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Joint Task Force 2 (JTF 2) - Canadian Special Forces

  • Thread starter Thread starter the patriot
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Okay i have read all of the recruiting info and heard all of the stories about JTF2 from my fellow colleagues in the CF and the media and other sources, but to be honest, nobody except those within the JTF2 organization really know what goes on. That I think is key, that only those within the JTF2 organization know what goes on. That is important based on their line of work. They should not be responsible to the general public. The Canadian public and our politicians in general are not good for the health of the CF and it‘s units, whether it be the JTF2, the now disbanded Airborne, or any unit. It is time the very few politicians we do have who are willing to stand up and fight, tells the Canadian public and the rest of the politicians to back off and let the Army, Navy and Airforce do what they have to do in order to maintain an effective force rather than worrying about what the public might think.
 
Warning: Article To Follow

July 15, 2001

Canada‘s elite secret army
Chances are you‘ve never heard of these guys - and that‘s just the way they want it

By PETER WORTHINGTON -- Toronto Sun

The most secret, unpublicized and least known branch of the Canadian military is also its most controversial and, arguably, at the root of many of the problems that have beset our Armed Forces in the past decade.

It‘s something called JTF2 (Joint Task Force II).

The Department of National Defence (DND) won‘t talk about JTF2, other than to admit it exists and is headquartered at Dwyer Hill, outside Ottawa.

JTF2 is a hyper-secret, elite counter-terrorist and VIP security force of some 250 hand-picked volunteers who are super-fit and super-trained, whose identities are secret, whose budget is classified and who are our version of Britain‘s SAS and U.S. Special Forces.

But JTF2 doesn‘t seem to have achieved much since its creation in 1992 except to flirt with disaster - to itself, the military, the country.

Originally the brainchild of Robert Fowler when he was deputy defence minister (before his UN ambassadorship) and then-chief of defence staff (CDS) Gen. John de Chastelain, JTF2 quickly evolved into something of a secret army outside the military chain of command, reporting directly to the CDS.

Members operate in small units (called "bricks") and act as bodyguards to the PM and Defence minister when they travel to dangerous places. Regular soldiers aren‘t sufficient protection.

JTF2 soldiers accompanied then-army commander Gen. Maurice Baril on his peculiar 1995 reconnaissance mission to Zaire - apparently in search of a crisis to which to commit our troops, although there were no takers.

DEEMED UNSUITABLE

JTF2 replaced the RCMP‘s anti-terrorist Special Emergency Response Team (SERT), which was deemed unsuitable for quasi-military operations. In fact, JTF2 has replaced the disbanded Airborne Regiment as our "elite" military unit. To some, it is a disaster waiting to happen.

Miraculously, JTF2 (there is no JTF1) has escaped critical assessment. Mostly, it‘s been Scott Taylor of the military magazine Esprit de Corps (see his book, Tested Mettle) and Dave a journalist of the Ottawa Citizen, who have documented its deeds.

Back in 1993, a JTF2 platoon was sent to Bosnia to "rescue" 55 Canadian peacekeepers held hostage by the Serbs. Fortunately for all concerned, the Serbs let the Canadians go who, it turned out, were being treated lavishly as "guests" by their captors.

In 1996, with tacit co-operation of Foreign Affairs and DND, a JTF2 commando team went to Peru, ostensibly to offer safe passage to terrorists who held 500 guests hostage at the Japanese ambassador‘s residence.

The idea was that a Canadian Airbus, with a platoon of JTF2 commandos hidden inside, would ambush the terrorists as they boarded for the free flight to Cuba.

Mercifully, the Peruvian military vetoed the plan and raided the embassy, freeing all hostages and killing all the terrorists.

So hush-hush is JTF2, that when would-be and wannabe JTF2 members became involved in a bank- robbing ring, the matter was hushed up. (Two soldiers not in the JTF2, although one had tried out for it, got 12 and seven years respectively for a 1998 CIBC heist in Calgary, where 80 shots were fired. Several JTF2 members associated with the ring, according to testimony, were dealt with in secret, with no publicity, despite confessions.)

Former Airborne Capt. Michel Rainville, recently convicted in Quebec of torture, after initially being charged with torture, kidnapping, illegal confinement, extortion with a firearm, assault and death threats relating to an incident in 1992, served as a JTF2 officer.

Rainville led a JTF2 "exercise" against Van Doos in Quebec City, ostensibly testing security of the Citadel‘s weapons locker. Wearing ski masks and carrying shotguns and Uzi machine pistols, the pretend terrorists overpowered two soldiers on guard duty, stripped, beat, tortured, bound them with duct tape and threatened to kill them unless they co-operated. One soldier was sodomized with a baton and then a shotgun.

