weaponeer

Which he rapes when the puippies are asleep O'Connor is realy Dracula

You forgot, he's also raping puppies

The ROEs get the job done:)...

JOHN BOILEAU <index.cfm?cid=129> The Daily News Misinformation bombards us on a daily basis about Afghanistan and our mission there. Much of it can be attributed to a few reasons - naivete, misunderstanding of Canadian history, distortion of the facts and unwillingness to consider the overall picture. One of the frequently heard criticisms is that we can't conquer Afghanistan because neither the British nor the Russians were able to do so after prolonged campaigns. This is truly comparing the proverbial apples and oranges - and is irrelevant as well. We're not trying to "conquer" Afghanistan. We are there at the request of a democratically elected government to help provide a safe and secure environment in which peace can flourish - and in which Afghans can decide the future of their country. Our presence - and that of 36 other nations - is legitimized by eight separate UN Security Council resolutions. Many people have forgotten that the previous Liberal government authorized the Canadian mission in Afghanistan for the full spectrum of military operations - bar none. The present Conservative government decided to continue the mission, and the House of Commons voted to extend it until February 2009. Developmental commitments Largely ignored by much of the media are Canada's most recent developmental commitments to Afghanistan: $10 million towards the salaries of Afghan police officers, $1.75 million for women's health and literacy and $11.5 million for reconstruction. Another criticism claims that we're fighting U.S. President George W. Bush's war. Those who believe this are people of principle - the principle that they automatically oppose Canada doing anything in concert with the United States. This knee-jerk reaction against everything American has backed the leftist and feminist camps into a corner of their own making. The draconian, medieval standards that the Taliban forcibly imposed on women and girls relegated them to the status of slaves. Females were forbidden to attend school, work outside the home or even leave their residences without a male escort. Violators were punished and some were killed. Yet somehow, the left - which made the feminine agenda their own - is strangely silent on this matter. Its fervid anti-Americanism has outweighed its belief in even the most basic rights for women. NDP Leader Jack Layton - nicknamed "Taliban Jack" by our troops in Afghanistan - and others would have us go to Darfur, in the Sudan, where apparently the rights of women are somehow more important than those of their sisters in Afghanistan - and where the United States is not heavily involved. What about the cry that we should return to our proud tradition of peacekeeping? Canadians love our peacekeeping role - no conflict, no combat, no blood, no bodies. Peacekeeping was even listed in a poll as one of the top 10 things that make us what we are - and differentiates us from Americans. But, as I pointed out in this column recently, peacekeeping is a myth perpetuated by fuzzy-thinking idealists who have little, if any, understanding of Canada's military past. Even at its height, traditional peacekeeping was never central to our military commitments. Besides, what we are doing in Afghanistan - like it or not - is the gritty new reality of peacekeeping in the 21st century. For those unaware of recent history, it's been that way since the early 1990s, with the various missions in the Balkans. Then there are those who contend Afghanistan is not our problem. It would certainly be possible to build such a case. Here'sa good article.... But that would also mean Canadians were essentially prepared to turn our backs on the rest of the world. Helping others By extension, this argument also rejects the idea of helping others less fortunate than us, foreign aid, supporting the UN and fulfilling our commitments to the collective security alliance to which we belong. Sadly, it seems many people are prepared to do just that. Without military action in Afghanistan, the preconditions for stability and development will never exist. All Canadians want the conflict in Afghanistan to end - none more than the soldiers fighting there. Yet our troops deployed in Afghanistan strongly believe in what they are doing. They understand the favourable circumstances they must create before the mission can change from a military one to a civilian one - and full reconstruction can follow. [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> John Boileau supports the good work Canada is trying to accomplish in Afghanistan.

