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Op IMPACT: CAF in the Iraq & Syria crisis

Eye In The Sky said:
I remember, last October, hearing *Mosul should be secure by the New Year*... :blotto:

Like "the war will be over by Christmas"? 
 
Dimsum said:
Like "the war will be over by Christmas"?

Or...*this is a one-of-a-kind ISR asset and...*

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Eye In The Sky said:
But that never happens....its an urban myth!!  ;D
You wild-eyed optimist, you ...

Meanwhile ...
Canadian weapons destined for Peshmerga still a no show: Spokesperson
G.H. Renaud, kurdistan24.net
August 13-2017    10:00 AM


Canadian military aid and weapons meant for the Kurdistan Region’s Peshmerga has yet to reach the Kurdish soldiers’ hands, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Peshmerga said on Saturday.

Halgurd Hikmat, the spokesman for the Peshmerga Ministry, told Kurdistan 24 that weapons and other lethal aid promised by the Canadian government and intended for the Kurdistan Region’s armed forces to help in defeating the Islamic State (IS) in Iraq still haven’t been delivered.

“We have previously asked that military aid to Peshmerga be directly given to the Kurdistan Region, not delivered through Baghdad,” Hikmat said. “We have a reason to say that – there are unofficial reports that Canadian weapons destined for the Peshmerga forces have ended up in the hands of other Iraqi forces.”

“It is not a surprise or odd to us,” Hikmat stated, noting this has happened in Iraq on multiple occasions.

“Canada, the US-led coalition, and Iraqi federal government are accountable for the whereabouts and use of those weapons. They should have an explanation for this delay.”

While the Canadian government has said the Special Forces would not be overseeing the "urgent" purchase of weapons and equipment for the Peshmerga, the military cautioned it had no idea when the gear might be delivered.

Kurdish officials, including the Chancellor of the Kurdistan Region Security Council Masrour Barzani, have criticized coalition partners for not delivering on their promises of military aid, sending weapons to Baghdad despite the knowledge the weapons would likely be detained by the Iraqi government.

The head of the Peshmerga Parliamentary Committee in the Kurdistan Region, Ari Harseen, while speaking to Kurdistan 24, asked countries delivering the weapons to follow up with Baghdad.

“Those who have sent weapons, meant to arm the Peshmerga, through the federal government of Iraq should investigate and question Baghdad on the whereabouts of the weapons.”

He mentioned that as long as the Kurdistan Region remained a part of Iraq, Baghdad would keep treating Erbil as it always has – not as an equal partner but as second-class ...
More @ link
 
And the latest about our folks on the ground ...
Canadian special forces have left the city of Mosul and are now backing up Iraqi forces as they prepare to assault one of the Islamic State group's last strongholds in the country.

The move comes amid growing friction between the various local groups facing off against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, and warnings that despite its battlefield victories, the international community has a lot more work to do in Iraq.

The Iraqi military, Kurdish peshmerga and various paramilitary groups have surrounded Hawija, a city of about 150,000 people, and are waiting for Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi's order to attack.

Victory there would represent a pivotal moment in the war against ISIL, since the group would then control only a few small pockets of Iraqi territory along Syria's border.

Canadian troops who had been helping Iraqi forces secure Mosul throughout the summer are now near Hawija, and will provide support during the upcoming battle, military spokesman Maj. Alexandre Cadieux said Friday.

Canada has about 200 special forces soldiers supporting local forces in northern Iraq. Most of their work has been with the Kurds, but Cadieux said they are also now operating with other Iraqi groups.

"Members of the Special Operations Task Force will provide their (Iraqi Security Force) partners with advice and assistance in the vicinity of Hawija," Cadieux said in an email.

"Canadian Armed Forces personnel are advising its partners on how to best secure their position and prevent effective counter-attacks from Daesh," he added, using the Arabic name for ISIL.

"CAF personnel also advise and assist in the detection, identification and possible prosecution of Daesh targets by our partner, or through coalition resources."

Exactly when the battle will start has been a source of speculation for several weeks.

Hawija is located in territory claimed by both the Kurds, who have their own semi-independent regional government, as well as Iraq's central government in Baghdad.

That alone has created disagreements between the various forces preparing to attack the city, but the fact the Kurds plan to hold a referendum on independence on Sept. 25 has heightened tensions.

