'Thousands' of troops pledged for 2010
Security to be a priority for Olympics, military official says
Derrick Penner, Vancouver Sun
Published: Thursday, January 31, 2008
VANCOUVER - The military is preparing to commit "thousands" of troops to ensure security at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver.
Pile said the 2010 Olympics are a "no-fail mission" for the military.
"It is our No. 1 domestic priority, and we will field the naval, air and land forces necessary to support it," he added.
Support, Pile said, will include such things as venue security, air, sea and land surveillance and logistical support.
I didn't know that the military could have domestic concerns - except in a state of emergency, or martial law. And I wonder what the "no-fail mission" really is...to kick hippy protesters' asses?
Canada was listed as the fifth most important "Christian" target behind the United States, United Kingdom, Spain, and Australia by al-Qaida in 2004, Canadian Lt.-Gen. Marc Dumais wrote in a report made public last spring.
The 2010 Olympics, his report said, "could offer opportunities for terrorists [international and domestic] and extremists to further their agendas," to attack Canada or other participating nations.
Pile, on Wednesday, would also not comment on...what the military is preparing to address in 2010.
He would only say the Armed Forces have made a threat assessment and will ensure they're capable of dealing with any potential changes in the future.
Some 12,350 RCMP, police and private security are also expected to be part of the Olympic security effort.
The Games' security budget has proved to be a controversial topic with the RCMP, last summer, admitting the $175 million established for Vancouver's Olympic bid will be inadequate for the security task.
Military observers have suggested the Armed Forces contribution alone could run in the half-billion-dollar range.
A RCMP report made public noted the integrated security unit is being asked to secure 100 venues and locations, almost five times the numbers spelled out in Vancouver's bid.
These guys must have read my prediction of the other day.
I do not like the sound of massive military, and para-military forces patrolling the streets of this fair city.
I'm moving to Montana soon...
11 comments:
Speaking as an ex member of the forces;
1) The military presence is likely to be mostly a 'reserve' force, ie. they will not be patrolling the streets but rather they will be on call in a nearby location. Their other role will be observing and detection. (I've the naval sub hunter Hercs flying over Vancouver on exercise recently, I suppose that's in case Al Quaeda gets subs???)
2) Your picture shows the wrong kind of fighter jet. Cdn Forces fly CF-18s not F16s. You can always tell the Cdn F18s because they have the 'false cockpit' on the bottom to fool opposing fighter pilots in a dogfight (apparently very effective, the first time they were used in an international dogfight competition the Americans complained that it was cheating).
3) This is the CANADIAN armed forces. The most highly trained military in the world when it comes to using restraint and solving problems without injuries or deaths.
I appreciate that drachen.
The jets are actually F-5's, and I just grabbed them for the photoshop. I fully expected to have the misrepresentation noticed, and pointed out. Thanks for being gentle. (grin)
The HMCS Vancouver does not have the Olimpdick blings and torch painted on the bow either (I half expect the IOC to be on my case about that, but I hope that it goes un-noticed).
I agree that we have a professional military - comprised of Canadians, with Canadian values for the most part. I would trust the Armed Forces before I would trust the RCMP.
What I am really on about (in my usual oblique manner) is the misrepresentaion of the costs and composition of the security around the Olympics. As if anyone ever believed that it would cost "only" $175 million. Giving our involvement in Afghanistan, I would be surprised if there was not some kind of military coverage of security for the games.
I ended up bumbling through the post at about 1:00 AM, after a long and busy day with the fambly. (the post says posted at 5:49 or whatever, but that was when I started writing it)
"I would trust the Armed Forces before I would trust the RCMP." Yes much better to see a Canadian soldier with a machine gun then and RCMP officer with a Taser I think! :-)
I was thinking after my last comment, and realized that I was being conciliatory.
I don't want to get political here, but I realized that I have been affected by subtle propaganda.
When I wrote my comment, I thought of people like Rick Hillier, a guy one can see going fishing with, or the poor bugger who lost both his legs in Afghanistan, and is now a motivational speaker. Both stand-up guys (no cruel pun intended). Sympathy and empathy are things I felt.
People like Zaccardelli - formerly of the RCMP - or the cop who shot Ian Bush in the back of the head in Houston - while he was in custody, or the Taser death of the Polish fellow at YVR, give me my impression of the RCMP.
(I gotta get my firewall back up! I'm getting soft in the head.)
