CAN Enhanced (Permanent?) Fwd Presence in Latvia

[dimsum]

These guys use a lot of exclamation points in their headlines

I generally find that there's an inverse relationship between the number of exclamation points (or ALL CAPS) in headlines, and my chances of believing them.

 

[George Wallace]

I see that "Radio Moscow" has found a niche on the internet.  During the Cold War listening to them was as entertaining, if not more so, than listening to the Royal Canadian Air Farce or todays This Hour has 22 Minutes.

 

[The Bread Guy]

I see that "Radio Moscow" has found a niche on the internet. 

And that old propaganda warhorse Pravda (Russian for "truth") is still busy online, too.

 

[The Bread Guy]

So a company of Italians for the Canadian-led Latvia "battle group"--what about Poles, Slovenes, Albanians (platoons from last two?  ):

Platoon-ish from the Slovenians (50), ~150 from the Poles, and no public word yet on how much Albania's throwing into the stew.

So, according to English-language open sources, we have ~800'ish accounted for so far for CANLATBAT*.

* - Note to Info-machine:  feel free to use that (or LATCANBAT if you want to play up the host country more, or CANITAPOLSLVALBLATBAT if you want to be truly inclusive) royalty-free as my modest contribution to Cold War 2.0  ;D

 

[George Wallace]

So?  Does that mean that we must bring back the CFE Comd Badge?

(Just sticking with TLA's for now.)

[

 

[The Bread Guy]

So?  Does that mean that we must bring back the CFE Comd Badge?

(Just sticking with TLA's for now.)

[

Only if they create another HQ -- which is COMPLETELY outside the realm of possibility, right?

 

[MilEME09]

Only if they create another HQ -- which is COMPLETELY outside the realm of possibility, right?

Stop that you! The good idea fairies are everywhere. Seriously though if this becomes permament you might as well stand up 4 CMBG again.

Sent from my LG-D852 using Tapatalk

 

[daftandbarmy]

Stop that you! The good idea fairies are everywhere. Seriously though if this becomes permament you might as well stand up 4 CMBG again.

Sent from my LG-D852 using Tapatalk

Only if they recreate 3 Mech Commando. Nothing like paratroopers in armoured vehicles to scare... well.... everyone....

 

[jollyjacktar]

Only if they recreate 3 Mech Commando. Nothing like paratroopers in armoured vehicles to scare... well.... everyone....

Is that because they're shitty drivers?  >

 

[The Bread Guy]

Only if they recreate 3 Mech Commando. Nothing like paratroopers in armoured vehicles to scare... well.... everyone....

Especially those on our side ...

 

[The Bread Guy]

A small, yet brightly (shrill?) glowing splinter, of the Russian info-ops machine pipes in from separatist Ukraine on the announced deployment:

Terrorist Organization NATO And It’s Military Massing On The Russian Border, Including Albanian And Croatian Ustashi Forces ! ...

The same outlet, dragging out a few more tropes (but not "Nazi") ...
"Fascist Regime Of Poland, One Of The Largest Army’s In NATO Is Setting Up A New Force ” Territorial Defence Force ”* To Combat Russia !"

* - That would be these guys.

 

[MarkOttawa]

CF-18s to alternate between Latvia and Romania?

July 8:

Canada makes commitment to NATO Defence and deterrence measures

...Canada will lead a robust multinational NATO battlegroup in Latvia..

...Canada will also deploy an Air Task Force – which will include up to six CF-18 fighter aircraft – to conduct periodic surveillance and air policing activities in Europe...
http://pm.gc.ca/eng/news/2016/07/08/canada-makes-commitment-nato-defence-and-deterrence-measures

Oct. 31:

Romania and Bulgaria to Host Greater NATO Presence in the Black Sea Region
...
Canada and Poland will also send aircraft to Romania. The aircraft would be hosted in the southeastern Mihail Kogalniceanu military airport and will police NATO’s southeast flank...
http://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/natosource/romania-and-bulgaria-to-host-greater-nato-presence-in-the-black-sea-region

Mark
Ottawa

 

[Blackadder1916]

Only if they recreate 3 Mech Commando. Nothing like paratroopers soldiers in maroon berets and airborne cap badges regardless of jump status in armoured vehicles to scare... well.... everyone....

FTFY


Scary!

http://canadianmilitaryhistory.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/relaxing-e1390372920268.png

 

[The Bread Guy]

Info-machine, stand by ...

As Canadian soldiers prepare to deploy to lead a NATO contingent along the Russian border in Latvia, one of the country’s top military intelligence officials hinted that parliamentarians should brace for a smear campaign targeting Canadian and NATO troops by Russian actors.

“I don’t think there’s any question as we deploy troops into Latvia and put assets in and around Eastern Europe that the Russians will take an interest in that and it will at times be an aggressive effort at undermining those efforts,” said Stephen Burt, assistant chief of defence intelligence with the Canadian Forces Intelligence Command.

“I think that there will no doubt be a steady stream of news stories and public incidents that raise questions generally about what NATO soldiers are doing in Eastern Europe.”

( ... )

Burt’s comments echo similar speculation by senior defence officials who’ve spoken to iPolitics in recent weeks — that Canadians should expect to hear allegations of behaviour like rape and sexual harassment by NATO troops on the ground in Latvia put forth by Russian-backed actors in an attempt to discredit the international stability effort ...

