Canadian Rangers.

This is coolbert:

Here was a new one on me. The Canadian Rangers.

NOT a hockey team. Irregulars, part of the Canadian Forces reserve structure. Quasi-military units that patrol the Canadian far north territories. Areas within the sovereign territory of Canada, but sparsely populated!

[Nunavut, Northwest Territories, the islands of the Arctic Ocean!]

Have been around for decades. Are going to see their role change as climate change occurs and the arctic regions become more hospitable to man?

"There are currently 4,000 Canadian Rangers serving in five Canadian Ranger Patrol Groups (CRPG) in 165 communities, and they are expected to reach a strength of 4,800 by 2008."

Comprised mainly of Inuit people, but NOT exclusively so. What used to be called Eskimo are now called Inuit. The term "eskimo" considered to be pejorative? Means "eaters of raw meat". Personally I do not think by my own standards Eskimo is defamatory, but Inuit it shall be!

Perform a number of function important to the Canadian military and government.

* Patrol the northern regions of Canada. A quasi-military force conducting surveillance on foot, by kayak, and snowmobile. Use means of transport according to the time of year and the weather.

"conduct surveillance [patrols]"

* Service remote, automated military surveillance equipment.

" conduct inspections of the North Warning System (NWS) sites [what used to be called the DEW Line]."

* Show the flag. What is called "sovereignty patrols (SOV PATS)".

Those Inuit are ideally suited for the task as irregulars. Know the terrain, climate, how to live off the land if necessary, etc. As for the red uniforms, hats, vests, etc., that is to BE SEEN. YOU WANT THESE FOLKS TO BE SEEN FOR THE SOV-PATS!! Not to operate surreptitiously, but rather the opposite!

"Each Canadian Ranger is issued a red Ranger sweatshirt, armband, baseball cap, and a safety vest"

Those northern regions that are part of Canada will become a hot topic as climate change [global warming] occurs. Areas rich in minerals, oil [?] and access for ocean-going vessels will be coveted. Canada must maintain a known presence to retain ownership on these territories?

Canadian Rangers will play a role here?

coolbert.

Canadians?

This is coolbert:

Very good program several weeks ago on the PBS program "Frontline". Titled "The Cell Next Door". About the eighteen young men who are accused of fomenting jihadi activity in Canada. "Home-grown" jihadi, almost all born and raised in Canada. Wanted to perpetrate a variety of villainous acts, to include:

* Blowing up the Canadian intelligence headquarters building [CSIS].

* Attack the Canadian Parliament.

* Abduct or take hostage the Canadian Prime Minister and behead him.

[why do these jihadis have such an obsession with beheadings??!!]

This group of would-be villains was spotted and infiltrated from the start. Were visitors to the many jihadi internet web sites that exist. Active in jihadi chat rooms and internet messenger sites. Observed in communication with one another.

Infiltrated by another Muslim, Mubin Shaikh. A very dangerous individual. A martial artist, a one-time member of the Canadian Army Cadets [he knew firearms and had a permit to buy guns from this Cadet experience!!]. A MAN, WHO BY HIS OWN ADMISSION, DID WHAT HE DID, INFORM ON HIS BROTHER MUSLIMS, FOR THE SAKE OF CANADIAN MUSLIMS ALONE AND NOT FOR CANADIANS IN GENERAL!!

[there is something about this guy, Mubin Shaikh, that is very sinister. Does describe himself as a "fundamentalist". While being interviewed for the TV program, he described everything that transpired with the jihadi wannabees in such a matter-of-fact, low-key manner. My own impression of this man is that he would be one helluva killing machine if he put his mind to it!! This is one dangerous man!!]

There definitely does seem to be a process by which "home-grown" jihadis are bred and nurtured. These are for instance American or Canadian born and bred citizens who have NEVER set foot in an "Islamic" nation.

Youths that become radicalized and aspire to jihad starting in the teen years.

I would have to think that there are certain particular challenges for Muslim youth growing up in the U.S. Especially when the teen years are reached. American non-Muslim youth are seen by their Muslim peers engaging in all sort of risky and untoward behavior that is totally forbidden by Islamic law and custom. You know what I am talking about here. Drinking alcohol, taking drugs, disobedient to the parents, promiscuous sex, etc. Even the very basis of the American diet, as served at a school cafeteria, a cheeseburger, is forbidden under Muslim law.

