STEVE RUSSELL/TORONTO STAR FILE PHOTO Gen. Rick Hillier, Canada’s chief of defence staff, says last week’s terrorist attack “just tells us once more we can’t let up.”
Posted on 07/15/2005 5:32:33 PM PDT by NorthOf45
Canada urged to go after `scumbags'
General evokes fight against Nazis
Active role for troops pushed
Bruce Campion-Smith
Ottawa Bureau
July 15, 2005
STEVE RUSSELL/TORONTO STAR FILE PHOTO Gen. Rick Hillier, Canada’s chief of defence staff, says last week’s terrorist attack “just tells us once more we can’t let up.”
OTTAWA—Canada must take its fight against "detestable murderers and scumbags" to the failed states abroad where they are allowed to "spread their venom," the country's top general said yesterday.
Comparing the situation to that of the fight against Nazi Germany, a tough-talking Gen. Rick Hillier says the attacks against the London transit system just over a week ago underscore the need for Canada's military to take an active role in places like Afghanistan.
"I think the London attack just tells us once more we can't let up," Hillier said during a luncheon with reporters.
He said Canada must be ready to battle "those who would help terrorists and murderers and killers like Al Qaeda ... and the Taliban who would help them regain power."
Without taking action, Canada risks having that instability "come home to roost" here, said Hillier, the chief of defence staff.
Hillier made his comments just as the military gets set to take on a more dangerous role in Afghanistan. In just over a week, some 250 Edmonton-based troops will depart for Kandahar as part of a reconstruction team meant to help stabilize the southern part of the country.
By February, there will be 1,500 Canadian soldiers in Kandahar. One of their duties will be the dangerous mission of chasing down Taliban extremists.
"We're actually going there to take down the folks who are trying to still blow up men and women in Afghanistan and still provide a base for an organization like Al Qaeda to grow its venom," Hillier said.
But the general warned yesterday that people should brace for injuries, perhaps even fatalities, among Canada's military and suggested that the public might be in the dark about the looming dangers of this new role.
"The possibilities of taking casualties are always there ... I do think there needs to be an awareness across Canada that we're in a dangerous business," Hillier said.
And he added a plug for his troops, saying citizens need to voice their support for men and women in uniform.
Confronted with the question of whether Canada's greater visibility in Afghanistan could prompt terror attacks here, Hillier likened the atmosphere today to the mood in 1939 when Canadians were called on to fight Nazi Germany.
"Did they say `No, because we might be attacked over here if we actually go and stand up against those despicable murderous bastards'?" Hillier said.
"They went and did it because it was right. I think it's exactly the same thing now. We need to take a stand," he said.
He said that Canada — a member of the G-8, a flourishing Western nation — is already on the terror hit list and terrorists are out to "break our society."
"It doesn't matter whether we are in Afghanistan or any place in the world. We are going to be a target in their sights," he said.
"They detest our freedoms, they detest our society, they detest our liberties," he said.
"We're not going to let those radical murderers and killers rob from others and we're certainly not going to let them rob from Canada," said Hillier, who spared few adjectives in describing the terrorists.
On the home front, Hillier said the London attacks also underscore the urgency to move fast with changes to make the Canadian forces more responsive to crises, like a terror attack, here at home.
Hillier revealed that within hours after the bombs exploded in London, Canada's military moved to ensure it was ready to cope with any incident here.
That included checking the readiness of the secretive commando team, known as JTF2, and its beefed up chemical-biological response squad. As well, the military ensured that fighter jets were ready to scramble and it stepped up vigilance of maritime traffic off both coasts.
"Immediately after hearing something had occurred in London, we verified our readiness to respond if something ... occurred in Canada," Hillier said.
In the wake of the London attacks, which killed at least 54 and wounded more than 700, Hillier said he offered the assistance of Canada's military to the British but so far there has been no request.
Over the coming year, Canada Command, established on July 1, will take over responsibility for the military's readiness to respond to a domestic incident. Hillier said the command will prepare contingency plans and conduct dress rehearsals for domestic disasters.
TESTIFY Mad Mammoth TESTIFY !
Hillier to Troop:
OK get the tank and jeep ready, eh. And I'm giving each of you a couple of bullets - don't waste them or we'll blow the defense budget.
Don't let the pacifists in Quebec find out!
I see the London attacks attract some kind of attention, sympathy, and pledge to fight the terrorists 9/11 in the US never attracted on the part of Canadians, conservative, moderate, and left-leaning.
Deep down the hearts, Britain is still regarded as Canada's Mother Country. When Mother Britain is attacked, Canadians who are never moved by attacks on the rebellious-elder-brother-who-left-home-and-striked-rich aka the United States will become emotionally involved.
Well, FWIW, I'm sure that Hillier would have had the same viewpoint even if London wasn't attacked. He's been pushing for reform in the Canadian Forces and increasing our muscle since day one of his promotion.
I was talking about many Joe Average English Canadians. Saw some messages of sympathy to Britain on the Canadian Monarchist League's forum that I never saw after 9/11. Sorry about the confusion.
I feel that many of the English Canadians, just like Kiwis, will never get off their inaction when the US is under war, but will move to the armed forces recruitment centres within seconds when the chips are down on the part of Mother Britain. It is interesting but I see that deep at heart there is still a streak of "fighting for the Empire" deep down the hearts of many Canadians. It's an entirely different matter for Quebecers though.
It's not terribly surprising that the London attacks struck a nerve in Canada. The ties are historical and deep.
I think the deep root of resentment from Canadians is the fact that the US raised up arms and rebelled against the British in 1776. Canada is in fact what the US would become if you decided to stay within the British Empire.
According to their minds you have betrayed the cause of the British Empire. Even superficially the Empire is no more it still survives on a subconscious level among English Canadian elites. I imagine it is most acute in none other than Ontario: Ontario is the English Canadian province with the most elites, the most anti-US trend, and the most widespread pro-monarchy sentiment. Support of the monarchy is the highest in Ontario, believe it or not.
The root of Canadian anti-Americanism goes two ways: yes, some are leftist sentiments, but a deeper cause is because Canada still supports the concepts of the British Empire and Commonwealth and "It is the breakaway United States that caused the destruction of the Empire. We will support whatever causes, left and right, that brings the US down!"
In other words, it is a bit like a previously good student beaten by an even better one, and he wishes the best students to be brought down. A common and understandable, but hardly noble, sentiment.
I hadn't thought of it from that angle, but it does make sense. Thanks for that new perspective.
To my knowledge, Canadians didn't "cheer in the streets". If they did, please provide some sort of source. As for saying that the US brought it on itself, Chretien is the only one that I heard of ... and he's not truly Canadian.
Its nice to know that some Canadians still have a pair!
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