NATIONAL NEWS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY / SOMMAIRE DES NOUVELLES NATIONALES
ADM(PA) / SMA(AP)
April 7, 2011 / le 7 avril 2011
CDS / CEM
No related coverage. / Aucune couverture pertinente.
MILITARY POLICE COMPLAINTS COMMISSION / COMMISSION D'EXAMEN DES PLAINTES
CONCERNANT LA POLICE MILITAIRE
No related coverage. / Aucune couverture pertinente.
CANADA IN AFGHANISTAN / LE CANADA EN AFGHANISTAN
Bruce Carson Controversy
Bruce Carson was the Prime Minister's point man on Canada's mission in Afghanistan and was provided
sensitive information about the military mission despite his criminal record, the Toronto Star has learned.
Starting in 2007, Carson was a regular participant in daily telephone briefings on Afghanistan involving
senior officials from departments such as foreign affairs, defence, RCMP, justice and corrections. News of
the other concealed criminal charges against Carson are raising red flags among those involved in the
Afghanistan file, as they question how a man with such a past could have obtained the security
clearances needed to participate in the calls - and gain access to their secrets. Those on the call typically
required a "top secret" clearance since the sensitive information being discussed involved not only
Canada's military but also those of other nations (B. Campion-Smith: TStar A1).
NATO Offensive Makes Inroads
A weeklong offensive by Afghan and NATO-led forces has killed about 130 insurgents in an east
Afghanistan province, the governor said on Wednesday, one of the highest militant casualty tolls from a
single operation in recent months. Fazlullah Wahidi, the governor of Kunar province, one of the areas in
the volatile east where the Taliban have recently gained ground, told Reuters the weeklong air and
ground assaults had focused on two districts which the Taliban had taken over. The regional office for the
NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said that 80 insurgents had been killed in the
operation. Six foreign and two Afghan soldiers also died (Reuters: ESun 42).
Protests in Afghanistan
U.S. President Barack Obama and Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Wednesday deplored an explosion
of violence in Afghanistan over the torching of a Qur'an by an American pastor, after a sixth day of
protests. Meanwhile, protests continued for a sixth day Wednesday, while a woman died in a car crash
involving a NATO military convoy in the Afghan capital Kabul, triggering a demonstration in which stones
were thrown at the international forces (AFP: EJ A19; Reuters: ESun 42).
CF OPERATIONS IN LIBYA / OPÉRATION DES FC EN LYBIE
Canada Sends More Troops to Libya
Canada has boosted the number of personnel involved in the NATO-led mission in Libya by nearly 200,
the military said Wednesday. There are now 570 Canadian army and navy personnel taking part in
international efforts to crack down on Libyan despot Moammar Gadhafi. BGen Richard Blanchette made
the comments during a media briefing on the mission. He also said Canadian CF-18 fighter jets had been
on 14 flights since last week, targeting a number of ammunitions depots and military bunkers in Libya (J.
Murphy: TSun 52, ESun 8, CSun 25).
Gadhafi Forces Shell Misrata, Rebels Call for Airstrikes
Forces loyal to Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi shelled Misrata on Wednesday and one resident was
killed in clashes, rebels said, calling for tougher NATO action as explosions rocked the besieged city.
Abdelsalam, a rebel spokesperson, said by telephone: "NATO needs to either launch a serious operation
to take out all the heavy armoured vehicles, including tanks. Destroying a tank here and there doesn't
help. If they don't want to do this, they should provide us with weapons to do it ourselves." The rebels are
angered by what they perceive to be a scaling back of air strikes since NATO took over (Reuters: EJ A10,
SSP C12, KWS 13, LFP B4).
NATO Concerned About Human Shields
NATO, accused of mission failure by Libyan rebels, admitted Wednesday it has to be "particularly careful"
with its air strikes as Libyan government troops are using civilians as human shields. "NATO forces have
been particularly careful to avoid injury to civilians who are in close proximity to the fighting, often
precisely because of the tactics of government forces," the deputy commander of operations, Rear
Admiral Russell Harding told journalists. He added: "Libyan government forces have increasingly shifted
to non-conventional tactics, blending in with road traffic and using civilian life as a shield for their
advance." Of particular concern is the western town of Misurata, held by rebels but under attack by
Gaddafi troops. "Misurata is our number one priority," said NATO deputy spokeswoman Carmen Romero
(No byline: NP A13).
Gadhafi Asks Obama to Halt Air Campaign
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Wednesday rebuffed a personal appeal from Moammar Gadhafi to
President Barack Obama and demanded the Libyan leader withdraw his forces and go into exile. Obama
received a rambling, three-page letter from Gadhafi asking for a halt to a western air campaign against
his forces, but U.S. officials bluntly dismissed the plea (Reuters: Ctz A11, WSun 30, TSun 28, CSun 22,
ESun 17, OSun 25; London Daily Telegraph: Gaz A15; NYT: TStar A20).
Text of Gadhafi’s letter was printed in the Globe and Mail (E. Reguly: G&M A1).
