Canada to help rebuild Iraq

The federal government announced Tuesday the deployment of police, prison guards and legal experts to help rebuild the criminal-justice system in postwar Iraq.

The Canadian offer includes an expanded role for three Hercules aircraft already operating in the region and “select units” of the military’s Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART), should they be required.

“Canada is responding to U.S. requests for assistance in this post-conflict period and is assessing additional contributions to Iraq’s reconstruction,” said a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office.

Canada has committed about $106-million to humanitarian efforts in Iraq. More than $60-million has been disbursed through the United Nations and other organizations to help meet basic needs such as food, water, and health care.

There are more than 1,275 Canadian Forces personnel in the Persian Gulf region, including two warships and two Aurora aircraft, as well as the three Hercules planes.

“Canada is pleased to make this further contribution to help meet the immediate needs of the Iraqi people,” Mr. Chrétien said in a statement.

“We will continue working closely with the international community to determine how best Canada can help Iraq build a future that is secure and stable.”

Defence Minister John McCallum said about 150 DART members would be available. Usually, the DART is comprised of more than 200 military personnel kept outside the regular rotation for the express purpose of humanitarian relief.

Formed in 1996 to respond to humanitarian crises, the DART is not a traditional military unit, though it includes a security platoon, medical staff and combat engineers.

Mr. McCallum said Canada could not come up with all the options Americans requested in a diplomatic note two weeks ago.

“They might have wanted a large number of soldiers but ... we have committed 1,800 soldiers to Afghanistan in August and a further 1,800 six months later,” Mr. McCallum said.

“When I discussed this with [U.S. Defence Secretary Donald] Rumsfeld, I made it very clear that this would preclude substantial numbers of soldiers in Iraq, whether it was a situation of war or a situation of peace.

NDP Leader Jack Layton said Canada should be working through the United Nations, not through the Americans.

“It’s good that they’re considering some help in Iraq, but let’s hope it’s in the context of some sort of United Nations involvement,” Mr. Layton said.

“That’s the big question mark right now. Are we essentially going to play along with the U.S. rebuilding strategy or are we going to work in a multilateral context?”

He said Canada should have played a stronger role in trying to convince the Americans to go the UN route. U.S. President George W. Bush is “hell-bent on his own direction” in world affairs, said Mr. Layton.

The Canadian commitment to the reconstruction of Iraq is the latest sign that Ottawa and Washington are trying to get bilateral relations back on track after the federal government refused to participate in a U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.

On Monday, U.S. Ambassador Paul Cellucci said a Canadian contribution of police, corrections officers and legal experts would be appreciated, even though Washington had asked Ottawa for soldiers to help with peacekeeping duties.

Here is the Sun Media report on the same story: Tue, April 29, 2003 Canada offers aid to post-war Iraq By STEPHEN THORNE Prime Minister Jean Chretien waits to be seated at the 2003 Canadian Italian National Awards at the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa Monday, April 28, 2003. (CP PHOTO/Chris Wattie) TORONTO (CP) - Canada sent a diplomatic note to the United States on Tuesday offering police, prison experts, legal officers, combat engineers and transport planes to help in reconstructing postwar Iraq. The offer includes an expanded role for three Hercules aircraft operating in the region and "select units" of the military's Disaster Assistance Response Team, or DART, should they be required. "We have planes there - we will use three of them to transport medication and transport food and so on to the different parts of Iraq," Chretien said. "We have offered to help them in policing and in training judges . . . There are engineers that will be available to help restore water and electricity," Chretien said after holding his weekly cabinet meeting in Toronto as a symbolic gesture in the face of the SARS crisis. Defence Minister John McCallum said about 150 DART members would be offered. He said Canada could not come up with all the options Americans requested in a diplomatic note two weeks ago. "They might have wanted a large number of soldiers but . . . we have committed 1,800 soldiers to Afghanistan in August and a further 1,800 six months later," said McCallum. "When I discussed this with (U.S. Defence Secretary Donald) Rumsfeld, I made it very clear that this would preclude substantial numbers of soldiers in Iraq, whether it was a situation of war or a situation of peace. "He understood that and he accepted that." NDP Leader Jack Layton said Canada should be working through the United Nations, not the Americans. "It's good that they're considering some help in Iraq, but let's hope it's in the context of some sort of United Nations involvement," Layton said. "That's the big question mark right now. Are we essentially going to play along with the U.S. rebuilding strategy or are we going to work in a multilateral context?" He said Canada should have played a stronger role with the British in trying to convince the Americans to go the UN route. U.S. President George W. Bush is "hell-bent on his own direction" in world affairs, said Layton. Usually, the DART is comprised of more than 200 military personnel kept outside the regular rotation for the express purpose of humanitarian relief. Formed in 1996 to respond to humanitarian crises, the DART is not a traditional military unit, though it includes a security platoon, medical staff and combat engineers. Doctors, a key element of any DART mission, are in short supply, especially given the commitment to send a year's worth of troops - up to 4,000 - to Afghanistan. Sources said a final determination about what is needed will be made by the Americans. There was some doubt whether any DART members would be required and sent. "I certainly hope we will," said McCallum. "We put it on the table. We have the capacity and I think (the Iraqis) need purer water." The team was "in the general area" of what the Americans requested, he said. Canada has committed about $106 million to humanitarian efforts in Iraq. More than $60 million has been disbursed through the United Nations and other organizations to help meet basic needs such as food, water, health care and protection from land mines. A law enforcement package - including RCMP and provincial police, along with judicial and Corrections officials - was also offered Tuesday. "Canada is pleased to make this further contribution to help meet the immediate needs of the Iraqi people," Chretien said. "We will continue working closely with the international community to determine how best Canada can help Iraq build a future that is secure and stable." There are already more than 1,275 Canadian Forces personnel in the Gulf region in the war against terrorism, including two warships and two Aurora aircraft, as well as the Hercules transport planes. Canada has committed two rotations of between 1,500 and 2,000 troops to the NATO-led, UN-sanctioned International Security Assistance Force in Kabul, Afghanistan, this August.