Maybe along those lines?  "British soldiers 'targeted in Russian propaganda plot' ... Two unnamed members of the Grenadier Guards were eating in a McDonalds in Riga at around 6pm when they were attacked and a brawl ensued.  A film crew appeared to be already in position to film the brawl. When the fighting was over, a Latvian accompanying the soldiers followed the film crew and saw them go into a media outlet known to be sympathetic to Russia.  One defence source said: “Our assessment is that this is clearly a set up: ‘Lets go and make these guys look like thugs and film it.’” ..."

Also, RUS state media RIA Novosti's already appears to be paying more attention, in general, to Canada in its English-language coverage.

 

[daftandbarmy]

Info-machine, stand by ...
Maybe along those lines?  "British soldiers 'targeted in Russian propaganda plot' ... Two unnamed members of the Grenadier Guards were eating in a McDonalds in Riga at around 6pm when they were attacked and a brawl ensued.  A film crew appeared to be already in position to film the brawl. When the fighting was over, a Latvian accompanying the soldiers followed the film crew and saw them go into a media outlet known to be sympathetic to Russia.  One defence source said: “Our assessment is that this is clearly a set up: ‘Lets go and make these guys look like thugs and film it.’” ..."

Also, RUS state media RIA Novosti's already appears to be paying more attention, in general, to Canada in its English-language coverage.

More poof that Alice has passed through the looking glass into unknown territory... on many levels...

 

[Kilne]

Will be interesting to see what happens now.

 

[daftandbarmy]

Will be interesting to see what happens now.

I'm guessing that Putin wants to attract our attention to the 'Central Front' so he can do what he wants elsewhere, like Syria etc.

 

[The Bread Guy]

I'm guessing that Putin wants to attract our attention to the 'Central Front' so he can do what he wants elsewhere, like Syria etc.

From a Putin parody (?) Twitter feed:

• "To celebrate Trump's inauguration the Russian army will hold a parade through Kiev"
• "To celebrate Trump's win, the Russian navy has arranged a fireworks display for the citizens of Aleppo to enjoy."
• "Before he is inaugurated I will meet Trump in the Saint Petersburg suburb of Estonia."

 

[Inspir]

Trump presidency increases risk for Canadian troops headed to Latvia, Howard Dean says

OTTAWA -- A top Democratic politician says Russian President Vladimir Putin will undoubtedly test U.S. president-elect Donald Trump by moving troops into a former Soviet country - including one where Canadian troops will be operating in 2017.

Howard Dean, former governor of Vermont and former chair of the Democratic National Committee, says Trump talked during the presidential race as if he would undermine the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and warned Putin will try to test him.

"Who knows how, but I think it'll involve troops, it'll involve Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine or even Latvia," Dean said in an interview with Evan Solomon, host of CTV's Question Period.

That's a significant prediction for Canada, which has 450 Canadian soldiers deploying to Latvia in early 2017 as part of a NATO force. NATO has been beefing up its presence in eastern Europe in response to recent Russian action, and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced last summer that the Canadian Armed Forces will lead a 1,000-person battle group and supply armoured vehicles for the open-ended mission.

Asked whether those soldiers are in a more dangerous situation now, with Putin likely to test to the U.S. president-elect, Dean warned there's danger any time there's uncertainty in foreign policy.

"We don't know what he's going to do... but I think the foreign policy stuff is really scary because a couple of words out of place, you can give people the impression that they can go ahead and do something that you don't want them to do. That is very frightening," Dean said.

'More dangerous'

"Is the world more dangerous or less dangerous now that Donald Trump is the president elect?" Solomon asked.

"It's much more dangerous. Because uncertainty breeds danger and Donald Trump is uncertainty," Dean said.

Trump has praised Putin as a strong leader, downplayed the impact of Russian aggression in Ukraine, and threatened to withhold American support for NATO missions if member countries don't meet promised defence spending targets.

A spokeswoman for Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan didn't answer a question about whether Sajjan agreed with Dean on the potential for increased risk to Canadian soldiers.

"The minister looks forward to a productive working relationship with the new U.S. secretary of defence, whenever he or she is named, just as he enjoys a strong relationship with the current administration and Secretary [Ashton] Carter," Jordan Owens wrote in an email to CTV News.

"Now more than ever Canada remains committed to NATO and to the promises we have made to our NATO allies, and we expect the same principles of ‎solidarity and collective defence will continue to guide NATO into the future."

Trump advisor Steve Bannon 'a Nazi'

Dean said Trump is a complicated person, pointing out he named Republican stalwart Reince Priebus to be chief of staff, but Steve Bannon, CEO of the far-right website Breitbart News, as chief strategist. Dean says Priebus is "a reasonable person," while Bannon is "a Nazi."

"It's a big word and I don't usually use it unless somebody's really anti-Semitic and really misogynist and really anti-Black," Dean said.

"It makes me very nervous. I mean it calls into question Donald Trump's judgement and that's the problem. So we don't know what to expect from Donald Trump," he added.

At the same time, Trump's daughter Ivanka converted to Judaism following her marriage to Jared Kushner, and the couple are raising their children in the Orthodox faith. Dean admits he doesn't understand how Trump "squares the circle," and said minority communities should be fearful.

"When you run a campaign based on hate, which is what he did, you run a terrible risk of somehow liberating people's worst instincts and that's just what's happened," Dean said.

http://www.ctvnews.ca/mobile/politics/trump-presidency-increases-risk-for-canadian-troops-headed-to-latvia-howard-dean-says-1.3167496

 

[QV]

What a terrible article.

NATO is weak because countries like Canada are not contributing.