But the cops are trained to keep the peace, and the military has a bit of a different purview. The military has no place controlling the civilian population unless there is an emergency, or martial law is invoked. If the Olympics are an emergency, WTF are we hosting them? Do we expect an invasion from the US? Japan? China? Will martial law be invoked "just in case"?
It is the job of the civilian agencies - such as the Border Services Agency (or whatever it is called this month), the RCMP, and the VPD to provide security (all of them have machine guns strataman - except the border guys. They don't even have side arms. Weird, eh?).
I am not going to be very pleased to be stopped by a military force while going about my civilian business. I might just get shot.
Hey...a little story to tell you. Landed in Amsterdam in '05 on a regular Tuesday afternoon. After getting our gear, we headed to the bus loop to get into town. Lo and behold a security force was walking about in the background, except they were military (looks like a duck walks like a duck, carries a MP-5 like a ...duck?). No one seemed to mind, and they left people to go about being people. Now. Here's the thing. If ANYONE should be sensitive to armed personnel walking about with German made machine guns, it's the one-generation-removed-from-Nazi-occupation Dutch. You, asshat, should not. So please if you feel the need to post pictures of police in riot gear tending to a POTENTIAL RIOT SITUATION as something analogous to our Olympics and how just because security forces are around that is somehow going to impede on your rights - please start another asshat hippie blog on the subject and not hold your somewhat relevant real estate blog hostage to it.
"But the cops are trained to keep the peace, and the military has a bit of a different purview."
Actually peacekeeping is one of the top 3 priorities for the military (I forget which of the top 3 slots it takes but I think it's #1)
You, asshat, should not. So please if you feel the need to post pictures of police in riot gear tending to a POTENTIAL RIOT SITUATION as something analogous to our Olympics and how just because security forces are around that is somehow going to impede on your rights - please start another asshat hippie blog on the subject
What's with the vitriol? And, just what is an "asshat"? Is that like a pair of underwear?
I really did not feel a need to post any pictures, I had a want. If you have a problem with that, frig off and read something else.
Fair enough drachen. Put it down to mental fatigue (I've had a lot of that lately).
Hey...a little story to tell you. Landed in Amsterdam in '05 on a regular Tuesday afternoon. After getting our gear, we headed to the bus loop to get into town. Lo and behold a security force was walking about in the background, except they were military (looks like a duck walks like a duck, carries a MP-5 like a ...duck?).
Yeah. I was in A'dam in '79, '89 and '98. The machine guns un-nerved me, but I was in the Centraal Station drinking a Heineken from the vending machine, when two of the security force with machine guns came towards me and said "Outside with that" (1989 - with my wife). Being a Canadian, I thought that they were talking about my can of beer, but when I followed their line of sight, I saw two guys with needles in their arms, and it was they to whom the cops spake. Naturally, I was blown away. I think that those MP-5's were loaded with joints and candy canes, and not bullets.
I also have a great photograph of 4 of those cops jumping up and clicking their heels while waving their caps as they crossed a bridge over a canal. There is a different mentality in Holland.
I don't like cops or military anywhere near me at home.
"...post pictures of police in riot gear tending to a POTENTIAL RIOT SITUATION as something analogous to our Olympics ..."
Obviously you don't live in Vancouver.
The "2010 Riot" graffiti is becoming much more common around here.
At the flag lighting Olympic ceremony we had police security unlike anything I have seen before in Vancouver. And there have been police in riot gear at recent protests involving groups that will be protesting the Olympics.
There are plans for an international convergence to protest the Olympics that is being promoted around the world.
Have you seen the security zone for the Olympic village?
From what I have heard at most of the recent Olympics portions of the cities basically get turned into "no protest" zones.
I would be very surprised if there are not riot police at the 2010 games.
Organizing to protest the Olympics has already begun.
Obviously you don't live in Vancouver.
The "2010 Riot" graffiti is becoming much more common around here.
Upon reflection, I figure that that "asshat" was a cop, or CSIS.
There are a lot of thinking people in Vancouver who don't subscribe to the Olimpdick hype, and in fact, are pissed off with it.
Hey...a little story to tell you. Landed in Amsterdam in '05 on a regular Tuesday afternoon.
Hey...get a life loser. What's up with the blog police, these morons remind me of the idiots that call in to the Rex Murphy show and rant about something that they don't comprehend and end up sounding like, well like asshats.
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