The detailed information that Colvin gives is in contrast to the rhetorical and insulting garbage thrown at him by the likes of Peter McKay. Although Hellier has joined the garbage throwing crew, Natynczyk has at least been professional about all of this.
Colvin fires back at critics in military and government
Diplomat's 16-page rebuttal accuses Ottawa of dragging its feet, losing track of detainees in covert jails
OTTAWA — From Thursday's Globe and Mail
.The Canadian government lost track of some detainees transferred to Afghan interrogators in 2007 because captives were shipped to covert "black site" jails - beyond the reach of Ottawa's efforts to monitor them for signs of torture, diplomat Richard Colvin says.
This fresh revelation came as the foreign service officer fired back at critics in the military and government establishment who have dismissed his testimony alleging Canada turned a blind eye to the torture of suspects after they were handed over to Afghan authorities.
In a 16-page, point-by-point rebuttal sent to the Commons committee probing detainee transfers, Mr. Colvin depicts Ottawa as only grudgingly agreeing - in the face of public pressure - to monitor prisoners as a means of discouraging their torture.
Even after May of 2007, when Canada put in place new safeguards to make Afghans more accountable for the suspects that they took from Canadian soldiers - some detainees simply disappeared from the radar.
Mr. Colvin, a former staff member in Canada's Afghan embassy, writes that he spent months trying to learn the fates of three suspects handed over to Afghanistan's notorious intelligence service, the National Directorate of Security (NDS).
"According to good sources, they were likely in Kabul, but at an NDS 'black site' to which we were not given access," Mr. Colvin writes, noting that these unofficial jails "permit interrogation of detainees without interference from human rights monitors."
The diplomat's disclosure demonstrates the limits of Canada's much-touted 2007 agreement to safeguard prisoners that Canadian soldiers handed off to Afghans.
The Geneva Conventions make it a war crime to transfer prisoners to those who would abuse them.
If detaining powers believe captives being transferred are abused, they're supposed to ameliorate the situation or take them back.
There are a number of "black site" - off-the-book - detention centres in Kabul, the Afghanistan capital, facilities to which the Canadian government has had trouble gaining access.
In yesterday's rebuttal, Mr. Colvin marshals more evidence for his allegation that Ottawa had ample official warnings in 2006 of problems with the handling of Afghan prisoners.
He lists six reports that year from Canada's embassy in Kabul, including one that says "torture" is rife in Afghan jails, as are "extrajudicial executions and disappearances." A Dec. 4, 2006, embassy report noted allies' concern that detainees may "vanish from sight" after transfer - as well as the risk they would be "tortured."
Showing posts with label LGeneral Walter Natynczyk. Show all posts
Showing posts with label LGeneral Walter Natynczyk. Show all posts
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Top Canadian Commander admits beaten man was in Canadian custody.
To give Natynczyk his due at least he admits when he is wrong. Unlike MacKay and Hellier Natynczyk has not joined the gang who are trying to discredit the testimony of Richard Colvin the Canadian diplomat who blew the whistle on this whole affair. MacKay is such a sorry spectacle of humanity even among politicians that he ought to be asked to resign.
Top general changes story on Taliban suspect
Beaten man had been in Canadian custody
CBC News
Gen. Walter Natynczyk now says a suspected Taliban fighter abused by Afghan police in June 2006 had been detained by Canadian troops, contrary to what he said Tuesday. (Fred Chartrand/Canadian Press)Gen. Walter Natynczyk, Canada's top military commander, is now saying a suspected Taliban fighter abused by Afghan police in June 2006 had been detained by Canadian troops, contrary to comments he made Tuesday.
"The individual who was beaten by the Afghan police was, in fact, in Canadian custody," Natynczyk told reporters in Ottawa on Wednesday.
Natynczyk had told a parliamentary committee that Canadian troops questioned the man, picked up during operations in Zangabad. But Natynczyk said it was the Afghans who took him into custody.
On Wednesday, the defence staff chief said he has received new information and learned that Canadians had taken the suspect into custody before handing him over to the Afghans.
Field report transcript
20:00 14 Jun 06 [location redacted]
Stopped along Rte [redacted] and held up a vehicle that was proceeding south down the route. Stopped and searched the three individuals in the white van and got a very weird feel from one of them.
Had the terp [interpreter] come and he [unclear] that the individual was in all probability Enemy (Taliban) due to his accent and his false story of being from Kandahar City. So I had him lie down on his stomach, then conducted a detailed search. (I had him empty his pockets prior to this) catalogued all his items and then took down his particulars (name [redacted] from Uruzgan).
We then photographed the individual prior to handing him over, to ensure that if the ANP did assault him, as has happened in the past, we would have a visual record of his condition.
The ANP Section Comd, [redacted] then arrived, asked the suspect a couple of questions and concurred with our assessment that the individual was enemy.
We in good faith handed the PUC [person under control] over to them so that he could be transported to the Zhari District Center [Forward Operating Base Wilson] where [watchdog] (a radio call-sign for military police) could get him. That was the last I saw him. [redacted] is one of [redacted] men.
(View the report)
Natynczyk read from a report on the incident by the section commander, who said the Canadians had the suspect get down on his stomach before they conducted a detailed search, which included emptying the Afghan's pockets and cataloguing all the items.
But the sergeant also wrote that the man was photographed "prior to handing him over, to ensure that if the [Afghan National Police] did assault him, as has happened in the past, we would have a visual record of his condition."
"I did not have this information in May of 2007 nor yesterday when I made my statement," Natynczyk said. "But I am responsible for the information provided by the Canadian Forces and I am accountable for it today."
Natynczyk said he will investigate the incident and why it took so long to get the information about what happened.
Canadian troops rescued man: general
Natynczyk said that after the Taliban suspect was taken into custody by Canadians, he was given to the Afghan police.
The police then started beating the man with their shoes, boots and weapons. Natynczyk said that prompted Canadian troops to rescue the man.
"I am proud that our soldiers acted courageously and ethically when they retrieved the individual from the Afghan National Police when it was apparent that he had been injured," Natynczyk said.
The Conservative government has said there is no evidence that Afghan detainees in Canadian custody who were subsequently handed over to Afghan officials before 2007 were abused.
The detainee issue has come to the forefront following allegations by Richard Colvin, a former senior diplomat with Canada's mission in Afghanistan.
Colvin, now based in Washington, said prisoners were turned over to Afghan prison officials by the Canadian military in 2006-07, despite his warnings to the Canadian government that they would be tortured.
The Conservatives have questioned the credibility of his testimony.
Colvin's lawyer said on Wednesday that her client is working on a written submission to the parliamentary special committee looking into the detainee issue "that will clarify some of the inaccuracies made in recent testimony regarding the transfer of detainees."
Ignatieff concerned with trust
Natynczyk's comments renewed calls for a public inquiry into the issue and demands for Defence Minister Peter MacKay to resign.
"When Gen. Natynczyk corrected his account this morning, he did so, he said, in order to restore trust in his office and in his institution," Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff said during question period in the House of Commons.
"The issue here is trust. We can’t trust this government, we can’t trust a word that comes out of the mouth of this minister. When will the prime minister fire him and call a full independent public inquiry?"
But Prime Minister Stephen Harper said the facts confirm what the government has been saying, that when the Canadian Forces see substantive evidence of any case of abuse, they have taken corrective action.
"That’s what they did in this case. And frankly, Gen. Natynczyk today, correcting the record on a particular point, indicates once again that the Canadian Forces — from the highest level down to the man in the trenches — act with the highest integrity at all times," Harper said.
Speaking before the special parliamentary committee, MacKay stressed that torture is abhorrent and can never be tolerated
"Let me be clear, the government of Canada has never been complicit in torture or any violation of international law by wilfully allowing detainees, Taliban prisoners, taken by the Canadian Forces, to be exposed to abuse," MacKay said.
"No one ever turned a blind eye."
Top general changes story on Taliban suspect
Beaten man had been in Canadian custody
CBC News
Gen. Walter Natynczyk now says a suspected Taliban fighter abused by Afghan police in June 2006 had been detained by Canadian troops, contrary to what he said Tuesday. (Fred Chartrand/Canadian Press)Gen. Walter Natynczyk, Canada's top military commander, is now saying a suspected Taliban fighter abused by Afghan police in June 2006 had been detained by Canadian troops, contrary to comments he made Tuesday.
"The individual who was beaten by the Afghan police was, in fact, in Canadian custody," Natynczyk told reporters in Ottawa on Wednesday.
Natynczyk had told a parliamentary committee that Canadian troops questioned the man, picked up during operations in Zangabad. But Natynczyk said it was the Afghans who took him into custody.
On Wednesday, the defence staff chief said he has received new information and learned that Canadians had taken the suspect into custody before handing him over to the Afghans.
Field report transcript
20:00 14 Jun 06 [location redacted]
Stopped along Rte [redacted] and held up a vehicle that was proceeding south down the route. Stopped and searched the three individuals in the white van and got a very weird feel from one of them.
Had the terp [interpreter] come and he [unclear] that the individual was in all probability Enemy (Taliban) due to his accent and his false story of being from Kandahar City. So I had him lie down on his stomach, then conducted a detailed search. (I had him empty his pockets prior to this) catalogued all his items and then took down his particulars (name [redacted] from Uruzgan).
