Editorials

Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

Canada's secret battles

By: Staff Writer

Posted: 04/30/2012 1:00 AM | Comments: 0

(DALE CUMMINGS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS)

Did Canadian soldiers participate in the American invasions of Grenada (1983) or Panama (1989)? It's possible some did see service in those brief conflicts if they were serving in an exchange capacity with American units that were deployed for action.

The problem is there is no clear protocol in Canada for disclosing where and when soldiers, sailors and airmen are serving, unless it relates to peacekeeping or direct Canadian operations. The issue is important, because it raises the question of whether Canadian forces should be deployed in actions that are not supported by official government policy.

A case in point was the American war in Iraq, which Canada opposed, but where an estimated 100 Canadian troops served, some in high-ranking positions. The extensive role of Canadian soldiers in that war was not immediately disclosed and some facts are still not on the public record, but it is known several senior officers served near the top of the American command chain.

Gen. Walter Natynczyk, Canada's chief of defence staff, was U.S. President George Bush's deputy commanding general of an army corps in Iraq in 2004, but other officers also played critical roles in prosecuting the controversial war during exchange programs with the Americans.

The navy interdicted vessels in the Persian Gulf and escorted convoys, while the air force flew into Iraqi airports.

Canadians are only now learning some troops are serving in southern Afghanistan on exchange with British and American forces, a full year after the country officially ended its combat duty and took on a training role.

There's nothing wrong or unusual about Canadians serving with allied troops, but unless there are legitimate concerns about operational security, then the deployments of the men and women who wear the Maple Leaf should be disclosed on a regular basis every year.

At any single time, Canadians are serving in dozens of places around the world. The NATO and NORAD deployments are familiar, but less well-known are the hundreds of armed forces personnel who are serving in foreign units around the globe and possibly still in Iraq.

The deployment of Canadians to southern Afghanistan is not a contradiction of government policy, but the movement of our troops into any war zone should always be public.

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition April 30, 2012 A10

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