OTHERS / AUTRES
Control of West Coast Ships
Canada's navy is examining a controversial plan that would see it switch control of its ships on the west
coast to the service's headquarters in Halifax. Sources say the plan should be finalized in late May or
early June. Defence Minister Peter MacKay's office did not respond Tuesday night to a request for
comment (D. Pugliese: Gaz A12).
Premier Christy Clark says command of the Pacific fleet will remain in Esquimalt despite a proposal to
move top jobs to Halifax -a plan that alarmed Victoria's business leaders and politicians Wednesday.
The premier said she immediately called Ottawa when she learned about the proposal. As part of a
proposed reorganization of the navy, federal officials are examining a plan that includes moving some top
command and operational jobs to Halifax. Clark said she's confident Esquimalt will not lose command of
the Pacific fleet (C. Harnett: VTC D1, VProv A10).
Control of West Coast Ships: Comment
Vancouver Sun editorial: Postmedia defence reporter David Pugliese discovered that the navy is
considering moving senior staff from CFB Esquimalt to Halifax, a plan touted as a cost-saving and
efficiency measure. The plan is based on the notion that ships' modern communication systems have
lessened the value of physical proximity. British Columbians are all too familiar with the reality of living in
a country where the national capital is three time zones to the east. By the time we get to work, the capital
is shut down for lunch and by two in afternoon in Vancouver, much of Ottawa has headed home.
Business that should take hours often drags on for days as a result. While we recognize that the military
operates on a 24-hour clock, especially during emergencies, the time gap will affect the decision-making
process and create an institutional bias toward East Coast priorities. This campaign is a good opportunity
for the Conservatives to open up about what their plans are now for the defence of our coast and for the
other parties to explain what they would do differently, if anything, on this crucial issue (VSun A14).
F-35 Fighter Jets: Comment
Edmonton Journal editorial: Affordability is clearly in the eye of the beholder, who must choose among the
$16-billion (over 20 years) estimate from the Harper government regarding its proposed order of 65 jets,
the 30-year, $29-billion number calculated by the parliamentary budget officer or the newest entry in the
derby, a $39-billion "guesstimate" from an American defence-spending watchdog. At any of these price
points, this purchase represents the single largest military expenditure in Canadian history. But Canada
continues to send sons and daughters, wives and husbands into far-flung conflicts. There is both danger
and honour in fulfilling our commitments to NATO and our increasing role in pursuing global stability.
Coincidentally, there should be a deep sense of national pride in supporting those missions with taxpayer
investment that on occasion goes above and beyond the call of duty. Because that's what we would ask
of our military personnel (EJ A16).
Section: News
Headline: Carson was point man for PMO on Afghan file
Page: A1
Byline: Bruce Campion-Smith Toronto Star
Outlet: Toronto Star
Date: Thursday 07 April 2011
Bruce Carson was the Prime Minister's point man on Canada's mission in Afghanistan and was provided
sensitive information about the military mission despite his criminal record, the Star has learned.
Stephen Harper now says he never would have hired Carson had he known all the details of his criminal
past.
But starting in 2007, Carson was a regular participant in daily telephone briefings on Afghanistan
involving senior officials from departments such as foreign affairs, defence, RCMP, justice and
corrections.
"It was evident to all the departments that he was the main player, Harper's point man on the file," said
one source familiar with the briefings. "He was given the most sensitive file to work on ... it's not like he
was working in the mailroom."
While Harper has a national security adviser, it was left to chief policy analyst Carson to stickhandle the
Afghan file on a daily basis.
Carson's focus was usually on how the mission was being communicated here in Canada rather than on
developments in the field, the source said.
"The PMO micromanaged the whole thing," the source said.
"They were always a bloody handful to deal with."
In turn, Carson would have had a hand in briefing Harper on Afghanistan, which has been the country's
diplomatic and military focus.
"He was the point of contact ... He was Harper's guy," the source said.
Carson took over on the daily briefings from Sandra Buckler, who served as Harper's director of
communications.
The revelations are sure to raise fresh questions about how a man with Carson's past gained access to
the top office in government and was allowed to participate in sensitive briefings about the military
mission.
Harper has already admitted he hired Carson knowing about his conviction on two counts of fraud in the
early 1980s. He said he learned only this week that Carson had also been convicted of three counts of
fraud and ordered to undergo psychiatric treatment in 1990.
"Had I known these things, obviously I would not have hired him," Harper said earlier this week.
But news of the added criminal charges are raising red flags among those involved in the Afghanistan file,
as they question how a man with such a past could have obtained the security clearances needed to
participate in the calls - and gain access to their secrets.
Those on the call typically required a "top secret" clearance since the sensitive information being
discussed involved not only Canada's military but also those of other nations.
Section: News
Lead: KUNAR, Afghanistan -- A weeklong offensive by Afghan and NATO-led forces has killed about 130
insurgents in an east Afghanistan province, the governor said on Wednesday, one of the highest militant
casualty tolls from a single operation in recent months.
Headline: Afghans, NAT O pound Taliban
Page: 42
Byline: REUTERS
Outlet: The Edmonton Sun
Date: Thursday 07 April 2011
KUNAR, Afghanistan -- A weeklong offensive by Afghan and NATO-led forces has killed about 130
insurgents in an east Afghanistan province, the governor said on Wednesday, one of the highest militant
casualty tolls from a single operation in recent months.
