EvanL
03-03-2004, 01:33 PM
Canada's top-secret troops unmasked
They have a few extras not issued to other soldiers
Mike Blanchfield
The Ottawa Citizen
Wednesday, March 03, 2004
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OTTAWA -- The Nike baseball caps were a dead giveaway.
The khaki pants, designer sunglasses and casual T-shirts also helped tell the story: Canada's top secret, elite commandos from the Joint Task Force 2 have been unofficially unmasked.
News photographs emerging from the carnage-filled streets of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, this week have depicted the heavily armed Canadian soldiers in some rather casual garb.
Instead of the usual CadPad, the standard issue forest green uniforms, numerous wire service photographs show the casually dressed soldiers -- armed to the teeth -- with a few extras that regular troops are not issued.
Federal government policy prevents politicians and military officials from discussing the operations of JTF2, the anti-terrorism unit that conducts special operations, and pulls down guard duty across the globe for high profile dignitaries.
But a ******* News Agency photograph from Haiti offered a rare glimpse of the secretive force.
Unlike the U.S. military, which acknowledges its Special Forces, and has helped bring depictions of their exploits to Hollywood films, Canada has maintained strict secrecy about JTF2.
The government didn't formally acknowledge that nine JTF2 commandos were being sent to Haiti last week to guard the Canadian embassy as rebels marched on Port-au-Prince.
The deafening denials of the government and military officials went a long way towards unofficially confirming JTF2 involvement.
Speaking with sources familiar with JTF2 operations makes it possible to note many telltale features of the elite unit in the ******* photograph accompanying this article.
Here's a rundown of what gave them away:
- The Nike baseball cap. Canadian soldiers have strict rules about wearing green military-issue headgear.
- The longer than usual tufts of hair.
- The grey T-shirt, instead of the usual green camouflaged buttoned top.
- Khaki pants, as opposed to regular green CadPad uniform bottoms.
- The light-coloured gloves, needed so the paratroopers can handle hot substances, such as smouldering automobiles or injured civilians that need rescuing.
- The C-8 automatic weapon, a smaller version of the standard issue C-7 rifle issued to regular troops.
- The seven magazines of ammunition for the weapon. One magazine is in the gun, three more are in pouches on the soldier's belt. But notice three more loose magazines are tucked inside the soldier's belt. It is unusual for regular troops to carry more than five magazines.
- The laser targeting device below the weapon's barrel.
- The handy carrying handle.
And though they are barely visible in the photo, the soldier is also wearing what appears to be Oakley designer sunglasses, another favourite of elite special forces troops on both sides of the Canada-U.S. border.
Canadians have caught glimpses of the JTF2 in the past. The most notable example was in the winter of 2002 when an Associated Press photographer captured three JTF2 members escorting an al-Qaida prisoner from an aircraft at the Kandahar air base in southern Afghan-istan.
On former prime minister Jean Chretien's trip to Afghanistan last fall, Canadian television viewers also caught glimpses of the JTF2 as they exited a Hercules air plane that transported Chretien and his entourage to Camp Julien in the Afghan capital of Kabul.
There is another, not very well known reason why Canadian news photographers haven't shown many -- if any -- images of JTF2 commandos.
When Canadian journalists are embedded with soldiers in Afghanistan in the past, they are required to agree not to disclose the identity of members of JTF2.
© The Vancouver Sun 2004
They have a few extras not issued to other soldiers
Mike Blanchfield
The Ottawa Citizen
Wednesday, March 03, 2004
ADVERTISEMENT
OTTAWA -- The Nike baseball caps were a dead giveaway.
The khaki pants, designer sunglasses and casual T-shirts also helped tell the story: Canada's top secret, elite commandos from the Joint Task Force 2 have been unofficially unmasked.
News photographs emerging from the carnage-filled streets of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, this week have depicted the heavily armed Canadian soldiers in some rather casual garb.
Instead of the usual CadPad, the standard issue forest green uniforms, numerous wire service photographs show the casually dressed soldiers -- armed to the teeth -- with a few extras that regular troops are not issued.
Federal government policy prevents politicians and military officials from discussing the operations of JTF2, the anti-terrorism unit that conducts special operations, and pulls down guard duty across the globe for high profile dignitaries.
But a ******* News Agency photograph from Haiti offered a rare glimpse of the secretive force.
Unlike the U.S. military, which acknowledges its Special Forces, and has helped bring depictions of their exploits to Hollywood films, Canada has maintained strict secrecy about JTF2.
The government didn't formally acknowledge that nine JTF2 commandos were being sent to Haiti last week to guard the Canadian embassy as rebels marched on Port-au-Prince.
The deafening denials of the government and military officials went a long way towards unofficially confirming JTF2 involvement.
Speaking with sources familiar with JTF2 operations makes it possible to note many telltale features of the elite unit in the ******* photograph accompanying this article.
Here's a rundown of what gave them away:
- The Nike baseball cap. Canadian soldiers have strict rules about wearing green military-issue headgear.
- The longer than usual tufts of hair.
- The grey T-shirt, instead of the usual green camouflaged buttoned top.
- Khaki pants, as opposed to regular green CadPad uniform bottoms.
- The light-coloured gloves, needed so the paratroopers can handle hot substances, such as smouldering automobiles or injured civilians that need rescuing.
- The C-8 automatic weapon, a smaller version of the standard issue C-7 rifle issued to regular troops.
- The seven magazines of ammunition for the weapon. One magazine is in the gun, three more are in pouches on the soldier's belt. But notice three more loose magazines are tucked inside the soldier's belt. It is unusual for regular troops to carry more than five magazines.
- The laser targeting device below the weapon's barrel.
- The handy carrying handle.
And though they are barely visible in the photo, the soldier is also wearing what appears to be Oakley designer sunglasses, another favourite of elite special forces troops on both sides of the Canada-U.S. border.
Canadians have caught glimpses of the JTF2 in the past. The most notable example was in the winter of 2002 when an Associated Press photographer captured three JTF2 members escorting an al-Qaida prisoner from an aircraft at the Kandahar air base in southern Afghan-istan.
On former prime minister Jean Chretien's trip to Afghanistan last fall, Canadian television viewers also caught glimpses of the JTF2 as they exited a Hercules air plane that transported Chretien and his entourage to Camp Julien in the Afghan capital of Kabul.
There is another, not very well known reason why Canadian news photographers haven't shown many -- if any -- images of JTF2 commandos.
When Canadian journalists are embedded with soldiers in Afghanistan in the past, they are required to agree not to disclose the identity of members of JTF2.
© The Vancouver Sun 2004