EvanL
03-19-2005, 11:44 PM
Top general says military still focused on Russia
But terrorists, criminals new security threat
GRAHAM FRASER
NATIONAL AFFAIRS WRITER
OTTAWAGen. Rick Hillier, the new chief of the defence staff, represents a break in tradition for the Canadian military.
Because of the Somalia scandal, lack of funding and increasing international demands, Canada's top military leaders over the last decade have been prudent and cautious. And their public speeches were bland and forgettable.
Top soldier's weapon: Charm (March 19)
But Hillier has a different style. He spoke off the cuff, without notes or PowerPoint, to the Conference of Defence Associations Institute on March 3, and was unusually candid. His remarks highlighted his strategic approach as Canada waits for its new international policy statement.
Hillier has been described as "a warrior." He served in Bosnia, led the multilateral force in Afghanistan, and, on an exchange, was the commanding officer of Fort Hood in Texas, where he commanded 70,000 troops more than the entire Canadian Forces.
In a nutshell, his strategic vision for the Canadian Forces involves:
A domestic focus that treats Canada as an operational theatre.
A larger role in the international missions Canada chooses to participate in.
Transportation equipment to get the troops there quickly so that they can provide security while they rebuild failed and failing states.
And larger military units engaged in a smaller number of missions that will enhance Canada's reputation and enable Canada to play a more significant role in the world.
Hillier's tribute to his predecessors showed how bad he thought things had been.
"We came though a period of about three, three-and-a-half-years here, when this Canadian Forces could have broken," he said, adding that without stable leadership, continuity of purpose and concern for the men and women in the forces, the military would have been dramatically worse off.
Hillier argued that the threat has changed from "The Bear" the former Soviet Union to "a ball of snakes," a danger that ranges from terrorism and organized crime to the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. But the Canadian Forces still operate on the assumption that The Bear is the threat.
"It's actually time that we changed that dynamic," he said. "We've got to shape ourselves against that ball of snakes."
To do that, the Canadian Forces have to be relevant, and seen as relevant by Canadians: "And I've got to tell you, that is not the case right now."
But he argued that Canada was not alone in its focus on the high-intensity combat of yesteryear.
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`We've got to shape ourselves against that ball of snakes'
Gen. Rick Hillier
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"It's almost, if you will, like the Western military folks focused only on the three-week rush from Kuwait to Baghdad City, and they neglected completely the two years of high-intensity combat, nation-building and humanitarian assistance that's been going on since," he said. "We've recognized since 9/11 in failed and failing states around the world that the only solution is to be able to do all three of those at the same time."
But Sept. 11 also changed the focus for the military at home. Now, the Canadian Forces have to treat Canada as an operational theatre.
"Canada and Canadians ... are at more risk now of direct attack than they have ever been during the Cold War itself," Hillier said. "We've got to start treating Canada as an operational theatre if we're going to have a command and control structure that allows us to be responsive."
In order to do that, Hillier is looking first at the missions of the Canadian Forces.
"We've got to look at it from the mission end, whether that's in the north, around Canada, in the middle of Afghanistan, Kosovo, East Timor, Haiti," he said. "We've got to look at it from the mission end backwards."
As a result, the Canadian Forces need to be able to move troops and equipment quickly requiring what is known in the military as lift. "We have to have the lift. Lift, air and sea," Hillier said, adding that he prefers to lease the equipment rather than to sink the money into purchases, presumably to make more money available to spend elsewhere. Hillier sees Canada's international missions as part of defending Canada's interests.
"Since 11 September, I actually really do believe that we deploy men and women around the world because it is in our interest to do; that there is a very real threat that could manifest itself in Canada, and probably will at some time in the future."
If Canada is not involved in stabilization efforts, he suggested that instability would come to Canada, requiring a new look at all aspects of Canadian operations.
He also warned that being effective means being combat-capable. Participation in multinational forces means having troops that are trained and equipped for every kind of combat. This means sending teams of men and women who have been properly trained and equipped, not groups of individuals.
Hillier's experience in Afghanistan made him realize that high-technology battle equipment doesn't help rebuild a nation which must be done while security is provided.
"And if we're not working with the whole of government to be able to build that nation wherever we go, whether it's Kosovo or Haiti or Afghanistan, it doesn't matter; if we're not doing that we're not going to set conditions for success," he said.
He wrapped up on an optimistic note.
"We had a great start with the budget," he said. "We've got a defence policy which is developing, which is close, I believe, to culminating. We've got a leadership in place that is ready to change the Canadian Forces and make it what we need it to be."
And, he said, none of this will be possible without the support of Canadians.
While Hillier insisted that Canada does not yet have a new defence policy, and will not have one until it is released by the government with the international policy statement, he gave a clear indication of what that policy might be, and what his strategy will be to implement it.
