Royal Canadian Air Force headed to mission in Africa ‘very soon’: top general

[OldSolduer]

So the media experts are claiming things aren't so bad there, I bet they won't volunteer to quickly for a tour...

http://www.news1130.com/2018/03/22/baloney-meter-tories-dish-out-a-lot-of-baloney-on-mali-peacekeeping-mission/

Media experts ? Did any of them do a few tours in uniform?

 

[MarkOttawa]

Very few of MINUSMA fatalities in Mali have been European:

"...
Chad has lost 47 of its peacekeepers, Guinea has lost 18, Burkina Faso has lost 17, and Togo and Niger have both lost 16.

Bangladesh has lost 13 and the other 13 countries that have lost peacekeepers on the mission are in the single digits.

Of those, the Netherlands has suffered the largest loss of peacekeepers at five. Germany and France have both lost two..."
https://globalnews.ca/news/4091649/mali-un-canadian-mission/

Mark
Ottawa

 

[Fishbone Jones]

Nothing to fear. The Master Architect will provide his all seeing, all knowing spin on the plan and bring peace to the region.

I'll reserve judgement on losses. Hopefully and God willing we won't have any.

 

[Rifleman62]

Fromthe CBC article above:

While the numbers are staggering, they do not necessarily tell the whole story.

CBC running cover for the Liberals

Of the 162 total peacekeeper deaths in Mali, 99 of those have been from what the United Nations defines as “malicious acts.”

Malicious acts; does the UN mean killed by hostile forces using firepower? Anyways, hostile action, accident, sickness, your dead.

Dave Perry, vice president and senior analyst at the Canadian Global Affairs Institute: “There doesn’t seem like there’s that significant a threat to aviation,”

Yet, until the Cdns arrive.


https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/editorials/article-globe-editorial-with-mali-decision-the-trudeau-government-puts/?cmpid=rss&click=sf_globe&__twitter_impression=true

Quote: It is frankly horrifying that this government is willing to risk Canadian soldiers’ lives with so little justification.

 

[Journeyman]

Very few of MINUSMA fatalities in Mali have been European:
Chad has lost 47 of its peacekeepers, Guinea has lost 18, Burkina Faso has lost 17, and Togo and Niger have both lost 16.
Bangladesh has lost 13 and the other 13 countries that have lost peacekeepers on the mission are in the single digits.
Of those, the Netherlands has suffered the largest loss of peacekeepers at five. Germany and France have both lost two..."

Is there a point to your post beyond suggesting,  "no worries;  very few are white folks"??!   

 

[MarkOttawa]

journeyman: just suggesting that most of the real danger has been faced by troops not from the European countries which have been part of MINUSMA.  No skin colour intended as the point.  I'm pretty sure all CAF personnel will not be white.

Mark
Ottawa

 

[MarkOttawa]

Here's an aspect of MINUSMA's recently broadened mandate that our media do not seem to have noticed and our pols have not mentioned--tweets:

1)

Evan Cinq-Mars
‏Verified account @ecinqmars

Something to keep in mind as we think about Canada’s deployment to the UN peacekeeping mission in Mali: a change in that mission’s mandate in December 2017 means Canadian helicopters and personnel could be called upon to support another operation — the G5 Sahel Joint Force.
https://twitter.com/ecinqmars/status/976882259889475589

2)

Evan Cinq-Mars
‏Verified account @ecinqmars

Quick re-cap on G5: an up-to-5,000-strong joint force comprising troops and police from Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, and Niger, and mandated to do the counter-terror operations in Mali that MINUSMA can’t (and UN missions shouldn’t) do http://www.dw.com/en/eu-doubles-funds-for-g5-sahel-military-anti-terror-security-force/a-42711948
https://twitter.com/ecinqmars/status/976882261286060033

3)

Evan Cinq-Mars
‏Verified account @ecinqmars

MINUSMA was, however, mandated by the UN Security Council in December 2017 to provide logistical support the operations of the G5 Sahel Joint Force in Mali. The provisions of the support to be provided by MINUSMA:
https://www.un.org/press/en/2017/sc13112.doc.htm
https://twitter.com/ecinqmars/status/976882270530392071

4)

Evan Cinq-Mars
‏Verified account @ecinqmars

Now, there are some strong caveats in the UN Security Council resolution on MINUSMA’s support to the G5, including ensuring support by from UN does not “adversely impact its [MINUSMA’s] own operations or put mission personnel at undue risk”. But...
https://twitter.com/ecinqmars/status/976882282450571266

5)

Evan Cinq-Mars
‏Verified account @ecinqmars

It’s possible that Canadian helicopters and personnel could be asked to support the G5 during the 12 month deployment to MINUSMA, including, for example, by conducting CASEVAC or MEDEVAC for the G5 during or after operations in Mali.
https://twitter.com/ecinqmars/status/976882284925251585

Mark
Ottawa

 

[MarkOttawa]

And note this:

Malian PM makes landmark visit to restive north

Mali's Prime Minister Soumeylou Boubeye Maiga made his first visit to the country's troubled north on Thursday, but delayed a trip to the restive city of Kidal due to bad weather.

Five French soldiers were wounded on Thursday in Kidal when their base was attacked, the French army said, and France's defence minister said the assault was likely linked to Maiga's planned stop.

Maiga was appointed in December charged with bolstering security as jihadists mount near-weekly attacks on security forces, raising fears for safety ahead of a presidential election due in July [emphasis added].

In the northern town of Tessalit, he met Malian soldiers, promising them "better conditions to face the common enemy, terrorism," and saying they were "not alone".

Bad weather meant the plane meant to fly the prime minister to Kidal could not take off, his entourage said, delaying his visit to Friday.