[having a dairy product and meat at the same table is haram, forbidden, NOT halal, permissible!!!]

Does this create a conflict in the minds of American Muslim youth? I would have to guess YES! Especially among Islamic teens who are leaving childhood and going into adulthood. What percentage are possibly radicalized by this conflict [and revulsion??!!] and are potential jihadists? I don’t think anyone has a guess on that!

Radicalization is seen when the teen begins to investigate his "roots". "Roots" firmly anchored in Islam. A life change can be observed that manifests itself by:

* Adopting to the fullest extent the Islamic way-of-life. Prayer five times a day. Eating ONLY halal foods, growing a beard, Islamic dress, etc.

* Watching jihadi videos, visiting jihadi web sites, participating in jihadi chat rooms and forums on the internet.

* Having a mentor. The mentor being an older Muslim man who “inspires” and “encourages”.

The eighteen would-be jihadists were watched carefully by the RCMP and Canadian intelligence. It was at the point when a purchase of ammonium nitrate was made that the authorities moved and arrested the entire group. That ammonium nitrate was evidently going to be used to construct an ANFO [ammonium nitrate fuel oil] bomb of enormous proportions. To blow up the CSIS building.

The Canadians observed this "cell" in an exemplary fashion. EVEN TO THE POINT OF HAVING A SECOND INFORMER WITHIN THE CELL ITSELF, WHOSE PRESENCE WAS KEPT SECRET FROM MUBIN SHAIKH!! THE WATCHER WAS BEING WATCHED, WITHOUT HIS KNOWLEDGE!!

coolbert.

ANFO.

This is coolbert:

Canadian authorties have apparently disrupted and arrested a terrorist plot that was in the works.

Seventeen apparently would-be terrorists were taken into custody.

Supposedly had at their disposal three times the amount of ammonium nitrate than was used to construct the bomb detonated at Oklahoma City.

Ammonium nitrate, when mixed with fuel oil, makes for a powerful and easily made explosive. When first devised, was considered to be a big breakthrough in explosives. Easily made, stable, easily detonated, and can be had in almost size for whatever purpose.

"Ammonium nitrate has found many uses as a strong oxidiser component of explosives. Most commonly, it is mixed with a hydrocarbon, usually Diesel fuel (oil) or, sometimes, kerosene. Because of the ready availability in bulk of the raw materials, ammonium nitrate/fuel oil (ANFO) mixtures have occasionally been used for improvised bombs, for example by the Provisional IRA and in the Oklahoma City bombing by Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols. However the greater bulk of material use in the OKC bombing was an improvised "kinepak" mixture of ammonium nitrate and nitromethane and this is considerably more destructive than ANFO, at least when unconfined."

It appears that the target in this case was the CSIS building. The Canadian national intelligence agency. Destroy up in one fell swoop the main intelligence apparatus of Canada. Severely cripple efforts at anti-terrorism by Canadian authorities.

Even a nation as seemingly innocuous as Canada is a target for terrorists the world over. You would think Canada to be a haven from such sort of terrorist attacks. A friendly nation of friendly people that welcomes immigrants and is NOT considered to be a controversial player on the world stage. But NO.

"Osama bin Laden named Canada as one of five "Christian" nations that should be terror targets. The other countries, the U.S., Britain, Spain and Australia have all been targeted."

Canada, of course is part of the informal military alliance known as ABCA. Australian, British, Canadian, American. Work in a low-profile fashion all over the world, such as in East Timor [American logistics and Australian troops].

Hated by the jihadists.

Bombs such as the ammonium nitrate fuel type explosive, allow for a terrorist capability that exceeds in just enormous magnitudes the bomb-making, bomb-throwing efforts of say the Russian terrorists of the late 1800's. Bombs can be made of a size that are only second in destructive power to atomic weapons. The damage a handful of relatively untrained villains can do with simple means is just extraordinary. Another reason why the war against terrorism the world over must be taken so seriously.

coolbert.

Dominions.

This is coolbert:

During both World Wars of the previous century one thing the British could rely upon was the resources of Empire. Resources, natural, and manpower that the British may have lacked in the home island could be made up by contingents from the Empire.

Among those contingents were troops from the "white dominions". The nations of Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. The British historian John Keegan speaks about the magnificent contingents of the dominions. Troops who were of physical stature, bearing, robustness, elan, and initiative. The British found themselves hard pressed to match with forces from their own home island troops of such quality as were from "overseas".

