weaponeer

that's conducting RE duties, sorry, it's late:)

I have read all the links here, some good stuff. However, I have said before, there's no way we could have or would have gone to Iraq. Our military simpley could not stand up toa head-on with RG div. Our aircraft are old & outdated, they lack the modern secure radios & data link sytems. Our tanks are too old to go up against modern Russian tanks (Iraq had over 1000). At the time we lacked modern precision arty capability, we now have it. We could have perhaps been used in the rear echelon, protecting supply convoys, or duncucting other RE duties, but not likely......

CB, Thanks I should be OK. It's the pre-deployment I am worried about. I'm 36, 13km marches hurt:) I will go to Pet for training, then I have to go on a quick course in Norway, should be good.

Canada was asked to be there, I am just stating why we could not be. Go to the DND website, look at our weapons sysytems, they cannot stand up to RG units, no way. As for Romania, they have the capability to fight high intensity, they have modern Russian MBTs, and modern mech units. Japan has one of the most modern militaries in the world, we are not in their leauge. Actually, I was in an AWACS over southern Iraq, so we did have small units there. There were Canadians "attached" or "on exchange" with US & UK units, in 1's & 2's. Anyone that know's anything about militaries, various intensities of warfare, know's what I mean. CF cannot fight high intensity. What ole Jean did, as I have stated in other posts is he increased our commitment to a-stan from an infantry battle group to a brigade HQ & BG. In doing this, the US was able to send 3/101st abn from a-stan to iraq. The US asked, yes, jean said no, I am just stating why.... Iraq we could not handle, Afghanistan we can....

Anyone that agrees with Hellier needs their head examined......

There's nothing to show. The Canadian Forces does not posess the capability anymore to engage in high intensity combat. We could not stop, destroy or defeat an Iraqi RG division or regiment. We do not have mobern tanks, the Leps are 30 years old, & their guns are 105mm, too small. Greta for fighting in A-stan, no good for tangling with modern MBTs. We did not have modern arty at the time, although we do now, M777. We do not posess a modern heavy IFV like the American Bradley or British Warrior, our LAV3's could not tangle with T80 tanks. We do not have modern attack or transport helos, we did not have modern fighters capable of operating over Iraq. Remember, we cannot even evac our own wounded off the battlefield in a-stan, US does it for us. We could not survive in high intensity combat even today, simple as that.....

We did not go into Iraq because of the state of the Canadian Forces. We could not survive in high intensity warfare against an army like Iraq had. We could not hold are own against one of his Rep Guard units, we would have been a burden to the US. I still have faith in Iraq truning out for the better. Why, because I am crazy, no, one word Bosnia!! I did 2 tours there, if that civil war could be turned around, anything is possible....

Why we fight wars has nothing to do with banks, corps or any of that garbage. We fight because we are human. We have always fought each other for one reason or another. Pick up & read a history book. Did the Romans fight for corps or banks, no, did Alexander the Great fight for that crap, no. Humans are animals, we sometimes forget that. We are more specifically, PREDITORY animals!!

No, it will not be over in a week. But we are not cowering in the corner waiting for them to come across. We are not tripping over each other to be on the last plane outta Kandahar before they come. We'll (NATO) be ready & waiting. Some of you make it sound like, Oh my God, here they come, run away, run away!! Oh it's hopeless!!! Some of you, safe behind computers in your homes seem to know more about counter-insurgencey warfare than the experts. Perhaps we could get your phone #'s passed on to Gen Hillier and the rest of the NATO commanders & they could seek out advice from the experts!! I recieved my orders to go this morning. Leave in Apr........

I assure you, each & every mountain pass is known, and watched. Preditor drones, SOF units, they know where they are and when they move. Will some get thought, sure. Will thousands, NO!!

Well I recieved my orders today, I leave in Apr for 6 months.....

talibs ARE NOT safe in Pakistan. We know where they are, we will know when they move across the border, we will have an appropriate welcome ready for they. It would simpley but rude not to welcome them:) Our commanders are not stupide, they will handle it.......

I never thought of it that way. They do love us, now I see the light:) Perhaps all those rockets shot at me in A-stan was just their way of saying welcome.....

As for the main point of this thread, SO. WHO CARES!! So the pal's don't like us, they hae a long list of people they hate more than us. Islamic radicals already hate us!! Too late!!

In the 1990's AQ had several formal press conferences where they "DECLARED WAR" on the US. Theyb stated their reasons, and formally declared war. The Americans did not take this declaration seriously. The sluffed it off, "crazy guy living in a cave". Well AQ struck, US embassies, USS Cole, etc... Now the Americans took them seriously. Since AQ "DECLARED WAR" on the US, the Americans have the right & obligation (to protect thier citizens) to attack AQ bases, cells, orgs reguardless of where they are. AQ was in A-stan, the talibs supported & aided them, makes them a target!!! Simple as that. If the Canadian gov't provided land & support to establish an AQ camp in Canada, that camp would become a legitimate target, and we would pay the price. The talibs should of handed over the AQs in A-stan, they chose not too. Too bad for them... Socialists hate the US, because the Americans have fought against everything they believe in for the last 60 years (thank God). They will appose the US no matter what they do, or do not do.

Australia has an Infantry Battle group in a-stan. No, the US will not pullout of A-stan, not anytime soon. They will most likely leave Iraq before a-stan. As for troop shuffling, the US was able to pull an entire brigade out of A-stan and redeploy them to Iraq because Canada increased it's presents. The decscrepency in troop numbers could be caused by presents of Spec Opss troops. Their numbers are kept secret. Here's a great link showing where the US is getting more troops for Iraq... globalsecurity.org It will give you all the stats you need. It's "death by computer link", sorry.