Here's a good read I just found on army.ca I found this article in yesterday's Time and Transcript (newspaper from Moncton NB). It's a letter from Matthew (doesn't say is rank) to his mother about the current state of affairs in Afghanistan. I believe most civilians think that soldiers are fighting for their governments or for an idea but this letter demonstrate that soldiers are fighting for one another. I would hope that every Canadian could read this letter. http://www.canadaeast.com/ce2/docroot/arti...articleID=97530 P.S The link is only accessible trough paid subscription....... Published Tuesday January 30th, 2007 Appeared on page D7 What the war is all about To The Editor: The following is a letter we received from my son, Matthew, who is serving in Afghanistan and I think it will serve to let the public know what our Canadian soldiers are doing there: Good Day all: So far this tour I have received a few comments thrown my way expressing concern. I shall attempt to clear up any misconceptions anyone may have in regards to what I'm doing over here, and what my goals are. First of all, Khandahar, Afghanistan is a war zone. During my first two tours here I was part of ISAF (International Security Assistance Force). Our job was to secure the Capital of Afghanistan, Kabul. We did that. Our next job was to set up an interim government so that they could have an Afghan president and begin governing themselves. We did that. This tour, however, is different from my previous tours in Afghanistan, or any other tour since the 1950s Korean conflict for that matter. There is an armed enemy in Khandahar. They are called the Taliban. In order to retake this country and give it back to the Afghan people we must take control of this area. It is the homeland of the Taliban and the lifeline to their existence. That's why they are putting up such resistance. The end game is near. My specific job on this tour is to kill as many as we can before the battle group moves in and takes this piece of land back from the Taliban. I'm not here to win the hearts and minds of the local population. The innocent people have all left. They were given warning of our intent and anyone who stays will be considered enemy. And that's what we are doing. We are fighting against another enemy. Every Taliban we capture or kill had the opportunity to just leave, or throw down their weapons and surrender. Instead they decided their own fate by taking up arms and fighting to the death. We are not an invading army like the Russians during the 10 year war. We are liberating this country from a terrorist organization and will hand it over to the people of Afghanistan when it is safe. Unfortunately war is graphic, and as for head counts, they are needed to assess battle capabilities of the enemy. War can be messy, yet can be as involved as a game of chess, and either way war has been around since the beginning of time. Even the Holy Christian church had their crusades. I've been on four previous tours where I handed out goats to starting farmers and driven around Bosnia with chickens loaded in the back for families just now returning home because it is safe to do so after 20 years, due to the efforts of myself and other soldiers before me. I've stood side by side with my fellow solders holding back an angry mob stopping them from crossing a river to massacre a group of innocent Albanians. I've even spent over a year driving around hostile countries dodging landmines restricted by rules of engagement that prohibited me from returning fire unless I was already hit. I've given a small Afghan child my jacket because he was so cold his lips were turning blue. I've been spat on, and picked up flyers in Macedonia that read "Go home NATO baby killers". Despite all that we still continue on with our mission. I've done my time as a peacekeeper, however this war is different, because that is what it is . . . war. We are not out here murdering women and small children, these are not innocent farmers just trying to live in their own little part of the world. Those people have all left. Unfortunately war creates displaced people. The innocent must leave their homes. But they can return once our job is complete and believe it or not, they will be better off. Before we ever fired the first round in this area (Panjway) the Canadian Psychological Operations dropped leaflets over the whole area telling people to leave or they will be shot. We deal with village elders and set up timings for the locals to return to cultivate their crops. So it's not like we just said get out and don't come back. Everyone left except the Taliban. They stayed to fight. These people live to kill Canadians and other coalition forces. The Taliban we kill today won't be able to plant that IED tomorrow that takes me out. I'm not here to murder innocent people, I'm here to fight alongside of my fellow soldiers to complete a mission that was set upon us by our government that was elected by the majority of each and every one of us. I've seen how these Taliban run a country. I've driven past the National mosque where the Taliban executed 150 innocent civilians in order to instill fear and compliancy in the population so that they would think twice about breaking their rules. I've stood on the bridge where they hanged people who broke their rules, as trivial as they might sound. Let's just say you want to relax for a bit. You send the children out to go fly a kite while you kick back and listen to your favorite tune on the radio and throw on a bit of nail polish. It's a nice warm day and you doze off to sleep with the sound of your pet bird chirping away on the window sill. Oh! Oh! Here comes Mister Taliban and all hell breaks loose. They start by pulling your fingernails out for wearing nail polish or jewelry, but don't worry, it won't hurt long. Soon you'll be hanged from a bridge for having a radio or a caged bird . . . Who will feed your children you ask? Not a problem they'll be swinging next to you for flying a kite. That's the kind of people we fight and kill every day. For every life I take on the battlefield I'm creating a better life in the future. I do not exaggerate my stories, nor will I make them sound any different that what they are. Graphic tales of the sights and sounds your fellow Canadians witness every day. If you think reading my stories makes it hard to fall asleep at night, try writing them. Sorry folks, war just isn't PG-13. I really don't see the big problem anyway since we have all seen actual footage of The Second World War. You think all those young men storming the beaches of Normandy got up and walked away when the filming was done? What's the difference between seeing documented footage of someone dying 50 years ago and hearing a story about what happened yesterday to my comrades? If you want the truth . . . hold on because it will be a bumpy ride. It's going to get worse before it gets better. There is word that the regiment may receive a battle honour for the battle of Panjway. Battle Honors are sewn onto our regimental flag , which is carried into battle and used as a rallying point after a battle. Since 1883 the Royal Canadian Dragoons have earned 25 Battle Honours. You can see that they are not handed out like candy at Christmas. The actions of the troops during the battle of Panjway will do down in history. In 50 years from now what I will have written here will be no different than what you'd see on an A&E documentary about the Second World War today. As for taking the life of a soldier trying to take mine, it's not the act of killing, it's more the satisfaction that I've done my job, and made the country safer for every son, daughter, mother, father serving their country here in Afghanistan. Because have no doubt. He was trying to kill them. It's not a free for all over here. We have rules of engagement we must follow. I cannot discuss them but before anyone pulls the trigger, there are certain criteria that must be met. Margaret Landry, Boudreau-West

