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Great White North
Protesters rally as soldiers march in Quebec City
2007-06-24
As a parade of Canadian soldiers set to deploy to Afghanistan marched through the streets of Quebec City on Friday evening, anti-war activists rallied nearby, carrying drums, banners and even mock coffins. The protesters, led by the War on War Coalition, said they are against Canada's military involvement in Afghanistan.
Because, you know, no one they knew was killed in the World Trade Center. Just a bunch of dirty 'mericans.
They chose to stage their event the same day as 2,500 soldiers from Quebec City's CFB Valcartier made a farewell march before beginning their deployment July 15 in the volatile Afghan region of Kandahar. "We're not targeting the soldiers, we respect them as people," protest organizer Joseph Bergeron said. "But we are in total opposition with the Afghanistan mission and we want to show we represent the great part of the population that is opposed."
"And we support the Taliban and what they've done over the years," he added softly.
In Quebec, opposition is especially high, with a recent poll suggesting 70 per cent of people in the province don't agree with the mission.
Even I think this is pretty disgusting:
On Wednesday, some members of the Parti Québécois refused to stand in honour of Quebec soldiers who were visiting the province's national assembly.
That should have disqualified them from serving in the parliament.
Earlier this month, protesters sent letters to Valcartier soldiers, urging them to refuse their deployment.
"We support our mutineers!"
With anti-war sentiment high, organizers of the military march worried that they might have to cancel their parade through Old Quebec. "I know many in the community were a bit worried about [a cancellation], but for the military's part, we're proud of what we're doing," Maj. Bruno Vieille told CBC News before the parade, in which soldiers marched in full uniform.

Prior to the march, the soldiers were addressed by Defence Minister Gordon O'Connor and Quebec Premier Jean Charest. "You are the acting arm of Quebec pacifism," Charest said. "You are liberators."
Bravo Charest!
Afghan Ambassador Omar Samad also talked to the troops, stressing that the presence of the 26-nation NATO mission in his country is necessary to help it rebuild. "I ask all Canadians, including those who may have doubts about this mission, to take a look at the alternative," he said. "For millions of women and children and men, there is no alternative."

The Quebec regiment from CFB Valcartier, known as "the fighting Vandoos" and "Le troupe de Quebec," will make up the bulk of Canada's military presence in Kandahar by late summer.

The chief of the NATO alliance in Afghanistan, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, met with the troops Friday afternoon. Earlier, he met with reporters. "I believe that I can explain to Quebecers why it is important to be in Afghanistan and why it is important that Canada participates as it is doing now," he said. "It is not a combat mission; it is a reconstruction mission, but to make [reconstruction] possible, we have to fight. It is as simple as that. NATO has to fight."
This is a huge change for NATO and it is being absorbed at varying speeds throughout the organization and by different countries. Many are far from meeting even their financial commitments, much less troops and equipment. There have been a few modest steps in the slow start since the contentious Prague meeting at which it was decided that NATO's mission might indeed require operations outside of Europe. One such step is the mission in Afghanistan. Another flies under the radar, but is perhaps more important: the first real stirring of interoperability. A new Friendly Force Tracker system should be ready to deploy early in 2008 and will cut down on friendly fire incidents, at least among NATO troops in theater. The Allied Command Transformation org is involved with that. There is also some degree of joint R&D within elements of the coalition on unmanned systems and other C4 infrastructure as well. Long way to go to see if the alliance can really transform itself and rise to the current challenge, though.
De Hoop Scheffer spoke with Prime Minister Stephen Harper in Ottawa on Thursday, and is appealing to the Canadian government to extend Canada's mission mandate beyond the February 2009 deadline when troops are scheduled to withdraw.
If you're gonna extend the mission, Mr. Harper, at least get those new Leopard IIs in there.
Posted by:8872

#3  We have the perfect example of how the media drives opinion here in Canada. 70% of french speakers oppose the mission, yet 60% of Albertans (the Texas of Canada) think it's ok to slap around taliban POWs. Incidentally, of the 60 deaths in Afghanistan, only 3 of them were from Quebec.
Posted by: Canukistan   2007-06-24 13:18  

#2  Of course 70% of the province opposes the Canadian mission in Afghanistan. After all they are more French than the French
Posted by: Cheddarhead   2007-06-24 10:05  

#1  On Wednesday, some members of the Parti Québécois refused to stand in honour of Quebec soldiers who were visiting the province's national assembly.

That should have disqualified them from serving in the parliament.

The PQ will not swear allegiance to the Crown. They should never be allowed to hold public office in the first place.
Posted by: Excalibur   2007-06-24 02:20  

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