National News Executive Summary / Sommaire des nouvelles nationales
ADM(PA) / SMA(AP)
February 21, 2015 / le 21 février 2015
MINISTER / LE MINISTRE
Canadian Help for Ukraine
Ukraine's Deputy Foreign Minister said he is preparing for "full-scale war" against Russia and wants
Canada to help by supplying lethal weapons and the training to use them. Vadym Prystaiko, who until
last fall was Ukraine's ambassador to Canada, said the world must not be afraid of joining Ukraine in the
fight against a nuclear power. Mr. Prystaiko said Ukrainians are blunt when it comes to what they need:
"We would like Canada to send lethal weapons to Ukraine. Weapons to allow us to defend ourselves."
He acknowledged Canada has been helping to train Ukrainian soldiers for the last decade, but he
maintained it is not enough. He said his country has received all the non-lethal assistance Canada
pledged, with the exception of new radar technology which is "in the final stages." Defence Minister
Jason Kenney emphasized at a defence conference Thursday in Ottawa that the radar capabilities would
not be used for targeting potential strikes against rebel forces. He also said last weekend on CBC
Radio's "The House" that Canada does not have large stockpiles of weapons to give, although it could
acquire some from other vendors and then supply Ukraine (CBC.ca).
Minister's Influence in Harper Government: Comment
Jeffrey Simpson: Prime ministers are always alone. Although surrounded by ministers and aides and civil
servants, and cheered on by partisan crowds, they are ultimately alone at the top. On their shoulders
does the political fate of the government repose. On their decisions is the shape of the government
determined. On their personalities and preferences are priorities established. Prime ministers are not first
among equals. They are first, period. It has always been this way. Being first and being alone should not
mean being unchallenged. Inside the cabinet and the prime minister's staff there should be strong people
in their own right who can tell a prime minister he or she might be wrong, or should think about something
he or she had forgotten, someone who can push back, sometimes hard, and not be afraid. What
distinguishes the current federal government is the weakening of the push back around the Prime
Minister. It was never very strong; now it has all but vanished. John Baird, the former foreign minister,
had a certain push back capacity. So did the late Jim Flaherty at Finance. Of course like all ministers,
they respected prime ministerial power and authority. They could push only to a point, especially with
someone as domineering as Stephen Harper. They are all gone. It would be hard to identify anyone in
cabinet or on staff with the possible exception of the new Defence Minister Jason Kenney who might
have the gumption and standing to push back. Inside the government, Mr. Harper is such a formidable
and private person that not many people summon the courage to challenge him. Outside the government,
he doesn't have the network of friends that previous prime ministers did to tell him casually how things
look. He is the loneliest of all prime ministers (G&M F2).
ASSOCIATE MINISTER / MINISTRE ASSOCIÉ
PM Misses Debate on Bill C-51
Despite hailing new anti-terror legislation as fundamental to the fight against "the most dangerous
enemies our world has ever faced," Prime Minister Harper did not attend either of two days of debate on
the bill in the Commons this week. Bill C-51 is expected to head to committee Monday after the
Conservative government voted to limit the hours allotted in the Commons on what Justice Minister Peter
MacKay called an "important debate (over) .... extraordinary powers." The Official Opposition has said it
will fight the bill as overly broad and lacking any additional independent oversight to ensure the newly
empowered federal police and spies operate within the law. Mr. Harper's absence from the first two days
of debate was explained in an email from PMO spokesperson Carl Vallée: "The Prime Minister has
spoken at length with regards to the bill when it was announced and in the House during Question
Period." Mr. Harper unveiled the contents of the bill on Jan. 30th event in Richmond Hill (ON), flanked by
Justice Minister MacKay, Public Safety Minister Steven Blaney and Associate Minister of National
Defence Julian Fantino -- far away from the House of Commons. He was. The bill was tabled in the
House the same day. "We were treated to an election campaign-style announcement hundreds of
kilometres away from Parliament, and that revealed their deepest thoughts. This is all a political game to
them," NDP Leader Tom Mulcair said this week (I. MacLeod: Ctz A9, Gaz A23, VSun B2, RLP D9, SSP
C9, WStar A11).
CDS / CEM
No related coverage. / Aucune couverture pertinente.
CAF OPERATIONS / OPÉRATIONS FAC
Canada in Afghanistan / Le Canada en Afghanistan
Lakes Named After Two Women Killed in Afghanistan
Two lakes in northern Saskatchewan now bear the names of former Calgarians who spent time in that
province and were killed in Afghanistan: Nichola Goddard and Michelle Lang. On Tuesday, the
Saskatchewan Geographic Names Committee recognized the sacrifices of eight individuals who were
born or spent time in Saskatchewan and gave their lives in service. Goddard Lake has been named after
Capt. Nichola Goddard, the first Canadian female combat soldier to die in battle, during a firefight on May
17, 2006 (C. Derworiz, Postmedia / and CP: EJ B3).
NATO Mission in Ukraine / Mission de l'OTAN en Ukraine
Ukraine Needs More Support
Western governments need to do more to save Ukraine from a Russian effort to turn this country into a
"failed state," Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk said in an interview, saying his country needs military
help to halt the advance of Moscow-backed separatists. In an interview marked by moments of high
rhetoric and blunt honesty, Mr. Yatsenyuk also called on the United States and Canada to play more
active diplomatic roles - a remark that could be interpreted as a swipe at the efforts of German Chancellor
Angela Merkel and French President François Hollande. The two European leaders mediated talks earlier
this month between Mr. Putin and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko that resulted in the signing of a
ceasefire that disintegrated almost as soon as the leaders left the negotiating room. Mr. Yatsenyuk
criticized the ceasefire pact reached in the Belarusian capital of Minsk because it "legitimized a new
border" between Ukraine and the rebel-controlled regions of Donetsk and Lugansk, while at the same
time leaving Russia's border with Ukraine unsupervised until the end of 2015. Mr. Yatsenyuk said the
next round of political negotiations over the war in eastern Ukraine needs to involve more players: "I'm not
happy - neither with (the deal reached in) Minsk, nor the format of talks. I always reiterate that the
Americans have to be on board. The U.S., as one of our closest allies - with the support of Canada,
(Britain) and other G7 member states - has to play a crucial and important role in these talks. It will make
it easier for Germany, France and Ukraine to hammer out the right deal." Coverage pointed out,
however, that wider talks seem unlikely, however. Russia has indicated that it sees the United States and
Canada as outsiders with no constructive role to play in resolving a European crisis. Mr. Yatsenyuk
backed Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko's call this week for United Nations peacekeepers to be
deployed in eastern Ukraine - an idea that Russia, which has veto power at the UN Security Council, has
already rejected - but said the West should also begin arming Ukraine's underequipped army for more
fighting. So far, Canada and other NATO allies have provided only nonlethal aid such as night-vision
goggles and winter uniforms to the Ukrainian military. Ms. Merkel, among others, has warned that any
Western effort to send weapons to Ukraine would only cause Russia to intensify its own involvement in
the country (M. MacKinnon: G&M A12).
Iraq/Syria / Irak/Syrie
Support for Iraq Mission
Canada's military mission battling Islamic State militants in Iraq enjoys more public support than this
country's costly engagement in the Afghanistan war ever did, according to Ipsos Reid pollster Darrell
Bricker. The Harper government has broadly signalled that it wants to extend the six-month mission which is supported by a parliamentary endorsement that runs out at the end of March - while insisting a
decision has not been made. Mr. Bricker said that judging from public opinion today, Canadians would
support a longer fight against Islamic State jihadis. Ipsos Reid released a poll Feb. 14 that found 76 per
cent of Canadians surveyed strongly backed or somewhat backed Canada's jet fighters participating in air
strikes against Islamic State forces -- up 12 percentage points from September. One key difference
between the Iraq mission and Canada's combat operations in Afghanistan is no Canadians have been
killed or seriously wounded in Iraq. This country's aviators and soldiers are not engaged in direct combat
with the Islamic State, except on a handful of occasions when special forces troops have fought back
after being fired upon while training Kurdish fighters. But Mr. Bricker pointed out that the riskier Canada's
mission in Iraq becomes, the more support would drop. Mr. Bricker said polling reveals that Canadians
place a higher priority on military missions that deliver a benefit back home, whether it's responding to
natural disasters in this country or fighting an enemy, such as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
(ISIL), that threaten attacks on Canadian soil (S. Chase: G&M A8).