You all sure make an invasion of Iran sound easy... The US will most likely not hit Iran. They could, they could hurt them very badly, & I don't mean nukes. Invade Iran, why. Iran has enough of it's own problems, their youth are sick & tired of religous idiots running their lives. Iran responds to pressure, just look how the girl sentenced to die was released today. I have no doubt the US, France & UK have "people" inside Iran fuelling a resistance. If Iran nukes Israel, most of these dummies who supoport Iran, only because they hate the US, will be shocked beyond belief. The US will level Iran in retaliaion.

I saw that vid weeks ago, funny. Makes you wonder how many people they stopped before they got the results they wanted. Wonder what the responses would be for Canadians, no better I fear....

Reply with humour. I would love to see humourous political ads, person that uses them could perhaps win. Everbody loves a good laugh:). I am no Dion fan, but if I was he, I would say, "Yes, looked kinda goofy didn't I. Had a good laugh at myself. Now, lets get back to work"......

"Club Ed" is no fun place. Not many repeat offenders. The CF drug program is rather simple, if you are caught using or sellin g drugs, & you are enlisted, you go to "Club Ed" if found guilty, then rehab, then you can return to your unit. Ther was a young guy here a last year caught "selling". He went to Ed, rehab, now he's back. rehab was short, he only sold, did not use. If your an officer, you go to Edmonton, and after your sentence you are realised, no second chance. You are an officer, a leader, you are supposed to set the example, bye!!