Yet even if Hawija is liberated, one senior Canadian officer whose job is to organize coalition training efforts and help Iraqi officials plan operations says the hard work is just beginning.

Brig.-Gen. Steven Whalen said that's because Iraqi security forces will continue to need help as ISIL shifts to terrorist tactics such as suicide bombings, one of which killed 80 people on Friday.

"This fight is not anywhere near over," Whalen said in an interview from Baghdad, where he is leading a team of international advisers inside Iraq's defence ministry.

"From a military perspective, we are expecting that there is going to be some kind of insurgency-type scenario that will evolve. And we see some signs of it occurring elsewhere in Iraq." ...
... as well as some recent news about Hawija & the Kurds ...
... and, this from the White House earlier today:
Statement by the Press Secretary on the Kurdistan Regional Government’s Proposed Referendum

The United States does not support the Kurdistan Regional Government’s intention to hold a referendum later this month. The United States has repeatedly emphasized to the leaders of the Kurdistan Regional Government that the referendum is distracting from efforts to defeat ISIS and stabilize the liberated areas. Holding the referendum in disputed areas is particularly provocative and destabilizing. We therefore call on the Kurdistan Regional Government to call off the referendum and enter into serious and sustained dialogue with Baghdad, which the United States has repeatedly indicated it is prepared to facilitate.
:pop:
 
From the DND info-machine ...
As part of Canada’s whole-of-government strategy in response to the crises in Iraq and Syria, and following the liberation of Mosul by Iraqi Security Forces (ISF), the Canadian Armed Forces are now providing advice and assistance to ISF in the area around Hawija, Iraq.

Canada has also sent a small team of Canadian Army engineers to observe ongoing explosive threat training that the ISF are receiving under the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Training and Capacity Building – Iraq mandate. This is the first step in plans for highly-skilled Canadian combat engineers to provide this training to ISF later this fall.

With the liberation of Mosul by ISF, the military coalition’s campaign to degrade and defeat Daesh continues to progress. Coalition allies and partners must remain flexible and adapt to the changing threats. As such, the CAF has continued to shift its contribution to ISF elements involved in ridding other Iraqi centers of Daesh’s control.

As outlined in Canada’s new defence policy, the government is dedicated to working with Coalition allies and partners to deter and defeat Daesh. Canada’s contributions to the Global Coalition against Daesh demonstrate Canada’s continued commitment to addressing the threat stemming from terrorist organizations such as Daesh, and respond to the needs of conflict-affected people in Iraq, Syria, Jordan, and Lebanon.

Quotes

    "Canada continues to be a responsible member of the international community and valued ally by remaining engaged in the world. The Canadian Armed Forces will adjust its contributions to ensure we remain a meaningful partner the coalition fight against Daesh.”

    — Harjit S. Sajjan, Defence Minister

    “I am proud of the significant contribution of the women and men of the Canadian Armed Forces who have helped Iraqi Security Forces degrade Daesh across Northern Iraq. As we move forward, there is still much work to be done, and we will remain flexible and ensure we take advantage of our valuable operational skill set so our contributions are as effective as possible.”

    — General Jonathan Vance, Chief of the Defence Staff

Quick Facts

    The CAF will continue to support, when required, its ISF partners in Mosul with advice and assistance to defeat the remaining threats left by Daesh.

    The CAF continues to provide training to Kurdish forces in Northern Iraq. To date, the Canadian Armed Forces have trained approximately 2450 personnel.

    The Canadian Army will provide about a dozen specialized personnel to support the Special Operations Task Force. These personnel will bolster force protection of both Special Operations Forces and ISF by helping to detect, identify and defeat threats. The majority of these members will deploy from the 4th Canadian Division, based in Ontario, and will fall under the command of the Special Operations Task Force.

    NATO Training and Capacity Building – Iraq is the training program launched in January, 2017, which has seen NATO advisors in Iraq overseeing training activities and working with Iraqi authorities to reform their security institutions.

    Canada continues to contribute existing capabilities, including:
        Aerial refueling and surveillance capabilities;
        A tactical airlift detachment;
        Tactical helicopters;
        A CAF-led Role 2 medical facility;
        Training, equipment, advising, and assisting Iraqi security forces; and
        Support to the Global Coalition with highly-skilled personnel, including intelligence support.