We then photographed the individual prior to handing him over, to ensure that if the ANP did assault him, as has happened in the past, we would have a visual record of his condition.
The ANP Section Comd, [redacted] then arrived, asked the suspect a couple of questions and concurred with our assessment that the individual was enemy.
We in good faith handed the PUC [person under control] over to them so that he could be transported to the Zhari District Center [Forward Operating Base Wilson] where [watchdog] (a radio call-sign for military police) could get him. That was the last I saw him. [redacted] is one of [redacted] men.
(View the report)
Natynczyk read from a report on the incident by the section commander, who said the Canadians had the suspect get down on his stomach before they conducted a detailed search, which included emptying the Afghan's pockets and cataloguing all the items.
But the sergeant also wrote that the man was photographed "prior to handing him over, to ensure that if the [Afghan National Police] did assault him, as has happened in the past, we would have a visual record of his condition."
"I did not have this information in May of 2007 nor yesterday when I made my statement," Natynczyk said. "But I am responsible for the information provided by the Canadian Forces and I am accountable for it today."
Natynczyk said he will investigate the incident and why it took so long to get the information about what happened.
Canadian troops rescued man: general
Natynczyk said that after the Taliban suspect was taken into custody by Canadians, he was given to the Afghan police.
The police then started beating the man with their shoes, boots and weapons. Natynczyk said that prompted Canadian troops to rescue the man.
"I am proud that our soldiers acted courageously and ethically when they retrieved the individual from the Afghan National Police when it was apparent that he had been injured," Natynczyk said.
The Conservative government has said there is no evidence that Afghan detainees in Canadian custody who were subsequently handed over to Afghan officials before 2007 were abused.
The detainee issue has come to the forefront following allegations by Richard Colvin, a former senior diplomat with Canada's mission in Afghanistan.
Colvin, now based in Washington, said prisoners were turned over to Afghan prison officials by the Canadian military in 2006-07, despite his warnings to the Canadian government that they would be tortured.
The Conservatives have questioned the credibility of his testimony.
Colvin's lawyer said on Wednesday that her client is working on a written submission to the parliamentary special committee looking into the detainee issue "that will clarify some of the inaccuracies made in recent testimony regarding the transfer of detainees."
Ignatieff concerned with trust
Natynczyk's comments renewed calls for a public inquiry into the issue and demands for Defence Minister Peter MacKay to resign.
"When Gen. Natynczyk corrected his account this morning, he did so, he said, in order to restore trust in his office and in his institution," Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff said during question period in the House of Commons.
"The issue here is trust. We can’t trust this government, we can’t trust a word that comes out of the mouth of this minister. When will the prime minister fire him and call a full independent public inquiry?"
But Prime Minister Stephen Harper said the facts confirm what the government has been saying, that when the Canadian Forces see substantive evidence of any case of abuse, they have taken corrective action.
"That’s what they did in this case. And frankly, Gen. Natynczyk today, correcting the record on a particular point, indicates once again that the Canadian Forces — from the highest level down to the man in the trenches — act with the highest integrity at all times," Harper said.
Speaking before the special parliamentary committee, MacKay stressed that torture is abhorrent and can never be tolerated
"Let me be clear, the government of Canada has never been complicit in torture or any violation of international law by wilfully allowing detainees, Taliban prisoners, taken by the Canadian Forces, to be exposed to abuse," MacKay said.
"No one ever turned a blind eye."
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
McKay and Hillier attack Colvin the Whistleblower
This is truly a disgusting spectacle. MacKay and Hillier both are beneath contempt. This is meant to warn anyone who dares question the teflon integrity of the top brass in the CANADIAN FORCES and the CANADIAN GOVERNMENT that they will pay dearly for it. At least Natynczyk has the integrity and guts to come out and admit that several times transfers were stopped due to concerns about torture. There had been earlier concerns of torture and the transfer protocols had been changed which in itself is evidence that the brass new about torture. But Hillier and his buddy MacKay have the motto: Hear no evil, see no evil and shut up everyone.
Globe and Mail
.The Harper government is training its guns on a diplomat whistleblower who says Canada was complicit in the torture of captured Afghan prisoners, trying to undermine Richard Colvin's credibility as pressure builds to hold a public inquiry into the matter.
“There are incredible holes in the story that have to be examined,” Defence Minister Peter MacKay told Parliament Thursday, even as he rejected opposition calls for a probe into Mr. Colvin's serious charges that Canada's soldiers handed over Afghan prisoners with the knowledge they'd likely be tortured by local interrogators.
The long-simmering detainee issue, ignited again by Mr. Colvin's explosive testimony Wednesday, looks set to dominate the agenda into next week when top military commanders will be hauled before MPs to answer the accusations.
.
Retired general Rick Hillier, who led Canada's 2006 military foray into southern Afghanistan, joined the Conservatives in dismissing Mr. Colvin's story. He told a Toronto audience Thursday night that he can't recall ever coming across reports from the diplomat, who was a senior Foreign Affairs staffer in Afghanistan for 17 months.
Mr. Hillier derisively compared the political uproar that surrounded Mr. Colvin's parliamentary testimony to people “howling at the moon” and said nobody ever raised torture concerns with him during the 2006-2007 period in question.
“I don't remember reading a single one of those cables [from Mr. Colvin] ... He doesn't stick out in my mind,” Mr. Hillier said of the diplomat's warnings and criticism.
“He appears to have covered an incredibly broad spectrum, much of which I'm not sure he's qualified to talk about.”
The former soldier rejected suggestions Canada was “complicit in any war crimes” – saying Ottawa had a responsible system in place. He also played down the fact Afghan prisoners got hurt in jails.
“Even in our own prisons [in Canada] somebody can get beaten up. We know that.”
Globe and Mail
.The Harper government is training its guns on a diplomat whistleblower who says Canada was complicit in the torture of captured Afghan prisoners, trying to undermine Richard Colvin's credibility as pressure builds to hold a public inquiry into the matter.
“There are incredible holes in the story that have to be examined,” Defence Minister Peter MacKay told Parliament Thursday, even as he rejected opposition calls for a probe into Mr. Colvin's serious charges that Canada's soldiers handed over Afghan prisoners with the knowledge they'd likely be tortured by local interrogators.
The long-simmering detainee issue, ignited again by Mr. Colvin's explosive testimony Wednesday, looks set to dominate the agenda into next week when top military commanders will be hauled before MPs to answer the accusations.
.
Retired general Rick Hillier, who led Canada's 2006 military foray into southern Afghanistan, joined the Conservatives in dismissing Mr. Colvin's story. He told a Toronto audience Thursday night that he can't recall ever coming across reports from the diplomat, who was a senior Foreign Affairs staffer in Afghanistan for 17 months.
Mr. Hillier derisively compared the political uproar that surrounded Mr. Colvin's parliamentary testimony to people “howling at the moon” and said nobody ever raised torture concerns with him during the 2006-2007 period in question.
“I don't remember reading a single one of those cables [from Mr. Colvin] ... He doesn't stick out in my mind,” Mr. Hillier said of the diplomat's warnings and criticism.
“He appears to have covered an incredibly broad spectrum, much of which I'm not sure he's qualified to talk about.”
The former soldier rejected suggestions Canada was “complicit in any war crimes” – saying Ottawa had a responsible system in place. He also played down the fact Afghan prisoners got hurt in jails.
“Even in our own prisons [in Canada] somebody can get beaten up. We know that.”
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Harper: Iraq War Was a MIstake.
It is nice to know that unlike Bush Harper thinks the Iraq war was a mistake now. At the time it was started however he was of a different mind and a gung-ho supporter of Bush and Canada sending troops. However no one in this discussion notices that Canada actually helped quite a bit in the Iraq war sending several generals and also our now chief of defence Lt. General Walter Natynczyk who was even awarded a medal by the Canadian government for his service in Iraq. Everyone forgets that for some unknown reason. I wonder if Natynczyk thinks the Iraq war was a mistake. Someone should ask him.
Lieutenant General Walter Natynczyk is now our vice Chief of Defence Staff. Trained by the US worked for the US in a war we opposed and he went there while a Canadian govt. opposed to the Iraq war was in power. Subsequently he was rewarded with a medal for his valiant service for US imperialism. In Iraq Natynczyk was a deputy commanding general of the multi-national forces not exactly a minor role. Perhaps the US suggested to our govt. that he should be recognised for his service.
Iraq war a mistake, Harper admits
OTTAWA — Stephen Harper admitted Thursday that the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq was a mistake - one that Canadian troops would have been plunged into had he been prime minister in 2003.
The grudging admission came during the second televised leaders debate as the five leaders discussed the Canadian mission in Afghanistan.
Bloc Quebecois Leader Gilles Duceppe needled Harper about the embarrassing revelation that whole sections of a speech about the Iraq war, delivered by Harper as opposition leader in 2003, were lifted almost word for word from a speech delivered two days earlier by Australia's prime minister at the time, John Howard.
A Conservative speechwriter resigned Tuesday after taking the blame for plagiarizing Howard's speech.
Duceppe said the Afghan mission has proved longer and more dangerous than anticipated because U.S. President George W. Bush diverted American troops to Iraq.