Around 4,000 French troops are deployed under [combat] Operation Barkhane [for Sahel, not just Mali] alongside the UN's 12,000-strong MINUSMA peacekeeping operation in Mali.

Last month, French army chief Francois Lecointre warned parliament that it would take 10 to 15 years to resolve Mali's problems [emphasis added], according to a summary of his remarks published on Thursday...
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/afp/article-5531671/Malian-PM-makes-landmark-visit-restive-north.html

Mark
Ottawa

 

[Journeyman]

journeyman: just suggesting that most of the real danger has been faced by troops not from the European countries which have been part of MINUSMA.  No skin colour intended as the point.  I'm pretty sure all CAF personnel will not be white.

Ah, semantics.

I don't know the troop disposition, so I'm in no position to say that most of the "real danger" has been faced by non-European troops....or to interpret that as non-European troops are not as competent as Euros, hence the higher casualty rate. :dunno:

But thanks for your insight that not all CAF troops are likely to be white. 

 

[MarkOttawa]

Here are the contributing countries to MINUSMA; clearly those from European countries face less risk--both in terms of numbers and in terms of roles they play.  Germany largest contributor:
https://peacekeeping.un.org/en/mission/minusma

More on Germans:

...
The mission will also be cooperating with the G5 Sahel Joint Force. It will provide logistical support in putting in place infrastructure and will provide support inside Mali in the form of consumables and transport for the wounded.

The ceiling on troops for the new mandate will be raised to 1,100. More logistical staff will be needed to maintain and repair the vehicle pool. At the start of December 2017, Germany also took on the full responsibility for managing Camp Castor. And more staff are needed at the air transport base in Niamey...
https://www.bundesregierung.de/Content/EN/Artikel/2018/03_en/2018-03-06-auslandseinsatz-der-bundeswehr_en.html

This is from Jan. 2017 and one doubts it has changed much--don't think there are infantry doing any patrolling:

...deployment of German personnel in the staff units of the mission, and the provision of liaison officers. The Bundeswehr is also providing tactical air transport capabilities and helping with mid-air refuelling. With this, the Bundeswehr is supporting French forces on the ground [Barkane], which are authorised by UN Security Council resolutions.

The Bundeswehr has also deployed a larger mixed reconnaissance company and forces to protect specific sites. To this must be added support forces in the fields of command support, logistics and the medical service...
https://www.bundesregierung.de/Content/EN/Artikel/2017/01_en/2017-01-11-minusma-mali_en.html

Mark
Ottawa

 

[Loch Sloy!]

Not sure how force protection can be effective without patrolling...

 

[daftandbarmy]

Not sure how force protection can be effective without patrolling...

Especially if you are a military force with a shred of self-respect, or sense of self-preservation

 

[a_majoor]

Well meaning friends keep sending me links to articles, evidently they all believe that I will deploy tomorrow morning (as I am probably the only person they know who has ever deployed anywhere, that may even be a valid assumption to them):

http://www.cbc.ca/news/opinion/mali-mission-1.4585038

http://nationalpost.com/opinion/terry-glavin-when-it-comes-to-peacekeeping-canadas-sort-of-technically-but-not-really-back

What is interesting is they choose these articles to send me (I may be vocal about the proposed mission here, but am non committal in person, since there was literally nothing to say until now). Maybe more Canadians are seeing through the smokescreen than the Liberals imagined.

 

[jollyjacktar]

Well meaning friends keep sending me links to articles, evidently they all believe that I will deploy tomorrow morning (as I am probably the only person they know who has ever deployed anywhere, that may even be a valid assumption to them):

http://www.cbc.ca/news/opinion/mali-mission-1.4585038

http://nationalpost.com/opinion/terry-glavin-when-it-comes-to-peacekeeping-canadas-sort-of-technically-but-not-really-back

What is interesting is they choose these articles to send me (I may be vocal about the proposed mission here, but am non committal in person, since there was literally nothing to say until now). Maybe more Canadians are seeing through the smokescreen bullshit than the Liberals imagined.

That might be more accurate.

 

[OldSolduer]

A few reputable soldiers and not just retired generals need to tell Canadians what’s peacekeeping and what isn’t. Cyprus was peacekeeping: Mali isn’t. There is a difference.

 

[SeaKingTacco]

A few reputable soldiers and not just retired generals need to tell Canadians what’s peacekeeping and what isn’t. Cyprus was peacekeeping: Mali isn’t. There is a difference.

You are a reputable soldier. And you are retired. I would say that you are more qualifed than most to give advice to Parliamentarians.

 

[OldSolduer]

You are a reputable soldier. And you are retired. I would say that you are more qualifed than most to give advice to Parliamentarians.

Thank you. Maybe a letter to my MP would be in order.

I’m not sure about the reputable part!

 

[daftandbarmy]

Thank you. Maybe a letter to my MP would be in order.

I’m not sure about the reputable part!

Never underestimate what a good letter can do in the right places. Suggestion: If you send one to your MP, make sure that you copy your Municipal and Provincial representatives too, as well as the Minister of Vets Affairs & MND (if either of those don't happen to be your MP too). One page is a good length.

There's nothing like a possible 'I told you so...' to keep the egos of our overlords in moderate check.

 

[medicineman]

A few reputable soldiers and not just retired generals need to tell Canadians what’s peacekeeping and what isn’t. Cyprus was peacekeeping: Mali isn’t. There is a difference.

HS - my MP is the Conservative Defence Critic...and his office is just a short drive from the Peg when he's in town.  Maybe we should both go pay him a visit (you're more reputable than me  ;D)

MM

 

[ModlrMike]

I've met the man, and he comes across as a genuinely  nice guy. I also sense that he actually cares about his portfolio. Maybe several of us should have a chat with him.