Re: Iraq Mission

by Ringo Fri 07 Feb 2020, 1:13 pm

Canadian special forces treading carefully in Iraq amid 'sensitive' relations

by THE CANADIAN PRESS

Posted Feb 7, 2020 1

OTTAWA — The commander of Canada’s special forces says relations with Iraq’s government are “sensitive,” and his troops are treading carefully as they help local forces fight the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.

Maj.-Gen. Peter Dawe’s comments follow a flurry of activity last month in Iraq, with Iran launching a missile attack and the Iraqi parliament calling for all western troops to leave the country after the U.S. killed a top Iranian general.

Among the targets of the Iranian missile attack was the military base near the Kurdish city of Irbil in northern Iraq that has served as the main base for Canadian special forces fighting ISIL since October 2014.

Dawe says the Iranian missiles did not land close to Canadian troops, whose activities were suspended hours before the attacks.

As for the Iraqi parliament’s resolution, Dawe says the anti-ISIL coalition and Canadian officials are in close contact with the government to ensure everything is in line with Baghdad’s desires.

The Canadian Armed Forces will not say how many special-forces soldiers are in Iraq, but it is authorized to deploy up to 200 to help fight ISIL.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 7, 2020.

The Canadian Press

https://www.570news.com/2020/02/07/canadian-special-forces-treading-carefully-in-iraq-amid-sensitive-relations/

by Stealth Sat 08 Feb 2020, 9:02 am

Canada focused on defeating ISIL amid ‘sensitive’ relations with Iraq: commander

BY LEE BERTHIAUME - THE CANADIAN PRESS

Posted February 7, 2020

https://globalnews.ca/news/6523237/canadian-special-forces-iraq/

by Armoured Sun 09 Feb 2020, 7:19 pm

Trudeau headed to Kuwait to meet with Canadian
soldiers

Evan Dyer · CBC News · Posted: Feb 09, 2020

Iraq Mission - Page 5 Mideast-abandoned-kurds

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/pm-kuwait-canadian-forces-1.5457655

by **Riverway** Mon 10 Feb 2020, 8:42 am

Iraq Mission - Page 5 5e408d74023d16073309bfbbjpeg

Trudeau to visit Canadian troops in Kuwait amid regional tensions

Feb 09, 2020

https://rdnewsnow.com/2020/02/09/trudeau-to-visit-canadian-troops-in-kuwait-amid-regional-tensions/

by Rekert Mon 10 Feb 2020, 1:54 pm

Iraq Mission - Page 5 5e417971023d16073309d96ejpeg

By Canadian Press

Trudeau praises Canadians troops in Kuwait
for ‘fight’ against Islamic militants

Feb 10, 2020

https://lethbridgenewsnow.com/2020/02/10/trudeau-praises-canadians-troops-in-kuwait-for-fight-against-islamic-militants/

by Maverick Wed 12 Feb 2020, 5:29 pm

NATO moves to expand Canadian-led military training mission in Iraq

Murray Brewster · CBC News · Posted: Feb 12, 2020

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/nato-iraq-islamic-state-isis-1.5461283

by Wolverine Thu 05 Mar 2020, 5:12 pm

Canadian troops on alert as novel coronavirus spreads to Iraq

Troops on alert for virus
The Canadian Press - Mar 5, 2020

Iraq Mission - Page 5 JDT12050044_p3442764

https://www.castanet.net/edition/news-story-278669-4-.htm

by **Spider** Tue 10 Mar 2020, 8:16 am

Canada’s military training mission was ready to resume in Iraq until COVID-19 outbreak

By Charlie Pinkerton. Published on Mar 9, 2020

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https://ipolitics.ca/2020/03/09/canadas-military-training-mission-was-ready-to-resume-in-iraq-until-covid-19-outbreak/

by **Stayner** Wed 11 Mar 2020, 9:11 pm

Canadian soldiers safe after deadly rocket attack kills in Iraq: DND

The Canadian Press
MARCH 11, 2020

https://www.tricitynews.com/canadian-soldiers-safe-after-deadly-rocket-attack-kills-in-iraq-dnd-1.24095743

by Thunder Wed 01 Apr 2020, 6:37 pm

COVID-19 halts Iraq training, some Canadians leave Iraq but larger withdrawal being considered

01.04.2020

Canada is considering scaling back its mission in Iraq as other countries pull their troops out of the Middle East nation because of the novel coronavirus pandemic.

