[url]http://www.canoe.ca/EdmontonNews/es.es-05-31-0029.html [/url]

CRC

[size=4]Our military can't keep up, says retiring Canadian chief[/size=4]

OTTAWA -- As the prime minister mused this week about sending peacekeepers to the Middle East, the outgoing head of the army said Canada can't maintain its present military commitments, much less take on new ones.

Retiring yesterday after 39 years of service, Lieutenant-general Mike Jeffery said he leaves the army grateful, but with worries about the future.

"I cannot help but have a growing sense of concern over the challenges that this nation faces and the army's ability - indeed, the Canadian Forces' ability - to meet them," Jeffery told a change-of-command ceremony.

"The world has changed, and I'm not sure we're keeping pace. We are participating, there is no question of that. But are we really playing our part? Do we want to make a difference or do we just want to ensure our flag is present?"

Prime Minister Jean Chretien has promised an undetermined number of peacekeepers for the Middle East in the event of an Palestinian-Israeli peace accord, as well as help for a French mission in the Congo.

This would be on top of commitments in the former Yugoslavia and Afghanistan. Jeffery said the recent military budget increase of $1.6 billion over two years helps but it's not enough, given the realities of the world.

He said he's proud of the military and its contributions but he added it's "stretched to the limit and, despite what we have done, we cannot ... keep it at the level of quality and capability that we have in the past."

"In the final analysis, our military is too small to allow Canada to play the kind of role it should on the world stage," he said.

Jeffery acknowledged the issues he was addressing belong to the politicians, but he said the care of Canada's soldiers belongs to the military.

"The soldiers ... are paying the bills with their service, with their health and sometimes with their lives. Our military is as stressed as it's ever been and I fear that it will not be able to continue at this pace for much longer," said Jeffery.

In an interview, Jeffery said the commitment of two six-month rotations of about 1,800 peacekeepers apiece to Afghanistan - starting in August - means about a third of the army's deployable force will be committed internationally - an unsustainable tempo.

Adding new missions could be disastrous, he suggested. The breaking point, he said, "may be closer than you think."

Well, isn't that because they outlawed guns?[;D]

Canada has a military?

-SARguy  [(:)]

[b]ATTACK !!!!!![/b]

Attack What?  [:D]

This is news?

-HS

What do expect from a near Communist nation? They are sooooo socialist that they can't afford anything!!!

They should take a close look at the former Soviet Union and use a page from their history books ... SOCIALISM DOESNT WORK !!! Even the Red Chineese know that .

[usa]

Canada depends on the US for a strong defense, why spend the money when they dont have to.