    The recently renewed Op IMPACT mandate provides CAF with the authority to tailor its contribution to the Global Coalition fight against Daesh and the CAF is constantly seeking opportunities to better adjust its contribution to make it the most relevant to the evolving situation. The extended Op IMPACT mandate is well-aligned with Canada’s whole-of-government Strategy in the region.

    Through the Government of Canada’s whole-of-government strategy, announced in February 2016, Canada is investing $ 2 billion over the course of three years (2016-19) to address security, stabilization, humanitarian and development challenges stemming from the crises in Iraq and Syria and their impacts on Jordan and Lebanon. The Strategy also reinforces Canada’s diplomatic presence in the region to increase our political engagement and help resolve the crises ...
... and from CBC.ca:
A handful of Canadian army combat engineers will soon be in Iraq to train local security forces in the finer points of detecting and defusing roadside bombs, the Liberal government announced Thursday.

An advance team has already been sent to observe the kind of instruction being given under a NATO program that was announced at the Warsaw Summit in the summer of 2016, but only established in earlier this year.

A media release by National Defence provided few specifics, saying only a dozen engineers would be involved in the new endeavour and that they would deploy "later this fall." ...
More @ links
 
This via Kurdish media ...
Canada Still Planning to Arm Kurds Even After Independence Vote
Basnews English 28/09/2017 - 10:02

Military assistance deliveries are still expected to proceed even after Kurdistan Region held an independence referendum on September 25, the Canadian Forces said on Wednesday.

The Iraqi government has not signaled its desire for Canada to change the military assistance it’s providing, Patricia Brunelle, Spokesperson for Canadian Forces told the Ottawa Citizen.

“The Government of Canada is taking all the reasonable steps to ensure that the Government of Iraq and the Kurdish Regional Government of Iraq provide the required commitments that any equipment provided from the government of Canada will be used in an appropriate manner,” she said.

“Canada will ensure that end-user agreements are fully approved and in place before any equipment is delivered,” She explained.

It is still unclear when Canada will send the weapons, but among the armament that will be provided to Peshmerga forces will be .50-calibre sniper rifles equipped with silencers, 60mm mortars,Carl Gustav anti-tank systems and others.

Canada has not opposed the Kurdistan Region’s vote for independence from Iraq, although it has voiced its support for a unified Iraq.
 
Call me cynical, but whoever is giving themselves a pat on the back on this one might want to cut it short.  Despite the words in the article, this isn't what I call a success.  This started as a clusterfuck,  took way to long to fix and it doesn't address one of the biggest issues with the iBLOS (which I won't state on here, sorry).  The aircrew didn't call this I-BLOWS for no reason.  This *fix* is way too long coming - the problems existed back on R0 when I was there and still existed when I left after my 3rd kick at that cat (after the successful Oct 16 TAV).  I won't even give this one a golf clap, sorry "folks who think you did a good job".  I think even the ISRD folks would say 'day late, dollar short'.  Foresight of engineering staff and outstanding contributions, my ass.  ::)

Article Link

iBLOS paints clearer picture for CAF and allies


The interim Beyond-Line-of-Sight (iBLOS) capability, initially fielded in 2014 on several CP-140M aircraft when the Royal Canadian Air Force deployed for Operation IMPACT, was intended to deliver an immediate operational effect. Its fielding accelerated the implementation of a complex onboard satellite-based Beyond-Line-of-Sight (BLOS) capability that was to be delivered as part of the Aurora Incremental Modernization Project. Design. To expedite the delivery of this crucial capability for the limited quantity of aircraft deploying, support decisions for iBLOS had to be made quickly.

The initial architecture supporting the BLOS capability on the ground used domestic and centralized classified networks to bear the CP-140M full-motion video feed to the coalition, as this was the most flexible option for a quick implementation. However, over the course of a few Op IMPACT rotations, it proved to be less efficient than expected. The traffic travelled from the aircraft in the area of operations, across the Atlantic Ocean to different networks in Ottawa, and back to reach decision-makers at the Combined Aerospace Operations Centre (CAOC) in theatre. This complex architecture and loopback had a negative impact on the quality of the video where it mattered most.

