Canada plans to open military bases abroad

[WIP]

For the first time since the end of the Cold War, it looks like Canada is going to join the U.S. in the building of foreign military bases.

Now, if I'm not mistaken, isn't the Harper Government the same one that's calling for budget cuts and austerity measures at home? Somehow, there is always enough money for weapons and new military spending! Our Conservatives are following every stupid idea that their Republican advisers hand them. So now we are going to join the U.S. military madness, and go plunging over the cliff along with the failing empire south of our border.

OTTAWA — Canada is looking to expand its military reach by setting up small bases in Germany, Jamaica and elsewhere to support humanitarian and combat missions abroad, officials and media said Friday.

Jay Paxton, spokesman for Defense Minister Peter MacKay, told AFP: "Military planners are pursuing logistical agreements to ensure Canada is ready to respond quickly to future humanitarian disasters and international crises."

The military bases would support "high-tempo expeditionary operations in places such as Afghanistan, the Middle East, Haiti, Africa and most recently in protecting civilian life in Libya."

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/06/03/canada-plans-to-open-military-bases-abroad/

It wasn't enough that the Harper Conservatives wanted to copy every other failed U.S. rightwing policy like low taxes for the rich, building more prisons and unqualified support for Israel, now we've got to go the full nine yards and spend money the government doesn't have for more military spending.

[Bonam]

http://www.mapleleafweb.com/forums//index.php?showtopic=19009

[bush_cheney2004]

...It wasn't enough that the Harper Conservatives wanted to copy every other failed U.S. rightwing policy like low taxes for the rich, building more prisons and unqualified support for Israel, now we've got to go the full nine yards and spend money the government doesn't have for more military spending.

You mean like the "left wing" policies of bombing Serbs, fragging Afghans, and invading Haiti?

[kitt]

All Harper has to do now is get rid of the Governor General and declare hisself Commandor in Chief. He would be so pleased to accept all those salutes from his military ;p

[Saipan]

All Harper has to do now is get rid of the Governor General and declare hisself Commandor in Chief. He would be so pleased to accept all those salutes from his military ;p

Only Chretien was considering that. As he proclaimed "I am the government".

[Topaz]

Common sense says one only opens bases in other countries if they have the NEED. It looks like Canada has change from peackeepers, to seek and killers or destroyers, which ever one prefers. This is also the reason behind the F-35, to go where no Canadian has flew before or in other words, we are expanding and building up to American style military. The target is probably the Middle-East until NATO has conquered them. Only problem I can see , where is the Tories going to get the money for everything in the budget and to expand the military? Tax revenues are going to go down and corporate taxes too.

[bush_cheney2004]

Common sense says one only opens bases in other countries if they have the NEED. It looks like Canada has change from peackeepers, to seek and killers or destroyers, which ever one prefers....

Nope...Canada hasn't changed at all..."peacekeeping" was the cover story that has fooled you for years. Just ask General Hillier or the Canadian Forces that have fought and died.

[Guest Derek L]

Common sense says one only opens bases in other countries if they have the NEED. It looks like Canada has change from peackeepers, to seek and killers or destroyers, which ever one prefers. This is also the reason behind the F-35, to go where no Canadian has flew before or in other words, we are expanding and building up to American style military. The target is probably the Middle-East until NATO has conquered them. Only problem I can see , where is the Tories going to get the money for everything in the budget and to expand the military? Tax revenues are going to go down and corporate taxes too.

You do realize for forty years our forces were geared (abet poorly at times) toward fighting the Bear in the Fulda gap and North Atlantic....

Have you ever heard of CFB Lahr & CFB Baden-Soellingen?

[WIP]

http://www.mapleleafweb.com/forums//index.php?showtopic=19009

I was gone for awhile and didn't see anything under new comments from that thread. Glad to see someone else noticed it.

[Army Guy]

Common sense says one only opens bases in other countries if they have the NEED. It looks like Canada has change from peackeepers, to seek and killers or destroyers, which ever one prefers. This is also the reason behind the F-35, to go where no Canadian has flew before or in other words, we are expanding and building up to American style military.

I truly don't get it, for years most Canadians have advocated MORE spending on our military, "Atleast give them the tools to do the job we've been tasked to do". was the battle cry, and now the military is getting "some" of those tools and funding is starting to flow,,,the cry is HOLY SHIT how are we going to pay for that...we don't need that...

or the comments like the one above, "American style military"

Lets take a look at our military for a minute, our entire Army or Airforce could fit into almost any Hockey arena in Canada and still have seats left over, maybe even do a fly past....Our entire Navy Could fit in most local arenas, American style indeed....we need to stop this new revolution before we get carried away, and start having asperations of taking over the world....