The coalition training mission in Iraq has been at standstill since early January, first as a result of the U.S. assassination of an Iranian leader in Baghdad and now because Iraqi soldiers have stopped all training because of COVID-19.

As a result, Britain, France, Spain, Portugal and the Netherlands recently pulled troops out of Iraq.

Department of National Defence spokesperson Jessica Lamirande said Iraq’s decision to stop training because of COVID-19 has led to a number of Canadian Forces personnel being sent from Iraq to Kuwait where other Canadian Forces personnel are located. “Specific numbers and movement details will not be released at this time to respect operational security,” she noted in an email.

Canada continues to maintain “a footprint of essential staff in Iraq to support ongoing operations,” she added.

It is unclear what those operations are since all Iraqi training has stopped.

National Defence sources say military planners are looking at withdrawing more troops from Iraq and possibly Kuwait and bringing them back to Canada where they could be used if required to support the federal government’s response to COVID-19.

It is estimated there were around 300 Canadian military personnel in Iraq as part of a U.S.-led training operation as well as a separate NATO training mission. Canadian Maj.-Gen. Jennie Carignan is in command of the NATO training mission in Iraq and Canada has committed to leading that until November 2020. Canadian military trainers are also in Jordan and Lebanon and support and other staff are also in Kuwait.

In total there are up to 850 Canadian military personnel in the region. The operation, started in the fall of 2014, has cost Canada around $1 billion.

While the Canadian Forces won’t discuss numbers of personnel that have already been pulled out of Iraq because training programs have been halted, other militaries have provided details.

Last week, the French military issued a news release that it was withdrawing 100 personnel involved in training. Spain has withdrawn 200 while 33 Portuguese soldiers have left Iraq. The Dutch government informed its Parliament that 35 of the 40 Dutch soldiers in Iraq were being pulled out, at least temporarily.

The United Kingdom’s Defence Secretary Ben Wallace issued a statement noting that, “In recent months the tempo of training has significantly declined, which means that I am in a position to bring back the current training unit to the UK.”

Britain’s military still has a significant presence in the coalition, he added.

The U.S. military announced it is reducing the number of bases its troops will operate from in Iraq.

The Canadian Forces has plans to mobilize 24,000 military personnel in case they are needed to support federal, provincial, territorial and municipal governments in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic.

The pandemic has also prompted changes in other Canadian Forces operations.

The military is scaling back the number of soldiers it is sending to Ukraine to conduct training there. It had planned to send a new group of soldiers, numbering 200, to relieve the Canadian troops now in Ukraine. That number will now be cut back to 60 personnel.

The pandemic has already caused the cancellation of Exercise Maple Resolve, the army’s main training event for the year, as well as a naval exercise off the coast of Africa. HMCS Glace Bay and HMCS Shawinigan, which were to take part in that naval training, are now returning to Halifax. HMCS Nanaimo and HMCS Whitehorse have cut short their participation in U.S.-led counter-drug operations. The ships were originally set to return to Canada in mid-May but are now expected to soon arrive back in Canada.

The Department of National Defence, however, says it will not change the Canadian commitment to NATO’s enhanced Forward Presence in Latvia. A new group of Canadian military personnel arrived in Latvia in January and will stay there until July. There are around 540 Canadian soldiers working in Latvia.

https://www.thechronicleherald.ca/news/canada/covid-19-halts-iraq-training-some-canadians-leave-iraq-but-larger-withdrawal-being-considered-432578/

by **Trooper** Sat 11 Apr 2020, 6:19 pm

COVID-19: Most Canadian military personnel in
Iraq mission being pulled out, coming home

David Pugliese • Ottawa Citizen
April 11. 2020

Iraq Mission - Page 5 Can-sof-in-iraq-copy

The Canadian Forces is following the lead of other nations and has pulled out most of its military personnel from Iraq.

