Canadian Military Bases on Foreign Soil

[Oscar]

Oppose and Renounce Foreign Basing Rights for the Canadian Military
30 June 2011

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NC4P/message/14696

A statement from the Canadian Peace Congress:
http://canadianpeacecongress.ca/

The Canadian Peace Congress condemns and calls for an immediate halt to the Canadian government's negotiations for military basing rights as part of the Operational Support Hubs Network, and abrogating and renouncing rights already negotiated with Germany and Jamaica. As Defence Minister Peter MacKay has already admitted, Canada's "military tempo" is at the highest levels since the Korean War. Instead of opening the way for more bombings and destruction with basing rights spread throughout the world, Canada should reverse its military aggression, which is only in the interests of an imperialist minority and against the interests of the peace-loving majority. The basing agreements allow the Canadian military to enter other countries at any time, violating the sovereignty of the host country, in order to rain death and destruction on a third country.
Because US imperialism is getting exhausted from the resistance to its occupations of Afghanistan and Iraq as well as from the capitalist economic crisis, Canada has in MacKay's words "become a go-to" country to meet the global demands of Canadian and US imperialism. In other words Canada's military is no longer just a reserve or junior partner but a spearhead and pioneer of imperialism. In particular MacKay cited Haiti, where the Canadian military helped overthrow the elected government, as well as Libya, where NATO is intervening in a civil war and destroying the sovereignty of an African country and by its own admission killing civilians, perversely in the name of a "Responsibility to Protect" civilians.
The Canadian government will not tell us, its own citizens, the content of these agreements or exactly how many or which countries it is negotiating with. The only way the Canadian people learned of a recent secret military base, Camp Mirage in the United Arab Emirates, was when it was exposed as a consequence of the Canadian government excluding Arab airlines from Canadian destinations in favor of Canadian business. These secret and undemocratic basing arrangements go hand in hand with Prime Minister Stephen Harper's further subordination of Canada to Canadian corporate and US Imperialism's interests, which mean even more wars and deaths the Canadian people are overwhelmingly opposed to as in Afghanistan.
A broad peace movement mobilizing all Canadians who oppose the never-ending agenda of wars and violations of sovereignty can stop and reverse these basing agreements and Canada's accelerating imperialism. -30-
Issued by Canadian Peace Congress Executive Council
June 30, 2011
About the Canadian Peace Congress:
The Canadian Peace Congress was formed in 1949 as an organization of Canadian people that works for world peace and disarmament. We maintain that peace, not militarism and war, is the guarantor of democracy, human rights, and social and economic justice. The Congress is affiliated to the World Peace Council and is a founding member of the Canadian Peace Alliance.
For more information on the Canadian Peace Congress, or to join, please contact:
Dave McKee
President, Canadian Peace Congress
dmckee@canadianpeacecongress.ca
Canadian Peace Congress
125 Brandon Avenue, Toronto, ON M6H 2E2

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Canada considering international bases - Peter MacKay

http://freenewfoundlandlabrador.blogspot.com/2011/06/
canada-considering-international-bases.html　

Tuesday, June 07, 2011
According to recent comments from Defense Minister, Peter MacKay, Canada is reviewing possible sites for setting up bases around the world in an effort to better position the military to respond to international missions.
The Canadian Forces does "prudent planning," MacKay told reporters recently, taking into account its ability to participate in international missions.
"As we look out into the future what we obviously try to do is anticipate where and when we will be needed, but it's difficult with any certainty, to make those plans, without talking to other countries, without doing internal examinations," Mackay said.
I’m sure Mr. MacKay is correct when he says it’s difficult to say with certainty where the Canadian Forces will be needed but one place they are guaranteed to be needed going forward is right here at home. That’s not something that’s in question.
According to the Montreal newspaper Le Devoir the Canadian Forces is in the process of negotiating to set up bases under a program known as the Operational Support Hubs Network. They've reportedly already completed negotiations with Germany and Jamaica, and are in talks with Kuwait, Senegal, Kenya or Tanzania, Singapore and South Korea. [ . . . ]

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Camp Mirage, the UN, a bad week for Canada on the world stage

http://pakistanpal.wordpress.com/2010/10/14/
camp-mirage-the-un-a-bad-week-for-canada-on-the-world-stage/

By Brian Stewart　　 October 14, 2010
You have to wonder who would be more stunned by this week of debacles in Canadian foreign policy – government ministers, our diplomats or Canada’s generals.
One can understand their collective shock. It is unlikely this country has ever suffered two such humiliating international fiascos simultaneously.
There is simply no sugar coating the drubbing Canada has taken.
First we were essentially booted out of our Camp Mirage airbase near Dubai in the Persian Gulf by our decade-long hosts, the United Arab Emirates. Indeed, they further humiliated our defence minister and chief of defence staff by denying them even a right to land on a flyover from Afghanistan.
Then, within 24 hours, Canada suffered the ignominy of our failed bid for a prized seat on the UN Security Council, something the government had hoped would hand them a political triumph.
Together, these events were a unique double-mugging of Canada right out there on the world stage. We didn’t even get to bleed in private.
I cannot recall another Western nation being treated with such offhand disdain by so many nations long considered "friendly."
The UAE, which for nine years hosted our semi-secret air transit Camp Mirage, vital to our Afghanistan mission, now suddenly portrays Canada as an ungrateful deadbeat and wants our military packed up and gone within 30 days.
Whew. We often give deportees longer to clear their affairs and leave the country. [ . . . ]

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WATCH: CTV News Channel: Scott Taylor, analyst

http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/Canada/20101011/
camp-mirage-talks-uae-canada-101110/

A military analyst explains how Camp Mirage has been a major lifeline for the Canadian military and discusses the impact it will have now that Canada will no longer have access to it.

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WATCH: CTV National News: Richard Madan on the feud

http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/Canada/20101011/
camp-mirage-talks-uae-canada-101110/

Canada has been officially evicted from Camp Mirage, a Canadian military base near Dubai. The United Arab Emirates hammered the point home on Monday when it refused to allow a plane carrying top government and military officials to land at the base.

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Canada to establish permanent military base in Persian Gulf region

http://www.canadaka.net/forums/internat ... litics-f2/
camp-mirage-t7488.html

By David Adelaide 2 July 2005
The Canadian government is in the process of establishing a long-term military base in the oil-rich Persian Gulf region. According to a recent article in the Globe and Mail, the Canadian government is negotiating with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to gain control of a section of the Minhad Air Base, located near Dubai, for years, if not decades, to come.
Since late 2001, when the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) participated in the US invasion and conquest of Afghanistan, the Canadian military have controlled part of the Minhad facility, operating a clandestine logistical and supply base there. The CAF has dubbed its UAE base Camp Mirage.
The Globe report portrayed the permanent base in the UAE as necessary if the Canadian government is to fulfill its oft-repeated commitment to provide long-term military support to Afghanistan’s US-installed government. [ . . . .]