Canada's Military Said to be on 'Verge of Collapse'

CNSNEWS.com ^ | 9/18/02 | Alison Appelbe

[kattracks]

CNSNews.com) - Canada's military is on the verge of collapse, according to a recent report released by a coalition of prominent Canadians concerned about security and defense.

The 39-page report from the Council for Canadian Security (CCS) in the 21st Century warns that the country is at risk of being unable to defend its territory, including the world's longest coastline and second-largest land mass and becoming increasingly reliant on the capabilities of the United States.

"Canadian forces are in a crisis-literally on the verge of collapse," military historian and council chairman Jack Granatstein told the media on the release of the report. "To rectify the situation, the Canadian forces need more. More of everything."

Since the 1950s, Canada has reduced its defense spending to just over one per cent of its gross domestic product, placing it 17th among 19 NATO-member countries. From a peak fighting force of 120,000 four decades ago, the country is now reduced to 60,000 members in uniform. Its military equipment-from naval frigates and Arctic icebreakers to military helicopters and transport planes-is widely seen as outdated and insufficient.

Timed for release on the eve of Sept. 11 commemorative events, the report, titled 'The Peoples' Defense Review," calls for an immediate infusion of $1.5 billion Canadian ($950 million U.S.) into Canada's $12 billion military budget, and stepped up co-operation with American forces to improve continental security.

"Nine-eleven indicates the nature of the threat, and the U.S. has reacted by bolstering homeland defense," the report says. "If Canada fails to make equivalent efforts, it will be an easier target. Moreover, given the interconnections in the continent's infrastructure, a major attack on the U.S. will have serious effects in Canada."

On the politically sensitive issue of Canadian sovereignty, the report adds that any decision to allow the U.S. greater responsibility for protecting Canada "would de-facto cede Canadian sovereignty to the U.S."

In a subsequent telephone interview, Granatstein said Canada has historically shunted its military during peacetime.

"In war we have built up forces that become very good and effective, but as soon as the war is over we start throwing it away and we get into a cycle of forgetfulness in which we demolish what has been a very effective military," Granatstein said.

He added that a "cheap" and "rather sad" anti-Americanism, always present in Canada, has reached a "shrill" level since four Canadian soldiers were killed in Afghanistan in April in a friendly fire incident involving American pilots. At the same time, he warned that Americans look upon Canada as "a freeloader nation-a people that prattles about sovereignty and offers nothing but anti-American rhetoric."

Last week, the National Post newspaper and Global television network released a poll that showed 79 per cent of Canadians believe their nation would need American help in the case of an attack yet only 52 per cent support more government spending on the military.

Paul Cellucci, the U.S. ambassador to Canada, is among those who argue that a lack of military strength is the greatest threat to Canadian sovereignty. Cellucci is also a strong proponent of greater integration of continental forces.

"Why would we not co-operate ... it makes no sense not to," he told the media on the eve of Sept. 11 this year. "It's not about sovereignty. It's about security. There is a much greater threat to Canadian sovereignty by not giving the military what it needs to do its job than by allowing the military to continue to cooperate with the United States."

Cellucci has also stated that a lack of Canadian spending on its military is of concern at the highest levels of the Bush administration. Yet Liberal Prime Minister Jean Chretien has repeatedly said he has no plan to spend more and Defense Minister John McCallum said the CCS report would only become "part of the ongoing defense policy review."

Ironically, Parliament's most left-leaning party, the New Democrats, also criticize the Chretien government for neglecting the military. The NDP is concerned about poor salaries, benefits and living conditions for armed services personnel.

A director of the Centre for Military and Strategic Studies at the University of Calgary argued that the Canadian government is ignoring popular views.

"Since Sept. 11 (2001), all of the polls have shown that the Canadian public has been unified on a need for increased military spending," said Rob Huebert. "But we have a government that simply refuses to give the opinions of Canadians any adherence. You get the sense they are just waiting, crossing their fingers that there are no further strikes, and hoping they can go back to business as usual, which is, of course, a very ill-conceived attitude."

Granatstein attributes the lack of military spending, in part, to a culture in which the armed forces are not well profiled or highly valued in mainstream culture.

"Canadians don't know much about their military, and they don't know how weak it is," he said. "On the other hand, they think of themselves as being the best friend of the U.S. They don't seem to see that being as weak as we are, we are losing sovereignty, and that the Americans will make the decisions whether we like it or not."

 

 

[MetalHeadConservative35]

Don't understand why some want to try and make an enemy of our neighbors to the north

ive never heard of that personally the closest ive come about hearing about fighting canada is on the south park movie

[LenS]

The sniping proficiency of Canada's elite forces is not understated.

See the following articles:
1. Americans learn these guys are very, very good and
2.Elite corps draws shy, levelheaded personalities Snipers bristle at suggestions they are cold-blooded killers

at National Post.

The problem is that they don't have much more than that left of the Canadian military.