OOPS, looks like automatic HTML tagging only works on the main posting and not on relply postings. Here is the formatted post:

Here is the Sun Media report on the same story:

Tue, April 29, 2003

Canada offers aid to post-war Iraq

By STEPHEN THORNE

TORONTO (CP) - Canada sent a diplomatic note to the United States on Tuesday offering police, prison experts, legal officers, combat engineers and transport planes to help in reconstructing postwar Iraq.

The offer includes an expanded role for three Hercules aircraft operating in the region and "select units" of the military's Disaster Assistance Response Team, or DART, should they be required. "We have planes there - we will use three of them to transport medication and transport food and so on to the different parts of Iraq," Chretien said.

"We have offered to help them in policing and in training judges . . . There are engineers that will be available to help restore water and electricity," Chretien said after holding his weekly cabinet meeting in Toronto as a symbolic gesture in the face of the SARS crisis.

Defence Minister John McCallum said about 150 DART members would be offered. He said Canada could not come up with all the options Americans requested in a diplomatic note two weeks ago.

"They might have wanted a large number of soldiers but . . . we have committed 1,800 soldiers to Afghanistan in August and a further 1,800 six months later," said McCallum.

"When I discussed this with (U.S. Defence Secretary Donald) Rumsfeld, I made it very clear that this would preclude substantial numbers of soldiers in Iraq, whether it was a situation of war or a situation of peace.

"He understood that and he accepted that."

NDP Leader Jack Layton said Canada should be working through the United Nations, not the Americans.

"It's good that they're considering some help in Iraq, but let's hope it's in the context of some sort of United Nations involvement," Layton said.

"That's the big question mark right now. Are we essentially going to play along with the U.S. rebuilding strategy or are we going to work in a multilateral context?"

He said Canada should have played a stronger role with the British in trying to convince the Americans to go the UN route. U.S. President George W. Bush is "hell-bent on his own direction" in world affairs, said Layton.

Usually, the DART is comprised of more than 200 military personnel kept outside the regular rotation for the express purpose of humanitarian relief.

Formed in 1996 to respond to humanitarian crises, the DART is not a traditional military unit, though it includes a security platoon, medical staff and combat engineers.

Doctors, a key element of any DART mission, are in short supply, especially given the commitment to send a year's worth of troops - up to 4,000 - to Afghanistan.

Sources said a final determination about what is needed will be made by the Americans. There was some doubt whether any DART members would be required and sent.

"I certainly hope we will," said McCallum. "We put it on the table. We have the capacity and I think (the Iraqis) need purer water."

The team was "in the general area" of what the Americans requested, he said.

Canada has committed about $106 million to humanitarian efforts in Iraq. More than $60 million has been disbursed through the United Nations and other organizations to help meet basic needs such as food, water, health care and protection from land mines.

A law enforcement package - including RCMP and provincial police, along with judicial and Corrections officials - was also offered Tuesday.

"Canada is pleased to make this further contribution to help meet the immediate needs of the Iraqi people," Chretien said.

"We will continue working closely with the international community to determine how best Canada can help Iraq build a future that is secure and stable."

There are already more than 1,275 Canadian Forces personnel in the Gulf region in the war against terrorism, including two warships and two Aurora aircraft, as well as the Hercules transport planes.

Canada has committed two rotations of between 1,500 and 2,000 troops to the NATO-led, UN-sanctioned International Security Assistance Force in Kabul, Afghanistan, this August.

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