Actually the Americans do not really want that much from us. I work at NORAD with USAF every day, so I will give you the "unclass" about what they want. First, they want us to have enough fighters to meet our NORAD commitment, wartime commitment & peacetime. They do not want to have THEIR fighters on alert to defend Canada daily, or in a wartime situation. They will back us up, but we should have enough of our own jets to protect Canada, we don't. The # required is classified, buy we ain't there!! In NORAD, they want us to have the same operating systems, sofware, radars, data link capability they do. We are getting there. They would really like us to have some air refuelling tankers of our own, cuts down on theirs being used. A few, not 100, just a few. We are correcting that. They would like us to have some AAA. Currently we have very limited capability here. They would like us to have some of our own strat airlift. we can deploy our own units around the world, takes heat off their fleets. We have corrected that with our C17 purchase. They would really like us to get real military helicopters. Every time we operate outside Canada, somebody else, US, Brits, Dutch, Singapore are providing us with helicopter support. Attack helos, medevac helos, transport helos. In A-stan today, the Dtch support us with Apaches, & Chinooks, the US Army, same, they also medevac our wounded of the battlefield. They would like us to provide our own close air support aircraft, fighters to protect our own troops. We have them, them, the CF18, we just don't have enough. They would also like us to be able tio sealift our equip around planet earth without gtapping into their resources all the time. The "Militia Myth" is an idea that no long exists today. In the early years of Canada, the folks in Upper & Lower Canada relied on the Brithish "regulars" and some local militias for defence for indian raids & the occassional American "visit". After sevral years of this the British got tired of this and wanted Canada to form it's own regular army. Canadians were absolutly against this, defebce of Canada was not our responsibility, it was Englands. If Canada was attacked, the local militia, every guy in town with a gun, could defend Canada, we did not need an army. This MYTH has existed ubitl recent times here in Canada, we don't need an army all the time, we'll just raise on if war breaks out, like in WW1 & WW2. Thousands of Canadians died in those wars because we did not have a trained standing army. That's the MILITIA MYTH!!

Those provs are lawless. One advantage to that is "if" SOF units cross the border, there's really nobody there to check their passports!! It does make it easier to have map & navigation "errors"..... Still, what is Pakistans interest in these clowns???

Really, what is Pakistans interest in the talibs. There bigest prob is India. I say put pressure on them thought India.

We did not have an adequet military to fight the Russians in the CW, therefore we really did not earn a "peace dividen". Had we left our armed forces at the level it was in 1991, we'd actually be OK today. No one political party is at fault. The downward spiral started with Trudeau, was continued under Brian "the chin", and the "death blow" came from Jean. O'Connor has started the process, he has military experience, he knows what need to be done. He has an excellent partner in this in Gen Hillier, he has been an overdue breath of fresh air for us in the military. Together, these two have identified the probs, and have started fixing things. They started by just buying some equip, no bidding, no crap, just buy it. That is great for the tax payers, ID the equip you need & buy. Bidding & BS cost $$. It took 40 years to make this prob, it will take many years and BILLIONS to fix. We have no choice, our allies will not put up with any of or BS anymore. That's one reason we are neck deep in A-stan.....

We have the PPCLI & Vandoos, yes & the RCR. 3 infantry Regiments, three UNDERSTRENGTH infantry Regiments. If we combined all three, we could "maybe" field a full regt. G8, second largest country on the planet, that's sad!! Peackeeping is a task, just like disaster relief & combat. The prob is most Canadians think it is our only task, and do not understand why we need weapons like tanks, subs, fighter jets & arty guns!!!

Actually I have no wife, so I safe there:) We had the RCAF, we had RCN. We amalgumated our forces in 1968, what the hell for I don't know, all the arguments were bunk. We have systematically "defanged" our military for years. I work at NORAD, we are very very, very junior partners. Not because the US pushes us around, because we choose not to take defence seriously. That's the underlying issue, Canadians do not take defence seriously!!. We have had, sadly, tha attitude that it is not our job. In the 17 & 1800's the threat to us was the Americans. The British "regulars" in Canada protected us. We did not win the War of 1812, the British "regulars" did. After WW1 the US threat to Canada was reduced to nothing. After WW2 we entered into alliances that we have never lived up to, we defered the defence of Canada & North America to the Americans. The Americans want us to be equal partners, they want our input, they want our forces. The arctic will become a huge issue in the future, we do not have the ability to operate there. Half of Canada is in the artic & our mititary cannot operate there effectivly. Does that NOT concern anyone?? The Danish military have more forces in Greenland than we have in our artic. We are the second largest land mass on earth, and we cannot feild a fully equiped army brigade (5000 troops), we cannot deploy a full figther wing (72 jets). We cannot defend PEI. We have no helicopters that can properly support our Army, sorry, Land Force. We go around the world hitching rides from the US, Russia, anyone we can. We are in the G8, one of the richest nations on earth, but we cannot even send our own medevac helicopters to Afghanistan, because we don't have any. The way we treat the military, the priority we give it, as a nation we should be embarrassed......