Fazlullah Wahidi, the governor of Kunar province, one of the areas in the volatile east where the Taliban
have recently gained ground, told Reuters the weeklong air and ground assaults had focused on two
districts which the Taliban had taken over.
"The troops killed 132 insurgents, wounded 20 and detained another 40," Wahidi said from Kunar.
The regional office for the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said that 80
insurgents had been killed in the operation. Six foreign and two Afghan soldiers also died.
Kunar shares a long, porous border with lawless tribal areas in Pakistan believed to harbour Taliban and
other militants. Last month, insurgents ambushed and abducted 50 off-duty Afghan police officers in the
province.
Wahidi said the fighters NATO and Afghan troops were battling were coming over the border from
Pakistan, but added he did not know their nationalities.
Afghan and ISAF troops had killed 64 civilians, including many women and children, during operations in
Ghazi Abad district of Kunar in February, Afghan officials have said.
ISAF troops have disputed this account and say they killed only insurgents, but have agreed to further
investigations.
© 2011 Sun Media Corporation
Section: News
Outlet: Edmonton Journal
Illustrations:
ers prepare to go to secure a bridge in
the town of Delaram where protests over the U.S. turned violent.
Headline: Obama, Karzai deplore Afghan Qur'an violence
Page: A19
Date: Thursday 07 April 2011
Dateline: KABUL
Source: Agence France-Presse
U.S. President Barack Obama and Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Wednesday deplored an explosion
of violence in Afghanistan over the torching of a Qur'an by an American pastor, after a sixth day of
protests.
The two leaders held an hour-long video conference to discuss the wave of demonstrations against last
month's burning of a Qur'an at a church in Florida which have left at least 24 dead, including seven United
Nations employees.
Protests continued for a sixth day Wednesday, while a woman died in a car crash involving a NATO
military convoy in the Afghan capital Kabul, triggering a demonstration in which stones were thrown at the
international forces.
The White House said that "both leaders deplored the desecration of the Qur'an, strongly condemned the
April 1 attack on (the United Nations compound) in Mazar-i-Sharif and expressed deep regret for the
tragic loss of life."
"The two presidents were clear that to attack and kill innocent people is an affront to human decency and
dignity," it said.
But tensions between Karzai and his Western allies have been growing in recent months, and a
statement from the Afghan president's office differed in nuance to the U.S. interpretation. The Afghan
statement said the presidents discussed "the desecration of the Qur'an by the American pastor and the
subsequent unpleasant incidents that followed in Afghanistan."
It said that Obama had "strongly condemned the desecration of the Qur'an by an American pastor and
regretted the casualties at protests in Mazar-i-Sharif and Kandahar." It reiterated that Karzai would
investigate the violence.
The White House has this week called the burning "un-American," after Obama had earlier branded it an
act of "extreme intolerance and bigotry."
There has been little violent reaction in the rest of the Islamic world to the Qur'an burning, but protests
began in Afghanistan eight days after Karzai condemned it as "disrespectful and abhorrent."
The violence comes as Afghan forces are due to assume control of security in a handful of Afghanistan's
safer areas -including Mazar-i-Sharif -from July, allowing limited foreign troop withdrawals to begin.
Obama and Karzai also discussed progress in the transition, the White House said.
Elsewhere in the troubled country, seven insurgents were killed overnight after launching a rocket attack
on a military airport in the eastern city of Jalalabad, where the local provincial governor was present.
Also in the east, an ISAF spokesman said that at least 80 insurgents and six international troops had
been killed over the last 10 days in the strategically crucial Kunar province, which borders Pakistan.
Section: News
Lead: KABUL -- British troops killed an Afghan woman and wounded a woman and a child in a car
accident in Kabul on Wednesday, a spokesman for the Kabul police chief said, adding that initial reports a
man had been shot dead at the scene were wrong.
Headline: Civilian shooting death report comes at bad time
Page: 42
Byline: HAMID SHALIZI, REUTERS
Outlet: The Edmonton Sun
Date: Thursday 07 April 2011
KABUL -- British troops killed an Afghan woman and wounded a woman and a child in a car accident in
Kabul on Wednesday, a spokesman for the Kabul police chief said, adding that initial reports a man had
been shot dead at the scene were wrong.
Spokesman Hashmat Stanekzai said information he had initially given out, that two women and a man
had been killed, was the result of miscommunication between security forces.
The accident came at a time of heightened anti-Western sentiment across Afghanistan because of the
burning of a Qur'an by a radical fundamentalist U.S. pastor in late March.
There have been days of protests about the desecration of Islam's holy book, some of which have turned
deadly.
Seven foreign UN staff and at least 17 Afghans have been killed in violence in northern Mazar-i-Sharif
and southern Kandahar city.
"There was a miscommunication between security forces, the situation was not clear, we were told that
two women were killed and another man shot dead," Stanekzai said, confirming that only one woman was
killed in the accident.
"Eyewitnesses at the scene said there were shootings but we are still investigating," he added.