The troops are expected back in Canada sometime Saturday and are expected to be quarantined for 14 days at the Royal Military College in Kingston.

The coalition training mission in Iraq has been at standstill since early January, first as a result of the U.S. assassination of an Iranian leader in Baghdad and now because Iraqi soldiers have stopped all training because of coronavirus.

This newspaper, citing military sources, reported 10 days ago that Canada was considering scaling back its mission in Iraq as other countries pulled their troops out of the Middle East nation because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Canadian Forces has now confirmed that has happened.

“The spread of COVID-19 has caused the Iraqi Security Forces to suspend all training activities, which has led to an operational pause for both the Global Coalition to Defeat Da’esh and NATO Mission Iraq,” the Canadian Forces noted in a statement on its website. “Because the duration of this pause is unknown, the CAF has decided to reposition personnel and equipment from Iraq and redeploy approximately 400 personnel to Canada. That will leave less than 100 personnel in Iraq as part of the Coalition.”

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Article content continued
In late March other nations announced they were pulling out military personnel from Iraq because the Iraqis had stopped all training because of COVID-19. The French military issued a news release that it was withdrawing 100 personnel involved in training. Spain has withdrawn 200 while 33 Portuguese soldiers have left Iraq. The Dutch government informed its Parliament that 35 of the 40 Dutch soldiers in Iraq were being pulled out, at least temporarily.

The United Kingdom’s Defence Secretary Ben Wallace issued a statement noting that, “In recent months the tempo of training has significantly declined, which means that I am in a position to bring back the current training unit to the UK.”

The Iraq mission, started in the fall of 2014, has cost Canada around $1 billion.

The Canadian Forces noted in its statement that its commitment to the Iraq mission remains strong and that military personnel would return “when the conditions are right to do so.”

News / Defence Watch

by TangoZulu77 Wed 29 Jul 2020, 8:35 am

Canadian military shrinks Middle East footprint as ISIL fight enters new phase

Published Wednesday, July 29, 2020

https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/canadian-military-shrinks-middle-east-footprint-as-isil-fight-enters-new-phase-1.5043282

by Echostar Thu 01 Oct 2020, 12:50 pm

Military base housing Canadian troops attacked as U.S.-Iraq tensions escalate

Published Thursday, October 1, 2020

https://www.ctvnews.ca/world/military-base-housing-canadian-troops-attacked-as-u-s-iraq-tensions-escalate-1.5128266

by **SniperGod** Sun 10 Jan 2021, 9:13 am

Canada's mission in Iraq at a crossroads as ISIL declines, new threats emerge

Published Sunday, January 10, 2021

In this Feb. 20, 2017 file photo, Canadian special forces soldiers, left and right, speak with Kurdish Peshmerga fighters at an observation post, in northern Iraq.

https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/canada-s-mission-in-iraq-at-a-crossroads-as-isil-declines-new-threats-emerge-1.5260822

by Stanleyz Tue 30 Mar 2021, 5:48 pm

Canadian military mission to Iraq and region extended for another year

David Pugliese • Ottawa Citizen
Publishing date: Mar 30, 2021

Canada is extending its military mission in Iraq and the region for another year.

Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan said Tuesday that Operation Impact will continue until March 31, 2022. The purpose of the mission is to build the military capabilities of Iraq, Jordan, and Lebanon, according to the Canadian Forces.

Operation Impact started in 2014 when the terror group known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant or ISIL occupied large portions of Iraq.

The Canadian military “will continue to work with its partners and Allies to ensure the enduring defeat” of ISIL, the Department of National Defence noted in its news release on Tuesday.

Currently there are 500 Canadian military personnel assigned to Operation Impact, which includes a headquarters in Kuwait. There are also two Hercules transport aircraft assigned to the mission.

The one-year extension includes the authority to increase the numbers of Canadian personnel up to 850 if needed.

So far cost Canadian taxpayers more than $1 billion. That spending does not include salaries of military personnel, as that money would have been spent regardless, according to the DND.

https://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/defence-watch/canadian-military-mission-to-iraq-and-region-extended-for-another-year

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