This "Peacekeeping Myth" along with what is called the "Militia Myth" has plauged the CF, and Canada for years. We do not have an Army, we have a "Land Force", we do not have an Airforce, we have "Air Command", we do not have a Navy, we have "Maritime Command". THe Canadian Forces, CF used to be called the Canadian ARMED FOrces, they dropped the armed, offended people. We are not armed anyhow, was sort of a lie. We used to have the Royal Canadian Navy, Royal Canaidian Airforce, all gone. We have reduced our defence, and handed over the protection of our country to the US, then we site on the sidelines and bitch about how they protect us. First it was the British in the 17 & 1800's who protected us, now the Americans.... To me this is no different than saying, "this is my wife, I can be bothered sleeping with her, so I will let the neighbour do it. Then I will bitch & whine about how he's doing it wrong". CANADA, WHERE NATIONAL DEFENCE IS SOMBODY ELSES RESPONSIBILITY.......

Great info, thanks for the post.....

I have been in the CF 18 years, have NO idea where catchme is getting her wacked ideas & facts. Just simple BS. She's a prejudiced bigot against the military, she has no idea about what shes talking about. As for the military drug pushers, if they are found guilty they will be subjuected to a rigorous detox program, service detention barracks, Edmonton.....

There are as lot of people that believed we should have gone into Iraq, me included. I was duped, I can admit it. He's a great author, I really like his work. He is right on the money with this article. There are many here in Canada that believe we in the military are just Boy Scouts, some do not even know we have a military, even in a city with a military base, go figure. Military & security issues is something as Canadians we collectively know nothing about. Defence issues are not, and have never been taken seriously in this country......

Good luck with that armyguy:) Great article, going to buy Granasteins new book today.....

Why I love RM.... http://www.theindependent.ca/article.asp?AID=1333&ATID=6

Here's some goo Afghanistan vids, http://www.canadaka.net/link.php?id=15862

The LAV & Stryker are the same vehicle. What makes our LAV better is we have added a turret equipped with a 25mm gun. If you see pics of the US Army Strykers in Iraq you will notice they are surronded by what looks like a metal fence. It is used to protect them from RPGs. RPGs & really big IEDs are the biggest threat to our Leopards. There was talk about purchasing about 100 used German Leopard2s. Depending on the success of the Leos in Afghanistan, you may see this go ahead. The big prob with tanks is moving them around the world. Now that we are buying C17s, and tarnsport ships this will not be as huge an issue. Remember also, tanks need support. When you have tanks, you need repair vehicles for them, tank tow-trucks, tank transported trucks etc... I like tanks, they bring a presents to a battlefeild that says "we are serious, do not mess with us". It's shock value. The Swiss have surplus L2s' as do the Germans & Swedes.....

I AGREE 1000%. Hope they fired that public affairs officer, how dumb.... This is the kind of stuff that happens every day that you folks never hear about or see. Remember armyguys story about the 5 year old girl in another thread.....

jdobbin, I trained a few years ago as a JTAC, Joint Terminal Attack Controller, the guy who calls in the airstikes, close support for the troops. The F18 is an awsome close air support (CAS) platform. The USMC uses their F18's for this mission. It is not an Apache, Cobra, A10 or Harrier, but is does the job. The Dutch Airforce currently has F16's in Khandahar. The F18s practice CAS everyday in Cold Lake & Bagotville. As for deployment, all Canada told NATO was that we had up to 6 for their use if required. There was some talk about deploying them to Latvia to hold air defence alert, to replace Norwegion F16's that were doing that task. More to follow I guess.....