As Canada redefined its mission role in 2016 with the removal of the fighter detachment, the Canadian Joint Operations Command (CJOC) raised the requirement to the RCAF to enhance the quality of the video feed. Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) was becoming one of our primary contributions to the Coalition against Deash. As a result, Assistant Deputy Minister (Materiel) was tasked in April 2016 to re-engineer part of the iBLOS capability with the goal of providing a better quality video to the war fighter.

In only a few months, a team from Director General Aerospace Equipment Program Management(DGAEPM) – Radar and Communication Systems worked with theatre personnel and the Weapon System Manager CP-140 team to design and obtain approval for a transformational network architecture. The initiative resulted in the ground segment of the iBLOS capability moving from Ottawa to the Deployed Mission Support Centre (DMSC) within the CP-140 detachment in theatre. This ensured an optimal path was being used to transmit the video feed directly to deployed users alongside the detachment. A technical assistance visit was conducted in theatre in October 2016 to implement the new solution.

As theatre personnel now had direct access to the video source, further enhancements were made over the following months to inject the feed into the coalition’s network. This milestone defines the current and final state for the iBLOS capability in theatre. Crisper and enhanced video has brought the CP-140M back into the list of high-priority ISR assets used for intelligence gathering, as well as dynamic targeting within the coalition. This achievement was highlighted by the satisfaction of the Canadian Liaison Officer in Qatar when presenting the result to coalition commanders.

As the RCAF and ADM(Mat) work on the implementation of the BLOS capability across the remainder of the fleet, lessons learned from the iBLOS experience in theatre have been captured and were considered in the final network architecture. The foresight of engineering staff within DGAEPM and the outstanding contribution of multiple L1s during this endeavour will ensure that the joint BLOS capability delivers high quality video to future end-users domestically and abroad, and will benefit the Canadian Armed Forces for years to come.


 
Eye In The Sky said:
Call me cynical, but whoever is giving themselves a pat on the back on this one might want to cut it short.  Despite the words in the article, this isn't what I call a success.  This started as a clusterfuck,  took way to long to fix and it doesn't address one of the biggest issues with the iBLOS (which I won't state on here, sorry).  The aircrew didn't call this I-BLOWS for no reason.  This *fix* is way too long coming - the problems existed back on R0 when I was there and still existed when I left after my 3rd kick at that cat (after the successful Oct 16 TAV).  I won't even give this one a golf clap, sorry "folks who think you did a good job".  I think even the ISRD folks would say 'day late, dollar short'.  Foresight of engineering staff and outstanding contributions, my ass.  ::)

Man, I'm glad I didn't read this while drinking.
 
ETIS nailed it.

I spent many nights on the phone with tech support troubleshooting that piece of shit.

https://youtu.be/N9wsjroVlu8
 
Dolphin_Hunter said:
ETIS nailed it.

I spent many nights on the phone with tech support troubleshooting that piece of shit.

https://youtu.be/N9wsjroVlu8

That video made me LOL...mostly because I could picture that happening at the HAS if we ever got the go-ahead to rip that POS out of Stbd fwd. 
 
So far, according to French-language media, the CF info-machine says IRQ's flight ban isn't affecting Op IMPACT ...
Les liaisons aériennes entre le Kurdistan irakien et l’étranger ont été coupées vendredi sur ordre de Bagdad qui veut forcer cette région autonome à annuler son récent référendum sur l’indépendance, mais ce blocus aérien devrait pas affecter les opérations des Forces canadiennes dans la région pour l’instant.

Cette interdiction ne concerne pas les vols humanitaires, militaires et diplomatiques, a affirmé Talar Faiq Saleh, la directrice de l’aéroport international d’Erbil.

À l’heure actuelle, la restriction de vol imposée par le Gouvernement d’Irak dans la région du Kurdistan n’a pas d’impact sur les opérations des Forces armées canadiennes (FAC) en support à la Coalition et à la lutte contre Daech, a assuré à 45erNord.ca le ministère canadien de la Défense.

« La Force opérationnelle interarmées en Irak (FOI-I) est bien avisée des développements politiques en Irak, Nous suivons la situation et nous travaillons en étroite collaboration avec la Coalition afin de déterminer la façon de progresser alors que la situation continue d’évoluer. », indique Ottawa.