And a case can be made that from the engagements that these "white dominion" troops fought in during the First World War [WW1], nation-states were born. Came of age from what were once colonies of England, to dominions, and then matured into independent, adult entities in time of war.

Each dominion during WW1 endured a special traumatic battle that stood out as being a turning point in it's relationship to the rest of the Empire and England in particular.

1. For Canadians, the place is Ypres [pronounced "eep", as in sh-eep], for the South Africans it was Delville Wood, for the Australians and New Zealanders [ANZAC] it was Gallipoli.


It was at Ypres that the Germans used poison gas for the first time. It was released by the Germans at a juncture in the trench line separating the French and the Canadians. At the first whiff of gas, the French and their colonial forces bolted and took off. But the Canadians stood their ground, and held the line, EVEN THOUGH THEY LACKED ANY PROTECTION AT ALL AGAINST THE POISON GAS!!! Some person in the Canadian trenches passed the word to urinate on a handkerchief and hold it over your nose. This evidently was supposed to neutralize the effect of the poison gas. And perhaps it did to some extent. But casualties were almost universal. Reports from the front read:

"Then on Thursday the Germans suddenly threw in that attack its asphyxiating bombs, which will doubtless become famous in this war. It succeeded in breaking the line of French near Bixschoote, although not to such an extent as the Germans claim in today's communique."

"Twice in the day that followed the Germans tried trench vapor on the Canadians, who made on the right of the French position a stand which will probably be remembered as one of the heroic episodes of this war. In both cases the wind was not favorable, and the Canadians managed to stick through it."


2. Kept as a reserve unit at the start of the British Somme campaign in 1916, the South African Brigade, newly arrived, and untested, was thrown into battle at a place called Delville Wood to replace British troops. First attacking and then defending, the South Africans made themselves known in a big way. But at great cost to themselves. The statistics speak for themselves:

Of 3,153 men from the Brigade who had entered the wood on 14 July 1916 only 755 came out again."

3. And as was well demonstrated in the Mel Gibson movie "Gallipoli", the landings and subsequent stalemate on the Turkish peninsula of Gallipoli had a great and lasting impact upon the people of Australia and New Zealand. ANZAC [Australian New Zealand Army Corps]. The performance of the ANZAC's at Gallipoli is the stuff that legend is made of:

"The Australians rose to the occasion. They did not wait for orders, or for the boats to reach the beach, but sprang into the sea, formed a sort of rough line, and rushed at the enemy’s trenches. Their magazines were not charged, so they just went in with the cold steel, and it was over in a minute for the Turks in the first trench had been either bayoneted or had run away, and the Maxim guns were captured." - - Ellis Ashmead-Bartlett.

"The distant conflict of the Great War as World War I was known at the time had an enormous impact on Australia, a small nation of fewer than 5 million people at the time. The war had a major impact on everyone in some way. It helped bring about economic change. Political events became bitter and controversial. Reputations were made and lost.

Through it all, Australians responded to the call to enlist and went to fight. Their story is an important part of understanding the history of Australia and its people in the 20th century."


And this great tradition of military service by the "white dominions" continued during the Second World War [WW2] also.

All throughout WW2 each of the "white dominions" contributed in a significant and disproportionate way to the defeat of the Axis powers.

* The Canadians had an army land at Normandy on D-Day.

* The South Africans fought with distinction during the desert campaigns in North Africa. The South African Air Force were the only ones to successfully air drop supplies to the beleaguered Polish resistance fighters during the Battle of Warsaw in 1944.

* Australian troops distinguished themselves both in North Africa and in the Pacific Theatre. The Australian General Blamey was the signatory for the British Empire during the Japanese surrender on the battleship Missouri to end WW2.

It is interesting that the only combat soldier of the British Empire to twice win the Victoria Cross, the Empire's highest decoration for valor, is a New Zealander. Read about this man by clicking here.

For these "white dominions", war, and specifically WW1, had a profound effect upon their psyches. It was if they had been teenagers taking their first steps into the adult world, realizing who they were and what they could do. "We are somebody people, look at us and respect us!!"

And the military tradition continues to this day. There is an informal military alliance called ABCA. Australian-British-Canadian-American. Works in an informal way around the world. Probably much of it's work goes unheralded, when it does occur, but is still out there. Such as in East Timor. Australian troops backed up by American logistic support. This thing goes on!

coolbert.