re-filling the “insurgency pond” with support as a result.
www.mideastmonitor.org

Alexander Golts in the Moscow Times reports that according to new Russian doctrine, the US and NATO are not the security threats for Russia that they once were.
http://www.themoscowtimes.com/article/1016/42/372453.htm

Ilya Kramnik for RIA Novosti reports on Russia’s new Military Doctrine for 2009 that will focus on regional and local wars.
http://en.rian.ru/analysis/20081217/118900951.html

Dale Herspring for RFE/RL reports on the planned overhaul of the Russian Military, which plans to 1) thin the officer ranks, 2) privatize, 3) professionalize, and 4) delegate to NCOs and junior officers. The result is to be a more Western-style force.
http://www.rferl.org/Content/Russias_Military_In_The_Throes_Of_Change/1360375...

Dmitry Solovyov reports for Reuters that the Russian army is unfit for modern wars, as evidenced in the conflict with Georgia.
http://www.javno.com/en/world/clanak.php?id=215480

The Saudi Gazette reports on opposition to Russian Doctrine reform.
http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentID=2008121...

Andrew Liaropoulos for the Research Institute for European and American Studies writes on developments and resistance to change in Russian military doctrine, in particular the Ivanov Doctrine, which aims to create a lighter, more mobile military to fight modern threats. http://rieas.gr/index.php?Itemid=46&id=104&option=com_content&task=view

The Associated Free Press reports on a Russian warship manoeuvres around Cuba, which may be in response to US presence in the Black Sea and an attempt to revive Cold War relationships in Latin America.
http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Russian_warships_bound_for_Cuba_in_new_show_o...

Mark Sappenfield for Christian Science Monitor looks at the War in Afghanistan through a Soviet lens.
http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/1219/p01s01-wosc.htm

---Recommended Reading---

Elisabeth Bumiller for the International Herald Tribune reports on President elect Obama’s approach that is characterized by listening and focusing on long term improvements and results. She details what this means from the perspective of the Joint Chiefs.
http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/12/15/america/16mullen.php?WT.mc_id=newsalert

Claude Arpi for Sify News looks at terrorism as a global problem, the solution for which cannot be found by addressing Afghanistan in isolation.
http://sify.com/news/fullstory.php?id=14820166

Michael Evans reports for the Times Online that NATO must find its political voice. It is spreading itself too thinly, and should return to a Balkans focus.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/guest_contributors/articl...

Robert D. Kaplan in the Washington Post compares the US in decline to the British Empire when it too was in decline. The US still has a pivotal influence.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/16/AR20081216024...

Spengler reports for the Asia Times Online on how fragile Muslim states are dealing in the economic times.
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/JL16Ak02.html