The troops involved were back on their base, and Afghan police had gone there to investigate.
A spokesman for NATO-led troops confirmed there had been a road accident involving some coalition
soldiers, but declined further comment, saying they were still getting details.
The British embassy declined immediate comment, because they do not comment on NATO issues.
Civilian casualties are a volatile issue in Afghanistan, angering ordinary people, many of whom have seen
little benefit from nearly 10 years of foreign military intervention.
They have also long been a source of tension between President Hamid Karzai and his Western backers.
In 2006, a U.S. military vehicle was involved in an accident in Kabul which sparked bloody anti-American
rioting.
© 2011 Sun Media Corporation
Section: News
Lead: OTTAWA -- Canada has boosted the number of personnel involved in the NATO-led mission in
Libya by nearly 200, the military said Wednesday.
Headline: Canada ups Libyan mission by 200
Page: 52
Byline: JESSICA MURPHY
Outlet: The Toronto Sun
Date: Thursday 07 April 2011
OTTAWA -- Canada has boosted the number of personnel involved in the NATO-led mission in Libya by
nearly 200, the military said Wednesday.
There are now 570 Canadian army and navy personnel taking part in international efforts to crack down
on Libyan despot Moammar Gadhafi.
That's compared to the 380 personnel originally posted when Canada joined the mission in March.
Brig.-Gen Richard Blanchette made the comments during a media briefing on the mission.
FIGHTER JETS INVOLVED
He also said Canadian CF-18 fighter jets had been on 14 flights since last week, targeting a number of
ammunitions depots and military bunkers in Libya.
Canada also has navy frigate HMCS Charlottetown patrolling the waters north of Libya and CP-140
Aurora aircrafts flying the coastline.
The NATO mission is headed by Canadian Lt.-Gen Charles Bouchard.
© 2011 Sun Media Corporation
Section: News
Outlet: Edmonton Journal
Headline: Gadhafi forces shell city isolated in west, rebels say
Page: A10
Date: Thursday 07 April 2011
Dateline: TUNIS
Source: Reuters
Forces loyal to Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi shelled Misrata on Wednesday and one resident was
killed in clashes, rebels said, calling for tougher NATO action as explosions rocked the besieged city.
Like many cities, Misrata rejected Gadhafi's rule in a revolt in February. In a crackdown, Gadhafi forces
retook most of western Libya, leaving Misrata cut off and surrounded, with supplies dwindling.
"There was fighting on three fronts today -the port in the east, the centre around Tripoli streets, and the
west of the city. Mortars, tank fire, and artillery were used to shell those areas," a rebel called Abdelsalam
said by telephone. "Medical sources told me one person was killed and five were injured."
As he spoke, an explosion could be heard in the background.
"We heard several explosions and rebels I spoke with said there were airstrikes. They could see huge
plumes of smoke in west Misrata near the beach, an area called Zrek," he said, adding the area is used
by Gadhafi forces to shell the port.
He said NATO strikes had previously hit brigades in south Misrata. "We don't know how effective the air
strikes were, but we don't feel any difference, the situation is still the same."
"NATO needs to either launch a serious operation to take out all the heavy armoured vehicles, including
tanks. Destroying a tank here and there doesn't help. If they don't want to do this, they should provide us
with weapons to do it ourselves."
The rebels are angered by what they perceive to be a scaling back of air strikes since NATO took over.
Section: World
Outlet: National Post
Illustrations:
Headline: Rebel oil Tanker leaves Tobruk
Page: A13
Date: Thursday 07 April 2011
Source: National Post News Services
NATO CONCERNED ABOUT HUMAN SHIELDS
NATO, accused of mission failure by Libyan rebels, admitted Wednesday it has to be "particularly careful"
with its air strikes as Libyan government troops are using civilians as human shields. "NATO forces have
been particularly careful to avoid injury to civilians who are in close proximity to the fighting, often
precisely because of the tactics of government forces," the deputy commander of operations, Rear
Admiral Russell Harding told journalists. "Libyan government forces have increasingly shifted to nonconventional tactics, blending in with road traffic and using civilian life as a shield for their advance." Of
particular concern is the western town of Misurata, held by rebels but under attack by Gaddafi troops.
"Misurata is our number one priority," said NATO deputy spokeswoman Carmen Romero.
Section: World
Byline: Matt Spetalnick And Arshad Mohammed
Outlet: Ottawa Citizen
Headline: Gadhafi asks Obama to halt air campaign; U.S. dismisses 'rambling' appeal from Libyan leader
Page: A11
Date: Thursday 07 April 2011
Dateline: WASHINGTON U.S.
Source: Reuters
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Wednesday rebuffed a personal appeal from Moammar Gadhafi to
President Barack Obama and demanded the Libyan leader withdraw his forces and go into exile.
Obama received a rambling, three-page letter from Gadhafi asking for a halt to a western air campaign
against his forces, but U.S. officials bluntly dismissed the plea.
"Mr. Gadhafi knows what he must do," Clinton told a news conference.
"There needs to be a ceasefire, his forces need to withdraw from the cities that they have forcibly taken at
great violence and human cost. There needs to be a decision made about his departure from power and
... his departure from Libya," she said.