"If the situation is so tough in Afghanistan, certainly a large part of that is because of the error made by George Bush by going in Iraq," he said to Harper.
"Do you realize today that you were making a huge error by supporting Bush and Australia ... and would you make the same decision today as you were proposing Canada to do in 2003?"
The prime minister initially tried to dodge the question.
"I've made it very clear Canada is not going to Iraq. Obviously you know the answer to that question," he said.
But Duceppe continued to badger him as Harper tried to steer the discussion back to Afghanistan: "This is not the question I asked. . . I want to hear it. Do you admit it was an error of George Bush and you made the same error?"
Harper finally answered: "It was absolutely an error. It's obviously clear the evaluation of weapons of mass destruction proved not to be correct. That's absolutely true and that's why we're not sending anybody to Iraq."
Green Leader Elizabeth May shot back: "We're only not sending anyone to Iraq because you weren't prime minister at the time."
Harper's admission was in stark contrast to the speech he gave in the House of Commons - much of it cribbed from Howard - on the first full day of the Iraq invasion in March 2003.
"Alliances are a two-way process," he said at the time.
"We should not leave it to the United States to do all the heavy lifting just because it is the world's only superpower."
Harper urged Canada to join Bush's "coalition of the willing" in Iraq, relying heavily on American assertions that Iraqi strongman Saddam Hussein had stockpiled weapons of mass destruction.
"As the possession of weapons of mass destruction spreads, the danger of such weapons coming into the hands of terrorist groups will multiply, particularly given in this case the shameless association of Iraq with rogue non-state organizations," he argued.
"That is the ultimate nightmare which the world must take decisive and effective steps to prevent. Possession of chemical, biological or nuclear weapons by terrorists would constitute a direct, undeniable and lethal threat to the world, including to Canada and its people."
Harper was not so verbose on Thursday.
He had little to say beyond his admission that he and Bush were mistaken. Asked about it after the debate, Harper immediately changed the subject.
Lieutenant General Walter Natynczyk is now our vice Chief of Defence Staff. Trained by the US worked for the US in a war we opposed and he went there while a Canadian govt. opposed to the Iraq war was in power. Subsequently he was rewarded with a medal for his valiant service for US imperialism. In Iraq Natynczyk was a deputy commanding general of the multi-national forces not exactly a minor role. Perhaps the US suggested to our govt. that he should be recognised for his service.
Iraq war a mistake, Harper admits
OTTAWA — Stephen Harper admitted Thursday that the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq was a mistake - one that Canadian troops would have been plunged into had he been prime minister in 2003.
The grudging admission came during the second televised leaders debate as the five leaders discussed the Canadian mission in Afghanistan.
Bloc Quebecois Leader Gilles Duceppe needled Harper about the embarrassing revelation that whole sections of a speech about the Iraq war, delivered by Harper as opposition leader in 2003, were lifted almost word for word from a speech delivered two days earlier by Australia's prime minister at the time, John Howard.
A Conservative speechwriter resigned Tuesday after taking the blame for plagiarizing Howard's speech.
Duceppe said the Afghan mission has proved longer and more dangerous than anticipated because U.S. President George W. Bush diverted American troops to Iraq.
"If the situation is so tough in Afghanistan, certainly a large part of that is because of the error made by George Bush by going in Iraq," he said to Harper.
"Do you realize today that you were making a huge error by supporting Bush and Australia ... and would you make the same decision today as you were proposing Canada to do in 2003?"
The prime minister initially tried to dodge the question.
"I've made it very clear Canada is not going to Iraq. Obviously you know the answer to that question," he said.
But Duceppe continued to badger him as Harper tried to steer the discussion back to Afghanistan: "This is not the question I asked. . . I want to hear it. Do you admit it was an error of George Bush and you made the same error?"
Harper finally answered: "It was absolutely an error. It's obviously clear the evaluation of weapons of mass destruction proved not to be correct. That's absolutely true and that's why we're not sending anybody to Iraq."
Green Leader Elizabeth May shot back: "We're only not sending anyone to Iraq because you weren't prime minister at the time."
Harper's admission was in stark contrast to the speech he gave in the House of Commons - much of it cribbed from Howard - on the first full day of the Iraq invasion in March 2003.
"Alliances are a two-way process," he said at the time.
"We should not leave it to the United States to do all the heavy lifting just because it is the world's only superpower."
Harper urged Canada to join Bush's "coalition of the willing" in Iraq, relying heavily on American assertions that Iraqi strongman Saddam Hussein had stockpiled weapons of mass destruction.
"As the possession of weapons of mass destruction spreads, the danger of such weapons coming into the hands of terrorist groups will multiply, particularly given in this case the shameless association of Iraq with rogue non-state organizations," he argued.
"That is the ultimate nightmare which the world must take decisive and effective steps to prevent. Possession of chemical, biological or nuclear weapons by terrorists would constitute a direct, undeniable and lethal threat to the world, including to Canada and its people."
Harper was not so verbose on Thursday.
He had little to say beyond his admission that he and Bush were mistaken. Asked about it after the debate, Harper immediately changed the subject.
Friday, September 5, 2008
Experts: Gov. Gen. could reject Harper's bid for election.
This is from the Vancouver Sun.
Maybe Gov. Gen. Michaelle Jean should and could reject Harper's request but she is a dutiful Gov. Gen. and will do as Harper says. This is the same Gov. Gen. who awarded our chief soldier General Natynczyk a medal for serving the Americans in Iraq, a war in which Canadians were not supposed to be involved. Here is what was said when Harper introduced his fixed election date bill:
What we have is a situation where the prime minister is able to chose the date of the election, not based necessarily on the best interests of the county but on the best interests of his or her own political party. I believe Bill C-16 would address those concerns," Nicholson said at the time. "The prime minister will live by the law and spirit of this particular piece of legislation."
Nicholson was dead wrong. Harper will live neither by the law nor the spirit of the legislation. He will do whatever he thinks is in the interest of his party even though it be in opposition to his own legislation.
Friday » September 5 » 2008
Gov. Gen. could reject Harper's bid for election: experts
Mike Blanchfield
Canwest News Service
Friday, September 05, 2008
OTTAWA - Gov. Gen. Michaelle Jean should consider rejecting Stephen Harper's request to dissolve Parliament and call a federal election because he is violating his own fixed-election date law, a constitutional expert and a public policy watchdog say.
"If she goes along with him, she, in a sense, is supporting his violation of the law," said Michael Behiels, a constitutional political historian at the University of Ottawa. "You're putting the Governor General into a situation that you should never put the Governor General in."
Duff Conacher, head of the citizen advocacy group Democracy Watch, said that Harper "has absolutely no evidence" to present to Jean that the Commons lacks confidence in the current government and should be dissolved.
"She should say, 'demonstrate that the House of Commons doesn't have confidence in the Conservative government.' The Governor General should just turn the prime minister back and say, 'No, I'm sorry, open the House and show.'"
Because the Conservatives have not lost a confidence vote, Behiels and Conacher argue that Harper is violating his new fixed-election law, passed in May 2006. The law was designed to prevent what they say Harper is now doing: using his position as prime minister to arbitrarily call an election at the most strategically advantageous time.
Others disagree, saying the new law gives Harper enough legal leeway to visit Rideau Hall on Sunday morning to seek the end of Canada's 39th Parliament, one of the longest running minority governments at two years and seven months.
Bill C-16, which amended the Elections Act, set October 2009 as the next federal election date. But it does contain a clause that gives the Governor General the right to dissolve Parliament if the government does not retain its confidence.
The new fixed-rate law does raise broader questions: why are we having an election now? And what is the long-term implication for Harper if the result is another minority government?
Jack Granatstein, York University's professor emeritus of history, has a simple answer for the "why now" question: "Because Harper thinks he can win. That's why. And he's right."
Harper may be violating the spirit of his fixed-rate law, but not the letter of it, Granatstein argues, making it unlikely the prime minister will suffer the wrath of voters.
"The principle of a fixed election date is that the government does not use its position . . . to tip the scales in its favour. It's clear Harper is trying to do that," he explains.
"On the other hand, a minority Parliament usually doesn't last anywhere near as long as ours."
Harper has governed nearly twice as long as the one year and four months that the preceding Paul Martin Liberal minority lasted.
Aside from an actual victory by Stephane Dion and the Liberal party, Granatstein predicts that voters will not punish Harper if he is able to build a bigger minority or achieve his much-coveted majority.
"If it turns out to be a doppelganger for this Parliament, people will be reasonably upset."
Then-prime minister Jean Chretien had a year and a half left to govern when he called a snap election in 2000 before Stockwell Day, leader of the then-new Canadian Alliance, was able to find his footing.
Voters ultimately rewarded Chretien for that piece of political opportunism, giving the Liberals an extra 15 seats and a larger majority government.
But with the passage of C-16, Behiels and Conacher say Harper is now on the wrong side of the law. They say the recent meetings he held with opposition leaders, which led him to conclude Parliament was dysfunctional, simply do not meet the constitutional test for calling an election.
"He tried to embarrass them, humiliate them. How would she (Jean) know they're not willing to co-operate? Why should she take his word for it?" asks Behiels.
"He's showing he's manipulative, that he thinks he's above the law."
