- Reaction score
- 900
- Points
- 1,010
Hmmmm.... I think we heard this story before...
http://www.canada.com/national/story.html?id=0d0ffc1d-f7a4-4b31-a658-755ec4279f0a
Stephen Thorne
Canadian Press
June 25, 2004
KABUL -- Canada will reduce it's overseas military deployments to just 1,200 personnel by fall, down from 4,500 a year ago, the chief of defence staff said on a stopover Friday in advance of next week's NATO summit in Turkey.
Gen. Ray Henault said deep cuts in troop commitments to its two biggest NATO missions - Afghanistan and Bosnia - and the withdrawal of naval ships from the Persian Gulf, will give the country's armed forces a much-needed respite.
"It's all with the view to allowing the force to renew itself, to regenerate and be ready for whatever comes next," said Henault, who was visiting Canadian members of the International Security Assistance Force.
"It will put us on a solid footing for future international commitments."
In a wide-ranging interview, Henault said the number of troops in Bosnia is currently down to 650 from 1,250 and will be fewer than 100 observers and surveillance troops supporting a European Union mission by September.
There will continue to be nominal deployments in Africa, the Middle East and Haiti, where an infantry company will be reduced to a couple of UN staff officers by September.
The biggest immediate change will come in Kabul, where the current contingent of 2,300 infantry and mechanized soldiers - the city's largest foreign troop presence - will be replaced by two successive rotations of about 900 troops, most of them armoured reconnaissance soldiers.
The back-to-back, six-month rotations will mark a big change for the Canadians, who currently have two generals deployed, one of them leading the entire NATO mission in Afghanistan and the other heading its 35-country brigade element.
Canada turns over the reins to Eurocorps in mid-August. But, as the only country making year-long commitments to ISAF, it is widely expected it won't be the last time Canadians lead the multinational security mission.
Henault said he expects Canadian troops to remain in Afghanistan "for years" to come, likely expanding their numbers again in 13-months' time.
Canada's overall role will probably evolve into non-military areas like judicial reconstruction, police training and re-establishing self-sufficient security systems, he said.
Meanwhile, Canadian troops won't necessarily be limited to the capital and neighbouring areas.
They will likely venture beyond in the form of a provincial reconstruction team - a small contingent, with big logistical demands, deployed as a security and training force in smaller cities, probably late next year.
And NATO needs the help. Over the last year, the number of countries participating in ISAF has fluctuated from 34 about a year ago down to 23 and back up to 35. That has confounded efforts to plan expansion of the 6,000-plus ISAF force and expand its mandate outside of the Kabul area.
At the summit, NATO is expecting member countries to pony up support for the Afghan mission while U.S. forces spearhead the battle against Taliban-led rebels whose resurgence could threaten the country with a return to chaos.
© The Canadian Press 2004
http://www.canada.com/national/story.html?id=0d0ffc1d-f7a4-4b31-a658-755ec4279f0a
Stephen Thorne
Canadian Press
June 25, 2004
KABUL -- Canada will reduce it's overseas military deployments to just 1,200 personnel by fall, down from 4,500 a year ago, the chief of defence staff said on a stopover Friday in advance of next week's NATO summit in Turkey.
Gen. Ray Henault said deep cuts in troop commitments to its two biggest NATO missions - Afghanistan and Bosnia - and the withdrawal of naval ships from the Persian Gulf, will give the country's armed forces a much-needed respite.
"It's all with the view to allowing the force to renew itself, to regenerate and be ready for whatever comes next," said Henault, who was visiting Canadian members of the International Security Assistance Force.
"It will put us on a solid footing for future international commitments."
In a wide-ranging interview, Henault said the number of troops in Bosnia is currently down to 650 from 1,250 and will be fewer than 100 observers and surveillance troops supporting a European Union mission by September.
There will continue to be nominal deployments in Africa, the Middle East and Haiti, where an infantry company will be reduced to a couple of UN staff officers by September.
The biggest immediate change will come in Kabul, where the current contingent of 2,300 infantry and mechanized soldiers - the city's largest foreign troop presence - will be replaced by two successive rotations of about 900 troops, most of them armoured reconnaissance soldiers.
The back-to-back, six-month rotations will mark a big change for the Canadians, who currently have two generals deployed, one of them leading the entire NATO mission in Afghanistan and the other heading its 35-country brigade element.
Canada turns over the reins to Eurocorps in mid-August. But, as the only country making year-long commitments to ISAF, it is widely expected it won't be the last time Canadians lead the multinational security mission.
Henault said he expects Canadian troops to remain in Afghanistan "for years" to come, likely expanding their numbers again in 13-months' time.
Canada's overall role will probably evolve into non-military areas like judicial reconstruction, police training and re-establishing self-sufficient security systems, he said.
Meanwhile, Canadian troops won't necessarily be limited to the capital and neighbouring areas.
They will likely venture beyond in the form of a provincial reconstruction team - a small contingent, with big logistical demands, deployed as a security and training force in smaller cities, probably late next year.
And NATO needs the help. Over the last year, the number of countries participating in ISAF has fluctuated from 34 about a year ago down to 23 and back up to 35. That has confounded efforts to plan expansion of the 6,000-plus ISAF force and expand its mandate outside of the Kabul area.
At the summit, NATO is expecting member countries to pony up support for the Afghan mission while U.S. forces spearhead the battle against Taliban-led rebels whose resurgence could threaten the country with a return to chaos.
© The Canadian Press 2004