Canadian Air Strikes in Iraq
Canadian CF-18 fighter jets conducted a single attack in Iraq last week, leading a coalition strike that
destroyed a factory making improvised explosive devices. Navy Capt. Paul Forget said the attack last
week was a success (CP: HS A10).
What's Next in the Fight Against ISIS
Correspondent Allison McNeely asked three experts -- Kenneth M. Pollack, a senior fellow in the Center
for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institution, Walter Dorn, chair of the Department of Security and
International Affairs at the Canadian Forces College, and Shashank Joshi, a senior research fellow at the
Royal United Services Institute in London (UK) -- to assess the state of the conflict in Iraq and what may
be coming next (NP A15).
Cost of Iraq Mission: Comment
London Free Press editorial: It's hard in peacetime to understand why the military matters. It's clearer
now. That's why we're not getting too worked up about the difference in Iraq mission cost estimates that
came out Tuesday. The Canadian government put current costs at $122 million. The Parliamentary
Budget Officer pegs it somewhere between $129 million and $166 million. It's good the opposition is now
debating every dollar -- paying for war is hell -- although we're scratching our heads why they're fiscal
conservatives now, but not when it comes to social programs and their pet projects. The NDP and
Liberals need to be less partisan on Iraq and realize this is about being on the right side of history. Strong
Western forces must ally against the caliphate. Canada must do its part (LFP E2).
COMMEMORATION / COMMÉMORATION
Stratford-Area Veterans Honoured by France
Six Stratford-Area veterans were awarded France's highest award of distinction. The National Order of
the Legion of Honour was given to Canadian veterans who fought for the liberation of France on D-Day
and in the battle of Normandy. The 70th anniversary of the campaign was marked last year. The six
veterans -- who fought in France between June 6 and Aug. 31, 1944 -- received their medals during a
ceremony organized by veteran Art Boon (L. Cudworth, QMI: LFP A11).
PROCUREMENT / APPROVISIONNEMENT
Joint Unmanned Surveillance Targeting and Acquisition System (JUSTAS)
A project to buy drones for the Canadian Forces has been dogged by a lack of oversight and information
as well as unclear objectives, resulting in years of delays, according to a Department of National Defence
audit. The recently released audit found the requirements were not clear and there was not enough
information to justify the purchase of the unmanned aerial vehicles at a cost of more than $1 billion.
"Rationale and analysis in the draft business case and draft project brief were insufficient to facilitate an
informed investment decision and did not comply with Treasury Board and DND standards," according to
the audit examining the Joint Unmanned Surveillance Targeting and Acquisition System (JUSTAS).
Auditors also blamed the delay on the Afghanistan mission, since the military had to put in place a project
to lease drones for that war. Aerospace firms also contributed to the problems by not providing enough
financial information on their products, the audit noted. In addition, the turnover of staff and the unclear
procurement process resulted in more delays. The Canadian military has been trying for years to get
JUSTAS off the ground. Better oversight would have helped reduce the delays, the audit found. RCAF
spokesperson Capt. Alexandre Munoz said the service has accepted the recommendations from the
auditors to improve the procurement process and changes have been made. A civilian project manager
was brought in and proper documentation has been developed, the auditors pointed out. Capt. Munoz
noted that a JUSTAS contract is expected to be awarded between 2019 and 2020 (D. Pugliese: Ctz A9).
OTHERS / AUTRES
Having Beaten Cancer, Windsor Woman Now Fights Military
24-year-old Windsor woman has beaten the cancer that attacked her brain, but now she has to move
back to the west coast to get the necessary treatment to try and restore her vision. Robyn Young had
corrective eye surgery performed before doctors found the actual cause of her double-vision - a tooniesized tumour growing in her brain. With the tumour removed last summer, the earlier surgical intervention
on her optical nerve and muscle means her double-vision continues, and with it the daily vomiting
triggered by a brain trying to make sense of the unfocused imagery captured by Ms. Young's eye. Since
the discovery of the tumour last June, Ms. Young and her family have been fighting with Canada's military
establishment to have her treatment and her recovery funded. For four years while she displayed the
classic symptoms of having a brain tumour, Ms. Young was a full-time soldier, but doctors didn't clue in
on what the real source of her headaches, chronic nausea and double vision might have been. It was
only after passing out and then being rushed to hospital and undergoing a CT scan that the proper
diagnosis was made, followed quickly by emergency brain surgery to remove a tumorous growth. At that
time, however, Ms. Young, in anticipation of commencing nursing studies in the fall, had cut back on her
naval reservist status and was no longer medically covered by the Canadian Forces. "The military won't
accept liability for the misdiagnosis," said her mother, Pearl Osmond, an Afghanistan war veteran and
former long-time Canadian Forces operations officer. The family wants the military to recognize that Ms.
Young was a full-time soldier when she had the tumour and that her treatment, including medical and
drug costs, would have been fully covered with a proper and timelier diagnosis. Ms. Osmond said the
Canadian Forces are currently conducting a "quality-of-care review" into the matter (D. Schmidt: WStar
A2).
Soldier Pleads Guilty to Dealing, Manufacturing and Trafficking High-Powered Weapons
A Canadian soldier pleaded guilty Friday to dealing, manufacturing and trafficking high-powered weapons
over the Internet. Pte. David Theriault, of Lyster (QC), was convicted of a total of 21 counts. He still faces
several more charges in the U.S. Mr. Theriault moved to CFB Borden in Ontario in 2011 where he was
training in aerospace technology. He first came to the attention of authorities in 2012 when a U.S. agent
found several videos posted on YouTube where Mr. Theriault demonstrated how to convert weapons into
machine guns. In one video, he even fired a Glock handgun to show how it sounds with a silencer. He
posted his contact information online. The agent then purchased a machine gun for $500 through PayPal
and Mr. Theriault was seen by Ontario Provincial Police surveillance officers shipping the package from a
Canada Post office at CFB Borden. Search warrants at his room and locker turned up a cache of
machine guns, silencers, assault rifles and conversion parts to turn semi-automatic weapons into
machine guns, as well as a list of clients and a debt list. Police also found computer-aided design
drawings and blueprints designed by Mr. Theriault for making weapons (T. McLaughlin, QMI: OSun 10,
TSun 8).
Projet de loi C-51
Les nouveaux pouvoirs conférés aux espions canadiens par la loi antiterroriste ne seront pas aussi
soumis à l'aval d'un juge que le laisse croire le gouvernement conservateur. Un mandat judiciaire sera
requis du Service canadien du renseignement de sécurité (SCRS) seulement si les méthodes qu'il entend
employer sont illégales. Pour rassurer tout le monde, les ministres conservateurs répètent que ces
pouvoirs seront conditionnels à l'obtention d'un mandat d'un juge. Le ministre de la Défense, Jason
Kenney, avait déclaré, jeudi, que ce sont plutôt aux " juges et aux tribunaux " que les nouveaux pouvoirs
sont accordés. Dans les faits, le projet de loi C-51 stipule que l'obtention d'un mandat d'un juge pour
autoriser la perturbation du SCRS est nécessaire seulement " s'il s'agit de mesures qui porteront atteinte
à un droit ou à une liberté garantis par la Charte canadienne des droits et libertés ou qui seront contraires
à d'autres règles du droit canadien " (Dv A3).
Lupe's Troops
For every Maple Leafs home game this season, Joffrey Lupul is donating two tickets, jerseys, food and
refreshments to members of the Canadian Forces, who will be honoured at each game. For the latest
game, Master Bombardier Troy Pinkey of Guelph (ON) was honoured. He joined the Canadian army in
October 2006, and works as a gun detachment commander at 11 Field Regiment in 31 Canadian Brigade
Group (TStar S2).