One terrified soldier escaped, climbed down the wall and called the police who arrived in full riot gear. The army tried to hush the matter up, and for years ignored the grievances of one of the victims (Frank Savage) until he brought it to the attention of civilian authorities, who laid the charges of which Rainville was eventually found guilty.

It also turns out the infamous 1993 "turkey shoot" of two "infiltrators" in Somalia (and the close-range execution-style killing of one of them), was a JTF2 "demonstration," led by the same Rainville, to show visiting Canadian and U.S. Special Forces brass their worth.

Trooper Kyle Brown, convicted in the beating death of a Somali prisoner, was always puzzled why American Special Forces were in Canadian uniforms in Somalia. It seems they were secretly training and working with JTF2.

Taylor speculates the reason the Somalia inquiry was suddenly aborted was because the question of American Special Forces wearing Canadian uniforms was about to come out, revealing the involvement of JTF2 commandos.

When the Airborne Regiment was first sent to Somalia, Brig.-Gen. Ernie Beno, commander of the Special Service Force at Petawawa, urged that Rainville be sent home immediately as unfit, when his photo ran in a Montreal newspaper showing three commando knives strapped to him. Rainville boasted that he and his men were trained in assassination and he could "kill a man in two seconds."

Beno‘s advice was ignored at the military‘s top levels.

JTF2 was involved in various confrontations with Indians - and looked inept when the Mohawk Warrior Society, smuggling cigarettes and firing weapons at Cornwall, somehow tapped into and compromised JTF2‘s classified phone system.

As well as guarding VIPs and attending summit meetings and gatherings like the Pan-Am Games in Winnipeg, JTF2 commandos have gone to Bosnia, Kosovo, Haiti and Rwanda, where "black operations" were planned, but rarely materialized, or had much effect.

DISASTROUS

While there‘s a need for elite troops in certain situations - which is what our disbanded Airborne Regiment was - secret armies are usually disastrous.

I‘d argue that JTF2 should be disbanded - or made public and accountable. SAS and U.S. Special Forces operations have MI6 and the CIA as intelligence sources, but JTF2 is without a similar resource, and must depend on allies.

Hence, it has a certain vulnerability. Traditionally, Canada doesn‘t dabble in international clandestine operations.

We don‘t need a secret army unit that has been associated with bank robbers and disgraced individuals like Rainville serving Canada‘s interests.
****************************************************************************

I find this quite amusing. No, JTF-2 will not be shut down. It is quite rare that I will say this, but this time Peter Worthington is wrong. Every respectable profession has had its rotten apples. Jesuit priests in Newfoundland molested young boys (St. Vincent Monastery), should we bash the clergy?! Teachers date students who send them romantic e-mails and have affairs with them. Are all teachers now pedophiles?! JTF-2‘s mandate is that of anti-terrorism and covert operations. The public is in my opinion STUPID. This organization could someday save your life at an airport if some terrorist decided to make your life a living hell before your plane takes off. The whole Air India bombing fiasco from 1985 could have been avoided had these people been around back then. Furthermore, if Mr. Worthington was aware; every MOC is open to post to JTF-2. Not just former Canadian Airborne Regiment members. Which means, that serving members from the Air Force, Navy, Army, Reserve Force, and Cadet Instructor Cadre can post for duties with JTF-2 as long as they meet the various criteria.

-the patriot-
 
This Worthington is an *******. He says that JTF2 has accomplished nothing, how the **** does he know? He probly made these speculations because the only thing that gets out to the public is the bad stuff that some of the operatives do.
 
For an extremely thorough read on what JTF-2 is all about, I‘ve attached a weblink to a series of sites that will tell a person all they ever wanted to know about the organization.

http://www.specialoperations.com/foreign/Canada/JTF2.html

-the patriot-
 
Has anybody read this book tested mettle.is it just about the JTF, or is it about the CF. Is it a good read, and should i buy it
 
I‘ve read Twisted Mettle, it‘s alright. Scott Taylor is a littled grizzled against the Forces. A disgruntled former employee, you know. The book is full of facts and true stories, but there‘s also alot of opinions from Scott Taylor too, so watch out for that.
 
Can officers in the CIC apply for the JTF2?

Tested Mettle has some interesting stories, but there is a short chapter that bashes the JTF2 a little and an insane final installment of some reforms Taylor believes are in order for the CF. Personally, I don‘t enjoy Taylor‘s style of writing, it‘s not all that readable, he writes like he‘s placing an order for office supplies.
 
Thanks for the info on the book,think i will skip it.on a side note i was watching CNN and saw a commercial for CNN presents on sunday at 22:00 about the 101st tranning on mount/fibua check it out.
 
There seems to be some debate over this, and please don‘t get the impression that I am a CIC Officer. The CIC are considered members of the Reserve Force. Apparently there is a CIC Officer who is a member of the SkyHawks demonstration team. Depending on the candidate, I can see someone being allowed to post for the selection process depending on their background. For example there are CIC‘s out there who have done time as an NCO or Officer in the Reg Force or Militia. Do bear in mind that one cannot just "JOIN" JTF-2. You have to make it through the selection process just like everyone else regardless of your MOC.

