Dear Colleagues,
In this week’s media briefing the Conference of Defence Associations (CDA) would like to draw your attention to analysis on the following topics: the announcement of the Canada First Defence Strategy; Canadian defence and foreign policy; the situations in Afghanistan and Pakistan; Allied policy; and some items of recommended reading.
The CDA would first like to announce the release of the CDA Institute’s third annual Vimy Paper, entitled “Canadians and Asia-Pacific Security.” An online version is available at the link below, and hard copies can be ordered by emailing projectofficer@cda-cdai.ca or phoning 613-236-9903.
http://www.cda-cdai.ca/Vimy_Papers/vimypaper2008.pdf--- CANADA FIRST DEFENCE STRATEGY ---Prime Minister Stephen Harper gave a speech on 12 March announcing the ‘Canada First’ defence strategy. A link is provided below to salient government documents describing the strategy, which is more an amalgamation of previous announcements than a fresh white paper or policy document.
http://www.forces.gc.ca/site/focus/first/defstra_e.aspCPAC has an informative piece with political and expert opinion on the announcement (see link below).
http://www.cpac.ca/forms/index.asp?dsp=template&act=view3&pagetype=vod&lang=e...David Pugliese for the Ottawa Citizen, Don Martin for the National Post, an editorial in the Toronto Star, an editorial in the Winnipeg Free Press, an editorial in the National Post, and contributors at The Torch blog have written and commented on the announcement. Links are below.
David Pugliese:
http://www.canada.com/components/print.aspx?id=8ada1df8-d1eb-46dc-b364-08c2e2...Don Martin:
http://www.nationalpost.com/todays_paper/story.html?id=512198Toronto Star:
http://www.thestar.com/comment/article/424636Winnipeg Free Press:
http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/editorial/v-printerfriendly/story/4172703p-4...National Post:
http://www.nationalpost.com/opinion/story.html?id=512777The Torch:
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blogspot.com/2008/05/much-ado-about-flipping-pag...http://toyoufromfailinghands.blogspot.com/2008/05/canada-first-defence-policy...Officials at National Defence Headquarters also gave an off-the-record/not-for-attribution briefing to the media detailing specifics of the Canada First defence strategy. It has also been reported that the detailed defence strategy will not be made available to the public (yet). Mike Blanchfield for the Ottawa Citizen, Allan Woods for the Toronto Star, and Alec Castonguay for Le Devoir (see links below) write on this briefing.
http://www.canada.com/components/print.aspx?id=380256f5-428c-4380-985d-bc6ff0...http://www.thestar.com/News/Canada/article/425389http://www.ledevoir.com/2008/05/15/189804.html--- CANADIAN DEFENCE AND FOREIGN POLICY ---Jeremy Kinsman for the CBC (see link below) explores Canada’s relationship with the rest of the world and its role in crisis situations.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/viewpoint/vp_kinsman/20080513.htmlJames Travers in the Toronto Star (see link below) writes that Canada must make itself more relevant in the world: “Relevance demands more than a military willing and able to do its part of dirty jobs. It requires a respected foreign service led by a minister who isn't an embarrassment and a world view that isn't circumscribed by partisan politics.”
http://www.thestar.com/comment/article/425502An editorial in the Globe and Mail (see link below) writes that Canada should take a more active and stronger role on the international stage.
http://www.cdaforumcad.ca/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1210860282/0#1Clifford Orwin in the Globe and Mail (see link below) writes that the Responsibility to Protect doctrine is being paid mere lip service: “Pile on international covenants as you will, there can be no (enforceable) responsibility to shoulder the responsibility to protect. Unless some powerful nation takes it upon itself to spearhead the costly, risky, pot-stirring intervention in question, the responsibility will go unshouldered. If everyone accepts it nominally while seeking to fob it off on others, the ultimate result will be nominal as well.”
http://www.cdaforumcad.ca/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1210860282/The CDA reminds it readers that the original report on the Responsibility to Protect from the International Commission on Intervention and State Sovereignty (see link below), which included the participation of Michael Ignatieff, called for interventions to be undertaken even if the UN Security Council failed to act, by other groupings of states. However, the UN report that embraced the doctrine (see link below) called for the UN Security Council to be the final decision-maker as to whether to intervene.
http://www.iciss-ciise.gc.ca/http://www.un.org/secureworld/Articles from Radio-Canada and Corus Nouvelles (see links below) report on the end of BGen Guy Laroche’s term as commander of Canadian forces in Afghanistan and the start of BGen Denis Thompson’s command there.
http://www.radio-canada.ca/nouvelles/National/2008/05/13/003-fin-mandat-briga...http://www.corusnouvelles.com/communique.php?id=461804002Scott Taylor in the Chronicle Herald (see link below) describes current Canadian counterinsurgency training at CFB Wainwright.
http://thechronicleherald.ca/Opinion/1055346.htmlPeter Jones in the Ottawa Citizen (see link below) analyses the issue of negotiating with the Taliban.