The forces are today funded by approximately $24.8 billion annually[4] ranked 13th, and are presently ranked 74th in size compared to the world's other armed forces

74 th in size can anyone even name 74 countries....Does that mean 50 third world countries have a Military larger than ours....Really sounds very "American" to me when you think of it....

So what gives ?

[RNG]

I truly don't get it, for years most Canadians have advocated MORE spending on our military, "Atleast give them the tools to do the job we've been tasked to do". was the battle cry, and now the military is getting "some" of those tools and funding is starting to flow,,,the cry is HOLY SHIT how are we going to pay for that...we don't need that...

or the comments like the one above, "American style military"

Lets take a look at our military for a minute, our entire Army or Airforce could fit into almost any Hockey arena in Canada and still have seats left over, maybe even do a fly past....Our entire Navy Could fit in most local arenas, American style indeed....we need to stop this new revolution before we get carried away, and start having asperations of taking over the world....

The forces are today funded by approximately $24.8 billion annually[4] ranked 13th, and are presently ranked 74th in size compared to the world's other armed forces

74 th in size can anyone even name 74 countries....Does that mean 50 third world countries have a Military larger than ours....Really sounds very "American" to me when you think of it....

So what gives ?

My reading of the relatively data poor stories about this I have read so far leads me to think that they are not looking at opening bases, per se, but negotiating use agreements for existing bases in other countries, so that should the need arise, logistical support for an operation can be established quickly.

[Army Guy]

Sorry RNG i was being a bit sarcastic in my reply....The fact that this is the first i've heard of opening new bases and that news would have swept across DND like wild fire.....

Here's what i found in the Ottawa paper.

Jordan Press of Post Media had the article below outlining denials by Defence Minister Peter MacKay's office that there are no negotiations underway for Canadian bases overseas.

It was a strange denial to say the least. Previously DND acknowledged that it WAS in negotiations for such bases. The idea was to have equipment pre-positioned in staging area bases around the world. DND officials had mentioned Germany and Kuwait as areas they were interested in. Now, at least according to MacKay's office, no such negotiations have taken place. Who is to be believed?

Here is the article from Jordan Press:

The Department of National Defence said Thursday that Canada is not working to set up overseas military bases.

A media report Thursday said the Canadian Forces was negotiating with seven countries for military access to build bases to house soldiers and equipment overseas and respond quickly to international events.

While Canada has a base in Afghanistan at Kandahar Airfield along with forward operating bases, it is not looking to set up permanent international bases, according to a spokesman for Defence Minister Peter MacKay.

Since January 2010, Canada's men and women in uniform have deployed on international operations in Afghanistan, Haiti, Africa, the Middle-East and . . . a NATO operation over the skies of Libya," Jay Paxton said.

"Prudent planning is necessary to ensure that future expeditionary operations are fully supported, however this government and the Canadian Forces have no intention of creating permanent large bases in overseas locations."

According to a report in French-language newspaper Le Devoir, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Department of National Defence have agreements in place with Germany and Jamaica to set up bases, and are focusing on closing a deal with Kuwait.

Le Devoir reported that Canada also is in negotiations with Senegal, Kenya, Singapore and South Korea.

Currently, if Canada wants to set up a base, such as the one in Italy to support the NATO operation over Libya, it must negotiate and pay for access. Le Devoir quoted a lieutenant-colonel at the Canadian Forces base in Spangdahlem, Germany, which it shares with the United States, as saying that overseas bases would be used as a way to respond quickly to international events without having to wait out negotiations.

Speaking to reporters following a speech at a defence contractors conference in Ottawa Thursday, MacKay reportedly said Canada was in talks with other countries about future international homes for the Canadian Forces.

"As we look out into the future, what we obviously try to do is anticipate where and when we will be needed, but it's difficult with any certainty to make those plans without talking to other countries, without doing internal examinations," MacKay was quoted as saying.

During his speech, MacKay said the Canadian Forces have been and continue to be part of a number of operations at home and abroad.

Continued demand on the military will require the government to make sure it adapts to changing circumstances, MacKay said.

"During this high operational tempo, we're dealing with a complex and evolving security environment with unpredictable threats," he said.

"We also have to adapt to technology that is evolving at a rapid pace, constantly altering how military operations are planned and conducted."

[RNG]

Sorry RNG i was being a bit sarcastic in my reply....The fact that this is the first i've heard of opening new bases and that news would have swept across DND like wild fire.....

I wasn't the least bit offended by your post. I should have just hit "add reply" without linking to yours. But thx.

Edited June 6, 2011 by RNG