Section: News
Outlet: The Globe And Mail
Byline: STEVEN CHASE
Headline: Support for Iraq mission trumps Afghanistan war, poll says
Page: A8
Date: Saturday 21 February 2015
Canada's military mission battling Islamic State militants in Iraq enjoys more public support than this
country's costly engagement in the Afghanistan war ever did, veteran Ipsos Reid pollster Darrell Bricker
says.
The Harper government has broadly signalled that it wants to extend the six-month mission - which is
supported by a parliamentary endorsement that runs out at the end of March - while insisting a decision
has not been made.
Mr. Bricker says judging from public opinion today, Canadians would support a longer fight against
Islamic State jihadis.
Ipsos Reid released a poll Feb. 14 that found 76 per cent of Canadians surveyed strongly backed or
somewhat backed Canada's jet fighters participating in air strikes against Islamic State forces. That's up
12 percentage points from September.
One key difference between the Iraq mission and Canada's combat operations in Afghanistan is no
Canadians have been killed or seriously wounded in Iraq. This country's aviators and soldiers aren't
engaged in direct combat with the Islamic State, except on a handful of occasions when special forces
troops have fought back after being fired upon while training Kurdish fighters.
The riskier Canada's mission in Iraq becomes, the more support would drop, Mr. Bricker notes.
``But even if it drops by five or six or seven points, that's still way higher than'' public support for the
Canadian Armed Forces' deployment to Afghanistan. Canada's soldiers spent more than a decade in
Afghanistan, including five years on a combat mission, and more than 160 Canadian lives were lost.
Mr. Bricker says polling shows Canadians place a higher priority on military missions that deliver a benefit
back home, whether it's responding to natural disasters in this country or fighting an enemy, such as the
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), that threaten attacks on Canadian soil.
``There's something different about this mission,'' he said. ``People have decided that ISIL represents an
existential, real threat at home and abroad.'' This has been driven home by deadly attacks on Canadian
soldiers in October, apparently inspired by jihadi groups, as well as the mass shooting at the Charlie
Hebdo office in Paris, the Sydney hostage crisis and murders in Copenhagen.
Mr. Bricker has been tracking public opinion on expected threats, and last fall 49 per cent of Canadians
surveyed said they feel there's a very real, or somewhat real, risk of a terrorist attack in this country over
the next 12 months. That's up from 30 per cent in 2010.
Canada's contribution to the fight against Islamic State forces includes six fighter planes, surveillance
aircraft, an aerial refuelling tanker and 69 special forces soldiers in northern Iraq.
Back to Top
Section: News
Byline: David Pugliese
Outlet: Ottawa Citizen
Illustrations:
Kirsty Wigglesworth, The Associated Press Files / Canada's plans to buy U.S.-built Predator drones to
take part in the Libyan conflict did not materialize as fighting there ended quickly.
Headline: Plan to buy drones poorly done: Audit; Lack of oversight and unclear objectives resulted in
years of delays
Page: A9
Date: Saturday 21 February 2015
Source: Ottawa Citizen
A project to buy drones for the Canadian Forces has been dogged by a lack of oversight and information
as well as unclear objectives, resulting in years of delays, a Department of National Defence audit has
found.
The recently released audit found the requirements were not clear and there was not enough information
to justify the purchase of the unmanned aerial vehicles at a cost of more than $1 billion.
"Rationale and analysis in the draft business case and draft project brief were insufficient to facilitate an
informed investment decision and did not comply with Treasury Board and DND standards," according to
the audit examining the Joint Unmanned Surveillance Targeting and Acquisition System (JUSTAS).
Auditors also blamed the delay on the Afghanistan mission, since the military had to put in place a project
to lease drones for that war. Aerospace firms also contributed to the problems by not providing enough
financial information on their products, the audit noted.
In addition, the turnover of staff and the unclear procurement process resulted in more delays. The
various options for a drone purchase were outlined in 2005 for air force officers. In the runup to the 2006
election, Stephen Harper promised that under a Conservative government, Goose Bay, N.L., would
become home to a new squadron operating longrange drones. Once in power, the Tories reiterated the
pledge.
But the Canadian military has been trying for years to get JUSTAS offthe ground. Better oversight would
have helped reduce the delays, the audit found.
RCAF spokesman Capt. Alexandre Munoz said the service has accepted the recommendations from the
auditors to improve the procurement process and changes have been made.
A civilian project manager was brought in and proper documentation has been developed, the auditors
pointed out.
Munoz noted that a JUSTAS contract is expected to be awarded between 2019 and 2020.
"The full scope of testing will commence with the selection of the manufacturer and award of the contract
and continue through to the delivery of the final aircraft," Munoz explained. "Operational testing will occur
throughout the life of the unmanned aircraft system as equipment, tactics or missions are changed to
ensure optimal use of the capability." The drones were originally supposed to be operating as early as
2010. That was then pushed back to early 2012 and again changed to 2017 by military officers as they
dealt with delays.
In 2012, the Citizen reported the RCAF had determined it needed 369 people if it wanted to create a new
squadron for unmanned aircraft as promised by Harper. Finding those people was a problem, according
to the military.
During the Afghan war, the government approved the lease of Israeli-built Heron unmanned aircraft from
MacDonald Dettwiler and Associates in Richmond, B.C. During the Libyan war in 2011, senior Canadian
defence leaders pitched the idea of spending up to $600 million for armed drones to take part in that
conflict. They wanted to purchase Predator drones, built in the U.S. Documents obtained by the Citizen
showed that military leaders saw the Libyan war as a possible way to move the stalled JUSTAS program
forward. According to a briefing presented to then-Defence minister Peter MacKay, they pointed out the
purchase of such aircraft for the Libyan conflict could kickstart their larger drone project. The war,
however, was in its final stages when the briefing was provided and the proposal didn't get approval from
the government. dpugliese@ottawacitizen.com Twitter.com/davidpugliese
Back to Top
Section: News
Outlet: The Globe And Mail
Byline: MARK MacKINNON
Headline: `This is a fight for the free world'
Page: A12
Date: Saturday 21 February 2015
Western governments need to do more to save Ukraine from a Russian effort to turn this country into a
``failed state,'' Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk said in an interview, saying his country needs military
help to halt the advance of Moscow-backed separatists.
``The West needs to make its decision. This is one of the most important decisions in this century: to
support, or to abandon Ukraine,'' Mr. Yatsenyuk told The Globe and Mail on the first anniversary of the
revolution that overthrew the Kremlin-supported government of Viktor Yanukovych. ``If I say to support, it
means a large-scale and comprehensive Marshall Plan. A part of which has to be a defence issue ... call
it defensive weapons supply.
``This is not just a fight for Ukraine, this is a fight for the free world, and everybody needs to realize this.''
In an interview marked by moments of high rhetoric and blunt honesty, Mr. Yatsenyuk also called on the
United States and Canada to play more active diplomatic roles - a remark that could be interpreted as a
swipe at the efforts of German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President François Hollande. The
two European leaders mediated talks earlier this month between Mr. Putin and Ukrainian President Petro
Poroshenko that resulted in the signing of a ceasefire that disintegrated almost as soon as the leaders left
the negotiating room.
Mr. Yatsenyuk criticized the ceasefire pact reached in the Belarusian capital of Minsk because it
``legitimized a new border'' between Ukraine and the rebel-controlled regions of Donetsk and Lugansk,
while at the same time leaving Russia's border with Ukraine unsupervised until the end of 2015. The deal
also requires the Kiev government to pay for the restoration of services in Donetsk and Lugansk, a step
Mr. Yatsenyuk said would ``severely effect'' an already ailing Ukrainian economy.
``Putin's idea is to have Ukraine as a failed state or, I would rephrase, not to have Ukraine as a state at
all,'' Mr. Yatsenyuk said on Friday as Ukraine accused Russia of sending yet more tanks and troops
across the border into eastern Ukraine. ``I do not trust that Putin will stop.''