Additional articles by Graham Fraser
But terrorists, criminals new security threat
GRAHAM FRASER
NATIONAL AFFAIRS WRITER
OTTAWAGen. Rick Hillier, the new chief of the defence staff, represents a break in tradition for the Canadian military.
Because of the Somalia scandal, lack of funding and increasing international demands, Canada's top military leaders over the last decade have been prudent and cautious. And their public speeches were bland and forgettable.
Top soldier's weapon: Charm (March 19)
But Hillier has a different style. He spoke off the cuff, without notes or PowerPoint, to the Conference of Defence Associations Institute on March 3, and was unusually candid. His remarks highlighted his strategic approach as Canada waits for its new international policy statement.
Hillier has been described as "a warrior." He served in Bosnia, led the multilateral force in Afghanistan, and, on an exchange, was the commanding officer of Fort Hood in Texas, where he commanded 70,000 troops more than the entire Canadian Forces.
In a nutshell, his strategic vision for the Canadian Forces involves:
A domestic focus that treats Canada as an operational theatre.
A larger role in the international missions Canada chooses to participate in.
Transportation equipment to get the troops there quickly so that they can provide security while they rebuild failed and failing states.
And larger military units engaged in a smaller number of missions that will enhance Canada's reputation and enable Canada to play a more significant role in the world.
Hillier's tribute to his predecessors showed how bad he thought things had been.
"We came though a period of about three, three-and-a-half-years here, when this Canadian Forces could have broken," he said, adding that without stable leadership, continuity of purpose and concern for the men and women in the forces, the military would have been dramatically worse off.
Hillier argued that the threat has changed from "The Bear" the former Soviet Union to "a ball of snakes," a danger that ranges from terrorism and organized crime to the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. But the Canadian Forces still operate on the assumption that The Bear is the threat.
"It's actually time that we changed that dynamic," he said. "We've got to shape ourselves against that ball of snakes."
To do that, the Canadian Forces have to be relevant, and seen as relevant by Canadians: "And I've got to tell you, that is not the case right now."
But he argued that Canada was not alone in its focus on the high-intensity combat of yesteryear.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
`We've got to shape ourselves against that ball of snakes'
Gen. Rick Hillier
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"It's almost, if you will, like the Western military folks focused only on the three-week rush from Kuwait to Baghdad City, and they neglected completely the two years of high-intensity combat, nation-building and humanitarian assistance that's been going on since," he said. "We've recognized since 9/11 in failed and failing states around the world that the only solution is to be able to do all three of those at the same time."
But Sept. 11 also changed the focus for the military at home. Now, the Canadian Forces have to treat Canada as an operational theatre.
"Canada and Canadians ... are at more risk now of direct attack than they have ever been during the Cold War itself," Hillier said. "We've got to start treating Canada as an operational theatre if we're going to have a command and control structure that allows us to be responsive."
In order to do that, Hillier is looking first at the missions of the Canadian Forces.
"We've got to look at it from the mission end, whether that's in the north, around Canada, in the middle of Afghanistan, Kosovo, East Timor, Haiti," he said. "We've got to look at it from the mission end backwards."
As a result, the Canadian Forces need to be able to move troops and equipment quickly requiring what is known in the military as lift. "We have to have the lift. Lift, air and sea," Hillier said, adding that he prefers to lease the equipment rather than to sink the money into purchases, presumably to make more money available to spend elsewhere. Hillier sees Canada's international missions as part of defending Canada's interests.
"Since 11 September, I actually really do believe that we deploy men and women around the world because it is in our interest to do; that there is a very real threat that could manifest itself in Canada, and probably will at some time in the future."
If Canada is not involved in stabilization efforts, he suggested that instability would come to Canada, requiring a new look at all aspects of Canadian operations.
He also warned that being effective means being combat-capable. Participation in multinational forces means having troops that are trained and equipped for every kind of combat. This means sending teams of men and women who have been properly trained and equipped, not groups of individuals.
Hillier's experience in Afghanistan made him realize that high-technology battle equipment doesn't help rebuild a nation which must be done while security is provided.
"And if we're not working with the whole of government to be able to build that nation wherever we go, whether it's Kosovo or Haiti or Afghanistan, it doesn't matter; if we're not doing that we're not going to set conditions for success," he said.
He wrapped up on an optimistic note.
"We had a great start with the budget," he said. "We've got a defence policy which is developing, which is close, I believe, to culminating. We've got a leadership in place that is ready to change the Canadian Forces and make it what we need it to be."
And, he said, none of this will be possible without the support of Canadians.
While Hillier insisted that Canada does not yet have a new defence policy, and will not have one until it is released by the government with the international policy statement, he gave a clear indication of what that policy might be, and what his strategy will be to implement it.
Additional articles by Graham Fraser