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Canada to send 5 soldiers to boost NATO in Kosovo
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by eastvanray | August 15, 2008 at 02:36 pm
262 views | 10 Recommendations | 8 comments
Five! Count 'em...Five Canadian soldiers are heading to Kosova to kick some ethnic-cleansing butt!
Canada to send 5 soldiers to boost NATO in KosovoUpdated Fri. Aug. 15 2008 2:43 PM ET
The Canadian Press
CFB GAGETOWN -- Defence Minister Peter MacKay says Canada will send five soldiers to Kosovo to help a NATO-led peacekeeping force.
They will be deployed for 12 months to NATO's peacekeeping headquarters in Pristina, capital of the former Serbian province.
"Five Canadian Forces personnel can make a great difference," MacKay told a news conference Friday at Canadian Forces Base Gagetown, near Fredericton.
"Their know-how, their experience, their ability in co-ordinating in Kosovo I expect will make a real difference," he said. "There are different levels of personnel contribution from different countries This specific request was made and we responded."
The minister said the military members, described as defence planners, will be drawn from various bases across the country.
They're main role will be co-ordinating funds and equipment sent from donor countries.
MacKay said the Afghanistan mission remains Canada's No. 1 focus with more than 2,000 troops on the ground. He described the Kosovo deployment as kind of "niche" mission.
A UN-sanctioned, international peacekeeping force -- now 15,000-strong -- rolled into Kosovo in June 1999 after 300,000 Kosovars fled their homes amid fighting between the Kosovo Liberation Army and forces from Serbia and the former Yugoslavia.
Having intervened in Kosovo to protect the majority ethnic Albanians from ethnic cleansing, NATO also committed to protecting the province's ethnic Serbs from a similar fate.
Kosovo declared independence on Feb. 17, 2008 and has been recognized by several countries, including the United States, Japan and the European Union.
However, the Serbian government has strongly objected to losing a province many Serbs consider the historic cradle of the nation.
The Serbian government says the independence declaration was illegal and has recalled ambassadors from nations that have recognized Kosovo as a new nation.
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Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (8)
at 15:44 on August 15th, 2008
eastvanray, I like this story. It's good stuff. Yeah, but Eastvan, you fail to see the Big Picture, these 5, count em 5 hard drinkin soldiers from the Eastern Seaboard region. They were probably told Kosovo is a Dry country, no Molson's, so No Beer, Make Soldiers Very Fighting Angry!
at 15:49 on August 15th, 2008
Thanks for the GS, Barry. Couldn't we have at least sent 12 soldiers? At least then we could call them the Dirty Dozen!
at 17:58 on August 15th, 2008
Come on now, Jeezus Eastvan, you ever try an split a contraband six pack between 12 soldiers, especially with automatic weapons. I can tell you were never a thirsty soldier.
at 18:36 on August 15th, 2008
eastvanray, I like this story. It's good stuff.
I think because the air fare is very expensive we needed to cut cost. I hope they packed their meals for the trip.
at 11:50 on August 17th, 2008
That's right Alfred, cause if they flew Air Canada, they should pack their toilet paper as well as their sandwiches.
at 12:08 on November 11th, 2008
Defence Minister: Canadian Soldiers...What is your profession?
Soldiers: HA-OOH! HA-OOH! HA-OOH!
Defence Minister: [ turning to others] You see, old friends? I brought more soldiers than you did
at 12:38 on January 8th, 2009
I'm afraid I'll have to dissapoint you all: Kosovars drink breakfast, lunch, and dinner. There just may be a contest between the Canucks and the Kosovars as to who drinks more...
at 11:00 on March 12th, 2009
Um, Kosovo is not a dry country at all. The Muslim Kosovars practice a very relaxed form of the religion and drinking raki is very much a part of everyday life, just as in Albania.