Posted on 04/11/2009 9:08:53 PM PDT by adanaC
Canadian warship thwarts pirates again
For the second time in a week, a Canadian warship has helped fend off a potential attack from pirates off the coast of Somalia.
The HMCS Winnipeg — which is taking part in the NATO-led counter-piracy mission known as Operation Allied Protector — and a Spanish ship responded Friday night after a civilian vessel sent out a distress call following an apparent pirate attack in the Gulf of Aden.
(Excerpt) Read more at canada.com ...
The US spends more on defense than the rest of NATO combined. The US forces are so far advanced from the rest that there are real questions of interoperability among members. And the US provides most of the logistics in Afghanistan. Canada's contributions are welcome but small.
Yes, and every country you mention had conservative leaders at the time with the exception of the U.K.
In Europe, conservative is a relative term. The people of the UK didn't support their presence in Iraq, but Blair had the courage to do it anyway.
The U.K. didn't join us in Vietnam either though, so please, if you're going to hold that against Canada, than piss on the U.K. too huh?
The point is that Canada has not been as loyal an allie as you make them out to be. After the Korean War, they have done very little with us militarily when it comes to real combat. The Australians have been far better in that regard.
Of course we didn't help the U.K. in the Suez Crisis or in the Falklands...
I suggest you read the history of the Falklands war and see what assistance the US provided. And don't get me started about what the US did for Europe during and after WWII. We have provided the security umbrella for Europe for almost 65 years and the Marshall Plan was essential to their recovery and economic resurgence.
Especially in light of having a population of just over 33 million people, about the same as California. If Canada with 33 million people, and 50,000 on active duty, spending 1% of GDP on their military is pathetic, then I assume you would make the same argument about the U.K.,with a population of 66 million, with just 180,000 active duty, spending 2.4% of GDP
First, let's talk about Canada and not be diverted by the UK, which I will address later. The Canadian forces are today funded by approximately $19 billion annually, and are presently ranked 46th in size compared to the world's other armed forces, and 55th in terms of active personnel, standing at a population of roughly 65,000, not including the 26,000 reservists. Its 1.1% of GDP spent on defense ranks 132nd in the world.
The UK has been in decline militarily and will continue to do so as it can no longer afford guns and butter. The British Empire has slowly receded as the UK made some hard choices, e.g., no forces East of Suez. The welfare state consumes more and more resources. As long as the US picks up most of the tab, the Europeans can luxuriate in their lifestyle and be critical of the US. Now that Obama is in charge, they can have the best of both worlds. They can control and direct what the US does, while we continue to pay the costs.
do you blame them for finding other spending priorities?
LOL. Of course I do. Why should the US taxpayer pay disproportionately for Canada's defense. Not to worry, the US is going to have to spend less on defense because we can't afford to be the world's lone superpower any longer. The huge, crushing national debt and rising entitlement costs will force us to choose butter over guns, just as it did in Europe and Canada.
Especially when you consider that Canada has suffered the 3rd highest combat deaths in Afghanistan. They are more than pulling their own weight there.
Canada is doing its duty in Afghanistan. You can use all of the data you want, but it is the US who is bearing the overwhelming burden in terms of costs and lives. How many Canadians credit the US for defending them since WWII? Certainly not those who boo our national anthem at the Special Olympics or at hockey games.
The U.K. has taken a similar break by pulling almost completely out of Iraq. Smaller countries need breaks...and I'll bet our troops could use one too. France has taken a break since 1815.
There you go again, changing the subject and attacking the UK and France. The US cannot afford to take a break and it seems ludicrous to me that the head of Canada's army suggests that they need a year off from operational duties. When has the UK or France made such a ridiculous statement?
No, referring to their military as a 'joke' and claiming that they're not pulling their weight...particulalry as members of NATO (despite being 3rd on the combat death list in Afghanistan) is no diminshment!
I can separate the individual sacrifice from national policy. Canda's rank as 132nd in the world in its expenditures on national defense as a percentage of GDP speaks for itself. It is a joke, but it is on the US taxpayer. I guess we indirectly subsidize the Canadian health system, i.s., less money on defense means more money for the social welfare system.
Comparisons of the Butcher's Bill are invidious.
But as you have chosen to do so, bear in mind that Canada has half the population of Great Britain and one tenth the population of the US, so we are paying a Butcher's bBill disproportionate to our population.
The World Trade Center was attacked on September 9, 2001. Immediately following that attack, and before Canada was asked to do so, Canada uilaterally and without being asked, detached naval assets from NATO and sent them to the Gulf to work with US naval forces. This was before the Brits deployed naval assets.
By December 2001, Canadian JTF2 (special forces) bricks were in Afghanistan. By February 2002 Canadian regular forces were in Afghanistan.
Two of the hottest provinces in Afghanistan are Helmand where the Brits are deployed and Kandahar where the Canadians are.
Rumsfield wanted Canada in Afghanistan to enable him to deplloy additional forces to Iraq. We were already there and he felt that we would be best used there.
Notwithstanding posturing by our then Liberal prime minister, Canadian officers attached to US units were left in place even when the units were sent to Iraq. This included line officers in charge of line combat forces while drawing Canadian pay and allowances.
“”Stand Down Orders” issued by ZERO HUSSEIN!”
or better stated:
“Protect ALL MUSLIM TERRORISTS ORDERS” issued by ZERO HUSSEIN!
ZERO’S RESPONSE....
