Op PRESENCE/Mali (Cdn mission/s, sitreps, etc. - merged)

[BrendenDias]

True. Money and food goes usually goes to warlords, or a corrupt government, in those nations that apply.
Education. That is the number one solution to the crisis in Africa.
Give the people education, and women will have access to all they need, and to give them awareness, etc.. lower child mortality rate;
the people will start to question government and regimes, new, smarter, non-corrupt (if that possible) politicians will emerge within the populace, etc, etc, etc...
So education solves a lot of problems that the continent has. But the sad thing is, could the earth sustain a huge population that eats and drinks the same amount of the 2nd-1st world countries..? I don't think so. As worlds fresh water is becoming more and more privatized, and food production is decreasing, in my eyes, the world would't be able to sustain them all....
But, I could be wrong. Technology has gotten us out of tough times, and it's only getting more advanced...

 

[Edward Campbell]

Two things:

Chinese peacekeepers on their way to Liberia (UNMIL)

This pictures serves as a reminder that the "face" of UN peacekeeping has changed: there are far, far fewer "white" (Europeans, Australians, Canadians, etc) and many, many more "ethnic" faces, including Chinese faces.

AND​

A new Canadian foreign aid policy initiative may indicate that we are, actually, going to help Africa, rather than just sending money to a few African kleptocrats.

 

[cupper]

Two things:

Chinese peacekeepers on their way to Liberia (UNMIL)

This pictures serves as a reminder that the "face" of UN peacekeeping has changed: there are far, far fewer "white" (Europeans, Australians, Canadians, etc) and many, many more "ethnic" faces, including Chinese faces.

AND​

A new Canadian foreign aid policy initiative may indicate that we are, actually, going to help Africa, rather than just sending money to a few African kleptocrats.

I wonder how much of the involvement of the Chinese in African peacekeeping is due to protecting their own sources of natural resources.

They have become heavily involved in developing infrastructure in Africa to gain access to oil and other resources over the past decade, and may be doing this as a means to protect their investment.

 

[Edward Campbell]

I wonder how much of the involvement of the Chinese in African peacekeeping is due to protecting their own sources of natural resources.

They have become heavily involved in developing infrastructure in Africa to gain access to oil and other resources over the past decade, and may be doing this as a means to protect their investment.

That's certainly part of it ... but it's only one part of a coherent, long term "charm offensive:" the application of pretty much all the soft power tools, from movies and the Olympics to peacekeeping, in an effort to make the rest of the world see China as "nice" and "responsible" and all that. Joseph Nye is, I believe, pretty close to required reading in most universities.

 

[BrendenDias]

So does this mean Canada will send ground troops 
Congo is in a crisis also at the moment.
Hmm...

 

[dapaterson]

Well, one of the peacekeepers is bringing a guitar...

(Hopefully they're not flying United)

 

[Justin Umber]

seems appropriate under a UN banner, all together now; Kyoom-By-Ya...

 

[Edward Campbell]

And things go from bad to worse, as the Globe and Mail reports that the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) troops shot down a clearly marked UN (Russian MI-8) helicopter, believing it was a rebel helicopter carrying weapons to anti-government forces. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is, rightfully, outraged at the incident which cost four Russian peacekeepers their lives.

 

[my72jeep]

Reproduced under the Fair Dealings provisions of the Copyright Act.


HALIFAX - The Harper government is examining whether to dispatch Canadian troops to help train an African force whose purpose would be to take back a vast swath of Mali from an off-shoot of al-Qaeda.

Defence Minister Peter MacKay, speaking in Halifax Sunday, said what form of military assistance can be provided to a growing international campaign is something that's under active discussion.

He said the government is contemplating what contribution Canada could make.

The United Nations recently decided to back a proposal from Economic Community of West African States — ECOWAS — to send 3,300 troops to the region.

More at link:

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/canada-weighs-options-possible-military-training-mission-west-003443916.html

- mod edit of title to better reflect thrust of thread -

 

[Armymedic]

Globe and Mail:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/canadian-troops-could-go-to-mali-mackay-suggests/article6802490/

Love the comments.... :facepalm:

 

[brihard]

Globe and Mail:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/canadian-troops-could-go-to-mali-mackay-suggests/article6802490/

Love the comments.... :facepalm:

Wow. Why did I even bother reading those?  :facepalm:

 

[dimsum]

I'm not going to read the comments since I have access to loaded weapons.  But, I want to know! 

 

[jollyjacktar]

The granola cruncher's have to have something to bitch about.  The F-35 screamfest has died down as of late.  :

 

[Stoker]

There was a few good comments there but the majority....wow do Canadians really think like that? Probably never wore an uniform in their lives

 

[OldSolduer]

There was a few good comments there but the majority....wow do Canadians really think like that? Probably never wore an uniform in their lives

It's not that they have never worn a uniform, it's that they have been fed a line of BS by those that worship PET as the God of the Left.

 

[Stoker]

It's not that they have never worn a uniform, it's that they have been fed a line of BS by those that worship PET as the God of the Left.

God help us if his Progeny becomes PM.

 

[my72jeep]

I read the commints til I got to sick to go on, Do these people really believe it was  PM Harper sent the Troops to Afghanistan?

 

[OldSolduer]

I read the commints til I got to sick to go on, Do these people really believe it was  PM Harper sent the Troops to Afghanistan?

Yes they do, despite everyone telling them that it was the Liberals under Chretien who originally sent 3VP to Afghanistan.
The average Canadian is so ill informed on military and international affairs that most should refrain from commenting.

 

[ModlrMike]

Aren't these the same dough heads that wanted us to return to UN missions?  :facepalm:

 

[Edward Campbell]

I am, based on some very old and, admittedly, quite limited experience, skeptical about the use of first world troops, especially white first world troops to train black third world soldiers. It seems to me that there are too many cultural, experience and expectation gaps. My observation was, many years decades ago that second world troops (then Indians and Pakistanis) seemed more adept at handing African training than we were.

Maybe we, the US led West, should be managing and funding training programmes for e.g. Mali but we should pay e.g. Indian, Fijian and Malaysian armies to actually conduct the training.