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Canada Negotiating with Pakistan for New Logistical Base - Source

by Karl Gotthardt - albertacowpoke | October 13, 2010 at 09:04 am

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A Pakistani Foreign Ministry source says that Canada has been negotiating with Pakistan in search for a Base for next year's scheduled withdrawal.

According to the source, Canada made the request to the Pakistani government several months ago.

Canada has been in a bitter dispute with the United Arab Emirates over landing rights of its two airlines the Emirates and Etihat. Both airlines have landing rights for six flights into Toronto's Pearson Airport weekly.

Dubai has been negotiating additional landing rights to which Air Canada objected. As a result no additional landing rights have been granted by the Canadian government.

Last weekend the UAE refused authority into its airspace that was carrying Defence Minister Peter MacKay and the Chief of Defence Staff Walter Natynczyk. Shortly thereafter it was announced that the UAE have kicked Canada out of the UAE and Camp Mirage, a covert base used for logistical supply to Afghanistan.

The Base was also to play a major part in Canada's scheduled withdrawal next year.

The request to get authority to use bases in Pakistan is not a surprise, but it would certainly make withdrawal more difficult. Pakistan is known as a haven for Taliban insurgents.

A base in Afghanistan would require much more security.

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Piobar

at 07:15 on October 14th, 2010

Further proof that someone in <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 />Ottawa does not know what they are doing. Not only should the CF not be pulled out of Afghanistan, but then to let Air Canada throw its weight around, destroying relations with one of our key allies in supporting those troops, in order to keep their funds up and avoid honest competition, is disgusting. And the fact that enquiries were being made into establishing a base in Pakistan, the birthplace of the Taliban, months ago leads to the distinct conclusion that someone knew what was coming, vis-à-vis the UAE and Camp Mirage closure. Bad enough that we couldn’t get a seat at the UN because of sloppy diplomacy and unpopular foreign policy, but to wilfully ostracise our allies and leave our troops on the hook in a hostile area is disgraceful. But instead of worrying about these issues, Ottawa seems to be targeting veterans, burning bridges with our allies, and trying to cover up the lack of justification for scrapping the census.... Our troops and our nation deserve better.