FLEAS Chattering
Oh! and Rahm Emanuel’s Dead Putrid Fish:-(
Which is why such comparisons are nonsense. The Canadians are the ones who like to trot out per capita losses in Afghanistan to demonstrate that they are doing more than their fair share. The reality is that Canada is not pulling its weight on defense spending and its 65,000 strong force is pitifully small even when comparing it to the US on the basis of population. The US is about ten times larger than Canada, but our defense spending is much more than Canada's $19 billion, i.e., about $700 billion.
The World Trade Center was attacked on September 9, 2001. Immediately following that attack, and before Canada was asked to do so, Canada uilaterally and without being asked, detached naval assets from NATO and sent them to the Gulf to work with US naval forces. This was before the Brits deployed naval assets.
How big is Canada's navy? What assets were sent to the Gulf? And why the constant comparison to the UK? Geographically, it is certainly easier for Canada to respond.
Notwithstanding posturing by our then Liberal prime minister, Canadian officers attached to US units were left in place even when the units were sent to Iraq. This included line officers in charge of line combat forces while drawing Canadian pay and allowances.
LOL. And how many of those were involved in Iraq on the ground?
Did they hold up another "stop" sign to the pirates?
Yes, we are aware of the rescue by the French. Yes, we are aware of the frickin' news media's bias for all things communist. Yes, we know everything you are saying and much more. If you have been on FR very long(and your sign up date says you are a member since 1999)you should know that. The MSM is the enemy of the conservatives of America and is the media arm of the dimwit party.
You are welcome and you might see a modestly bigger Canadian military in the future, if Harper stays in power.
Your post makes no sense. Neither do any of your other posts. Did you ever finish grade 8?
Nice work Canada!
If USA could be half as decisive....
As for NATO obligations regarding the 9-11 attacks, I could never figure out why ALL of NATO was not immediately mobilized to invade Afghanistan. It was a clear attack on a member nation which, by charter, had to be answered by EVERY member nation.
NATO started to die with the Serbian war, where it attacked a nation that was not even threatening a NATO member. It expired on 9-11.
“Good for Canada - apparently they and the French Navy are not impeded by the “stand down” orders issued by obama.”
Neither Canada nor France have a Tea Party coming up. This is all politics. This could have been over in 5 minutes. Instead it will go on until Wednesday to marginalize the Tea Parties.
I can't see the 'unfortunate' side of this. In the case of piracy, I am pro-choice.
I think , after reading some of the posts here, this thread should be renamed, “ Canada doing more with less”.
Canadian warship foils third attempted hijacking
Apr 12, 2009 04:30 AM
THE CANADIAN PRESS
For the third time in a week the crew of the Canadian Navy’s HMCS Winnipeg has helped thwart a suspected pirate attack off the Gulf of Aden.
Cmdr. Craig Baines told CTV NewsNet that the Winnipeg dispatched its Sea King helicopter Friday night after a civilian vessel reported four people in a skiff were firing weapons at it.
Once the suspected pirate vessel was located, Baines says a boarding team was sent over.
However, as the team approached the skiff in the dark the crew saw a number of items, possibly weapons, being thrown overboard.
On Wednesday, the Canadian warship was involved in a similar incident involving a skiff with four men firing at a civilian vessel, and on April 4, its Sea King crew warded off another potential attack.
The Winnipeg is currently participating in a NATO-led counter-piracy mission known as Operation Allied Protector.
I’m aware of it because of FR. I think the media doesn’t want to embarass Obama. I know when I told some of my buddies and classmates that the French rescued their people while we’ve done nothing they were pi$$ed.
It really is tiresome to try to make these comparisons. How many Canadians were lost in Iraq? Vietnam? The Canadians have been sitting on the sidelines for over 50 years and now we must listen to them huffing and puffing about losing 116 personnel in Afghanistan. As a veteran, I respect the individual sacrifice, but I really don't like the Canadians whining about their suffering disproportionate casualties even more than the Anericans in Afghanistan. In the WOT, which includes Iraq, the US has suffered far more even allowing for the population difference.
The US has suffered disproportionate casualties and contributed disproportionately more resources to the defense of the Free World since the end of WWII. Canada's reduction in its defense forces to 65,000 active duty members and contributing just 1.1% of its GDP to defense, 132nd in the world, is a cruel joke. And the head of the Canadian army wants the army to take a year off beginning in 2011 from operational duties.
NATO started to die with the Serbian war, where it attacked a nation that was not even threatening a NATO member. It expired on 9-11.
NATO started dying after the fall of the Soviet Union. It has been dying a slow death because the members, except for the US, have been cutting defense expenditures in order to support their aging welfare states. It was a luxury they could afford because the US was picking up the tab. The Europeans couldn't even pull off defeating the Serbs in their own backyard without the US taking the lead.
Here is the real cruel joke. Successive LIBERAL Canadian governments have realized that the US would NEVER allow a foreign nation to invade us. Therefore, with out defense taken care of by the US taxpayer, we are able to afford “universal health care”.
REMEMBER when Canada gave the world a great surprise?
Canada and the USA will always be watching each other’s backs.
The Hostage Rescue Attempt In Iran, April 24-25, 1980
THANK YOU CANADA!!! CANADA HELPS AMERICANS ESCAPE!!!
President Ronald Reagan presented a medal to the Canadian Ambassador to Iran, Ken Taylor, thanking him for what he did.
On November 4, 1979, some Americans escaped the riots ouside, and hid in the Canadian Embassy for 444 days. What the Canadians did put them in great danger. The Americans were kept a secret, and given fake Canadian passports and snuck out when the Candian Embassy was closed.
Here’s a video of the Iranian Hostage Crises entitled, “444 Days In Iran”
http://rescueattempt.tripod.com/id7.html
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