Mr. Yatsenyuk - a 40-year-old economist who emerged as one of the main leaders of last year's
revolution, though initially only as a stand-in for the jailed Yulia Tymoshenko - has been criticized by
some Ukrainians for undermining Mr. Poroshenko's efforts to make peace with his hardline stance toward
a conflict few believe Ukraine can win militarily. He and Mr. Poroshenko were allies during the revolt, but
are increasingly now seen as rivals. Mr. Poroshenko reportedly tried to replace Mr. Yatsenyuk as Prime
Minister following parliamentary elections last fall but had to back down when Mr. Yatsenyuk's People's
Front party won the largest share of the popular vote.
Despite his criticisms of the Minsk deal, Mr. Yatsenyuk said his government would press ahead with the
construction of what he has dubbed the ``European Rampart'' - ditch and sand berm wall along Ukraine's
eastern frontier with Russia. The wall, he said, would be connected to fortifications along the front line in
Donetsk and Lugansk in order to prevent infiltration by ``terrorists.''
He denied the government was creating a de facto border in doing so. ``Territorial integrity matters for
every Ukrainian,'' he said, though he added it would ``take years'' to regain full control over Donetsk and
Lugansk, as well as the Crimean Peninsula which Russia annexed last March following a controversial
referendum there.
Speaking two days after the Russian-backed rebels captured the strategic transportation hub of
Debaltseve, Mr. Yatsenyuk said that even if the Minsk ceasefire now came into effect, he expected
Moscow to switch tactics and attempt to ``trigger unrest, instability'' in other parts of Ukraine using political
and economic tools. ``He will change his tactics.
He is a good tactical player. We are not to underestimate him.''
The Prime Minister's office warned before the interview that he would not comment on the defeat of
Ukrainian forces at Debaltseve this week - a haphazard retreat by Ukrainian troops that has generated
heated criticism - because it is Mr. Poroshenko who is commander-in-chief.
The Ukrainian government has slowly raised the number of its soldiers killed during the withdrawal from
six, then to 13 and then to 22, while acknowledging Thursday that another 172 of its troops are either
missing or captured by rebel forces. Separatist leaders say the real number of Ukrainian fighters killed in
the three-week siege of Debaltseve is more than 3,000.
``I'm sure there will be consequences for Debaltseve,'' said Taras Berezovets, a Kiev-based political
analyst. ``If it turns out there were a lot of casualties, it will be a huge scandal and [the government's]
popularity will sink.''
At least 5,600 people have been killed over 10 months of fighting in southeastern Ukraine.
Mr. Yatsenyuk said the next round of political negotiations over the war in eastern Ukraine needs to
involve more players.
``I'm not happy - neither with [the deal reached in] Minsk, nor the format of talks. I always reiterate that
the Americans have to be on board. The U.S., as one of our closest allies - with the support of Canada,
[Britain] and other G7 member states - has to play a crucial and important role in these talks. It will make
it easier for Germany, France and Ukraine to hammer out the right deal,'' he said.
Wider talks seem unlikely, however. Russia has indicated that it sees the United States and Canada as
outsiders with no constructive role to play in resolving a European crisis.
Mr. Yatsenyuk backed Mr. Poroshenko's call this week for United Nations peacekeepers to be deployed
in eastern Ukraine - an idea that Russia, which has veto power at the UN Security Council, has already
rejected - but said the West should also begin arming Ukraine's underequipped army for more fighting.
So far, Canada and other NATO allies have provided only nonlethal aid such as night-vision goggles and
winter uniforms to the Ukrainian military. Ms. Merkel, among others, has warned that any Western effort
to send weapons to Ukraine would only cause Russia to intensify its own involvement in the country.
Canada, the United States and the EU have also applied escalating economic sanctions against Moscow
as punishment for its actions in Ukraine.
Sitting in a green-walled antechamber to his office in the Cabinet of Ministers building, Mr. Yatsenyuk said
the good news for Ukraine came in the form of a $40-billion bailout package that the International
Monetary Fund announced this week.
Mr. Yatsenyuk said the infusion of cash would create ``huge chances to restore confidence into the
Ukrainian economy.'' He also vowed to continue and expand a crackdown inside the country's
bureaucracy, which remains largely unchanged from Mr. Yanukovych's time in power.
Associated Graphic
Ukrainian PM Arseniy Yatsenyuk criticizes the recent Minsk deal during an interview with The Globe and
Mail, saying it `legitimized a new border' between Ukraine and the rebel-controlled regions of Donetsk
and Lugansk.
ANDREW KRAVCHENKO FOR THE GLOBE AND MAIL
Back to Top
Section: News
Lead: BARRIE, Ont. -- A Canadian soldier pleaded guilty Friday to dealing, manufacturing and trafficking
highpowered weapons over the Internet.
Headline: Soldier allegedly sold tools of his trade Cops accuse man of selling highpowered weapons
Page: 10
Byline: TRACY MCLAUGHLIN, SPECIAL TO QMI AGENCY
Outlet: The Ottawa Sun
Date: Saturday 21 February 2015
BARRIE, Ont. -- A Canadian soldier pleaded guilty Friday to dealing, manufacturing and trafficking
highpowered weapons over the Internet.
Pte. David Theriault, 37, of Lyster, Que., was convicted of a total of 21 counts. He still faces several more
charges in the U.S.
Theriault moved to CFB Borden in Ontario in 2011 where he was training in aerospace technology.
He first came to the attention of authorities in 2012 when a U.S. agent found several videos posted on
YouTube where Theriault demonstrated how to convert weapons into machine guns.
In one video, he even fires a Glock handgun to show how it sounds with a silencer. He posted his contact
information online.
The agent then purchased a machine gun for $500 through PayPal and Theriault was seen by Ontario
Provincial Police surveillance officers shipping the package at a Canada Post office in Borden.
Search warrants at his room and locker turned up a cache of machine guns, silencers, assault rifles and
conversion parts to turn semi-automatic weapons into machine guns, as well as a list of clients and a debt
list.
Police also found computer- aided design drawings and blueprints designed by Theriault for making
weapons.
"Mr. Theriault manufactured and assembled these items and went on to traffic them to others," Crown
attorney Mary Ann Alexander said.
Several more weapons were found at an apartment and his parents' home in Quebec.
Court heard Theriault's mother tried to hide a huge stash of her son's weapons.
"She and her husband panicked about their own liability in storing these items so tried to destroy two
suitcases, a hockey bag and several boxes with an axe," said the Crown.
"They then took the property from the apartment and buried it in the yard of another property they own
seven kilo-metres away."
Court heard he used a Quebec company called Megatech, which builds mechanical parts for the military
and aerospace, as his machinist.
Police located some of his clients in Georgia, Ohio, Louisiana and Florida.
The search also turned up e-mails and texts from Theriault to a client, Nick Savage, of Quebec, where he
tells him, "your toys are ready."
The toys included four silencers, used to muffle the sound of a firearm, at a cost of $6,000. Savage was
later arrested and provided a statement to police.
Back to Top
Section: Insight
Byline: Colette Derworiz
Outlet: Edmonton Journal
Illustrations:
The Canadian Press / A lake in northern Saskatchewan has been named after Capt. Nichola Goddard,
who died in a firefight in May 2006.
/ Michelle Lang
Headline: Fallen Canadians given lasting tribute on map; Saskatchewan names lakes after two women
killed in Afghanistan
Page: B3
Date: Saturday 21 February 2015
Dateline: CALGARY
Source: Postmedia News with Files From The Canadian Press
Two lakes in northern Saskatchewan now bear the names of former Calgarians who spent time in that
province and were killed in Afghanistan: Nichola Goddard and Michelle Lang. On Tuesday, the
Saskatchewan Geographic Names Committee recognized the sacrifices of eight individuals who were
born or spent time in Saskatchewan and gave their lives in service.
