As a result of Yellow Vest Canada Exposed's efforts to bring attention to a far right concert hosted by one former and one (maybe) current member of the white nationalist Northern Guard, the mainstream press has taken an interest. For example Mack Lamoureux of Vice News Canada published a story on
Continue readingTag: Canadian military
Anti-Racist Canada: The ARC Collective: Gavin McInnes and Others Respond to Halifax Proud Boy Incident
Based on Rear Admiral John Newton’s tone in during his press conference, I didn’t hold out much hope that there would be serious repercussions for the “Proud Boys” who disrupted a Mi’kmaw memorial remembering MMIWG in Halifax. I might however end up being pleasantly surprised: Armed Forces members who disrupted
Continue readingAnti-Racist Canada: The ARC Collective: Naval "Proud Boy" Members in Halifax: Slap On the Wrist?
Today the military confirmed (and what ARC had already confirmed) that all five men who disrupted the the Mi’kmaw memorial remembering MMIWG in Halifax are in fact members of the Canadian Armed Forces though has only confirmed that two are members of the Royal Canadian Navy: Five servicemen involved in incident
Continue readingdrive-by planet: RCMP backtracking on release of video by Ottawa shooter Zehaf-Bibeau reeks of political influence
After we were told the video made by Ottawa shooter Michael Zehaf-Bibeau would be made available to the public, the RCMP has changed its mind, or had it changed for them. RCMP commissioner Bob Paulson wasn’t exactly clear on the specifics. He said there may be a release of “some aspects of a transcript of the video”… whatever that means.
Given the terrorist narrative favored by the government and also by the police, how can the public be sure that ‘aspects of the transcript’ aren’t cherry picked to reenforce the preferred narrative. Surely the honest and transparent thing to do would be to release the video for the public to make its own judgment or alternatively release the entire transcript, rather than “aspects” of it. If as some claim, there are concerns about the video being exploited in some way for jihadi propaganda, the odds of that happening would be diminished considerably if a transcript was involved – cop out though that would still be – because there is no compelling reason to sit on the video.
There are any number of jihad-inspired videos in circulation that glorify jihad and attack the West… lots of audio-visual incentive out there for anyone influenced by such material. The release of Zehaf-Bibeau’s video – assuming it contains any such content – would not likely make a substantial difference one way or another.
In giving reasons for withholding the video, Paulson also made vague allusions to “some sort of court process.” But given what we know this doesn’t add up. Zehaf-Bibeau is dead and there were no known accomplices.
The decision to withhold the video seems to be more about political calculations. Perhaps Harper is concerned that the video’s contents might in some way influence public opinion about Canada’s involvement in the US-led war in the Middle East… part of the government’s deeply misguided foreign policy agenda.
There has been some debate in parliament about whether or not the term “terrorism” should be used in describing Zehaf-Bibeau’s actions. But from the outset it was clear that the government was dead set on labeling it a “terrorist attack” despite information about Zehaf-Bibeau’s past that indicate mental and emotional problems were a likely trigger.
Zehaf-Bibeau’s mother, Susan Bibeau, who presumably knew her son better than most, denied that he was a terrorist acting “on behalf of some grand ideology or for a political motive.” She said he felt “cornered” and “acted in despair.” She is also skeptical of the radicalization theory and said she believes “mental illness is at the center of this tragedy.”
According to a recent poll Susan Bibeau’s view is shared by a high percentage of Canadians … while 36% describe the shooting as a “terrorist attack” 38% believe mental illness played a part in it.
Although the Harper government has been careful not to appear to be chaffing at the bit to beef up enforcement powers in the wake of the attack… given the reactionary right-wing nature of this government you can be sure it wants to extract as much mileage as possible from the incident. The wheels are apparently in motion. On Monday a Commons committee passed Bill C-44 that hands additional powers to the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS). According to Public Safety Minister Steven Blaney, another bill is in the works that will boost law enforcement powers in the areas of surveillance, detention and arrest.
In the course of conjecturing out loud when and if the Zehaf-Bibeau video might see the light of day, RCMP chief Paulson wasn’t big on specifics… “I don’t know when it’s going to be released. It will certainly be released some day, but I would be a fool to say when it will be released.”
Continue readingdrive-by planet: RCMP backtracking on release of video by Ottawa shooter Zehaf-Bibeau reeks of political influence
After we were told the video made by Ottawa shooter Michael Zehaf-Bibeau would be made available to the public, the RCMP has changed its mind, or had it changed for them. RCMP commissioner Bob Paulson wasn’t exactly clear on the specifics. He said there may be a release of “some
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: The Latest Addition To The Harper Enemies List
… apparently are army chaplains who speak truth to power. Although technically she wasn’t fired, (she offered her resignation, which was accepted), Rev. Sandra Tankard incurred the displeasure of both her local Legion and her Conservative MP, Greg Rickford: The Royal Canadian Legion in Kenora, Ont., accepted the resignation of
Continue readingThe Canadian Progressive: Harper Lied About U.S. Requesting Canada’s Military Help In Iraq
American officials say Canada offered further military help to fight the Islamic State in Iraq – not the other way around as Harper told the Wall Street Journal earlier this week. The post Harper Lied About U.S. Requesting Canada’s Military Help In Iraq appeared first on The Canadian Progressive.