Gadhafi's appeal came as Libyan rebels regained ground in a new advance on an oil port but accused
NATO of not doing enough to help them end his 41-year rule.
"We can confirm that there was a letter, but obviously not the first," Obama spokesman Jay Carney told
reporters travelling with Obama to Pennsylvania. "The conditions the president laid out were clear, which
is action, not words."
He declined to provide details on the letter's contents.
Gadhafi, according to a copy obtained by The Associated Press, is said to have addressed Obama as
"our son" and "excellency" and implored him to stop what Gadhafi called an "unjust war against a small
people of a developing country."
A U.S. official said Washington had received many letters from Gadhafi over the years and the latest was
not being taken any more seriously than the earlier ones.
Obama has sought to avert a humanitarian disaster in Libya and keep turmoil in the North African oilexporting country from destabilizing the broader region while also trying to limit U.S. involvement. He is
mindful of an American public already weary of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Obama has called for Gadhafi to leave but has insisted the United States will not use military force to oust
him.
"I don't think there is any mystery about what is expected from Mr. Gadhafi at this time," Clinton said.
"The sooner that occurs, and the bloodshed ends, the better it will be for everyone."
The United States took the lead in airstrikes when military action was first authorized by the United
Nations on March 17 against Gadhafi loyalists attacking civilians. NATO assumed full command of
military operations from the United States, Britain and France last Thursday.
NATO's air assault, which includes Canadian jets, has targeted Gadhafi's military infrastructure but only to
protect civilians, not to provide close air support for rebels.
Section: News
Byline: ALEX SPILLIUS
Outlet: Montreal Gazette
Headline: Gadhafi asks Obama to end NATO raids; Misrata shelling continues; Libyan leader's letter to
'our son' wishes him success in 2012 re-election bid
Page: A15
Date: Thursday 07 April 2011
Dateline: WASHINGTON
Source: London Daily Telegraph
Moammar Gadhafi has written to U.S. President Barack Obama asking him to halt the NATO military
campaign against Libya, while wishing him success in his 2012 re-election bid.
U.S. officials said that in the rambling, three-page letter the Libyan leader referred to the president as "our
son," and said his country had been hurt more morally than physically by the bombings. He also repeated
his claim that his domestic enemies were members of Al-Qa'ida.
Referring to the new background role of the U.S. air force, Jana, the official Libyan news agency, said
that "the leader of the revolution (Gadhafi) sent a message to U.S. president Barack Obama after the
United States withdrew from the aggressive, colonialist coalition crusading against Libya."
The White House responded that Gadhafi "should be judged not on his words, but his actions in ending
violence against civilians."
The Libyan leader had written to Obama before the conflict, but his new missive will raise some hopes in
London and Washington that the pressure created by nearly three weeks of attacks is beginning to take
its toll.
A former U.S. congressman with prior dealings with Gadhafi has arrived in Tripoli on a private mission
seeking a peace deal that would include the Libyan's departure.
Curt Weldon, a Republican representative from Pennsylvania from 1987 to 2007, said in a New York
Times column that he was in Libya as the leader of a small private delegation at the invitation of Gadhafi's
chief of staff. "Our purpose is to meet with Col. Gadhafi and persuade him to step aside," he said.
A U.S. official said the Obama administration was aware of the mission but stressed that Weldon was
"travelling in a private capacity."
Meanwhile, forces loyal to Gadhafi shelled Misrata on Wednesday and one resident was killed in clashes,
rebels said, calling for tougher NATO action.
Like many cities, Misrata rejected Gadhafi's rule in a revolt in February. In a violent crackdown, Gadhafi
forces retook most of western Libya, leaving Misrata cut off and surrounded, with dwindling supplies.
The rebels are angered by what they perceive to be a scaling back of air strikes since NATO took over,
following an early onslaught led by the United States, France and Britain that at one stage tilted the war in
the rebels' favour.
"I ask the international community, which is still confused and reluctant to bomb his (Gadhafi) forces
properly: isn't he the main threat to civilians?" a rebel spokesman called Gemal said.
"They should do more."
Reuters contributed to this report
Section: News
Headline: Gadhafi's letter asks Obama for ceasefire; Leader's forces keep up attacks on rebel areas
Page: A20
Byline: David D. Kirkpatrick and C.J. Chivers NEW YORK TIMES
Outlet: Toronto Star
Date: Thursday 07 April 2011
The White House acknowledged Wednesday that U.S. President Barack Obama had received another
letter from Moammar Gadhafi. Officials refused to divulge the contents, but the Associated Press reported
that it rambled for three pages before appealing for a ceasefire.
Obama did not respond but Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Gadhafi "knows what he must do."
She added: "There needs to be a ceasefire, his forces need to withdraw from the cities that they have
forcibly taken at great violence and human cost. There needs to be a decision made about his departure
from power."
In the rebel-held city of Misurata in western Libya and on the eastern front with the rebels around the oil
town of Brega, Gadhafi forces continued to hammer rebels with rockets, artillery and mortars, as rebel
leaders expressed exasperation at the limits of NATO's support. But a rebel spokesman reported that
NATO airstrikes had pushed Gadhafi loyalist forces away from the port, opening it to vital supply ships.