"It's an important way to recognize their sacrifice by officially naming a feature on the Saskatchewan
landscape in their honour," said Carlos Germann, director of the heritage conservation branch with the
Ministry of Parks, Culture and Sport in Saskatchewan.
Goddard Lake has been named after Capt. Nichola Goddard, the first Canadian female combat soldier to
die in battle, during a firefight on May 17, 2006.
"We are delighted that the lake named after Nichola is in northeastern Saskatchewan, within the
traditional territory of the Chipewyan Dene people," her parents, Tim and Sally Goddard, said in a
statement. "Our family lived for three years in Black Lake, where Nichola not only attended school but
also became fluent in the Dene language.
"We hope that the Dene people who live and work in that area will remember Nichola fondly as they fish
and hunt in and around Goddard Lake."
Both Goddard Lake and Lang Bay, which acknowledges Calgary Herald journalist Michelle Lang, are
located east of Stoney Rapids in northern Saskatchewan.
Lang was killed on Dec. 30, 2009 when the vehicle she was riding in hit a roadside bomb in Afghanistan.
Her mother, Sandra Lang, said they are delighted by the idea.
"She worked at the paper there," she said, referring to her daughter's time at the Regina Leader-Post and
the Moose Jaw Times-Herald.
"She loved Saskatchewan and she made some great friends there and we have some relatives there.
"It was just a charming idea of the government to think of that - to name mountains, lakes and bays after
the fallen."
Germann noted Lang is the only civilian to be memorialized at the Saskatchewan war memorial.
"We brought it to the attention of our advisory board that makes recommendations to our minister for
naming geographic features in their honour," he explained. "They considered this particular situation
because she had worked in Moose Jaw and Regina as a journalist to be worthy of a form of
commemoration."
OTHERS HONOURED
Cpl. Jordan Anderson, who was killed by an improvised explosive device while he was on patrol in the
Panjwaii district in July 2007 (Anderson Lake).
Master Cpl. Byron Greff, who was killed in Kabul in October 2011 when the bus he was in was rammed
by a car packed with explosives (Greff Lake).
Pte. Alfred Blair, member of the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion in the Second World War and killed in
action in June 1944 (Blair Lake).
Cpl. Willmit Willows of the Calgary Highlanders, who was wounded during bombing in France and died in
July 1944 (Willows Lake).
Capt. Juli-Ann MacKenzie of the Canadian Air Force, killed with her co-pilot in July 2002, when their
helicopter crashed during bad weather while on a search-and-rescue mission in Labrador (MacKenzie
Lake).
RCMP Const. Derek Pineo, who served with the Nipawin and Wilke detachments and was killed on duty
when his vehicle hit a moose in July 2012 (Pineo Point).
Back to Top
Section: Sports
Outlet: Toronto Star
Illustrations:
Master Bombadier Troy Pinkey
Headline: LUPE'STROOPS
Page: S2
Date: Saturday 21 February 2015
Master Bombadier Troy Pinkey of Guelph, Ont., joined the Canadian army in October 2006. He works as
a gun detachment commander at 11 Field Regiment in 31 Canadian Brigade Group. Pinkney deployed to
Afghanistan in 2010 with the artillery regiment providing indirect fire support for the Operation Mentor and
liaison team.
For every Maple Leafs home date this season, Joffrey Lupul is donating two tickets, jerseys, food and
refreshments to members of the Canadian Forces, who will be honoured at each game.
Follow on Twitter @LupesTroops
Back to Top
Section: News
Byline: Ian Macleod
Outlet: Ottawa Citizen
Illustrations:
/ Stephen Harper
Headline: Prime minister a no-show at Commons' anti-terror debate
Page: A9
Date: Saturday 21 February 2015
Source: Ottawa Citizen
Despite hailing new anti-terror legislation as fundamental to the fight against "the most dangerous
enemies our world has ever faced," Prime Minister Stephen Harper did not attend either of two days of
debate on the bill in the House of Commons this week.
Bill C-51 is expected to head to committee Monday after the Conservative government voted to limit the
hours allotted in the Commons on what Justice Minister Peter MacKay called an "important debate (over)
.... extraordinary powers."
The federal Liberals have said they will back the far-reaching legislation, which would expand the
mandate and power of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, criminalize the promotion of terrorism,
share Canadians' personal information more easily across government, make it simpler for police to
arrest and detain individuals without charge as suspected national security threats, and other measures.
A recent poll showed a strong majority of Canadians back the bill; most also want robust oversight of it.
The Official Opposition, the NDP, has said it will fight the bill as overly broad and lacking any additional
independent oversight to ensure the newly empowered federal police and spies operate within the law.
Harper's absence from the first two days of debate was explained in an email from PMO spokesman Carl
Vallée: "The prime minister has spoken at length with regards to the bill when it was announced and in
the House during Question Period."
Harper unveiled the contents of the bill at a Jan. 30 event in Richmond Hill, Ont. - far away from the
House of Commons. He was flanked by senior ministers MacKay, Public Safety Minister Steven Blaney
and Julian Fantino, associate minister of National Defence. The bill was tabled in the House the same
day.
"We were treated to an election campaign-style announcement hundreds of kilometres away from
Parliament, and that revealed their deepest thoughts. This is all a political game to them," NDP Leader
Tom Mulcair said this week.
Both he Liberal leader Justin Trudeau spoke during the first day of debate. The government led offits side
of the debate with a statement from Blaney.
Harper has taken questions about Bill C-51 at public events.
For example, responding to a reporter's question Thursday in Surrey, B.C., , Harper categorically rejected
the demands to add provisions to the bill to expand independent oversight of the expanded investigative
powers C-51 gives to the RCMP, Canada's spy agency and 15 other government departments.
"The model we have in Canada of independent, expert oversight - that's the model we're pursuing," he
said, rejecting calls for increased oversight by a committee of parliamentarians, similar to what's done in
Britain and the United States. imacleod@ottawacitizen.com Twitter.com/macleod_ian
Back to Top
Section: Comment
Outlet: The Globe And Mail
Byline: JEFFREY SIMPSON
Headline: He is the loneliest of all prime ministers
Page: F2
Date: Saturday 21 February 2015
jsimpson@globeandmail.com
Prime ministers are always alone. Although surrounded by ministers and aides and civil servants, and
cheered on by partisan crowds, they are ultimately alone at the top.
On their shoulders does the political fate of the government repose. On their decisions is the shape of the
government determined. On their personalities and preferences are priorities established.
Prime ministers are not first among equals. They are first, period. It has always been this way.
Being first and being alone should not mean being unchallenged. Inside the cabinet and the prime
minister's staff there should be strong people in their own right who can tell a prime minister he or she
might be wrong, or should think about something he or she had forgotten, someone who can push back,
sometimes hard, and not be afraid.
What distinguishes the current federal government is the weakening of the push back around the Prime
Minister. It was never very strong; now it has all but vanished.
John Baird, the former foreign minister, had a certain push back capacity. So did the late Jim Flaherty at
Finance. Certainly Jim Prentice, the minister of a lot of things, did in earlier times as the de facto deputy
prime minister.
Of course like all ministers, they respected prime ministerial power and authority. They could push only to
a point, especially with someone as domineering as Stephen Harper.
They are all gone. It would be hard to identify anyone in cabinet or on staff with the possible exception of
the new Defence Minister Jason Kenney who might have the gumption and standing to push back.
It was not always this way in recent decades, even with strong prime ministers.
Prime minister Pierre Trudeau, formidable to say the least, had around him people such as Gérard
Pelletier, Jean Marchand, Marc Lalonde, Allan J. MacEachen, Donald S. Macdonald, John Turner (for a
time), staffers such as Jim Coutts and Ivan Head and advisers such as Keith Davey and Martin Goldfarb.
Each was formidable. Of course they were all pro-Trudeau and did his bidding when decisions were
made, but they could and did push back from time to time.
Prime minister Brian Mulroney had a no-nonsense chief-of-staff in Derek Burney, and talented ministers
such as Don Mazankowski, Michael Wilson, John Crosbie, Lucien Bouchard (for a little while) and Lowell
Murray, among others, and Paul Tellier, as cabinet secretary for seven years.