Conacher says Harper's gamble violates the spirit of the law, along with his broader promises to make government more accountable and transparent.
He points to the rationale behind the fixed-date law that then-government House leader Rob Nicholson offered the Commons in September 2006.
"What we have is a situation where the prime minister is able to chose the date of the election, not based necessarily on the best interests of the county but on the best interests of his or her own political party. I believe Bill C-16 would address those concerns," Nicholson said at the time. "The prime minister will live by the law and spirit of this particular piece of legislation."
Conacher said an election now would help Harper avoid some potentially embarrassing developments in the weeks ahead. These include a further inquiry into the Conservatives' "in-and-out" 2006 campaign fundraising practice that Elections Canada said was illegal; a further airing of the Maxime Bernier-Julie Couillard affair; and a possible Commons committee probe into whether the Conservatives tried to bribe independent MP Chuck Cadman for his vote to help them defeat the Martin Liberals in 2005.
Rideau Hall declined a request for comment on Sunday's meeting.
© Canwest News Service 2008
.
Maybe Gov. Gen. Michaelle Jean should and could reject Harper's request but she is a dutiful Gov. Gen. and will do as Harper says. This is the same Gov. Gen. who awarded our chief soldier General Natynczyk a medal for serving the Americans in Iraq, a war in which Canadians were not supposed to be involved. Here is what was said when Harper introduced his fixed election date bill:
What we have is a situation where the prime minister is able to chose the date of the election, not based necessarily on the best interests of the county but on the best interests of his or her own political party. I believe Bill C-16 would address those concerns," Nicholson said at the time. "The prime minister will live by the law and spirit of this particular piece of legislation."
Nicholson was dead wrong. Harper will live neither by the law nor the spirit of the legislation. He will do whatever he thinks is in the interest of his party even though it be in opposition to his own legislation.
Friday » September 5 » 2008
Gov. Gen. could reject Harper's bid for election: experts
Mike Blanchfield
Canwest News Service
Friday, September 05, 2008
OTTAWA - Gov. Gen. Michaelle Jean should consider rejecting Stephen Harper's request to dissolve Parliament and call a federal election because he is violating his own fixed-election date law, a constitutional expert and a public policy watchdog say.
"If she goes along with him, she, in a sense, is supporting his violation of the law," said Michael Behiels, a constitutional political historian at the University of Ottawa. "You're putting the Governor General into a situation that you should never put the Governor General in."
Duff Conacher, head of the citizen advocacy group Democracy Watch, said that Harper "has absolutely no evidence" to present to Jean that the Commons lacks confidence in the current government and should be dissolved.
"She should say, 'demonstrate that the House of Commons doesn't have confidence in the Conservative government.' The Governor General should just turn the prime minister back and say, 'No, I'm sorry, open the House and show.'"
Because the Conservatives have not lost a confidence vote, Behiels and Conacher argue that Harper is violating his new fixed-election law, passed in May 2006. The law was designed to prevent what they say Harper is now doing: using his position as prime minister to arbitrarily call an election at the most strategically advantageous time.
Others disagree, saying the new law gives Harper enough legal leeway to visit Rideau Hall on Sunday morning to seek the end of Canada's 39th Parliament, one of the longest running minority governments at two years and seven months.
Bill C-16, which amended the Elections Act, set October 2009 as the next federal election date. But it does contain a clause that gives the Governor General the right to dissolve Parliament if the government does not retain its confidence.
The new fixed-rate law does raise broader questions: why are we having an election now? And what is the long-term implication for Harper if the result is another minority government?
Jack Granatstein, York University's professor emeritus of history, has a simple answer for the "why now" question: "Because Harper thinks he can win. That's why. And he's right."
Harper may be violating the spirit of his fixed-rate law, but not the letter of it, Granatstein argues, making it unlikely the prime minister will suffer the wrath of voters.
"The principle of a fixed election date is that the government does not use its position . . . to tip the scales in its favour. It's clear Harper is trying to do that," he explains.
"On the other hand, a minority Parliament usually doesn't last anywhere near as long as ours."
Harper has governed nearly twice as long as the one year and four months that the preceding Paul Martin Liberal minority lasted.
Aside from an actual victory by Stephane Dion and the Liberal party, Granatstein predicts that voters will not punish Harper if he is able to build a bigger minority or achieve his much-coveted majority.
"If it turns out to be a doppelganger for this Parliament, people will be reasonably upset."
Then-prime minister Jean Chretien had a year and a half left to govern when he called a snap election in 2000 before Stockwell Day, leader of the then-new Canadian Alliance, was able to find his footing.
Voters ultimately rewarded Chretien for that piece of political opportunism, giving the Liberals an extra 15 seats and a larger majority government.
But with the passage of C-16, Behiels and Conacher say Harper is now on the wrong side of the law. They say the recent meetings he held with opposition leaders, which led him to conclude Parliament was dysfunctional, simply do not meet the constitutional test for calling an election.
"He tried to embarrass them, humiliate them. How would she (Jean) know they're not willing to co-operate? Why should she take his word for it?" asks Behiels.
"He's showing he's manipulative, that he thinks he's above the law."
Conacher says Harper's gamble violates the spirit of the law, along with his broader promises to make government more accountable and transparent.
He points to the rationale behind the fixed-date law that then-government House leader Rob Nicholson offered the Commons in September 2006.
"What we have is a situation where the prime minister is able to chose the date of the election, not based necessarily on the best interests of the county but on the best interests of his or her own political party. I believe Bill C-16 would address those concerns," Nicholson said at the time. "The prime minister will live by the law and spirit of this particular piece of legislation."
Conacher said an election now would help Harper avoid some potentially embarrassing developments in the weeks ahead. These include a further inquiry into the Conservatives' "in-and-out" 2006 campaign fundraising practice that Elections Canada said was illegal; a further airing of the Maxime Bernier-Julie Couillard affair; and a possible Commons committee probe into whether the Conservatives tried to bribe independent MP Chuck Cadman for his vote to help them defeat the Martin Liberals in 2005.
Rideau Hall declined a request for comment on Sunday's meeting.
© Canwest News Service 2008
.
Monday, July 21, 2008
Natynczyk says Afghanistan situation is worsening
At least Natynczyk is willing to modify his line somewhat in light of obvious facts. However he neglects to notice that there have also been security problems lately in the west of Afghanistan far from the Pakistan border. Natyncyzyk is toeing the U.S. line however that more troops are what is most necessary even though many experts claim that this will not help. One thing is sure and that is that there will be more casualties then. The attempts to reduce troop casualties by air support is probably counterproductive in that it results in bombing of innocent civilians which in a tribal society creates whole family groups eager to wreak revenge on the occupiers. The argument for more troops is presented well enough by Natycyzyk but it is doubtful that there will ever be enough troops to pacify the whole country. Before that happens Karzai or whoever is in power will probably broker a deal with insurgents or at least many of them with or without allied blessings. Or maybe the U.S. can put some Taliban groups on the payroll in exchange for nominal support of the Karzai government!
Natynczyk says Afghanistan situation is worsening
Updated Sun. Jul. 20 2008 4:42 PM ET
CTV.ca News Staff
Despite the significant gains Canadian troops have achieved in Afghanistan, Gen. Walter Natynczyk admitted Sunday the country's overall situation is worsening.
Canada's top soldier told CTV's Question Period that insurgent attacks have increased year over year, specifically in some parts of the country.
"You have a worsening security situation, especially localized in three areas -- the Kabul area, in the Regional Command East, where the Americans are, and in the south where we are with the British forces and the Dutch," he said.
The statement appeared to backtrack from what Natynczyk said earlier this month after he completed his first visit to Afghanistan as the Chief of Defence Staff.
On a five-day visit to the region, Natynczyk put a positive spin on security issues in the war-torn country, which has seen a resurgence of Taliban activity. Natynczyk, who became the country's top soldier on July 2, had said the increased violence is negligible.
"We're generally along the same lines as we have been the past few years,'' Natynczyk said at a news conference on July 13 at Kandahar Airfield. "Looking at the statistics, we're just a slight notch -- indeed an insignificant notch -- above where we were last year.''
On Sunday, Natynczyk agreed with statistics presented on Question Period that suggested year-to-year violence was up 34 per cent.
"The statistics you cite are absolutely true," he said.
"On the other hand, when I was in Kandahar, from a soldiers' perspective, what they see are localized, fragile signs of success."
He noted the Taliban "is throwing everything against" NATO troops and Afghan security forces in an effort to undermine the government ahead of next year's elections. Natynczyk reiterated the need for more NATO troops to help quell insurgent violence.
"In a counterinsurgency, it is troop intensive. It's not enough just to clear the Taliban out ... you need to have that security blanket to ensure that there is time for police and the army to have that capacity to address their own security," he said.
Natynczyk said that NATO troops have helped the country make significant improvements. He said Canadians have helped train police officers who are respected by the local population, and Afghan battalions have increasingly taken on roles to protect major regions of the country.
Natynczyk says Afghanistan situation is worsening
Updated Sun. Jul. 20 2008 4:42 PM ET
CTV.ca News Staff
Despite the significant gains Canadian troops have achieved in Afghanistan, Gen. Walter Natynczyk admitted Sunday the country's overall situation is worsening.
