Canadian pilots flew U.S. transports into Iraq as part of training plan

[GAP]

Canadian pilots flew U.S. transports into Iraq as part of training plan
David Akin ,  Canwest News Service Published: Monday, April 21, 2008
Article Link

OTTAWA - Canadian Forces personnel learned to operate Canada's newest military plane, the giant Boeing C-17, by training on American jets, including flying those planes into Iraq in support of the U.S. war, according to a memo written by Canada's top general and obtained by Canwest News Service.

Gen. Rick Hillier, the chief of Canada's defence staff, wrote to Gordon O'Connor, then-minister of national defence, in May 2007 that in the summer and fall of that year, Canadian military aircrew would fly into Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. That decision was taken without informing Parliament.

"Canadians have been very clear from the beginning that they wanted no part of George Bush's war on Iraq," said NDP MP Dawn Black, her party's defence critic, "and they certainly don't want to see Canadians getting involved through a back door."
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[OldSolduer]

Ask Ms. Black how else are they supposed to be trained? By flying around Ottawa all day? Typical.

 

[hauger]

Gotta hand it to the NDP critic.  Not everyone can masterfully meld ignorance of a non-issue into a news-friendly enraging sound bite.

I guess that's what being an opposition critic is about though....misrepresenting an issue with willful naivety to try and stoke anger towards the ruling party.  If she's smart enough to get herself elected and to get herself into the papers, she's smart enough to understand the exchange posting requirements of a serving member and the benefits to Canada such experience early in such an equipment acquisition is.

This is a non-story....just a reporter looking for a story/scandal where there isn't one, and a politician willfully misrepresenting the issue to gain publicity.  Happens all the time.

 

[midget-boyd91]

This shows how little research is done by the members of the NDP. SFA was said about the CF C-130s  landing in Baghdad with American supplies, but now that a non-issue that has potential to cause controversy and havoc from the far left wing-nuts has been spoon-fed to the Def Critic.... the Canadian aircrews training are supporting George Bush's war.  :
Why the hell do these people get votes?

Midget

 

[GAP]

But, David Aikin, who is a member here, did not do anything but state the facts. Irregardless of the basic fact this took place almost a year ago, and is a total non issue, the article was placed in the politics section for a reason....

 

[midget-boyd91]

When I said 'spoon-fed,' I hadn't intended for it to sound like I was saying David Akin was writing this story for the Def Critic, what I was trying to get across was that the story is now in print, in a newspaper, so the member of the NDP will pick it up and cry foul, seeing how they don't need to dig or get up off their ass to find comething to bitch about.
[/clarification]

Midget

 

[MarkOttawa]

A post at The Torch:

What's the big deal?
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blogspot.com/2008/04/whats-big-deal.html

Mark
Ottawa

 

[OldSolduer]

Iraq! Iraq! Iraq!...THERE!! I said the dreaded "I" word....