The rebels in the east played cat-and-mouse on Wednesday with the superior Gadhafi forces entrenched
in Brega, advancing a few kilometres from their position about 25 kilometres outside the city, firing rockets
and then rushing back to avoid the highly accurate artillery fire that inevitably ensues.
In contrast with Tuesday, when the skies were largely empty, several airstrikes were seen Wednesday, a
doctor with the rebels said. But the Gadhafi forces were clearly in control of Brega, and there seemed
little chance of dislodging them without the heavy airstrikes that two weeks ago sent the loyalist forces
reeling toward the Gadhafi stronghold of Sirte.
A spokesman for the Libyan rebel movement said oil production had been halted in the rebel areas after
three days of attacks on oil installations by Gadhafi forces. The spokesman, Abdul Hafidh Ghoga, said
rebels had been producing 100,000 barrels a day before the attacks. Ghoga said rebels would still be
able to ship oil, through a marketing agreement with Qatar, from an estimated one million barrels held in
reserve.
The nature of the damage was not immediately clear, though Ghoga said Gadhafi loyalists in vehicles
attacked two installations, in the Missla and Sarir fields of southeastern Libya. His announcement ended
several days of mixed messages about the consequences of the attacks: on Tuesday, the head of the
rebel army, Abdul Fattah Younis, had called the attacks insignificant.
Ghoga said: "I think that we will not depend on oil revenues in the coming stage because our production
has been affected in this crisis."
Section: International News
Outlet: The Globe And Mail
Byline: ERIC REGULY
Headline: Africa's exodus, Italy's burden
Page: A1
Date: Thursday 07 April 2011
*****
GADHAFI'S LETTER
The White House confirmed that Barack Obama received the following letter from Moammar Gadhafi. The
misspellings and grammatical errors are in the original letter.
Our son, Excellency, President Obama, U.S.A: We have been hurt more morally that physically because
of what had happened against us in both deeds and words by you. Despite all this you will always remain
our son whatever happened. We still pray that you continue to be president of the U.S.A. We Endeavour
and hope that you will gain victory in the new election campaigne. You are a man who has enough
courage to annul a wrong and mistaken action. I am sure that you are able to shoulder the responsibility
for that. Enough evidence is available, Bearing in mind that you are the president of the strongest power
in the world nowadays, and since Nato is waging an unjust war against a small people of a developing
country. This country had already been subjected to embargo and sanctions, furthermore it also suffered
a direct military armed aggression during Reagan's time. This country is Libya. Hence, to serving world
peace... Friendship between our peoples ... and for the sake of economic, and security cooperation
against terror, you are in a position to keep Nato off the Libyan affair for good.
As you know too well democracy and building of civil society cannot be achieved by means of missiles
and aircraft, or by backing armed member of AlQuaeda in Benghazi.
You - yourself - said on many occasions, one of them in the UN General Assembly, I was witness to that
personally, that America is not responsible for the security of other peoples. That America helps only.
This is the right logic.
Our dear son, Excellency, Baraka Hussein Abu oumama, your intervention is the name of the U.S.A. is a
must, so that Nato would withdraw finally from the Libyan affair. Libya should be left to Libyans within the
African union frame. The problem now stands as follows:
1. There is Nato intervention politically as well as military.
2. Terror conducted by AlQaueda gangs that have been armed in some cities, and by force refused to
allow people to go back to their normal life, and carry on with exercising their social people's power as
usual. - Mu'aumer Qaddaffi
Section: News
Byline: DAVID PUGLIESE
Outlet: Montreal Gazette
Headline: Navy ponders remote control of Pacific fleet to save money
Page: A12
Date: Thursday 07 April 2011
Source: Postmedia News; Ottawa Citizen
Canada's navy is examining a controversial plan that would see it switch control of its ships on the west
coast to the service's headquarters in Halifax.
The plan is already meeting with internal resistance from some officers who question the wisdom of
having operations in the Pacific Ocean run by staff who are thousands of kilometres away.
But top navy officials have argued that the plan, which would see some jobs at CFB Esquimalt in Victoria
moved to Halifax, would be more efficient and that ships can be controlled from anywhere in the country.
"We are investigating the re-organization of the navy and how we do business but we're still in the
developmental stage so nothing firm has been approved through the department and through the
minister's office yet," said navy spokesperson Lt. Cmdr. Brian Owens. "A lot of things are being
considered but until it's approved we'd be jumping the gun on announcing things."
Sources say the plan should be finalized in late May or early June.
Defence Minister Peter MacKay's office did not respond Tuesday night to a request for comment.
The plan is aimed at improving efficiency and cutting down on overhead and duplication, as the navy
struggles to continue doing its job on a tight budget.
Retired Rear Admiral Roger Girouard, the former commander of Maritime Forces Pacific, said such an
idea has been around for a while.
But he questions the plan, citing the growing importance of the Pacific to Canada's economy. He said it
will be difficult for senior commanders in Halifax to build military relationships in the Pacific as well as
keep an eye on the region.
