The Canadians see the light

"Popeye" <Popeye@Finalprotectivefire.com> wrote in message
news:11vsgttlagotb6@news.supernews.com...
>
> "Bryan Heit" <bjheit@NOSPAMucalgary.ca> wrote in message
> news:dtifg2$k1b$2@news.ucalgary.ca...
> > Popeye wrote:
> >> But what the hell, it's not like they have a military to spend it on,
> >> right?
> >
> > Actually, we do. One of the most active in the world, in terms of the
> > number of conflicts it is involved in.
>
> I mind the movie "Mr. Baseball" when Selleck says he batted the most
home
> runs on consecutive Thursday nights for the season or some such.
>
> Or remember George Morris's claim of the 4th largest navy in the world,
> 17ish donated warships and 450 armed canoes.
>
> How many permanent bases does Canada have on foreign soil, for instance?
>
> Or warplanes deployed overseas?
>
> >I have several family members who had life-long careers in the Canadian
> >military; most of whom were deployed overseas longer then they were
> >deployed here.
>
> No disrespect to them.

Check.

"Bryan Heit" <bjheit@NOSPAMucalgary.ca> wrote in message
news:dtn9ko$kmo$1@news.ucalgary.ca...
> Popeye wrote:
>> "Bryan Heit" <bjheit@NOSPAMucalgary.ca> wrote in message Or remember
>> George Morris's claim of the 4th largest navy in the world, 17ish donated
>> warships and 450 armed canoes.
>
>
> At the end of WWII we did have the third or fourth largest navy in the
> world, and it was a little bit more than canoes.

Hardly.

I checked.

Corvettes and Frigates.

>Today it is much smaller, but all we use it for anymore is chasing away
>Portuguese fishermen, so it's good enough.



> Oh, and we do have a leaky sub. Apparently they installed a screen door
> in place of a hatch
>
>
>> How many permanent bases does Canada have on foreign soil, for
>> instance?
>
> Permanent or otherwise?

No, -Permanent-.

>We have a few permanent overseas bases (Germany
> and Dubai, for example). But since the main role for our military these
> days is UN or NATO peacekeeping/making most of the bases are temporary.

I know.

> Afghanistan, Florida (no joke, "leftovers" from New Orleans), Iraq (bet
> that surprised you), Bosnia (2), Haiti, Sinai/Golan (3), Cyprus, Congo,
> Sudan, Pakistan (may be gone by now), Sierra Leone and probably some
> others which haven't made the news lately. We also maintain an even
> larger number of small "offices" in places where we've completed
> peacekeeping missions, basically a couple of troops to keep an eye on
> things. I have a cousin who is based at one of those, in Somalia, right
> now.
>
> And for that matter, the US and Canadian militaries are very close. We
> often share bases and other resources (lift capacity, officers, etc).
> NATO's largest annual training exercise is held every year in a Canadian
> military base about a 2 hour drive from where I live. Etc.
>
> FWIW, over the next few months we're supposedly taking over many of the US
> positions in southern Afghanistan. This morning we took command of the
> Kandahar region. Eventually we'll be in command of all troops in that
> region, including (I think) some US forces. By the end of March we're
> supposed to have more troops there then you, assuming the US pullback goes
> ahead as planned.
>
>
>> Or warplanes deployed overseas?
>
>
> Most of them. The only country wihch boarders us hasn't invaded in over a
> century, so it's not like we need them for anything at home at the moment.
> I hear their useful for chaseing gophers, but that's kinda useless, so we
> send them overseas. We fly F18's.

How many...

> Bryan

I'm not particularly fond of the lack of support the US has received from
Canada in recent times, but I'm also not one to forget those who have, in
the past, been good friends and may, in the future, prove their friendship
again. Let us not forget the following:

-------------------------------------------------------------

The Iran hostage crisis began November 4, 1979, when a mob of Iranians
seized the U.S. embassy in Tehran, taking a large group of employees
hostage. Eleven months earlier, a revolution led by the Islamic
fundamentalist Ayatollah Ruholla Khomeini had overthrown Mohammad Reza
Pahlavi, the shah of Iran. Relations between the two countries had been
strained since that time, as Iran's new leaders denounced the United States
for its longtime support of the shah. When the exiled shah entered the
United States in October for medical care, many Iranians feared a repetition
of the U.S.-assisted coup that had put the shah on the throne in 1953. The
hostage taking followed.