Canada's top soldier told CTV's Question Period that insurgent attacks have increased year over year, specifically in some parts of the country.
"You have a worsening security situation, especially localized in three areas -- the Kabul area, in the Regional Command East, where the Americans are, and in the south where we are with the British forces and the Dutch," he said.
The statement appeared to backtrack from what Natynczyk said earlier this month after he completed his first visit to Afghanistan as the Chief of Defence Staff.
On a five-day visit to the region, Natynczyk put a positive spin on security issues in the war-torn country, which has seen a resurgence of Taliban activity. Natynczyk, who became the country's top soldier on July 2, had said the increased violence is negligible.
"We're generally along the same lines as we have been the past few years,'' Natynczyk said at a news conference on July 13 at Kandahar Airfield. "Looking at the statistics, we're just a slight notch -- indeed an insignificant notch -- above where we were last year.''
On Sunday, Natynczyk agreed with statistics presented on Question Period that suggested year-to-year violence was up 34 per cent.
"The statistics you cite are absolutely true," he said.
"On the other hand, when I was in Kandahar, from a soldiers' perspective, what they see are localized, fragile signs of success."
He noted the Taliban "is throwing everything against" NATO troops and Afghan security forces in an effort to undermine the government ahead of next year's elections. Natynczyk reiterated the need for more NATO troops to help quell insurgent violence.
"In a counterinsurgency, it is troop intensive. It's not enough just to clear the Taliban out ... you need to have that security blanket to ensure that there is time for police and the army to have that capacity to address their own security," he said.
Natynczyk said that NATO troops have helped the country make significant improvements. He said Canadians have helped train police officers who are respected by the local population, and Afghan battalions have increasingly taken on roles to protect major regions of the country.
Monday, July 14, 2008
Natynczyk upbeat on Afghanistan.
Perhaps Natanczyk is upbeat due to his positive experiences helping the U.S. in Iraq and because he was awarded a medal(by Canada) for his service in that illegal and immoral war. He can probably expect a medal for his services in the Afghan invasion led by the U.S. No doubt the cheerleaders in both the Liberal and Conservative parties who eagerly support our troops by providing them as cannon fodder will gladly recognise his further services to U.S. imperialism under the guise of NATO and the UN.
New defence chief upbeat on Afghanistan
The Canadian Press
July 13, 2008 at 11:47 AM EDT
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan — Canada's newly appointed top soldier has completed a five-day visit to Afghanistan and offered the uniquely upbeat assessment that any increase in violence this year has been negligible.
The cheerful prognosis from Canada's new chief of defence staff, General Walter Natynczyk, flies in the face of an independent analysis that shows a 77-per-cent surge in Taliban attacks in Kandahar province this year.
The comparatively sunny assessment from Gen. Natynczyk after his tour of Afghanistan is also at odds with the increasingly grim portrait being painted by Canada's allies.
The Pentagon has cited a 40-per-cent increase in insurgent attacks in eastern areas of Afghanistan where U.S. forces operate, and notes that it is now losing more soldiers here than in Iraq.
Britain's Defence Secretary calls Afghanistan a generational struggle that will require a foreign troop presence for many years.
Local business people say they are increasingly discouraged about the security situation in their city, amid fear that the economic gains after 2001 are being wiped away.
In Ottawa, however, the Canadian government has been a beacon of unparalleled optimism and its sunny read of the situation was echoed this week by the new military boss.
Gen. Natynczyk flew into Kandahar only two weeks after being sworn in as defence chief, visited a handful of outlying Canadian bases, and toured the region by helicopter and in convoys.
He has been in the region three times before and said he sees encouraging signs.
”We're generally along the same lines as we have been the past few years,” Gen. Natynczyk told a news conference at Kandahar Airfield.
”Looking at the statistics, we're just a slight notch – indeed an insignificant notch – above where we were last year.”
According to a prominent security firm that compiles insurgent incidents reported by NATO and local security forces, that notch is actually a 77-per-cent increase in attacks from 2007.
Statistician Sami Kovanen at Vigilant Strategic Services Afghanistan says the number of killings, bombings, kidnappings, suicide strikes, mine explosions, and mortar assaults by pro-Taliban insurgents through July 6 was 532 incidents this year, compared with only 300 last year.
When confronted with such numbers, Canadian officials respond that incident tallies tell only part of the story.
They note that the economy has grown since 2001, far more children are going to school, and human rights have expanded dramatically since the days of the Taliban.
When asked about security, their optimism appears based on anecdotal evidence; some locals have tipped them off about the location of a roadside bomb, they have seen a traffic jam – a sure sign of activity in Kandahar city, a bazaar has reopened and there are new businesses.
New defence chief upbeat on Afghanistan
The Canadian Press
July 13, 2008 at 11:47 AM EDT
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan — Canada's newly appointed top soldier has completed a five-day visit to Afghanistan and offered the uniquely upbeat assessment that any increase in violence this year has been negligible.
The cheerful prognosis from Canada's new chief of defence staff, General Walter Natynczyk, flies in the face of an independent analysis that shows a 77-per-cent surge in Taliban attacks in Kandahar province this year.
The comparatively sunny assessment from Gen. Natynczyk after his tour of Afghanistan is also at odds with the increasingly grim portrait being painted by Canada's allies.
The Pentagon has cited a 40-per-cent increase in insurgent attacks in eastern areas of Afghanistan where U.S. forces operate, and notes that it is now losing more soldiers here than in Iraq.
Britain's Defence Secretary calls Afghanistan a generational struggle that will require a foreign troop presence for many years.
Local business people say they are increasingly discouraged about the security situation in their city, amid fear that the economic gains after 2001 are being wiped away.
In Ottawa, however, the Canadian government has been a beacon of unparalleled optimism and its sunny read of the situation was echoed this week by the new military boss.
Gen. Natynczyk flew into Kandahar only two weeks after being sworn in as defence chief, visited a handful of outlying Canadian bases, and toured the region by helicopter and in convoys.
He has been in the region three times before and said he sees encouraging signs.
”We're generally along the same lines as we have been the past few years,” Gen. Natynczyk told a news conference at Kandahar Airfield.
”Looking at the statistics, we're just a slight notch – indeed an insignificant notch – above where we were last year.”
According to a prominent security firm that compiles insurgent incidents reported by NATO and local security forces, that notch is actually a 77-per-cent increase in attacks from 2007.
Statistician Sami Kovanen at Vigilant Strategic Services Afghanistan says the number of killings, bombings, kidnappings, suicide strikes, mine explosions, and mortar assaults by pro-Taliban insurgents through July 6 was 532 incidents this year, compared with only 300 last year.
When confronted with such numbers, Canadian officials respond that incident tallies tell only part of the story.
They note that the economy has grown since 2001, far more children are going to school, and human rights have expanded dramatically since the days of the Taliban.
When asked about security, their optimism appears based on anecdotal evidence; some locals have tipped them off about the location of a roadside bomb, they have seen a traffic jam – a sure sign of activity in Kandahar city, a bazaar has reopened and there are new businesses.
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Hillier passes the torch..
This is from the Star.
This passage from the article sums things up.
The entire spectacle seemed a celebration of the military "renaissance" touted by the Conservative government and military officials, marked by large budget increases, a promise to boost troop numbers and plans to buy some $50 billion in new equipment over the next two decades.
"It is about the continuity of one of our most essential institutions, the ultimate guardians of Canada's sovereignty, security and place in the world," Prime Minister Stephen Harper said.
Natynczyk, an army commander who served as vice-chief to Hillier, oversaw the Canadian Forces' multi-billion-dollar budget.
He has led campaigns in the Balkans and in Africa, and he was deputy commander of international troops in Iraq while seconded to the U.S. Army in 2005. The deployment made Natynczyk the first Canadian to participate in the U.S.-led war, which the Liberal government of the day declined to join.
There we have it. The celebration of our military renaissance and a taxpayer funded 50 billion dollars in new equipment over 20 years. Our role as a junior partner in U.S. imperialist designs is assured for two decades and this is celebrated by placing a hero of the war in Iraq as head of our armed forces. It is not a question of supporting our troops but of our troops suppporting U.S. foreign policy and Canadian taxpayers footing the bill. We should have had the ceremony on the fourth of July!
Hillier passes the torch TheStar.com - Canada - Hillier passes the torch
Retiring top soldier rumbles off in a tank after handing off the job to Walter Natynczyk
July 03, 2008 Allan WoodsOttawa BureaU
OTTAWA–It was a ceremony fit for a king, but engineered to usher out one "warrior" and welcome in his successor.
The official procedure that handed responsibility for the Canadian Forces from outgoing Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Rick Hillier to Gen. Walter Natynczyk took just a few minutes to complete. Governor General Michaëlle Jean accepted the former chief's white ceremonial flag and passed it to his successor, the beaming Winnipeg native Natynczyk. But the entire affair stretched to two hours, with speeches from politicians, a 21-gun salute, planes, guns and cheering crowds.
It peaked with Hillier, who started as an armour officer, stepping aboard an old, squeaky tank and riding off to retirement.
"It was quite incredible," said retired Col. Alain Pellerin, the head of an Ottawa-based military advocacy group. "I've never seen that before in my career in the military."
