Military Coalition Gets a Little Larger

[Yard Ape]

Germany agrees Afghanistan force
Tuesday, 6 November, 2001, 13:43 GMT
BBC

A special meeting of Germany‘s security council has accepted a US request for a force of up to 3,900 troops to join the military operation against Afghanistan.
Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder announced that the request from Washington had included special forces, medical services, air transport and naval forces to protect shipping lanes.

Units trained in combating nuclear, biological and chemical weapons are also being pledged.

Under the German constitution, the deployment will have to be accepted by parliament before going ahead.

The German cabinet is expected to formally approve the plan on Wednesday, and a parliamentary vote could come as early as next week.

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A number of other countries have also offered military support to the US, including Australia, Turkey and France.

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Check out the attatched link for the full story. And, don‘t fail to notice that Canada has not earned mention in the British press for its "huge" contribution. Maybe we could do a little more?

Yard Ape

 

[Yard Ape]

Italy commits 2,700 troops to war
Wednesday, 7 November, 2001, 11:17 GMT
BBC

Italy has announced that it is providing a force of 2,700 troops to join the US-led military operation against Afghanistan.

Defence Minister Antonio Martino told parliament the force would include naval, air and ground units.

Some might be involved in combat operations, he said, but the majority would be involved in logistical and defensive tasks.

Parliament is due to give its formal approval to the decision later on Wednesday.

The announcement came as the German cabinet approved Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder‘s pledge on Thursday to provide a force of nearly 4,000 troops at the request of the US

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Mr Martino said the Italian force would be placed under the direct command of the US military.

Four attack helicopters would be provided for "combat operations", Mr Martino said.

The Italian aircraft carrier Garibaldi will join the force, backed up by one or two frigates operating in the Gulf.

Harrier jump jets, transport and fuel supply planes also committed. Between six and eight Tornado jets will carry out reconnaissance missions and aerial defence.

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The commitment of forces means Italy joins France, the UK, Germany and Turkey in mobilising specific support from Europe for the US-led war.

President Jacques Chirac said France already had 2,000 troops involved in the campaign and Prime Minister Lionel Jospin said it was ready to increase that commitment.
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[King]

I‘m too lazy to post the link, but there was a story in the National Post today that said the brass are seriously considering sending over 1000 soldiers.

 

[MethylSilane]

I heard today on CFRB in Toronto that Canada had been asked to contribute a "fighting brigade" to some as-yet un-named mission.

From what I‘ve read here, there is a fat chance of the government actually being able to follow up on such a request/promise, given what it‘s been doing to the CF over the years.

Any thoughts?

 

[fortuncookie5084]

With enough support and money we can do anything. We‘re Canada and we‘ve always gotten the job done better than anybody else. Seriously...well, I won‘t say what I was going to say.

 

[Roko]

Well, there is some support in the government for increasing the CF budget... The gov‘t comitee who came up with the amazing idea that the CF needs more money, and I read in the paper today that the Canadian alliance wants to increase the budget by 2 billion, and bring back the CAR..

but chances are that the liberals will crush those ideas, or just avoid the issue, as per standard operating procedure.

 

[MethylSilane]

Fortune, I realize that, and I agree that we could do anything as we have throughout history -- but I‘m of the same mind as Roko -- I have the feeling that the Liberals would rather surrender than actually do something.

...like, say, make a decision about something...

 

[Yard Ape]

British House tangles over Canada‘s Afghan role
Canadian Press
Posted at: http://www.globeandmail.com/
Thursday, January 10

London — Britain‘s Defence Minister says military planners did not reject Canadian participation in the United Nations peacekeeping force in Afghanistan as he tried to lay to rest suggestions Thursday of a rift with Canada over the mission.

Geoffrey Hoon, the Secretary of State for Defence, told the House of Commons that Britain had hoped Canadian engineers would be part of the force in the Afghan capital of Kabul, despite charges by British newspapers and a Conservative MP that Canada has been slighted by military planners.

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Bernard Jenkin, the Tory defence critic, said Canada‘s participation fell victim to a push for a strong European element as a chance to get a so-called euro army off the ground. The European Union is trying to get a 60,000-strong army together for these kinds of operations by next year, a force the Tories oppose.

Mr. Jenkin told Mr. Hoon in the House that Britain had "offended" Canada by excluding it from the force so that it could involve as many EU members as possible at the "expense" of its long-standing NATO ally.

Canada, a key contributor to UN peacekeeping operations in the past, had offered 1,000 light-infantry troops to the mission.

Defence Minister Arthur Eggleton acknowledged the impact of European politics on the make-up of the peacekeeping force when he announced that Canada was sending 750 troops to fight alongside U.S. forces in the Kandahar region of Afghanistan earlier this week.

Mr. Eggleton said that Canada had been going back and forth with Britain over a role in the Kabul force since before Christmas. The British that suggested Canada send 200 engineers immediately, then follow up with the infantry battalion in three months, but Canada said no.

Mr. Hoon told the House that Britain had hoped to use Canadian engineers from the start of the peacekeeping mission in Kabul, then allow Canada‘s infantry troops to replace British soldiers after several weeks.

"In the end, the Canadians decided to deploy their troops elsewhere — to Kandahar — to support continuing offensive operations in that region," he said.

"While we would have welcomed them as part of the security force, we also welcome their deployment to Kandahar, where they will play an important role in the fight against international terrorism."

Mr. Hoon said there would be a "significant reduction" in Britain‘s initial contribution of 1,800 troops after three months and that Turkey had expressed an interest in taking over its leadership at that time.

The force, made up of troops from 18 countries, including Britain, will be built up over the next few weeks and reach full strength by mid-February