Nineteen hostages were released within a few weeks; the remaining fifty-two
were held for 444 days. When it became clear that the Iranian government was
not going to resolve the problem, President Jimmy Carter moved to freeze
Iranian assets, both in the United States and abroad. Diplomatic efforts
were launched through the United Nations and various private intermediaries,
but by March 1980 it had become clear that none of the rival political
groups in Iran was willing to risk the unpopularity of letting the hostages
go. This impasse led Carter to order a rescue effort by helicopter, but
three of the eight helicopters failed before reaching Tehran, and the
mission had to be aborted. Eight men died in the operation.

Four days after the storming of the American Embassy, Canadian Ambassador
Taylor received a call from five Americans who had escaped from the Embassy
when it was overrun. They were hiding, but they were afraid that they'd soon
be discovered and captured. Ambassador Taylor immediately recommended to his
government in Ottawa that Americans be given shelter. Without any
hesitation, the Canadian Government granted the permission. Two days later,
the Americans were taken to Ambassador Taylor's residence and that of
another Canadian Embassy family, the John Sheardowns. Two weeks later,
another American joined his five compatriots. For 79 days, they lived there
pretending to be visitors. I understand they're the best-read and the most
skilled Scrabble players in all of North America.

There were several tense moments in the weeks that followed. At one point,
an article was imminent in a Montreal paper which would have disclosed the
story of the sheltered Americans. In an admirable display of responsibility,
the journalist who had written the article agreed to withdraw it from
publication. However, from this article, and more immediately from an
anonymous phone call to the Taylor's residence asking to speak to two of the
escapees, Ambassador Taylor knew that the chances of his guests being
discovered were high.

At this point, the Canadian Government in Ottawa and the Embassy began the
ingenious preparations for an escape. The Canadian Government agreed to
issue fictitious passports to the Americans. The Canadian Embassy staff
began making flights in and out of Tehran to establish a travel pattern and
to learn airport procedures.

Finally, on January 28th, 1980, the Americans packed the bags that were
given them by their Canadian hosts with the clothes also given to them.
Using their Canadian passports, they flew out of the country. Ambassador
Taylor and three others of his staff saw them off and then left themselves.
Even this brief outline of those 79 days highlights what a team effort it
was.

The Canadian Department of External Affairs in Ottawa and the Canadian
Cabinet responded with speed and decisiveness to help an ally. Ambassador
Towe is here today representing the Canadian Government. The U.S. State
Department is represented today by Ambassador Stoessel, and there were
others who were working at the State Department during the crisis who played
a part with discretion and skill. And here today also is Representative
Daniel Akaka, the sponsor, and several of his co-sponsors, of the
legislation which resulted in the gold medal which I am going to present
today.

Lee Bell wrote:

> I'm not particularly fond of the lack of support the US has received
>from Canada in recent times,



And we're still a little bitter about being threatened and lied to in
order to get us into Iraq. Thankfully, our politicians were smart
enough (first time for everything, I guess) to see thought that. Perhaps
one day Bush will realize that threatening and lying to your friends is
not the way to go looking for help...

As for "lack of support", I seem to recall that we were the first of
your friends to arrive at New Orleans, New York and Afghanistan. Just
because your media seems to forget to mention us, doesn't mean were not
there for you.

Bryan

"chilly" <slarson@shaw.canada> wrote in message
news:YwxLf.65573$sa3.19460@pd7tw1no...
>
> "Popeye" <Popeye@Finalprotectivefire.com> wrote in message

> > No disrespect to them.
>
> Check.

Shut the fuck up.

Chretien was absolutely correct in his assessment and decision to not
support Bush's idiotic war in Iraq. Why should Canada support a war
based on lies?