The entire spectacle seemed a celebration of the military "renaissance" touted by the Conservative government and military officials, marked by large budget increases, a promise to boost troop numbers and plans to buy some $50 billion in new equipment over the next two decades.
"It is about the continuity of one of our most essential institutions, the ultimate guardians of Canada's sovereignty, security and place in the world," Prime Minister Stephen Harper said.
Natynczyk, an army commander who served as vice-chief to Hillier, oversaw the Canadian Forces' multi-billion-dollar budget.
He has led campaigns in the Balkans and in Africa, and he was deputy commander of international troops in Iraq while seconded to the U.S. Army in 2005. The deployment made Natynczyk the first Canadian to participate in the U.S.-led war, which the Liberal government of the day declined to join.
Asked in a recent Maclean's interview if the 2003 invasion was justified, he replied: "In hindsight, the information – as we know now – the intelligence was faulty."
That candour was not in evidence at a meeting with reporters yesterday where Natynczyk was lightly tested about Afghanistan.
Last month, for example, was the deadliest month for coalition soldiers in Afghanistan since the 2001 invasion and the death toll even surpassed the one in Iraq.
"The Taliban and their supporters have, without question, grown more effective and more aggressive in recent weeks, as the casualty figures clearly demonstrate," Admiral Michael Mullen, chair of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, said yesterday in Washington.
He, along with Natynczyk and military officials from other countries, met in Brussels, Belgium, last week "to get a better understanding of the scope of the threat," he said.
But the new chief pushed the message of progress authored by the government and his predecessor.
Canada expected a spring offensive and have prepared for it, he explained of the increasing violence, particularly in Kandahar where Canadian troops are based. It will be some time yet before Canadians know whether his comments are evidence simply of a rosy disposition or proof that the Conservatives have found a top soldier who is willing to be kept in line.
For the time being, Natynczyk will just try to be all things to all of the military services under his command.
"As your chief, I represent all of you," he said. "I am a soldier, I'm a sailor, I'm an airman and I'm a special forces troop."
This passage from the article sums things up.
The entire spectacle seemed a celebration of the military "renaissance" touted by the Conservative government and military officials, marked by large budget increases, a promise to boost troop numbers and plans to buy some $50 billion in new equipment over the next two decades.
"It is about the continuity of one of our most essential institutions, the ultimate guardians of Canada's sovereignty, security and place in the world," Prime Minister Stephen Harper said.
Natynczyk, an army commander who served as vice-chief to Hillier, oversaw the Canadian Forces' multi-billion-dollar budget.
He has led campaigns in the Balkans and in Africa, and he was deputy commander of international troops in Iraq while seconded to the U.S. Army in 2005. The deployment made Natynczyk the first Canadian to participate in the U.S.-led war, which the Liberal government of the day declined to join.
There we have it. The celebration of our military renaissance and a taxpayer funded 50 billion dollars in new equipment over 20 years. Our role as a junior partner in U.S. imperialist designs is assured for two decades and this is celebrated by placing a hero of the war in Iraq as head of our armed forces. It is not a question of supporting our troops but of our troops suppporting U.S. foreign policy and Canadian taxpayers footing the bill. We should have had the ceremony on the fourth of July!
Hillier passes the torch TheStar.com - Canada - Hillier passes the torch
Retiring top soldier rumbles off in a tank after handing off the job to Walter Natynczyk
July 03, 2008 Allan WoodsOttawa BureaU
OTTAWA–It was a ceremony fit for a king, but engineered to usher out one "warrior" and welcome in his successor.
The official procedure that handed responsibility for the Canadian Forces from outgoing Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Rick Hillier to Gen. Walter Natynczyk took just a few minutes to complete. Governor General Michaëlle Jean accepted the former chief's white ceremonial flag and passed it to his successor, the beaming Winnipeg native Natynczyk. But the entire affair stretched to two hours, with speeches from politicians, a 21-gun salute, planes, guns and cheering crowds.
It peaked with Hillier, who started as an armour officer, stepping aboard an old, squeaky tank and riding off to retirement.
"It was quite incredible," said retired Col. Alain Pellerin, the head of an Ottawa-based military advocacy group. "I've never seen that before in my career in the military."
The entire spectacle seemed a celebration of the military "renaissance" touted by the Conservative government and military officials, marked by large budget increases, a promise to boost troop numbers and plans to buy some $50 billion in new equipment over the next two decades.
"It is about the continuity of one of our most essential institutions, the ultimate guardians of Canada's sovereignty, security and place in the world," Prime Minister Stephen Harper said.
Natynczyk, an army commander who served as vice-chief to Hillier, oversaw the Canadian Forces' multi-billion-dollar budget.
He has led campaigns in the Balkans and in Africa, and he was deputy commander of international troops in Iraq while seconded to the U.S. Army in 2005. The deployment made Natynczyk the first Canadian to participate in the U.S.-led war, which the Liberal government of the day declined to join.
Asked in a recent Maclean's interview if the 2003 invasion was justified, he replied: "In hindsight, the information – as we know now – the intelligence was faulty."
That candour was not in evidence at a meeting with reporters yesterday where Natynczyk was lightly tested about Afghanistan.
Last month, for example, was the deadliest month for coalition soldiers in Afghanistan since the 2001 invasion and the death toll even surpassed the one in Iraq.
"The Taliban and their supporters have, without question, grown more effective and more aggressive in recent weeks, as the casualty figures clearly demonstrate," Admiral Michael Mullen, chair of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, said yesterday in Washington.
He, along with Natynczyk and military officials from other countries, met in Brussels, Belgium, last week "to get a better understanding of the scope of the threat," he said.
But the new chief pushed the message of progress authored by the government and his predecessor.
Canada expected a spring offensive and have prepared for it, he explained of the increasing violence, particularly in Kandahar where Canadian troops are based. It will be some time yet before Canadians know whether his comments are evidence simply of a rosy disposition or proof that the Conservatives have found a top soldier who is willing to be kept in line.
For the time being, Natynczyk will just try to be all things to all of the military services under his command.
"As your chief, I represent all of you," he said. "I am a soldier, I'm a sailor, I'm an airman and I'm a special forces troop."
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Natynczyk promotion to CDS popular with U.S. commanders.
Given that Natynczyk served in Iraq and did his duty in helping out U.S. imperialism this should not be surprising. Natyncyk was also trained in the U.S. His role in Iraq was so sterling that Canada awarded him a medal. He received a medal for serving the U.S. (sorry the coalition of the billing) occupation (sorry, liberation). I thought Canada opposed the US invasion. Certainly we refused to send troops but nevertheless we sent Natyncyk among others and even saw fit to pin a medal on him for his services to the U.S.Now he will be in charge of the US (sorry NATO, UN mission) to liberate Afghanistan and make it safe for the warlords. Why is it that no commentator thinks that there is something a bit bizarre in giving a medal to someone for serving in a war that we refused to send troops to support.
Natynczyk promotion to CDS popular with U.S. commanders
Matthew Fisher
Canwest News Service
Friday, June 06, 2008
The appointment of Lt.-Gen. Walt Natynczyk to head the Canadian Armed Forces was hailed in Washington on Friday by senior U.S. army officers who worked with him four years ago in Iraq.
"Not only is he a close friend of mine but one of the finest officers I have ever met," said Lt.-Gen. Thomas Metz, who was Natynczyk's boss in Iraq when the Canadian was the deputy commander of the U.S. amy's III Corps and the U.S.-led Multi-National Corps.
"His professionalism and dedication to his country's Armed Forces is unmatched. Fearless in battle, he is a superb choice for this new duty."
Another senior commander, Maj.-Gen. Rick Formica, director of force management for the U.S. army, said: "This is great news for Walt and his family and great news for Canada. That he was selected does not surprise us at all."
Formica and Natynczyk served together when Canada's new chief of defence followed Gen. Rick Hillier to Fort Hood, Texas, as an exchange officer with III Corps. When the corps deployed to Iraq early in 2004, Formica was its senior artillery officer.
"Walt is a courageous operational guy," Formica said. "He is very, very strategically and operationally savvy. Talk to any of the colonels who supported the corps. They loved him. He built a solid team."
Formica's first close working experience with Natynczyk came during an exercise in Korea.
"He was willing to school this young general officer," Formica said. "I was struck by his expertise. I saw this in Korea, I saw it at home in Texas and I saw it in Iraq."
Col. Dan Baggio also served with Natynczyk in Baghdad and until a few weeks ago, was responsible for army media relations at the Pentagon. Baggio, who now works in a joint forces headquarters that has among its responsibilities, defending Washington from attack, described Natynczyk as "the best mentor" he had had during 29 years in the U.S. army.
"I say this from my heart, I honestly have never heard a harsh word about Walt Natynczyk," the colonel said. "He is not a butt chewer, but a true team player. He had a way of interjecting thoughts so well you thought that they were your own ideas. He was open- minded to guidance from his staff and when he disagreed, he disagreed politely. For me, he is the consummate general officer."
Four years ago this spring in Baghdad, Natynczyk was working in a room cluttered with computers and maps in one of Saddam Hussein's many palaces within the Green Zone, which is the huge cordon sanitaire that the U.S. military has carved out for itself near the heart of Baghdad. Other than a red Maple Leaf flag patch on his left shoulder and his Canadian army summer khaki, there were not many traces of Canada to be seen in his office. But Natynczyk was closely following the results of the Ottawa Senators, who were in the playoffs at the time.