"I get the march toward efficiency," Girouard said. "But I am concerned that the capacity to look at where
the rest of the world is going to be for the next two or three generations, if not longer, is going to be
diminished."
Canada's navy on the west coast is responsible for covering 1.7 million square kilometres of the
Northeast Pacific Ocean. It employs more than 4,000 military personnel and 2,000 civilians and operates
frigates, a destroyer and coastal defence vessels among its various ships.
Its commanders have emphasized the growing importance of the region to Canada's economy.
The port of Vancouver is a major gateway for North America's Pacific commerce.
Back to Top
Section: Business
Byline: Cindy E. Harnett
Outlet: Times Colonist (Victoria)
Headline: Navy brass is staying, premier told; Chamber vows to make plan to move to Halifax an election
issue
Page: D1 / Front
Date: Thursday 07 April 2011
Source: Times Colonist
Premier Christy Clark says command of the Pacific fleet will remain in Esquimalt despite a proposal to
move top jobs to Halifax -a plan that alarmed Victoria's business leaders and politicians Wednesday.
The premier said she immediately called Ottawa when she learned about the proposal. "I was delighted
when I communicated my concerns to the Prime Minister's Office and immediately heard back that they
agree that the Pacific command will remain in Esquimalt," Clark said.
As part of a proposed reorganization of the navy, federal officials are examining a plan that includes
moving some top command and operational jobs to Halifax.
Clark said she's confident Esquimalt will not lose command of the Pacific fleet. "The prime minister has
said it's not going to happen and I believe him when he says it," she said.
"I was surprised about it . the Royal Navy base has been in Esquimalt for 155 years and it plays a crucial
role for us here on the West Coast," Clark said.
"It's one of those examples of when the civil service comes up with what they think is a great idea, but
thank goodness, there's a group of people at the top that can give it a second look," Clark said.
The Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce vowed to make an election issue out of the controversial
plan. "Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt provides significant support to the local economy and employs
4,200 military and 2,000 civilian workers, contributing $650 million annually to the local community," said
chamber president Bruce Carter.
Any time management picks up and moves out of Victoria, there's a longterm slow drain of jobs and
resources that follow, Carter said. "This will certainly be a question we'll ask our candidates in local
forums," he said. "And we'll be sending a message to the minister of national defence and the prime
minister."
Canada's navy on the West Coast is responsible for covering 1.7 million square kilometres of the
northeast Pacific Ocean, operating frigates, a destroyer and other coastal defence vessels.
Its commanders have emphasized the growing importance of the region to Canada's economy. The port
of Vancouver alone is a major gateway for Pacific commerce, with more than $40 billion in goods shipped
annually.
Esquimalt-Juan de Fuca Conservative candidate Troy DeSouza said it's critical that the Pacific fleet
command remain here.
"Canada's Conservative government will not let this happen," DeSouza pledged. His platform includes
bringing more jobs to the West Coast -including building coast guard and naval vessels.
Liberal candidate Lillian Szpak said the proposal is a "very short-sighted" plan to save money.
NDP candidate Randall Garrison said in an email the uncertainty created is unfair to navy personnel.
"It's just speculation on job losses at this point and that's very hard on military families."
Green candidate Shaunna Salsman said the cost-cutting effort would come at the expense of the region's
coastal defences and strong military relations.
Section: Editorial
Outlet: Vancouver Sun
Headline: Transfer of command for West Coast ships needs full review
Page: A14
Date: Thursday 07 April 2011
Source: Vancouver Sun
Prime Minister Stephen Harper may not appreciate the intrusion into his campaign of a plan that would
see the transfer of control over naval ships on the West Coast to Halifax.
But given his still-unfilled promises for beefing up deployments in British Columbia from previous
elections, the news that such a move is under consideration provides a good opening for looking at the
regional impact of national defence decisions.
Postmedia defence reporter David Pugliese discovered that the navy is considering moving senior staff
from CFB Esquimalt to Halifax, a plan touted as a cost-saving and efficiency measure. The plan is based
on the notion that ships' modern communication systems have lessened the value of physical proximity.
That is true up to point. It might be possible to command the navy from a bunker in Saskatchewan, but
would it be wise to do so?
British Columbians are all too familiar with the reality of living in a country where the national capital is
three time zones to the east. By the time we get to work, the capital is shut down for lunch and by two in
afternoon in Vancouver, much of Ottawa has headed home. Business that should take hours often drags
on for days as a result.
While we recognize that the military operates on a 24-hour clock, especially during emergencies, the time
gap will affect the decision-making process and create an institutional bias toward East Coast priorities.
Military operations will also suffer from a loss of face time between senior and junior officers, crucial to
both communication and the maintenance of morale.
Outside the base, the move would add to the sense we have in this province that we're treated as a
nuisance in the distant offices where so many decisions are made that affect our economic and social
well being.
We are also concerned that the navy's role in protecting our busy West Coast ports -through which 50 per
cent of Canada's trade passes -and patrolling our long and intricate coastline may be compromised by a
command structure that may be less focused on the dangers we face here.