-the patriot-
 
I agree with all the above responses. The public and especially the media don‘t have a fu***** clue on what the JTF2 is around for. Hell most of us that are in or were in the CF don‘t know a heck of a lot on them as well, and better off that way. All I know is that the guys that are in are good and "handpicked", that they had to endure a lot of paperwork and trails/tribulations to get in. And good for them if they are selected. Like another fellow said up there, he‘d like to see a media type do selection...ya right. Honestly I couldn‘t do it right now. The crew I knew worked hard and trained for months eating right and working out, trying to get that "egde" over others during the different selection "hurdles". Honestly how many media types and civilians don‘t even know what our own military is about??? Just my two cents and what a hell-of-a-site!!! Great to chat and see all the cool info. Keep this up and running for sure. :cdn:

[ 10 August 2001: Message edited by: Grubby ]
 
In the terrorism crunch, Canada has JTF2
Martin O‘Malley, CBC News Online
September 2001

They may already be on the ground in Afghanistan. In fact, there have been reports Britain‘s Special Air Service (SAS) has been in a firefight with Taliban soldiers near Kabul, after a four-member team of Britain‘s elite commando force unexpectedly encountered the Taliban fighters in the foothills outside the Afghan capital.

We are talking about special forces, elite fighters, super-secret soldiers deployed to trouble spots to act with stealth and deadly force. They are trained to rope down from helicopters, live off the land for months, break a combatant‘s hip with a kick to the upper femur.

In the United States, there is Delta Force, also Night Stalkers. In Canada, it is Joint Task Force Two, or JTF2. Defence Minister Art Eggleton has mentioned JTF2 as a resource Canada may offer in the war being waged against terrorism. Maybe the offer has already been made, and accepted; maybe JTF2 is on its way, or already there.

These are always top-secret operations. If truth is one of the first casualties of war, secrecy is one of war‘s first exigencies.

According to BBC News Online, Britain‘s SAS team entered northern Afghanistan from Tajikistan during the week after the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington. Its mission was to seek intelligence on Osama bin Laden, locate land mines and establish what routes bin Laden and his fighters might take out of the country. London‘s Sunday Times and The Mail both have reported that the SAS team has linked up with the anti-Taliban Northern Alliance.

The training for these elite units is intense. The numbers for U.S. Delta Force probably apply to the SAS and JTF2. A quarter of those who volunteer for the elite units – those who volunteer are top soldiers – are routinely washed out; of those who pass this test, one in 10 makes it to the elite unit.

From what we know of JTF2, it was set up in 1993, taking over counter-terrorist responsibilities from the RCMP. The Toronto Star quoted a military source that said JTF2 has about 350 members, with an average age of 28 and a budget of $25 million. JTF2 has trained with both elite U.S. units and the SAS in Britain.

Scott Taylor, publisher of Esprit de Corps magazine, has said JTF2 is as good as the American Delta Force and Britain‘s SAS. It is believed JTF2 was on the ground for a time in Kosovo, finding important targets and using lasers to guide military aircraft and smart bombs toward them.

When Conservative MP David Price told the House of Commons that JTF2 was on the ground in the Kosovo campaign, the government heatedly denied it – but with covert operations, this is the requisite government response. To do otherwise would be to risk JTF2 lives. JTF2 almost certainly was deployed to Quebec City in April as back-up during the violent protests during the hemispheric trade talks.

As for a role in today‘s war against terrorism, with emphasis on the rugged landlocked country of Afghanistan, Taylor of Esprit de Corps expects JTF2 will be called upon by the U.S.-led NATO mission against terrorism.

"This is exactly the role for them," Taylor told the Star. "These guys would go in. They would be a special covert operation. They would just simply be putting their lives on the line. Every one of these guys, they joined for that purpose…."

During the Kosovo campaign, Michael McAuliffe of CBC‘s The National reported on the early days of JTF2.

"Everyone seems eager to talk about the secret Canadian commandos," McAuliffe said. "Everyone, it seems, except the Chrétien government. Canada‘s Joint Task Force Two are experts at remaining out of sight, out of mind, out of the headlines.

"Joint Task Force Two has been something of an open secret ever since it was formed in 1993. People have been aware of its existence, but it‘s rarely discussed in the media because no one will ever talk about its operations. That‘s partly for reasons of safety, but it‘s also because JTF2 has been far more active overseas than either the Chrétien government or Canadian military seem prepared to admit."

In the mission to find Osama bin Laden, a sobering postscript. The U.S. Delta Force was deployed to Somalia in the early 1990s. The elite unit came with heavily armed, troop-carrying Black Hawk helicopters, and with the speedy, bubble-topped AH-6 attack choppers known as Little Birds.