« La FOI-I ne met pas uniquement l’accent sur la sécurité et le bien-être du personnel des FAC, mais aussi, elle se concentre et se dédie à poursuivre ses efforts afin de vaincre Daech en collaboration avec ses partenaires de la Coalition. », a réitéré Ottawa.

Par ailleurs, les États-Unis ont affirmé vendredi qu’ils ne reconnaissaient pas le référendum kurde, mais appelé toutes les parties au dialogue et à la retenue.
Google English version:
Iraqi Kurdistan and foreign air links were cut off on Friday by Baghdad's order to force the autonomous region to cancel its recent referendum on independence, but this air blockade should not affect Canadian Forces operations in the region for the moment.

This prohibition does not apply to humanitarian, military and diplomatic flights, said Talar Faiq Saleh, the director of Erbil International Airport.

At present, the flight restriction imposed by the Government of Iraq in the Kurdistan region has no impact on the operations of the Canadian Armed Forces (FAC) in support of the Coalition and the fight against Daech , assured 45erNorth.ca the Canadian Department of Defense.

"Joint Task Force Iraq (JTF-I) is well aware of political developments in Iraq. We are monitoring the situation and are working closely with the Coalition to determine how to move forward as the situation continues to evolve. "Says Ottawa.

"JTF-I not only focuses on the safety and well-being of CAF staff, but also focuses and develops its efforts to defeat Daech in collaboration with its partners in the Coalition . "Reiterated Ottawa.

On the other hand, the United States said on Friday that it did not recognize the Kurdish referendum, but called on all parties to dialogue and restraint.
 
Via globalnews.ca ...
Canada’s new role in helping Iraqi forces: Remove thousands of ISIS booby-traps

The Canadian military is expanding its operation in Iraq to focus on rebuilding the war-ravaged country.

“It was important to initially help the Iraqi security forces to prepare to help defeat Daesh,” Canada’s Brigadier-General Daniel MacIsaac said while using the Arabic name for the so-called Islamic State.

In an interview at the Canadian Forces base in Erbil, MacIsaac told Global News that 80 per cent of Iraqi territory once held by ISIS have been recaptured. “They (Iraqi forces) are much further along in the defeat of Daesh. So we’re working now on some different elements of partner capacity building.” ...
Kurdish independence vote leaves Canadian Forces in a bind

Canadian Forces in northern Iraq are facing new uncertainty about their ongoing military operation against the so-called Islamic State following the Kurdish independence referendum.

For the past three years, Canadian troops have been based in Iraq’s semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan, providing support for both Kurdish and Iraqi forces in their fight against ISIS. But the Kurdish independence referendum, which saw an overwhelming majority vote in favour of separating from Iraq, has raised fears that the Kurds and Iraqis may soon point their weapons away from ISIS and towards each other.

(...)

“We’re monitoring the situation,” Canada’s Brigadier-General Daniel MacIsaac told Global News at the Canadian Forces base in the Kurdish capital of Erbil. “I’m not aware of any indications of warnings of a threat to our people at all related to the referendum.”

MacIsaac says they’ve taken steps to ensure the base, which is currently home to about 150 Canadian military personnel, has enough supplies to withstand any potential embargoes Iraq or its neighbours Turkey and Iran place on Kurdistan.

“Canada is committed to a stable, diverse and unified Iraq,” MacIsaac said ...
More @ links
 
This from Kurdish media, shared under the Fair Dealing provisions of the Copyright Act (R.S.C., 1985, c. C-42) ...
Canada to expand role in Iraq, begin ‘rebuilding’ initiative
Karzan Sulaivany, Kurdistan 24, 2 Oct 2017

Canadian forces on Monday said they would expand their operation in Iraq and help rebuild areas of the war-torn country, including the safe removal of landmines.

The Canadian military has been involved in assisting Kurdish Peshmerga forces in their role to defeat the Islamic State (IS) in Iraq since 2014.

Canada’s Brigadier-General Daniel MacIsaac said the Canadian military is expanding its operations in Iraq to focus on “rebuilding.”

“It was important to initially help the Iraqi security forces to prepare to help defeat [IS],” MacIsaac told Global News at the Canadian Forces base in Erbil.