http://www.canada.com/components/print.aspx?id=0a264dfa-dde6-4944-af9a-03f43b...--- AFGHANISTAN AND PAKISTAN ---A report from the Associated Press (see link below) indicates that the Afghan government will ask international donors for $50 billion at next month’s donors’ meeting Paris to fund a five-year development plan.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2008-05-14-afghan-aid-plan_N.htmKatherine O’Neill in the Globe and Mail (see link below) reports on Canadian supervision of a road construction project in Panjwayi district in Kandahar province.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080515.wafghan15/BNStory...Ann Marlowe in the Weekly Standard (see link below) writes an in-depth, very detailed and highly recommended account of US counterinsurgency activities in eastern Afghanistan.
http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/015/080inxsb.aspRosie DiManno in the Toronto Star (see links below) twice reports on counterinsurgency activities of the newly-arrived US Marines in southern Afghanistan.
http://www.thestar.com/article/424414http://www.thestar.com/article/425531A Reuters piece (see link below) reports on intimidation tactics by the Taliban in southeastern Afghanistan.
http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSISL19201420080512Murray Brewster for the Canadian Press (see link below) describes a visit to an Afghan poppy field in Kandahar province. He also writes that job-creation is a key component to tackling the insurgency (see link below).
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2008/05/11/5535026-cp.htmlhttp://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/080509/national/afghan_cda_jobsRosie DiManno for the Toronto Star writes on corruption in the Afghan government and society and on the power and impunity of warlords (see links below).
http://www.thestar.com/SpecialSections/article/424024http://www.thestar.com/comment/columnists/article/424765Ryan Cormier for the Edmonton Journal (see link below) reports on calls by Canadian and Afghan military officers for more troops for the Afghan Army.
http://www.canada.com/components/print.aspx?id=778736b7-2087-4be9-ad8f-7d22c4...Alec Castonguay in Le Devoir (see link below) writes on the problems faced in the development of the Afghan National Police forces.
http://www.ledevoir.com/2008/05/10/189209.htmlMike Blanchfield for the Ottawa Citizen and a Reuters piece (see links below) report on NATO worries about Taliban ‘safe havens’ in Pakistan. The BBC reports (see link below) on a prisoner swap between the Pakistani military and Taliban forces.
http://www.canada.com/components/print.aspx?id=848126a6-0490-4d74-9edc-264734...http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSL1484728120080514http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7401291.stmSyed Saleem Shahzad in the Asia Times Online (see link below) reports on closer and broader training links between the Pakistani and American militaries in order to fight the insurgencies in Pakistan and Afghanistan. He also writes on the possibility of an expansion of the ‘war theatre’ into Pakistan by the United States in its efforts against the Taliban (see link below).
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/JE08Df03.htmlhttp://atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/JE13Df02.htmlBill Roggio for the Long War Journal (see link below) reports on what appears to be a US military strike against the Taliban and Al Qaida in Pakistan’s tribal regions.
http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2008/05/missile_strike_again.php--- ALLIED POLICY ---Josh White in the Washington Post (see link below) reports on US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates’ comments on how the Pentagon must be prepared to fight the current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan instead of focusing solely on preparing to fight future, conventional wars. Ann Scott Tyson in the Washington Post (see link below) reports on the promotion in the US Army of combat-tested counterinsurgency experts.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/13/AR20080513012...http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/14/AR20080514033...Patrick Walters in The Australian (see link below) reports on the Australian government’s increased commitment to the international mission in Afghanistan.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,,23694575-31477,00.htmlDaniel Goldfarb in the Weekly Standard (see link below) explores German domestic politics surrounding the German government’s attempts to create a National Security Council.
http://www.weeklystandard.com/weblogs/TWSFP/2008/05/a_security_strategy_for_g...--- RECOMMENDED READING ---The RAND Corporation has released a report entitled “Breaking the Failed-State Cycle” (see link below), which aims to improve the understanding of the phenomenon of failed states
http://rand.org/pubs/occasional_papers/2008/RAND_OP204.pdfJosef Joffee in the New York Times (see link below) reviews Fareed Zakaria’s new book, “The Post-American World.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/11/books/review/Joffe-t.htmlRalph Peters in the Armed Forces Journal (see link below) writes on Americans’ perceptions and attitudes towards war in today’s society, and towards missions such as those in Afghanistan and Iraq.
http://www.afji.com/2008/05/3461903/Tariq Mahmud Ashraf in the Asia Times Online (see link below) writes on the strategic competition between parties such as India, China and the West over Afghanistan and the Central Asian region.
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/China/JE16Ad03.htmlJocelyn Coulon in La Presse (see link below) explores the positive legacy left by US President George Bush in Africa.
http://www.cyberpresse.ca/article/20080511/CPOPINIONS02/80511015/6732/CPOPINIONS--- CONCLUSION ---The CDA will continue to provide its readers with balanced, non-partisan and informative materials on defence and security matters important to Canadians.
Regards,
Alain Pellerin, Colonel (Retired)
Executive Director, Conference of Defence Associations
222 Somerset Street West, Suite 400B
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K2P 2G3
Tel: +1 (613) 236-1252
Fax: +1 (613) 236-8191
E-mail: director@cda-cdai.ca
Web:
www.cda-cdai.ca
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Afghanistan, Canada First defence strategy (15May) (Read 12 times)