Actually NORAD has recieved a new state of the at air defence system BCS-F. I am sitting in front of it right now. It is leaps & bounds ahead of what we had. Unfortunatly I have to disagree with you (nothing personel). There are threats out there. Missile technology is spreading, and it will be a concern of the future. Military planners & thinkers have to look ahead to the next war, not the one just finished. No, Russian bombers will not come over the north pole & bomb Toronto, I agree. There's no need, their cruise missiles can be launched from 500 miles out to see and destroy it, we'd never see them. Cruise misslies are the current threat, launched from aircraft & submarines. They can be launched will little or no warning. Countries around the world have seen the success the US has had with them, and are developing & aquiring them. Add them to long range bombers, aircraft flown from aircaft carriers, submarines, you have a real global capability, a potential threat. In order for one nation to attack another they need two things, CAPABILITY & INTENT!! We (DND/NORAD) look at capability, NOT intent. If a country has a capability to attack then you must have solutions to defend against, because some day they may add intent. That does not mean they will add it, it means they MAY. We do not know who will be running Russia in 15 years. NMD is coming like it or not. We need to get onboard. Right now we, Canada , are not allowed to participate in NMD meetings, exercises, planning conferences etc... We have no say. We are in NORAD together, we need some say here. As for NORADs role, it has actually expanded within US NORCOMM & Canada's CF CANADACOM. Air defence, joint sea defence, search & rescue ops, we are expanding.....

One thing we all need to understand here is hat NATO/Canadian commanders are not dumb. They know where the talibs are!!! They will know when they begin to move to cross Afghan-Paki bordern. I would bet a years salary that western Spec Ops folks are in P-stan, watching, perhaps even in-beded with the talib units!! Just a guess. All the possible mountain passes are know, marked and most likely have their very own Preditor drone partolling at all times. A-stan is not Vietnam, no jungle, they will see talib units coming & handle it. Last week 150 talibs were killed tring to cross into A-stan.....

NO, actually thet have not got approval from Canada to include missilie defence in NORAD.....

Harper it the BEST PM this country has had in my life time. He absolutly scares the s#@t out of the left, because if he gets a majority they will have to work for a living, and they know it!!! Work, responsibility, two words that terrify the left!! Working people controlling their own money, thinking for themselves, more frightening thoughts for the left. If they left does not get Harper out soon, people will see what he's really about, not scary at all. The socialist utopias of eastern Europe fell, China is capitalist in all but name. quote "THE BEST SOCIAL PROGRAM IS STILL A JOB". S. Harper!!!

Just wanted to "be-bunk" a few MYTHS here about A-Stan history. First the British: The Brits went into Afghanistan in the 1800's from India, in order to ADD Afghanistan to their empire. The British were armed with muskets, horse & swords. Turns out the Afghanis were armed with muskets, horses & swords, even fight except the Afghanis OUTNUMBERED the Brits, England lost. Second, Russia: Russia INVADED Afghanistan in 1979 in order to prop up a commie Godless Gov't. Keep in mind, the people of Afghanistan are very religous & conservitive. This angered the Afghan's that not only were they invaded for conquest, but it was by GODLESS non-religous commies. Now add to this the fact that the Russians were brutal beyond belief, massacaring whole villages etc...The Afghan tribes united, were joined and assisted by muslims from other countries & they threw the Rissians out!! Canada, the US & NATO are there to help Afghanistan!! We are not goint to make it the 11th prov, we ae not there to force hockey or Don Cherry on them, we are there to help. Training a national army & police force will take years. Instilling values like human rights, legal rights, respect for human dignaty takes time in places where this has not existed for many years. I had an experience with the Afghan Army involving prisoners. The commander (rather senior) could not understand why we needed them, why keep them alive, feed them etc..... Trial, what was the need for that??? We had to explain things to him, he thought we were nuts... You really want to know what's going on over ther, trn off your computer, join the CF, and go see for yourselves!!!

Zero use, are you an expert in air defence matters??? Ever single system the military uses now started off as being scorned. The airplane, the tank, the aircraft carrier, repeater rifle, submarine, "usless diversion" was one qutoe by a so-called expert in regards to airpower in the 1930's. Glad we listened to him!! Missile defence is a system in it's infancy, but it will be the air defence system of the future. More & more countries are developing missile technology. It will only be a matter of time before nations like Iran, N. Korea, India, Pakistan develop missiles that can reach N. America. We need to be a few steps ahead of them, thank God we are. Missile threats come in various forms, ICBM's launched from other countries, submarine launched ICBM & cruise missiles, aircraft launched cruise missiles. Counties like China & Russia now operate modern aircraft carriers like the US, Iran has ocean going submarines......

North Bay is doing great. Lots of snow (finally). Lake have not froz yet, but soon.

People miss the overall point about missile defence. We are in an alliance with the USA for air defence. We have a say in how the system is run. Anytime we Canadians add, delete or change something we contribute to NORAD the US has a say. Same for them, if theywish to add a capability, redce or delete one, they need Canada's approval. All the US wants is our approval to include missile defence in NORAD, simple. No $, nothing else.

Hi, new to this site. I am in the Canadian Forces, did 6 months in A-stan. Never saw anybody starving!! Only people I saw that hated us were talibs.. The enemy usually hates you when you fight back.