“They [Iraqi forces] are much further along in the defeat of [IS],” he added. “We’re working now on some different elements of partner capacity building.”

One of the new initiatives, expected to start before the end of October, will see a team of Canadian military engineers train Iraqi forces on how to safely remove landmines and other booby-traps planted by the militant group.

Many displaced people who have started returning to areas liberated from IS were killed and wounded because of explosives left behind by the extremist group, locals said.

A group of NGOs, including the Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA) Anti-Explosives Unit, are currently working to defuse and remove explosive devices in liberated areas.

“[The explosives] are deployed on such a scale, it’s almost unfathomable,” NPA’s Craig McInally said.

“We’re talking about kilometers of rows of [explosives], placed in layers around villages, agricultural areas, schools, and homes,” he added.

Meanwhile, MacIsaac said the Canadian military was “monitoring the situation” regarding the escalating tensions between Erbil and Baghdad following the Kurds’ historic referendum.

The Canadian official said troops at the base in Erbil, which is home to about 150 Canadian military personnel, were prepared “to withstand any potential embargoes Iraq or its neighbors” place on Kurdistan.

Although Canada has not openly supported the Kurdish vote, MacIsaac did not indicate that they would remove troops from Erbil despite Baghdad calling on all foreign governments to withdraw their diplomatic missions in Kurdistan.
 
According to this story from the Globe & Mail, reproduced under the Fair Dealings provisions of the Copyright Act, elements of the Joint Incident Response Unit are operating in Iraq disarming chemical weapons.

Canadian special-forces team hunts down and dismantles chemical weapons in Iraq

ROBERT FIFE
OTTAWA BUREAU CHIEF


Canadian special forces have played a central role in hunting down, detecting and dismantling stockpiles of chemical weapons used by Islamic State militants in Iraq, according to sources with knowledge of the top-secret operations.

Some of these highly trained soldiers have advanced scientific degrees and used their specialized skills to decontaminate Kurdish Peshmerga fighters and Iraqi soldiers affected by mustard gas.

Canada's special forces are made up of the elite JTF-2 counterterrorism force, regular commandos, a special helicopter detachment and the Canadian Joint Incident Response Unit (CJIRU), which is responsible for responding to nuclear, chemical and biological attacks.

Soldiers with the CJIRU are among about 200 Canadian special forces deployed in northern Iraq focused mainly on training Kurdish fighters. Some of them recently helped in the battle to reclaim the Iraqi city of Mosul from the Islamic State, including a small number of CJIRU soldiers whose job was to search for and destroy chemical weapons.

Mosul was at the centre of the Islamic State's chemical-weapons production, mostly small batches of low-quality chlorine and sulphur mustard agents, but the hardline Sunni militants also had control over radioactive material at the city's university.

Sources, with knowledge of the activities of Canada's special forces in Iraq, but who were not authorized to speak on the record, have told The Globe and Mail that CJIRU soldiers detected and dismantled weaponized chemical components and hazardous material in Mosul between March and August of this year.

"It is a very, very highly capable organization that deals with very, very ugly situations," said retired lieutenant-colonel Steve Day, the former head of Canada's secret JTF-2 special-operations unit who worked alongside CJIRU soldiers.

"They have got both tactical training, so they can operate alongside special forces, but they also have technical training in their ability to handle biological, chemical or radioactive agents."

For security reasons, the sources would not discuss the exact nature of the operations that were conducted in eastern and western Mosul.

Major Alexandre Cadieux, who speaks for Canadian Special Operations Task Force (SOTF) in Iraq, said the military has a policy of not commenting on its special-forces activities and the role of CJIRU soldiers.
 
The  CAF training mission in Iraq has been suspended in light of recent events between Iraqi and Kurdish forces.

http://www.cbc.ca/beta/news/politics/iraq-canadian-special-forces-suspended-1.4376244
 
The main areas in Western Anbar along/close to the border (Rawah, Anah, Al Qaim).

The Iraqi armed forces are making significant progress in their operation to liberate #AlQaem and surrounding areas in western #Anbar


CANSOF mission "suspended", ISF established well NW of the Haditha area of the ERV.  Wonder what's next for JTF-I, ATF-I....
 
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