Vol. 75/No. 43      November 28, 2011

Six hundred and thirty Canadian forces were deployed in the imperialists’ Libya campaign. One task force patrolled the Mediterranean in naval frigates enforcing the blockade of Libya. The other, based in Italy, helped lead aerial surveillance and assaults on Libyan territory.

From March to October of this year, Canadian fighter jets conducted 946 sorties, 10 percent of all NATO strikes, and dropped 696 bombs on Libyan soil.

The mission tested and served to improve the capacities and skills of the Canadian rulers’ armed forces. The Department of National Defence touted a series of “firsts” for its Aurora long-range patrol aircraft. “The benefit of the Aurora … is that we can sit over an area for a long time and build an accurate picture of activities and pattern of life, which allows better target identification and a more precise collateral damage estimate,” said Maj. Scott Hale, Deputy CP 140 Aurora Flight Commander. “Collateral damage” is a common euphemism coined by U.S. military brass to describe civilian casualties.

As part of the reinforcement and transformation of Canada’s military, Ottawa has plans to establish two Operational Hubs in Africa, part of an international network of seven throughout the world, according to Montreal daily Le Devoir. Negotiations are under way with Senegal and Kenya, marking the first time Canada would have bases on the continent.  
 
 
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