While he was in Iraq, Natynczyk helped draw up medium- and long-term war plans for about 145,000 troops. This followed a tour in Bosnia, where he also worked with tens of thousands of U.S. troops.
"It is almost like a conveyor belt," the general said. "We come up with a concept. Others go back to specialist staffs" such as logistics and engineering, to see if it is practical.
"This conflict (in Iraq) is very much a section commander or company commander's fight. They do the here and now. The daily routine. But if, for example, we notice a smuggling trend, the commanding general can say to us, 'Do something about it.'"
Natynczyk's close connection to several senior U.S. commanders should serve him well in his new job overseeing Canada's war in Afghanistan.
Metz now oversees the huge U.S. military effort to counter improvised explosive devices planted by insurgents in Iraq and Afghanistan. The research will be keenly followed by Natynczyk because IEDs have become the top killer of Canadian troops in Kandahar.
In his new job, Natynczyk also will be consulting with Gen. David Petraeus, who runs the U.S.-led war in Afghanistan as the commander of CENTCOM. Natynczyk and Petraeus, who is widely tipped as the next leader of all U.S. forces, also served together in Iraq.
There are only about 60,000 soldiers, sailors and airmen in the entire Canadian Armed Forces. Of them, only 10,000 are combat troops. About 2,500 Canadian troops are currently deployed in Afghanistan.
Speaking four years ago about the huge difference in staffing numbers between the U.S. and Canadian militaries, Natynczyk said: "Our force size may be small but training that officers and NCOs get is first class. When we train, we get staff problems of this magnitude. In Bosnia, I was working with 44,000 soldiers."
Nevertheless, the immense size and scale of the U.S. operation here and the logistics trail required in Iraq to keep "soldier on point in bullets and beans" was hugely impressive, he said.
Natynczyk was sent to Iraq by then-prime minister Jean Chretien. During his year there, he was promoted from brigadier-general to major-general.
Life within the Green Zone in Baghdad, where Natynczyk lived and worked, was and is famously surreal. Thousands of U.S. civilians based there dressed and behaved as if they have had never left Washington's Beltway. However, the war outside was sometimes very close to Natynczyk, such as when a suicide bomber blew up a truck loaded with explosives at the Assassin's Gate, which was near where he worked. Insurgents regularly lobbed mortars into the Green Zone.
One of the highlights of working in Bosnia was that Natynczyk was able to go out on patrols frequently to get a sense of what was going on.
"I don't get out enough here. It's a real problem," Natynczyk said of his staff job in Iraq. "I've not been in a firefight. I have been close to indirect fire and close to IEDs."
In fact, a rocket once crashed through the roof of the building in Baghdad where Natynczyk was working.
Joking, he said: "Please don't tell my wife how close it was."
Natynczyk promotion to CDS popular with U.S. commanders
Matthew Fisher
Canwest News Service
Friday, June 06, 2008
The appointment of Lt.-Gen. Walt Natynczyk to head the Canadian Armed Forces was hailed in Washington on Friday by senior U.S. army officers who worked with him four years ago in Iraq.
"Not only is he a close friend of mine but one of the finest officers I have ever met," said Lt.-Gen. Thomas Metz, who was Natynczyk's boss in Iraq when the Canadian was the deputy commander of the U.S. amy's III Corps and the U.S.-led Multi-National Corps.
"His professionalism and dedication to his country's Armed Forces is unmatched. Fearless in battle, he is a superb choice for this new duty."
Another senior commander, Maj.-Gen. Rick Formica, director of force management for the U.S. army, said: "This is great news for Walt and his family and great news for Canada. That he was selected does not surprise us at all."
Formica and Natynczyk served together when Canada's new chief of defence followed Gen. Rick Hillier to Fort Hood, Texas, as an exchange officer with III Corps. When the corps deployed to Iraq early in 2004, Formica was its senior artillery officer.
"Walt is a courageous operational guy," Formica said. "He is very, very strategically and operationally savvy. Talk to any of the colonels who supported the corps. They loved him. He built a solid team."
Formica's first close working experience with Natynczyk came during an exercise in Korea.
"He was willing to school this young general officer," Formica said. "I was struck by his expertise. I saw this in Korea, I saw it at home in Texas and I saw it in Iraq."
Col. Dan Baggio also served with Natynczyk in Baghdad and until a few weeks ago, was responsible for army media relations at the Pentagon. Baggio, who now works in a joint forces headquarters that has among its responsibilities, defending Washington from attack, described Natynczyk as "the best mentor" he had had during 29 years in the U.S. army.
"I say this from my heart, I honestly have never heard a harsh word about Walt Natynczyk," the colonel said. "He is not a butt chewer, but a true team player. He had a way of interjecting thoughts so well you thought that they were your own ideas. He was open- minded to guidance from his staff and when he disagreed, he disagreed politely. For me, he is the consummate general officer."
Four years ago this spring in Baghdad, Natynczyk was working in a room cluttered with computers and maps in one of Saddam Hussein's many palaces within the Green Zone, which is the huge cordon sanitaire that the U.S. military has carved out for itself near the heart of Baghdad. Other than a red Maple Leaf flag patch on his left shoulder and his Canadian army summer khaki, there were not many traces of Canada to be seen in his office. But Natynczyk was closely following the results of the Ottawa Senators, who were in the playoffs at the time.
While he was in Iraq, Natynczyk helped draw up medium- and long-term war plans for about 145,000 troops. This followed a tour in Bosnia, where he also worked with tens of thousands of U.S. troops.
"It is almost like a conveyor belt," the general said. "We come up with a concept. Others go back to specialist staffs" such as logistics and engineering, to see if it is practical.
"This conflict (in Iraq) is very much a section commander or company commander's fight. They do the here and now. The daily routine. But if, for example, we notice a smuggling trend, the commanding general can say to us, 'Do something about it.'"
Natynczyk's close connection to several senior U.S. commanders should serve him well in his new job overseeing Canada's war in Afghanistan.
Metz now oversees the huge U.S. military effort to counter improvised explosive devices planted by insurgents in Iraq and Afghanistan. The research will be keenly followed by Natynczyk because IEDs have become the top killer of Canadian troops in Kandahar.
In his new job, Natynczyk also will be consulting with Gen. David Petraeus, who runs the U.S.-led war in Afghanistan as the commander of CENTCOM. Natynczyk and Petraeus, who is widely tipped as the next leader of all U.S. forces, also served together in Iraq.
There are only about 60,000 soldiers, sailors and airmen in the entire Canadian Armed Forces. Of them, only 10,000 are combat troops. About 2,500 Canadian troops are currently deployed in Afghanistan.
Speaking four years ago about the huge difference in staffing numbers between the U.S. and Canadian militaries, Natynczyk said: "Our force size may be small but training that officers and NCOs get is first class. When we train, we get staff problems of this magnitude. In Bosnia, I was working with 44,000 soldiers."
Nevertheless, the immense size and scale of the U.S. operation here and the logistics trail required in Iraq to keep "soldier on point in bullets and beans" was hugely impressive, he said.
Natynczyk was sent to Iraq by then-prime minister Jean Chretien. During his year there, he was promoted from brigadier-general to major-general.
Life within the Green Zone in Baghdad, where Natynczyk lived and worked, was and is famously surreal. Thousands of U.S. civilians based there dressed and behaved as if they have had never left Washington's Beltway. However, the war outside was sometimes very close to Natynczyk, such as when a suicide bomber blew up a truck loaded with explosives at the Assassin's Gate, which was near where he worked. Insurgents regularly lobbed mortars into the Green Zone.
One of the highlights of working in Bosnia was that Natynczyk was able to go out on patrols frequently to get a sense of what was going on.
"I don't get out enough here. It's a real problem," Natynczyk said of his staff job in Iraq. "I've not been in a firefight. I have been close to indirect fire and close to IEDs."
In fact, a rocket once crashed through the roof of the building in Baghdad where Natynczyk was working.
Joking, he said: "Please don't tell my wife how close it was."
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Military blueprint sparks confusion..
What we know is that the buildup of our forces will cost billions and that it will be used not so much for peacekeeping as to help advance U.S. foreign policy and of course as a profit source for the joint military-industrial complex of the two countries. It may not hurt funeral directors but will cause grief for some military families. However, they can take solace in the fact that Canadians are supporting the troops, advancing the cause of former Afghan warlords and corrupt Afghan politicians. You will notice that in articles on our Defence buildup the U.S. is not even mentioned!
Natynczyk by the way, who is our vice-chief of defence, served in the Iraq war and was even presented a medal for his service by the governess general. He may become our next chief of defence with the resignation of Hillier.
Military blueprint sparks confusion TheStar.com - Canada - Military blueprint sparks confusion
ANDREW VAUGHAN/THE CANADIAN PRESS
Prime Minister Stephen Harper, right, and Defence Minister Peter MacKay head from a military spending announcement in Halifax on May 12, where Harper announced what he called a $30-billion Canada First Defence Strategy.