Continue readingThe Canadian Progressive: Harper Lied About U.S. Requesting Canada’s Military Help In Iraq
American officials say Canada offered further military help to fight the Islamic State in Iraq – not the other way around as Harper told the Wall Street Journal earlier this week. The post Harper Lied About U.S. Requesting Canada’s Military Help In Iraq appeared first on The Canadian Progressive.
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: He’s So Much More Than Just a Prime Minister. He’s a Real Bastard
“This government — which swaggers around in fatigues, pretending to be a friend of the Canadian Forces — has a lot to answer for…” – Colin Kenny Stephen Harper is a well-rounded bastard. If bastardy was an Olympic sport, he’d be a decathlete. He’s a lying bastard. He’s a manipulative
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Urban Camouflage for Canada’s Soldiers?
The past dozen or so years have left most of us familiar with the pixelated camouflage pattern, pioneered in Canada, and worn by many nations’ soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq. The Americans are now going back to a more traditional camouflage for their combat uniforms. Canada, however, is not. We
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: An F-35 Update From The Mound Of Sound
The Mound of Sound sent along this note, followed by his guest post on the F-35: I thought an update on the F-35 would be appropriate after reading Bill Sweetman’s latest piece in Aviation Week. He writes that this warplane’s Canadian backers are desperate to convince us that we don’t
Continue readingStephen Harper’s private army
It is known as the Canadian Special Forces Command, or CANSOFCOM. It commands a secret army, comprised of four units: the Joint Task Force-2 (JTF2), the Canadian Special Operations Regiment (CSOR), the Canadian Joint Incident Response Unit—Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CJIRU-CBRN), and the 427 Special Operations Aviation Squadron (427
Continue readingRedBedHead: Canadians Don’t Trust Canada
Sao Paolo, Brazil – 140 people have died in the last two weeks in battles between police and inner-city gangs. Be hard to be held in lower esteem. This was an interesting poll in The Globe and Mail this morning. It seems that out of 26 countries in both hemispheres of the
Continue readingThe Ranting Canadian: “The End of the War Years” by The Fallout from the…
“The End of the War Years” by The Fallout
from the album Dismantlement (Insurgence Records, 2007)
We hold our breath and we wait
for some for some good news to hear.
A scrap of faith in which to believe,
but all we get are reasons to fear.
Our son…
Politics and its Discontents: After Cutting Through The Sanctimonious Rhetoric
…it is apparent that, like most governments, the Harper regime has been quite content to recruit, exploit and ultimately abandon those who, in good faith, joined the armed forces to support a ‘muscular adventurism’ that has both tarnished and dimi…
Continue readingImpolitical: Maybe veterans are tired of wearing hats
So the Harper government has finally launched their transition plan for military members moving to civilian life: “Veterans Can Now Apply for Jobs through Helmets to Hardhats Canada.” Yes, from helmet to hardhat, narrowing the field of opportunity for highly skilled military personnel. This programme has been previously blogged about
Continue readingImpolitical: On the lighter side
Operation Nanook is in full swing in the north and there are, of course, plenty of photos being shared by the PM’s spokesperson for we citizens to observe. The PM and MacKay observe a Chinook. Aka MacKay’s fishing resort ride. Special ops being observed by the commander-in-chief-wannabe and MacKay. Aka
Continue readingImpolitical: Peter MacKay and the “Announceables”
No, it’s not a band name, it’s how MacKay is spending his summer. Defence Minister Peter MacKay has been racking up the air mile points with his series of announcements this summer. And there’s more to come, Defence Watch has learned. In June the word went out to DND and
Continue readingCANADIAN PROGRESSIVE WORLD: Enbridge executive’s company awarded first crime Bill C-10 $38.5-million prison project
Executive and company have strong and lucrative ties with the Canadian military and Harper government. Opponents of the Conservative government’s crime Bill C-10 were justified to argue that private companies would profiteer from the new jail system the legislation proposed for Canada. On Tuesday, the Canadian Press reported that a
Continue readingImpolitical: On the lighter side
This story isn’t funny: “Army struggles with shortage of Arctic parkas, tents…” But the photo accompanying it certainly is! Maybe Harp can lend his parka out to the army, he sure looks warm in that shot. Nice find by Canadian Press. The Arctic is supposed to be a pet project
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