That said, there may be a persuasive argument for consolidating the maritime command. Our navy
operates all over the world and the efficacy of our forces and the safety of the men and women that serve
must outweigh regional concerns.
That case must be clearly made, however, before this plan, which has yet to be publicly discussed, is
ever put into action.
In the meantime, Conservative candidates in the election campaign might want to explain what has
happened to earlier promises of additional deployments in British Columbia that have never been kept.
In 2006, Harper promised to enhance the military presence in B.C., in part to make up for the closing of
CFB Chilliwack.
He talked about new regular and reserve army units stationed in Vancouver to be on hand in case of
natural emergencies or terrorism incidents.
He also promised a rapid response regiment to be stationed in Comox.
None of these have been created, nor do they appear as part of the Canada First Defence strategy,
which lays out the government's priorities for the next two decades.
This campaign is a good opportunity for the Conservatives to open up about what their plans are now for
the defence of our coast and for the other parties to explain what they would do differently, if anything, on
this crucial issue.
Section: Opinion
Outlet: Edmonton Journal
Illustrations:
-35 Joint Strike Fighter Lightning II
Headline: So stealthy, jets fly below election radar
Page: A16
Date: Thursday 07 April 2011
Source: Edmonton Journal
If Canadians felt we received the best government our votes could buy, it might be easier to accept the
politicians' notion of spending whatever it costs for the best of something else.
To wit, the F-35 joint strike fighter jet, which according to its website is "the world's foremost, stealthy,
supersonic, survivable, lethal, supportable and affordable multi-role fighter."
As a so-called fifth-generation aircraft, it may well live up to most of the Lockheed-Martin hyperbole. But
affordability is clearly in the eye of the beholder, who must choose among the $16-billion (over 20 years)
estimate from the Harper government regarding its proposed order of 65 jets, the 30-year, $29-billion
number calculated by the parliamentary budget officer or the newest entry in the derby, a $39-billion
"guesstimate" from an American defence-spending watchdog.
At any of these price points, this purchase represents the single largest military expenditure in Canadian
history and under other circumstances might be hailed as a monumental waving of the Maple Leaf in the
direction of our NATO allies and hostile states alike.
However, in the absence of a tendering process, the jets became instead something of a Parliamentary
pinata leading up to the dissolution of the government. If the tendering controversy results in an erosion of
support for the military from a money-conscious public, the Conservatives' unilateral move to pursue a
deal for the most expensive option without letting international competitors present their latest wares will
rank as a massive blunder.
Our pilots should fly the best technology in combat or on bombing sorties, and while patrolling the
country's vulnerable and expansive northern reaches. And our diplomats, in pursuing Canada's interests
and pushing for Canadian ideas and values to be important on the international stage, need the clout that
comes with having and being willing to use state-of-the-art equipment.
One underlying factor in our defence posture is Canada's proximity to the infinitely larger American
arsenal (the U.S. plans to buy 2,500 F-35s) controlled by a government never shy to deploy it.
Sometimes, even relatively modest military spending is viewed by some Canadian political parties and
voters as surplus to requirements, as if our sovereignty is somehow automatically guaranteed by mere
nearness to a friendly U.S. This is a weak, short-sighted and tacit expression of dependence.
With all this in mind, it surely seems strange that military spending in general and the F-35 project in
particular hasn't become a more compelling campaign issue for either the Conservatives, who signed the
memorandum of understanding to take part in the F-35 development program, or the official Opposition
Liberals, who have vowed to shelve it should they form the next government.
The debate vacuum is curious since the budget that ultimately brought down the Harper government
contained only $2.8 billion in new spending, Compared to even the lowest estimate of the F-35, that figure
is a pittance, and yet the planes take a back seat to questions about health care and jobs, the
environment and seniors tax credits.
We are left to speculate as to the motives for relative radio silence among the two main contenders for
power in Ottawa.
The Liberals wouldn't want to be perceived as the slightest bit anti-military while our forces are engaged
in combat in Libya and are on patrol and suffering casualties in Afghanistan. Further, they are doubtless
not eager to remind Canadians about their cancellation of the big helicopter contract in 1993, considering
we're still waiting for new search-and-rescue choppers almost two decades later.
The Conservatives will happily point to the F-35 program as a source of employment: Quebec aerospace
firms in particular are in line for contracts. More importantly, they embrace the implied commitment to the
strongest possible military, knowing how, at least in the abstract, this resonates at home and abroad
today. But they surely won't benefit at the polls if, at a time of health-care woes and bad deficits,
Canadians are thinking long and hard about an out-of-this-world bill for an aircraft that won't actually be
needed for another decade. The 77 modernized CF-18s currently in service are good to go through 2020
after a relatively recent and pricey upgrade in technology.
There are always times and places for governments to scrimp, to say no to publicly funded sports palaces
and to constant provincial demands for more money.
But Canada continues to send sons and daughters, wives and husbands into far-flung conflicts. There is
both danger and honour in fulfilling our commitments to NATO and our increasing role in pursuing global
stability. Coincidentally, there should be a deep sense of national pride in supporting those missions with
taxpayer investment that on occasion goes above and beyond the call of duty. Because that's what we
would ask of our military personnel.
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