Prime minister Jean Chrétien had ministers such as Paul Martin (with whom he had a sometimes
conflictual relationship) and Lloyd Axworthy, and a very powerful chief-of-staff in Jean Pelletier.
It's hard to think about any cadre of similar people in the Harper government, so completely dominant is
the Prime Minister over this government.
The new Foreign Minister Rob Nicholson is known as someone with steady hands, but no independent
standing. Peter MacKay, the Justice Minister, is not regarded as Mr. Harper's intellectual or political
equal. Nigel Wright, the former chief-of-staff who didn't grow up politically as a Harper aide, seemed to be
able to push back occasionally. But he is gone, too.
The Conservatives have even developed a strategy, on display this week, whereby the Prime Minister
replaces what used to be responsibilities of the Governor-General, the representative of Canada's head
of state. Early on, Mr. Harper asked Mr. Baird to think of ways of associating the Prime Minister with
national awards. Since then, new awards with the Prime Minister's title attached to them were created.
Last week, 50 flags were given to distinguished Canadians to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the
Canadian flag. Since the flag is a national, not political, symbol it might have been thought that the
awards would be in the name of the Governor-General.
Instead, the Prime Minister announced them.
Almost all (there have been exceptions) the important announcements in this government are made by
the Prime Minister.
Ministers tend to be in the wings, not in a portion of the limelight.
Inside the government, Mr. Harper is such a formidable and private person that not many people summon
the courage to challenge him. Outside the government, he doesn't have the network of friends that
previous prime ministers did to tell him casually how things look.
He is the loneliest of all prime ministers.
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comment@globeandmail.com
Back to Top
Section: World
Outlet: National Post
Illustrations:
Andrew Barr, National Post / Source: Understandingwar.org
Vadim Ghirda, The Associated Press Files / Smoke rises from the city of Kobani following an airstrike.
Headline: What's next in the fight against ISIS
Page: A15
Date: Saturday 21 February 2015
Source: National Post
For seven months, a U.S.-led coalition, including Canada, has been flying air strikes against the Islamic
State of Iraq and al-Sham in a bid to halt the terrorist group's advance. While the campaign has led to
successes, such as driving ISIS from Kobani, it has not prevented the jihadists from extending their reach
into Libya, where Egyptian Copts were beheaded last week. The National Post's Allison McNeely asked
three experts to assess the state of the conflict and what may be coming next. Their discussions have
been edited for space.
Kenneth M. Pollack Senior fellow in the Center for Middle East Policy, Brookings Institution
Q Is the West winning the war on ISIS?
A It's too soon to say.
One of the mistakes we're making is talking about it as a "war on ISIS." You need to recognize the group
is a manifestation of much larger trends. On one level, it is part of this wider Salafist trend, which is
basically a rejectionist group that stands for disenfranchised and humiliated and frustrated Muslim Arab
youth across the region. On another level, what we're really dealing with is civil wars in Iraq, Syria, Libya
and, to a lesser extent, Yemen. Dealing with this is going to mean dealing with all the problems of the
region, not just killing people from ISIS.
Q What about militarily?
A There are important gains militarily being made against ISIS in Iraq. The airstrikes are taking a
significant toll. ISIS is having a hard time shifting its forces around, it's much less able to conduct the big
and frightening attacks it mounted in 2012-14 in Syria and Iraq. It's mostly on the defensive. But this all
comes with a big "but": Politically we're not seeing the same kind of progress, even in Iraq, we're seeing
militarily. Reconciliation between Sunni and Shia is dead in the water and is going to require a huge
amount of work to revive. Without that kind of reconciliation, all this military progress is going to be for
naught.
Q What has been the biggest success?
A Military actions that speak to psychological dimensions and political commitments. So first and
foremost, just the commitment of American air power and advisers and other military and weaponry.
That's a big change in U.S. policy and that's having a big impact in the region in terms of changing
people's calculus and making them realize the Americans are actually in this fight. Then things like the
killing of the Jordanian pilot and what that did in terms of Jordanian participation. Countries such as Egypt
and Jordan were ambivalent about fighting against ISIS because their feeling was the Shia are an even
bigger threat and if ISIS fighters are killing Shia, maybe we shouldn't kill them.
Q Where will the next flashpoint come?
A The hallmark of ISIS is its unpredictability. It launches attacks and moves into areas where it's not
expected. That's the whole point. Any place where it's expected, its foes defend against it. And so its
bread and butter has been doing things to surprise people. These guys are resilient. They're not defeated.
They're far from it. They're fighting back hard and they are good at figuring out weak spots.
Q What do you think of reports of a spring offensive to retake Mosul?
A My real concern is who is going to be launching the offensive or conducting it? How much will be Iraqi
security forces, how much Shia militias? Which leads me to my next big question: How will the Sunni
population of Mosul respond? I have no doubt ISIS will fight back and it will fight hard. That said, with a lot
of air power and training and weaponry and all that kind of stuff, there's reason to believe ISIS can be
driven out of Mosul - it even might be a relatively simple takedown operation. That still leaves the big
question mark of what happens afterward.
Walter Dorn Chairman of the Department of Security and International Affairs, Canadian Forces College
Q Is the West winning the war on ISIS?
A What we've achieved is to put a halt to its expansion. So you can call that a win, but for me, winning a
war is much more about winning the peace, and we're nowhere even beginning to start to win that peace.
Q What has been the biggest success?
A Initially, preventing ISIS from taking Baghdad. That was crucial. It was important ISIS not be able to
penetrate into Baghdad and be able to start an urban war there. The air attacks put ISIS on the defensive.
Q What has been the biggest failure?
A Re-engaging the reconciliation between the three communities, Shia, Sunni and Kurd. And also how
long it took to retake Kobani. It took months with the most powerful air alliance in the world. It is a success
of one sort, but it's a muted success. It almost showed the capacity of ISIS to fight and hold territory.
Q Why is Mosul so important?
A It's a large, populated city where ISIS can draw large revenues from its governance, if you want to call it
that. It's also a large urban area where it's much easier to fight because the allies have to be much more
careful about civilian casualties. I think ISIS will fight to the death for Mosul.
Q How is ISIS different from other terrorist groups?
A It's a medieval form of brutality we've hardly seen before. You'd have to go to the Khmer Rouge or the
Rwandan genocide to get this form of brutality. The group is so uncompromising, so brutal and so
simplistically medieval in its outlook it just seems like a form of evil for us. I'm always in favour of
negotiation and I think negotiation is still necessary because it will break up the elements in ISIS. At the
same time, ISIS has to be accountable for the tremendous crimes against humanity it has committed.
Shashank Joshi Senior research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, London, and an
international relations doctoral student at Harvard University
Q Is the West winning the war on ISIS?
A No, I don't think it is.
I think we can say the West has perhaps halted ISIS's military momentum. If we look at the trajectory ISIS
was on from late 2013 to mid-2014, it was an upwardlooking one. Most of that has now changed. The
group's ability to move between its various territories - what in military terms would be called "interior lines
of communication," a significant idea for land armies in older periods of warfare - is much more limited
because it is facing a campaign of airstrikes and intelligence surveillance.
Q What has been the biggest success?
A Bringing Arab states into the military coalition. That is a major political and diplomatic success because
it is something that was considered quite unlikely. It occurred without the United States having to concede
to the Arab demands, such as the coalition target Syrian President Bashar al-Assad as well as ISIS,
which is quite impressive. And it gave significant international legitimacy to the campaign, particularly
when you enlist a number of states that have Sunni Islamic credentials, like Saudi Arabia
Q What has been the biggest failure?
A It's the lack of a Syria policy that works, at the military and strategic levels. At the military level, the
coalition has focused overwhelmingly on a single place inside Syria, Kobani. There's no overwhelming
political reason for this beyond the fact ISIS was in Kobani and focused on Kobani. So we kind of agreed;
it was almost the modern equivalent of a duel and ISIS was defeated. But ultimately we are nowhere near
reversing its successes inside Syria. We have no effective ground forces inside Syria.
