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With regards to the new Minister of Defence here is Peter Worthington

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http://www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/Columnists/Toronto/Peter_Worthington/2004/07/22/551693.html

Generals disarmed

By PETER WORTHINGTON

There'll be more tears than cheers in the military about our new defence minister.

The appointment of Bill Graham to replace David Pratt seems to indicate a leftward shift. Pratt had been assiduously groomed by generals to be their guy at the top, but sadly Pratt was rejected by the voters. Now it's back to square one for military manipulators.

In one sense (one must try to be positive) Graham is a fitting choice for defence: In foreign affairs he was an advocate of "soft power," and if there's one thing our army has been reduced to in recent years, it's soft on power.

Do-nothing diplomacy, do nothing militarily.

Put bluntly, our military has been so depleted of personnel, equipment and weaponry that we could not sustain military action against a well-armed enemy.

We've been involved in several conflicts since the early 1990s: In the first Gulf War our troops were relegated to garrison duty, not fighting, and endured no casualties.

In Somalia our only casualties were self-inflicted wounds. In Rwanda we had one suicide. In Kosovo, again no casualties.

In Afghanistan, the Princess Pats did no fighting, but our snipers performed well. The main casualties were from a U.S. hotshot bombing our guys for no valid reason.

The Americans gave our troops 30 Bronze Stars which went to four snipers (for valour) and the rest to the senior officers and senior NCOs -- zilch for the rank-and-file.

Now the military's got Bill Graham!

Graham screwed up foreign affairs so royally that the PM must be hoping he'll do the same for the military. (Paul Martin, like his dad, has little interest in things military).

In foreign affairs Graham was a great appeaser. He believed the Saudis when they said Bill Sampson wasn't tortured. He paid court to Robert Mugabe, Zimbabwe's version of Stalin, and opposed the Commonwealth imposing sanctions. Nary a peep from Graham when Mugabe framed Zimbabwe's gallant opposition leader, Morgan Tsvangirai for treason.

Graham tugs a forelock to Beijing, and gives the back of his hand to Taiwan -- a flourishing democracy.

Graham opened diplomatic relations with North Korea, and supports aid which goes not to the starving but to Kim Jong Il's army.

As for Israel, we vote against it or abstain when it is routinely condemned by the UN. On Graham's watch, Canada supports the Palestinian Authority with humanitarian cash that helps indoctrinate young Palestinians with hatred and encourages suicide bombers.

This outlook isn't encouraging for our military.

Maybe these dire expectations are unfair. Maybe Graham will surprise us -- and the army -- as John McCallum did when he was a surprise choice for defence minister.

McCallum turned out to have a greater social conscience on behalf of serving soldiers and veterans than any predecessor in living memory.

Refreshingly, McCallum knew right from wrong and did something about it. Now McCallum is gone, even from veterans affairs. Pity. He's revenue minister, whatever that means.

The thing about Graham in defence, is that he seems to have neither interest nor a clue about soldiering.

He's a rather dainty fellow for the rough trade of soldiering.

It's hard to visualize Graham visiting troops in the field, or munching on hard rations.

He seems more a wine-and-canapes guy.

Kind of precious.

Soldiers aren't likely to identify with his rather effete personality.

Oh, he'll try to be one of the boys on occasion, and generally will guffaw on cue, but the troops will roll their eyeballs and wonder what they've done to deserve this.

Once again, the army gets a kick in the groin.

 
PETER WORTHINGTON FOR MND....or Don Cherry......maybe....Ricky, Julian and Bubbles from TPB?

So many people more qualified than the man who got it.

I do not like Bill Graham, never have.

Just thoughts

Cheers
 
This guy belongs on TV...or at least his views do.

Right on Peter! :salute:
:cdn:
 
Good article. I never realized what a disaster Graham was in Foreign Affairs. Lets hope the Liberal minority government collapses before the CF does.
 
He seems more a wine-and-canapes guy.

Kind of precious.

OMFG...that was funny


....and kinda sad.

I hope he does surprise us. :-\
 
Last Nov 11th, I was invited to attend the services at the Naval Club, near Yonge and Bloor (cousin is a member). Good ole Bill who is the MP for the area (and my MP), Art "why can't my cuddles have a six figure job at NDHQ" Eggelton along with the local MPP were invited to the ceremonies.

Afterwards of course they made speeches to the assembled crowd, mostly vets. Long long self serving Liberal speeches. The MPP even got in a snit because he was introduced by the President of the Naval Club as the MPP for the Area and not as the new Health Minister to which he'd just been appointed. Turns out he also forgot to bring his wreath to lay on behalf of the Province of Ontario and that was the only reason he'd been invited.

Anyways the bovine excrement that rolls and lack of understanding that rolls so easily from this Slick Willy of the North's mouth is amazing. 

When I got home after I told the wife, she shouild be proud of me. I refrained from decking the sumbitch after he started prattling on and on about his er I mean Canada's gloroius acheivements under the Liberal watch.

Methinks we're in for a new name change from CAF to CF and now soon CEF (Canadian Emasculated Forces). ::)

Oh yeah there were no canapes either.
 
Well gentlemen it didn't take long for our first sign of the bones to come.  According to the papers they've chosen the Sikorsky S-92 for the MHP.  Inspite of the the fact that we are already building, receiving, training on, using, maintaining, and learning to love the EH-101.  The EH-101 is a purpose built maritime platform while the S-92 is a "militarised" version of a civilian transport.  Does anyone else smell "Griffon" here?  Just think of all the money we won't now be saving in training, maintenance and supplies.

On the bright side we won't have our helicopters mistaken for those of any 1st world navies.

I guess we know how much the say the Forces will have in their future.

Sorry guys, it just stinks.  Clausewitz was only half right:  preparing for war is a continuation of politics by other means.
 
No wonder they replaced McCallum, he started listening to the soldiers...Instead of the You-KNow-Who's!

Enough Said!

Slim :cdn:
 
The new helicopter is not a bad choice.   Although I do agree 100% that we should have stayed with one helicopter for this purpose at least this new helicopter (so far) appears that it can get the job done.   See this thread on the purchase.   So no I don't think it is along the same lines as the Griffon debacle.

http://army.ca/forums/threads/17809.0.html

esp this link: http://www.airforce-technology.com/projects/superhawk/index.html

http://www.sikorsky.com/details/0,3036,CLI1_DIV69_ETI1583,00.html
 
I'm so horrify by all that political non sence :threat:

dont tell me that the cormoran will have cost more than the sikorski. It was a political gift to the Ontario voters.

Logics and politics dont make a perfect match,,,
 
I look at it this way.  At least it was money spent on a quality product with multiple uses.
 
In Afghanistan, the Princess Pats did no fighting, but our snipers performed well. The main casualties were from a U.S. hotshot bombing our guys for no valid reason.

I thought our troops in Afghanistan particpated in combat during Op Harpoon... or am I mistaken?

 
They participated in the operations, but never closed with the enemy.
 
PPCLI never participated in any combat at all? I had thought they did, guess I was just mistaken. Can anyone confirm that?
 
I don't believe they saw any combat but each cave they cleared could have been full of bad guys (ie each had to be treated as if they were hostile).
 
sinblox said:
PPCLI never participated in any combat at all? I had thought they did, guess I was just mistaken. Can anyone confirm that?

I have to say that I thought that they were engaged at one point as well. Still, even if the caves were empty the guys on the ground would have experienced almost the same stress if they thought the caves were full of bad guys...Or even the unknown!

My hats off to them in any case.

Slim
 
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