The mission was to kill or capture Habr Gibr clan leaders, especially warlord Mohammed Farrah Aidid. Dozens of Delta Force soldiers were killed, along with hundreds of Somalis. This was the ugly street battle remembered by the ghastly photograph of a Black Hawk crew member dragged on his back, naked and dead, through the streets of Mogadishu.

The elite soldiers knew where Aidid was hiding – the city, the street, the building – but they were never able to get him.

:cdn:
 
a-ha-ha-ha-ha!!! You can‘t trust the press!

In the mission to find Osama bin Laden, a sobering postscript. The U.S. Delta Force was deployed to Somalia in the early 1990s. The elite unit came with heavily armed, troop-carrying Black Hawk helicopters, and with the speedy, bubble-topped AH-6 attack choppers known as Little Birds.

The mission was to kill or capture Habr Gibr clan leaders, especially warlord Mohammed Farrah Aidid. Dozens of Delta Force soldiers were killed, along with hundreds of Somalis. This was the ugly street battle remembered by the ghastly photograph of a Black Hawk crew member dragged on his back, naked and dead, through the streets of Mogadishu.

The elite soldiers knew where Aidid was hiding – the city, the street, the building – but they were never able to get him.

This isn‘t quite true.. There was delta there, but mostly it was Army Rangers. Most of the casualties where army rangers. And they didn‘t know if Aidid was there or not, they went there to capture some of his top leuitenants/aides, and captured 2 of them, plus other high ranking members.. At least that‘s the story in the 5 or so other accounts (some by soldiers there, some compilations of the accounts of many soldiers there (i.e. black hawk down.. Great book!)) that I‘ve read/seen... Dunno how accurate they are, but I think they‘re fairly accurate.

But yeah.. You can‘t ever trust the press.. That‘s my little rant.
 
This is something the bloody media can‘t comprehend. Granted the public has a right to know the activities of our government. But too much attention and putting JTF-2 under the media microscope may result in casualties that could have been avoided with a media blackout. If JTF-2 has gone to ground in Afghanistan, hats off to them. No one has ever neutralized them or blown their cover yet. We must be doing something right!!!

-the patriot- :cdn:
 
I firmly beleive that if CNN had been in existance between 1939 and 1940, we would all be speaking a different language by now.

:rolleyes:
 
In the news today, an allied troop ship will be setting off from newport to England to fight in the Europe against the Nazis. This is the route it is beleived to be taking. Good luck to those on board, and we hope you make it there safe!
 
Eggleton considers expansion of secretive counter-terrorist force
JOHN WARD
Canadian Press
05 Oct 01

OTTAWA (CP) - The military is looking at possibly expanding its secretive JTF-2 counter-terrorist force, Defence Minister Art Eggleton said Thursday. The minister told the House of Commons defence committee that his department is in the middle of a major review of defence resources and capabilities, including its capacity to deal with terrorism.

He rejected a suggestion that the military resurrect the Canadian Airborne Regiment, disbanded in the aftermath of the Somalia scandal of the 1990s. The regiment was eliminated after a handful of its soldiers were involved in the deaths of several civilians during a peace enforcement mission in Somalia in 1992-93. The dead included a teenager who was tortured and beaten to death.

Its exact size and budget aren‘t known, although it‘s though to consist of 200 to 250 soldiers with a budget of about $40 million.

Two years ago, the military lifted the veil of secrecy a bit by showing reporters a recruiting video for the force.

The main focus of the unit appeared to be domestic hostage-rescue missions. They also act as bodyguards for senior officials travelling in hostile areas, such as the former Yugoslavia in the mid-1990s.

Eggleton said he couldn‘t get into details of the possible expansion of the unit, nor would he say if its capacities might be expanded to include the sort of behind-the-lines operations practised by units such as the British SAS or U.S. special forces.

"We are looking at how that unit can continue to serve, perhaps in an expanded way, in a counter-terrorism capacity both at home and abroad."

"We‘re not going to rush into these things," he said. "We‘re going to look at them thoroughly and make the right decisions as to what we do."
 
Any theories here?! Is it a plausible argument that JTF-2 has already gone to ground and all of this is nothing but cabinet performing a media screen?!

-the patriot- :cdn:
 
MND and CDS announced at 12:30 ET that "components of" JTF-2 would be involved in the campaign.

Also: HMCS Halifax, diverted from STANAVFORLANT to a US Carrier Group, I think.

Also: 4 ship Naval Task Group (1x Destroyer, 2 x Frigates (1 to replace HMCS Halifax in STANAVFORLANT) and one AOR.

Also: HMCS Vancouver (cfm?) from the West Coast.

Also: CC-130 for humanitarian ops in theatre.

Also: 2 x Aurora Maritime Patrol aircraft for surveillance ops in theatre.
 
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