Q What is the single most important thing the coalition could do to defeat ISIS?
A That's a much tougher question. I still think securing Turkish support is going to make a big difference.
Now that has a military aspect and it has a bigger aspect. The military aspect is that the coalition is flying
these aircraft to Syria from Persian Gulf bases in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, hours and hours
round-trip. If Turkey was onside it would have been far easier to conduct strikes in northern Syria. The
failure to get Turkey onside also means we are not cutting off the flow of foreign fighters in Syria as well
as we could.
Q Where will the next flashpoint come?
A Let me clarify a different way, which is "Where do I see ISIS as most dangerous?" Because that's
maybe less fraught with prediction error. From what I understand from people who track ISIS's foreign
outposts, the Sinai has to be a major concern, because of Egypt's domestic political difficulties, its
authoritarian turn at home and the fact the area is a wellestablished ground for jihadists. Libya is also a
significant concern and where ISIS seems to be having the most success with its hybrid message of
terrorist attacks, yes, but also Islamist outreach, social services, aid to the needy and domestic
governance.
National Post
Back to Top
Section: Canada / World
Byline: The Canadian Press
Outlet: Hamilton Spectator
Headline: In Brief
Page: A10
Date: Saturday 21 February 2015
Edmonton
RCMP won't lay charges against Alison Redford
The RCMP say there will be no charges resulting from their investigation into spending by former Alberta
premier Alison Redford. The government had forwarded the Mounties a report by the auditor general that
was highly critical of Redford and her office. Auditor Merwan Saher said in his report last summer he
blamed an "aura of power" around Redford and her office and the perception that their influence should
not be questioned.
Ottawa
Feds introduce tougher rules for railways
The federal government says it will beef up rail safety inspections, demand higher insurance liability from
small carriers and create a disaster relief fund paid for by oil producers - the latest response to 2013's
tragedy in Lac-Mégantic, Que. "With this legislation, any railway or any company that ships crude oil will
share in accountability for cleanup and compensation costs in event of an accident," Transport Minister
Lisa Raitt said Friday. The new legislation will set minimum insurance levels for freight operators. CN and
Canadian Pacific already meet or exceed the top $1-billion liability threshold, while smaller carriers will
have two years to meet lower limits of $25 million, $100 million or $250 million, depending on the type
and volume of dangerous goods they ship.
Ottawa
Canadian jets levelled ISIL bomb factory: military
The military says Canadian CF-18 fighter jets conducted a single attack in Iraq last week, leading a
coalition strike that destroyed a factory making improvised explosive devices. Navy Capt. Paul Forget
says the attack last week was a success. He says coalition air attacks and Iraqi ground efforts continue to
degrade the operational ability of the group known as the Islamic State. Since the Canadian mission
began last fall, CF-18s have flown 328 missions. A Canadian Polaris tanker aircraft has flown 82 sorties
and delivered more than two million kilograms of fuel to coalition aircraft.
Back to Top
Section: News
Lead: STRATFORD -- Six local veterans have been awarded France's highest award of distinction.
Headline: France honours six area veterans * MEDALS: They helped liberate France 70 years ago
Page: A11
Byline: LAURA CUDWORTH, QMI AGENCY
Outlet: The London Free Press
Date: Saturday 21 February 2015
STRATFORD -- Six local veterans have been awarded France's highest award of distinction.
The National Order of the Legion of Honour was given to Canadian veterans who fought for the liberation
of France on D-Day and in the battle of Normandy. The 70th anniversary of the campaign was marked
last year.
"It really meant something. (The Legion of Honour) was started by Napoleon and it's the highest honour
given by the French," veteran Duncan Gould said.
The six veterans -- who fought in France between June 6 and Aug. 31, 1944 -- received their medals
during a ceremony organized by veteran Art Boon.
"I want to let the public know who they are, (who) lives among them and (the public) should know what
(veterans) have done," he said.
Perth-Wellington Conservative MP Gary Schellenberger pinned the medals on Gould, Len Butson, Walter
Douglas, Gordon Zurbrigg, James Kelly and Ray Huras.
Three veterans -- A.J. Chandler, Harold Gilbert and Stewart Jeffray -- died without being decorated.
Boon was granted the Legion of Honour in 2005 during the Year of the Veteran, one of just six people in
Canada decorated at that time.
He was eager to see other deserving veterans formally awarded the honour.
"It was done properly for me and it should be done right here," Boon said. "If (France) thinks enough of us
to give their highest honour, it should be presented not delivered in the mail."
Gould, 92, had his wife, one daughter and a nephew at the ceremony. It also gave him an opportunity to
meet other veterans who participated in the campaign.
"It was really touching," he said.
--LEGION OF HONOUR
Six Canadian veterans who fought in France during the Second World War received the National Order of
the Legion of Honour, France's highest award of distinction, in a ceremony in Stratford. They are:
Len Butson; A member of the Royal Canadian Air Force, he flew missions out of England.
James Kelly: Fought with the Royal Winnipeg Rifles, 3rd Division.
Gordon Zurbrigg: Served with the 6th Canadian Armoured Regiment, 1st Hussars, out of London.
Ray Huras: A member of the Highland Light Infantry from Galt (now Cambridge), he landed at Juno
Beach on D-Day.
Walter Douglas: A member of the Essex Scottish Regiment, 2nd Division, out of Windsor.
Duncan Gould: Served with the Survey Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery, which would provide bearings
for the guns.
Back to Top
Section: Windsor & Region
Byline: Doug Schmidt
Outlet: Windsor Star
Illustrations:
Dax Melmer, The Windsor Star / Robyn Young, who is recovering from brain tumour, is heading to
Victoria, B.C. to receive vision rehabilitation.
Headline: Having beaten cancer, Windsor woman now fights military; Forces probing liability issues
Page: A2
Date: Saturday 21 February 2015
Source: The Windsor Star
A 24-year-old Windsor woman has beaten the cancer that attacked her brain, but now she has to move
back to the west coast to get the necessary treatment to try and restore her vision.
Robyn Young had corrective eye surgery performed before doctors found the actual cause of her doublevision - a toonie-sized tumour growing in her brain. With the tumour removed last summer, the earlier
surgical intervention on her optical nerve and muscle means her double-vision continues, and with it the
daily vomiting triggered by a brain trying to make sense of the unfocused imagery captured by Young's
eye.
"Her vision impairment is now directly due to that (earlier eye) surgery," said her mother Pearl Osmond.
Since the discovery of the tumour last June, Young and her family have been fighting with Canada's
military establishment to have her treatment and her recovery funded. For four years while she displayed
the classic symptoms of having a brain tumour, Young was a full-time soldier, but doctors didn't clue in on
what the real source of her headaches, chronic nausea and doublevision might have been.
It was only after passing out and then being rushed to hospital and undergoing a CT scan that the proper
diagnosis was made, followed quickly by emergency brain surgery to remove a tumorous growth. At that
time, however, Young, in anticipation of commencing nursing studies in the fall, had cut back on her naval
reservist status and was no longer medically covered by the Canadian Forces.
"The military won't accept liability for the misdiagnosis," said Osmond, an Afghanistan
war veteran and former longtime Canadian Forces operations officer.
For her "vision rehabilitation," Young must return to Victoria, BC, her home at the time of last year's
diagnosis. Osmond said there's a waiting list for such help in Ontario.
To assist with the cost of the move and other expenses, Royal Canadian Legion Branch 594 at 5030
Howard Ave. is hosting a fundraiser Feb. 21 from 2 to 7 p.m. It's $20 to attend and there are door prizes.
Osmond said she and her daughter will be in Ottawa next week, meeting with MPs and lobbying
Veteran's Affairs for assistance. Perhaps stung by a recent spate of bad-news stories on the alleged
shabby treatment of Canadian soldiers seeking help at home, the federal government just this month
began covering the ongoing drug costs of Young's treatment, which, at about $1,000 a month since last
June, had depleted the family's savings.
