Canada's crack troops on standby - Shadowy JTF2 on offer to Americans as counter-terror force

Toronto Star ^ | September 20, 2001 | Valerie Lawton

[Clive]

OTTAWA - A top-secret unit of super soldiers could be one of Canada's main contributions in a new global war on terrorism - but don't expect to hear about it.

The elite counter-terrorism, Joint Task Force 2, or JTF2, is shrouded in secrecy. Its operations at home and overseas, its budget, and even the number of soldiers who belong to it, are classified data.

So it came as a surprise when Defence Minister Art Eggleton specifically mentioned JTF2 as one resource Canada has to offer in a U.S.-led response to recent terrorist attacks.

The minister is tight-lipped on what role the commandos might play.

``Oh, I couldn't tell you,'' Eggleton said yesterday. ``They're a counter-terrorism group and we're talking about a counter-terrorism campaign.'' JTF2 was set up in 1993, when the Canadian Forces took over counter-terrorism responsibilities from the RCMP. Even its name is a mystery, given there never was a JTF1.

The unit has increased its membership to about 350 soldiers, a military source told The Star yesterday. JTF2 could be used to free hostages in an embassy or airline hijacking. It routinely provides security for visiting heads of state, rooftop sharpshooters for high-profile events, and bodyguards when Canadian generals travel in danger zones.

Scott Taylor, publisher of Esprit deCorps magazine, expects the unit will be called on when the United States and its allies act against terrorism.

``This is exactly the role for them. These guys would go in. This would be a special covert operation. They would just simply be putting their lives on the line,'' said Taylor. `'Every one of these guys, they joined for that purpose . . . If this is what's necessary and they've got the proper intelligence and our guys have to go in there, then who better than the elite commandos.'' He believes the unit is on par with the American Delta Force and Britain's Special Air Service (SAS).

John Thompson of the Mackenzie Institute said using JTF2 ``might be the easiest way to put in ground troops'' in an anti-terror campaign. But he suggests only a small number of soldiers would be available, given the unit's size and responsibilities at home.

JTF2 rarely makes the news. A few years ago, a Tory MP briefly changed that, when he said ``impeccable'' sources had told him the commandos were on the ground in war-torn Kosovo. The government issued angry denials and claimed the comments had put soldiers' lives at risk in Serbia's southern province.

The publicity prompted the military to offer an unprecedented peek at the unit, showing reporters a recruitment video normally played only for applicants. It showed the extent of the criteria for becoming a unit member.

Soldiers must be in absolute top physical shape and excel at rock climbing and long-distance running. People with a history of family or financial problems or abuse of drugs or alcohol are screened out. Anyone with a phobia about heights, water or small enclosures is warned not to apply.

``There are no Rambos here,'' the video announcer warns, to stress that maturity is also an important qualification.

The average member is 28 years old and has nine years of military experience. It's believed not a single woman has ever joined the unit.

Training is highly specialized and broad. Soldiers practise leaping out of helicopters. They storm jumbo jets in mock airline hijacking rescue operations. And they study everything from scuba diving and martial arts to specialized medical aid and the law.

The unit is based at a secure tactical centre at Dwyer Hill, near Ottawa. It has a gym, swimming pool and shooting range. There's also a four-storey building, bus and DC-8 jet for hostage-rescue training.

As well, members train overseas with British and American special forces troops.

A Montreal suburb exercise in 1995 sparked outrage when the racket of large helicopters and stun grenades woke scores of people in the middle of the night. Local police, who took calls from alarmed residents, had not been forewarned.

Esprit de Corps' Taylor believes the commando unit's annual budget tops $25 million.

Reports suggest JTF2 members were in Rwanda and Bosnia-Herzegovina. Some say the commandos tried to board a Spanish fishing trawler during the so-called turbot war with Spain in the mid-1990s.

At home, security experts say the unit was on the ground for last spring's protest-plagued hemispheric trade talks in Quebec City and the 1997 APEC meeting, where Mounties pepper-sprayed demonstrators.

[Squantos]

I've worked at Cold Lake Base a lot and was with a canadian team in Qatar and worked JTF-6 out of Ft Bliss off an on but JTF-2 has never been part of anything I came across.

Besides seems everybody has a counter terrorism "elite" team these days........it'll be a wait and see I guess.

Stay Safe.

[WaterDragon]

Makes me wonder who's side the media is on when it publishes about troops. bin Laden is probably getting most of his intelligence from the media. Treasonous of the media to print this stuff.

[Clive]

The Toronto Star is a Liberal Party house organ.

The Liberals are viscerally anti-military.

So, the Star would give no thought to the risk to the soldiers inherent in talking about a commando.

Even so, one cannot blame a newspaper for printing information given out by the Minister of Defence in a press conference.

The very existance of this unit ought not to have been mentioned by the Minister in any context. Even if directly confronted, he ought to have kept his mouth shut.

I am old fasioned enough that I cring when I see mention of the movements of any commando, whether it be special units like this one, SAS, Delta Force, or more conventional commando like 42 Royal Marines or the 82nd.

But, I am also old fasioned enough to know that a press in a free society is entitled to print what it learns unless it is presented with a D Notice and that the duty to keep secrets lies on the government, not the press.

[harpseal]

The Canadians have in the past had some very brave, well disciplined, and well skilled troops. I note that way back when we trained in placing Limpets with some Canadians and at the time they impressed me. I note that during the Iran Hostage crisis canadian diplomats and soldiers put their own lives on the line for Americans.

My take on this is that they most likely have a few elite troops who will do their part.

Stay well - Stay safe - Stay armed - Yorktown

[Travis McGee]

The politically reviled "elite troops" are always dragged out of the closet and belatedly praised when the bullets fly.

[harpseal]

Roger that on the elite troops being reviled in peacetime and heroes in wartime. I think Kipling said it best when he wrote "Tommy"

Stay well - Stay safe - Stay armed - Yorktown

[Travis McGee]

They are called snakeeaters and Rambos and knuckledraggers in peacetime, but boy are they the first called in wartime!

[fightu4it]

"At home, security experts say the unit was on the ground for last spring's protest-plagued hemispheric trade talks in Quebec City and the 1997 APEC meeting, where Mounties pepper-sprayed demonstrators."

Maybe this "elite" force can tell us why so many of these assholes seem to come into the States from Canada.

[Ryle]

And I never voted for 'ti Jean or his mentor Trudeau.

Too bad that more Canadians can't say the same thing, eh? And have you seen the ad for a TV "documentary" where a leader from another party pontificates that Trudeau is "one of our heroes"?

[AMMON-CENTRIST]

I am thinking America public has took the baite. They are calling for global government as a false hope for security. The satanic deception is on.

[freedumb2003]

We're leery of Canada, given its attempt to try to lecture the US on their self-defined "moral superiority."

A Socialist country with absolutely zero importance on the world stage who defines itself as "not the US" and which doesn't spend any real money on its military since it knows the US will protect it doesn't really impress us too much.

But I am sure the individual soldiers in this unit are as good as it gets and I am sure they are solid as a rock and can be depended on in a pinch.

But they are a few drops where the USA is deploying an ocean.

[freedumb2003]

Also, I noticed you signed up tomorrow, newbie.

Learn some manners before you start posting with such distain, sonny boy.