Briefing offers more details on 20-year, $50B plan by Conservatives to beef up Canadian Forces
May 15, 2008 Allan WoodsOttawa Bureau
OTTAWA–The Canadian Forces are slated to spend between $45 billion and $50 billion on equipment between now and 2028, says Lt.-Gen. Walter Natynczyk, the vice-chief of defence staff.
On Monday, Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Defence Minister Peter MacKay presented the "total investments we're making in the military in the next generation" as a $30 billion undertaking during a news conference on the Canada First Defence Strategy in Halifax.
But the $30 billion figure represents just the budget for the Department of National Defence in 2028 as a result of a 2 per cent annual increase that starts in 2011.
"What we're going to invest between now and (2028), and further on beyond that, is that $45 billion to $50 billion," a senior military official explained yesterday. "These are two different numbers. They mean two different things."
Dan Dugas, a spokesperson for MacKay, denied that the Prime Minister or defence minister misspoke, and said any confusion was the fault of reporters who "seized" on the $30 billion figure "rather than look at what we were rolling out as priorities."
But it was the government and the military scrambling yesterday to salvage a blueprint for the future of the military that has been trashed all week as a rehash of old announcements designed to get the Conservative party re-elected. The briefing served up a few more details on the plan, such as a rough schedule for the purchase of new fighter jets (2017), search-and-rescue planes (2015), destroyers (2017) and frigates (2024). The ships will eat up more than half of the equipment budget.
There were also a few surprises, including the latest forecast on efforts to build up the size of the Canadian Forces.
In the 2006 election campaign, the Tories committed to building up to a military of 75,000 regular forces and 35,000 reserves within five years of taking office. Last year, the department said it needed six years to meet that goal due to the rate of retirements. The target has now been downgraded to 70,000 full-time soldiers and 30,000 part-timers, but there is no longer a timeline for achieving that force size, a senior military official admitted.
"That's what happens when you don't come up with a real plan," said NDP defence critic Dawn Black (New Westminster-Coquitlam), who said she was mystified by the defence strategy's new price tag and concerned at cuts to coastal patrols and search-and-rescue capabilities.
Pundits and even military enthusiasts decried the lack of detail and vision in the 20-year military plan this week, as well as the absence of a public document, a so-called white paper, to formalize the government's ambitions.
Dugas said the government does plan on "providing paper of some kind," but he couldn't say when.
Richard Cohen, a senior policy adviser to MacKay, said yesterday that the two years of work that went into the Canada First Defence Strategy are articulated in a secret but "very detailed" cabinet document.
But asked about the information void on the major file, Cohen seemed to acknowledge there had been problems.
"Things could always be better," he said.
Natynczyk by the way, who is our vice-chief of defence, served in the Iraq war and was even presented a medal for his service by the governess general. He may become our next chief of defence with the resignation of Hillier.
Military blueprint sparks confusion TheStar.com - Canada - Military blueprint sparks confusion
ANDREW VAUGHAN/THE CANADIAN PRESS
Prime Minister Stephen Harper, right, and Defence Minister Peter MacKay head from a military spending announcement in Halifax on May 12, where Harper announced what he called a $30-billion Canada First Defence Strategy.
Briefing offers more details on 20-year, $50B plan by Conservatives to beef up Canadian Forces
May 15, 2008 Allan WoodsOttawa Bureau
OTTAWA–The Canadian Forces are slated to spend between $45 billion and $50 billion on equipment between now and 2028, says Lt.-Gen. Walter Natynczyk, the vice-chief of defence staff.
On Monday, Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Defence Minister Peter MacKay presented the "total investments we're making in the military in the next generation" as a $30 billion undertaking during a news conference on the Canada First Defence Strategy in Halifax.
But the $30 billion figure represents just the budget for the Department of National Defence in 2028 as a result of a 2 per cent annual increase that starts in 2011.
"What we're going to invest between now and (2028), and further on beyond that, is that $45 billion to $50 billion," a senior military official explained yesterday. "These are two different numbers. They mean two different things."
Dan Dugas, a spokesperson for MacKay, denied that the Prime Minister or defence minister misspoke, and said any confusion was the fault of reporters who "seized" on the $30 billion figure "rather than look at what we were rolling out as priorities."
But it was the government and the military scrambling yesterday to salvage a blueprint for the future of the military that has been trashed all week as a rehash of old announcements designed to get the Conservative party re-elected. The briefing served up a few more details on the plan, such as a rough schedule for the purchase of new fighter jets (2017), search-and-rescue planes (2015), destroyers (2017) and frigates (2024). The ships will eat up more than half of the equipment budget.
There were also a few surprises, including the latest forecast on efforts to build up the size of the Canadian Forces.
In the 2006 election campaign, the Tories committed to building up to a military of 75,000 regular forces and 35,000 reserves within five years of taking office. Last year, the department said it needed six years to meet that goal due to the rate of retirements. The target has now been downgraded to 70,000 full-time soldiers and 30,000 part-timers, but there is no longer a timeline for achieving that force size, a senior military official admitted.
"That's what happens when you don't come up with a real plan," said NDP defence critic Dawn Black (New Westminster-Coquitlam), who said she was mystified by the defence strategy's new price tag and concerned at cuts to coastal patrols and search-and-rescue capabilities.
Pundits and even military enthusiasts decried the lack of detail and vision in the 20-year military plan this week, as well as the absence of a public document, a so-called white paper, to formalize the government's ambitions.
Dugas said the government does plan on "providing paper of some kind," but he couldn't say when.
Richard Cohen, a senior policy adviser to MacKay, said yesterday that the two years of work that went into the Canada First Defence Strategy are articulated in a secret but "very detailed" cabinet document.
But asked about the information void on the major file, Cohen seemed to acknowledge there had been problems.
"Things could always be better," he said.
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Canadian L. General Awarded Medal for Service in Iraq Occupation
Lieutenant General Walter Natynczyk is now our vice Chief of Defence Staff. Trained by the US worked for the US in a war we opposed and he went there while a Canadian govt. opposed to the Iraq war was in power. Subsequently he was rewarded with a medal for his valiant service for US imperialism. The first quote is from espritdecorps Notice that in Iraq Natynczyk was a deputy commanding general of the multi-national forces not exactly a minor role. Perhaps the US suggested to our govt. that he should be recognised for his service.
Gen Natynczyk attended the U.S. Army War College and was subsequently appointed
Deputy Commanding General, III Corps and Fort Hood. In January 2004, he deployed with III Corps to Baghdad, Iraq, serving first as the Deputy Director of Strategy, Policy and Plans and subsequently as the Deputy Commanding General of the Multi-National Corps (Iraq). Upon his return to Canada he assumed command of the Land Force Doctrine and Training System. He was subsequently appointed Chief Transformation where he was responsible for implementation of the force restructuring and the enabling processes and policies.
LGen Natynczyk assumed the responsibilities of the Vice Chief of the Defence Staff on 28 June 2006.
This is from someone named edwin at this blog but I lifted it from comments at liberal catnip's blog.
On January 24, 2006, Governor General Michaëlle Jean awarded him the Meritorious Service Cross.
She recognized Natynczyk "for his outstanding leadership and professionalism while deployed as Deputy Commanding General of the Multi-National Corps during Operation Iraqi Freedom
"From January 2004 to January 2005, Major General Natynczyk led the Corps' 10 separate brigades, consisting of more than 35,000 soldiers stationed throughout the Iraq Theater of Operations. He also oversaw planning and execution of all Corps level combat support and combat service support operations.
"His pivotal role in the development of numerous plans and operations resulted in a tremendous contribution by the Multi-National Corps to Operation IRAQI FREEDOM, and has brought great credit to the Canadian Forces and to Canada."
http://www.eurotrib.com/story/20...2/1/161311/ 0697 (my own diary)
Gen Natynczyk attended the U.S. Army War College and was subsequently appointed
Deputy Commanding General, III Corps and Fort Hood. In January 2004, he deployed with III Corps to Baghdad, Iraq, serving first as the Deputy Director of Strategy, Policy and Plans and subsequently as the Deputy Commanding General of the Multi-National Corps (Iraq). Upon his return to Canada he assumed command of the Land Force Doctrine and Training System. He was subsequently appointed Chief Transformation where he was responsible for implementation of the force restructuring and the enabling processes and policies.
LGen Natynczyk assumed the responsibilities of the Vice Chief of the Defence Staff on 28 June 2006.
This is from someone named edwin at this blog but I lifted it from comments at liberal catnip's blog.
On January 24, 2006, Governor General Michaëlle Jean awarded him the Meritorious Service Cross.
She recognized Natynczyk "for his outstanding leadership and professionalism while deployed as Deputy Commanding General of the Multi-National Corps during Operation Iraqi Freedom
"From January 2004 to January 2005, Major General Natynczyk led the Corps' 10 separate brigades, consisting of more than 35,000 soldiers stationed throughout the Iraq Theater of Operations. He also oversaw planning and execution of all Corps level combat support and combat service support operations.
"His pivotal role in the development of numerous plans and operations resulted in a tremendous contribution by the Multi-National Corps to Operation IRAQI FREEDOM, and has brought great credit to the Canadian Forces and to Canada."
http://www.eurotrib.com/story/20...2/1/161311/ 0697 (my own diary)
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