The family wants the military to recognize that Young was a full-time soldier when she had the tumour
and that her treatment, including medical and drug costs, would have been fully covered with a proper
and timelier diagnosis. Osmond said the Canadian Forces are currently conducting a "quality-of-care
review" into the matter.
"It's been a fight, but we're getting there," said Osmond, who gives much credit and thanks for the support
of Windsor's "really good military family community."
Osmond said her daughter dreams of fully restoring her vision and then returning to the military, where
she started in the naval reserves at age 16, and becoming a logistics officer. "They shouldn't just give up
on this young woman," said Osmond.
Anyone who can't attend the fundraiser but still wishes to assist can contact the family through Osmond's
business website at www.shop.auntbeescleaning. com dschmidt@windsorstar.com
twitter/com/schmidtcity
Back to Top
Section: Editorial/Opinion
Lead: There's a reason why we've been calling it just the Islamic State. Full stop.
Headline: Canada must help destroy Islamic State
Page: E2
Byline: SUN MEDIA
Outlet: The London Free Press
Date: Saturday 21 February 2015
There's a reason why we've been calling it just the Islamic State. Full stop.
For a while it had been going by Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. Or Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant.
President Barack Obama likes to use that last one.
But last June, the jihadist group announced they were changing their name. They were dropping off the
last two words. They wanted to be known just as the Islamic State.
This actually matters. It's not like when the folks in accounting e-mail you to say they've changed the label
on a file for some random reason.
Becoming just the "Islamic State" meant they were no longer contained by borders. It wasn't about
dominating Iraq or Syria. It became about taking on the world.
They were declaring themselves an international caliphate that would spread as far as possible. Their
words. Not ours. And they meant business.
Think it's absurd? Think it's far-fetched? Sure, it is. But take a moment to ponder this recent headline from
The Daily Beast: Italy Fears ISIS Invasion From Libya.
That's right. The Italians are worried about how they're going to deal with this, because a couple of years
ago they knocked 40% off their military budget.
It's hard in peacetime to understand why the military matters. It's clearer now. That's why we're not getting
too worked up about the difference in Iraq mission cost estimates that came out Tuesday.
The Canadian government put current costs at $122 million. The parliamentary budget officer pegs it
somewhere between $129 million and $166 million.
It's good the opposition is now debating every dollar -- paying for war is hell -- although we're scratching
our heads why they're fiscal conservatives now, but not when it comes to social programs and their pet
projects.
The NDP and Liberals need to be less partisan on Iraq and realize this is about being on the right side of
history. Strong Western forces must ally against the caliphate. Canada must do its part.
Less than 100 years after the rise of Nazism, another force of sheer destruction is gaining ground in the
world.
Of course things like budget estimates matter. But destroying the Islamic State matters more.
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Section: Actualités
Byline: Hélène Buzzetti
Outlet: Le Devoir
Headline: Nouveaux pouvoirs antiterroristes: plusieurs interventions échapperont aux juges
Page: A3
Date: Saturday 21 February 2015
Les nouveaux pouvoirs conférés aux espions canadiens par la loi antiterroriste ne seront pas aussi
soumis à l'aval d'un juge que le laisse croire le gouvernement conservateur. Un mandat judiciaire sera
requis du Service canadien du renseignement de sécurité (SCRS) seulement si les méthodes qu'il entend
employer sont illégales.
Le projet de loi C-51 accorde un nouveau pouvoir au SCRS, celui de perturber une activité qui " constitue
une menace envers la sécurité du Canada ". Le SCRS pourrait par exemple entrer en contact avec un
terroriste en herbe pour le détourner de cette voie ou encore perturber l'expédition de matériel chimique
que convoiteraient peut-être des gens mal intentionnés. Les experts s'interrogent sur la nécessité
d'étendre au SCRS ce pouvoir de perturbation que les corps de police ont déjà. La différence, soulignentils à gros traits, c'est que le travail policier débouche sur des accusations. Dans le cadre des procédures
judiciaires qui s'ensuivent, ce travail policier est révélé au grand jour et peut être contesté par l'accusé.
Ce n'est pas le cas avec le SCRS, qui n'a pas le mandat de faire enquête, encore moins de procéder à
des arrestations. Cela fait craindre à plusieurs experts la transformation du SCRS en une sorte de police
politique de l'ombre.
Pour rassurer tout le monde, les ministres conservateurs répètent que ces pouvoirs seront conditionnels
à l'obtention d'un mandat d'un juge. Encore vendredi, le ministre de la Justice, Peter MacKay, a déclaré
en Chambre que " la surveillance judiciaire est nécessaire pour que nos agences de renseignement
puissent agir sur les renseignements qui auront été colligés ". La veille, le ministre de la Défense, Jason
Kenney, avait déclaré que ce sont plutôt aux " juges et aux tribunaux " que les nouveaux pouvoirs sont
accordés.
Dans les faits, le projet de loi C-51 stipule que l'obtention d'un mandat d'un juge pour autoriser la
perturbation du SCRS est nécessaire seulement " s'il s'agit de mesures qui porteront atteinte à un droit
ou à une liberté garantis par la Charte canadienne des droits et libertés ou qui seront contraires à
d'autres règles du droit canadien ". Le député néodémocrate Randall Garrison estime que le
gouvernement conservateur n'est pas honnête. " Toutes sortes d'activités de perturbation pourront être
menées sans la supervision de qui que ce soit ", a-t-il dit au réseau CBC. Effacer des informations de
l'ordinateur de quelqu'un, perturber un transfert d'argent électronique ou encore couper les services de
télécommunications d'une personne : " Aucune de ces mesures ne nécessitera un mandat ", dit-il.
Le professeur Craig Forcese, un spécialiste des questions de sécurité à l'Université d'Ottawa, abonde
dans le même sens. " Si le gouvernement veut vraiment dire qu'aucune mesure d'aucune nature ne sera
prise par le SCRS à moins que le Service n'obtienne un mandat judiciaire, alors il doit l'inclure dans la Loi
et réécrire l'article 12.1 ", indique-t-il. M. Forcese souligne que c'est le SCRS qui déterminera, seul, si les
mesures qu'il entend prendre nécessitent l'autorisation d'un juge. La formule retenue dans C-51 pour faire
cette détermination n'est même pas au conditionnel. Elle ne dit pas qu'un mandat doit être obtenu si les
mesures envisagées " pourraient porter atteinte " à un droit, mais seulement lorsqu'elles " porteront
atteinte " à un droit.
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Media Sources and Abbreviations
Les sources médiatiques et abréviations
AN (L’Acadie Nouvelle)
CG (Charlottetown Guardian)
CH (Calgary Herald)
CSun (Calgary Sun)
Ctz (Ottawa Citizen)
Dr (Le Droit)
Dv (Le Devoir)
EJ (Edmonton Journal)
ESun (Edmonton Sun)
FDG (Fredericton Daily Gleaner)
G&M (Globe and Mail)
Gaz (Montreal Gazette)
HCH (Halifax Chronicle-Herald)
HS (Hamilton Spectator)
JM (Le Journal de Montréal)
JQ (Le Journal de Québec)
KWS (Kingston Whig-Standard)
LFP (London Free Press)
LN (Le Nouvelliste - Trois Rivières)
MT&T (Monton Times and Transcript)
NBTJ (New Brunswick Telegraph Journal)
NP (National Post)
OSun (Ottawa Sun)
Pr (La Presse)
RLP (Regina Leader-Post)
SJT (St. John’s Telegram)
Sol (Le Soleil)
SSP (Saskatoon Star-Phoenix)
TM (Télémédia)
TStar (Toronto Star)
TSun (Toronto Sun)
VSun (Vancouver Sun)
VE (Le Voix de L’Est, Granby)
VProv (Vancouver Province)
VSun (Vancouver Sun)
VTC (Victoria Times-Colonist)
WFP (Winnipeg Free Press)
WStar (Windsor Star)
WSun (Winnipeg Sun)
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