[Kozak]

Best thing Canada could do to defend itself would be to spend more money on their INS system, stop allowing all the third world immigration, and make an agreement that US will handle any foreign forces that might invade ( lets face it, we will defacto do that anyway ). That would increase the security of BOTH our countries.

[razorback-bert]

Vancouver is becoming the new Hong Kong.

[BlueLancer]

"Maybe then we could break them of that nasty habit of putting vinegar on their french fries!"

Oh, I don't know about that. My Australian wife started me on that (breaking me in with Salt and Vinegar Potato chips) ... and now I won't eat them any other way.

[Former Proud Canadian]

Yeah, well nice sentiment and I would like to see it but it won't happen and here is why. Ever heard of the Monroe doctrine? Well there is a similar, unspoken, doctrine in effect regarding Canada. The US would NEVER let a foreign power gain a foothold in the great white north. Canadian politicians know this and are able let the military rot because the know the Americans will NEVER let anything happen to us.

[N. Theknow]

Canada's Military Said to be on 'Verge of Collapse'

How did he get so tired?

[N. Theknow]

Can you spell "A-N-N-E-X-A-T-I-O-N"? But let it not apply to Quebec.

Did you hear that the Newfies want Quebec to separate from Canada so they will be closer to Toronto?

[dark_lord]

To be realistic, they don't really need a military other than to meet their minimal NATO obligations. I mean, really, does anyone actually think that Canada will be invaded? Other than by the illegals that fly in every day.

[sneakypete]

over my dead body will that ever happen

Can you say,George "The Mexican" Bush? He's the son of Jeb and his Mexican wife,and is being groomed now to take his place in the Bush family business,politics. HE is the real reason Bubba-2 has never met a illegal alien from Mexico he doesn't like and want to make a voter. The nephew will need all those votes when he runs for the office of president of the "North American Union". Remember that useless old statist SOB "Poppy" calling for a "New World Order"?

[Destructor]

"Maybe then we could break them of that nasty habit of putting vinegar on their french fries!"

"Oh, I don't know about that. My Australian wife started me on that (breaking me in with Salt and Vinegar Potato chips) ... and now I won't eat them any other way."

That's exactly what I mean! Basically, our whole way of life as a nation, and our national identity are at stake here!! LOL!!!

[BlueLancer]

"Basically, our whole way of life as a nation, and our national identity are at stake here!! LOL!!!

I never thought of it that way .. LOL ...

But, somehow, I have a difficulty in generating an image of my wife as a French-fry Fifth Columnist.

I mean, after all, she's the only one that I know of who eats her french fries with a fork ... not the way God intended, with your fingers!

[robertpaulsen]

"In 2002, approximately 1600 Canadian forces personnel are concentrated in the southwestern sector of Bosnia (MNDSW). The NATO campaign to protect Kosovars in 1999 was the largest Canadian involvement in a military campaign since the Korean war in the early 1950's."
--canadaeuropa.gc.ca/canada-balkans-e.asp

We appreciate the assistance from our northern friends.

[BlueNgold]

I say we take British Columbia and Alberta, and offer the rest to the Aussies. Or perhaps we could make a trade: give them Vermont, Maine, New Hampshire, and Mass for the 2 Western Territories! If they're nice about it we can throw in R.I. just to make it an interesting deal.

[JoeU.S.]

"Send a company of marines at once to invade Canada."


Better yet, send the police over and arrest their millitary. It should take about a half hour.

[Charles Martel]

Eastern Canada? Blech. Maybe take it over, then sell it back to the French for some nice bottles of wine.

I'll bet the Cajuns would like to take it back. Socialism bad, Gumbo good!

[hosepipe]

Now thats news... A mornin' wake me up.. lol.
< snide > Canadian militay..Hum!. Is that arrmy, Air Force or Marines, could be Navy. Maybe their all one division. < /snide >

[oyez]

Way back in the '70's,in the hight of the cold war.I was in Halifax, courtesy of the USN and saw several destroyers and an aircraft carrier, all in mothballs . They apparently thought is was cheaper and efficent to allow the USA to protect them. I'm sure they expect that today.

[lormand]

"They're spending US$7.6 billion on defense? Where? On what?"

Diversity seminars, sensitity training, homosexual awareness questionaires, meals-on-wheels deployments...etc.

Pretty much the same as we have been doing during the Klinton era.

[Charles Martel]

Canada has a huge area, and three oceans worth of coastline. The tax burden of protecting all of that with a population of 30 million or so is huge, so whatever level of funding the military got it was never enough. Add the Liberals, who have been cutting the military ever since they were elected, and you have the makings of a dangerous situation. They haven't learned the lessons of history, or so it seems.

Canada relocated a number of Inuit to the high Arctic so that they could claim sovereignty of the Arctic and the waters surrounding the Arctic archipelago. How on earth do they intend to assert that sovereignty with their military atrophied so horribly?

If the Northwest Passage ever becomes fully navigable, Canada won't be able to patrol or secure a fraction of it.