Felix the Cat
12-23-2005, 12:10 PM
Tories vow to protect Arctic (http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/story.html?id=1038ae5a-4aa7-453b-aa8e-df8ef3e7218a&k=42867)
WINNIPEG - Stephen Harper yesterday unveiled an ambitious plan for protecting Canadian sovereignty in the Arctic that would rely on an expanded military presence north of the 60th parallel, as well as greater underwater and aerial surveillance of the area.
The Conservative leader said a critical piece of the plan entails building three Canadian-made, armed heavy icebreakers, which would be capable of cutting through seven metres of ice and transporting troops, and would be stationed near Iqaluit.
A Tory government would build a deep-water docking facility for both civilian and military uses in the same area, establish a new sensor system to monitor underwater traffic, and station long-range, unmanned aircraft at two northern bases "to provide continuous Arctic and ocean surveillance and patrol," he said.
Mr. Harper estimated the cost of the icebreakers and docking facility at approximately $2- billion over nine years.
On Monday, the National Post reported that a U.S. nuclear submarine, USS Charlotte, cruised through the Arctic Ocean, making a Nov. 10 stop at the North Pole, following a route that likely passed through Canadian waters.
It is still not clear whether the Canadian government gave permission for the U.S. sub's voyage, although experts say it is highly unlikely.
Control of the North is expected to become an increasingly significant issue as global warming melts the ice and allows for easy and frequent travel through the Northwest Passage.
Mr. Harper, making his final policy announcement before the Christmas break, said he would demand, as prime minister, that any foreign vessels travelling in Canadian territorial waters get the consent of the federal government.
He brushed off questions about what sanctions he would impose if a country violated that demand, saying Canada has to first be able to detect violators before it can talk about penalizing them.
He accused the Liberal government of failing to make the investments needed to detect incursions by foreign vessels.
"You don't defend national sovereignty with flags, cheap election rhetoric and advertising campaigns," he said.
"You need forces on the ground, ships in the sea and proper surveillance.
"When it comes to the United States, Mr. Martin says he calls them as he sees them. But when it comes to American passage through Canada, he doesn't actually see anything. He doesn't have the capability."
Military experts called the Conservative plan "ambitious" but "doable."
"We have so little capability in the North it's a national embarrassment," said Pierre Leblanc, a retired colonel and former commander of the Canadian Forces' northern command. "Any movement in the direction of additional resources to increase surveillance is most welcome."
Rob Huebert, associate director at the Centre for Military and Strategic Studies at the University of Calgary, said the Conservatives are very good at coming up with long-term plans for the Arctic, not as good at following through with them. "Hopefully this is different," he said.
WINNIPEG - Stephen Harper yesterday unveiled an ambitious plan for protecting Canadian sovereignty in the Arctic that would rely on an expanded military presence north of the 60th parallel, as well as greater underwater and aerial surveillance of the area.
The Conservative leader said a critical piece of the plan entails building three Canadian-made, armed heavy icebreakers, which would be capable of cutting through seven metres of ice and transporting troops, and would be stationed near Iqaluit.
A Tory government would build a deep-water docking facility for both civilian and military uses in the same area, establish a new sensor system to monitor underwater traffic, and station long-range, unmanned aircraft at two northern bases "to provide continuous Arctic and ocean surveillance and patrol," he said.
Mr. Harper estimated the cost of the icebreakers and docking facility at approximately $2- billion over nine years.
On Monday, the National Post reported that a U.S. nuclear submarine, USS Charlotte, cruised through the Arctic Ocean, making a Nov. 10 stop at the North Pole, following a route that likely passed through Canadian waters.
It is still not clear whether the Canadian government gave permission for the U.S. sub's voyage, although experts say it is highly unlikely.
Control of the North is expected to become an increasingly significant issue as global warming melts the ice and allows for easy and frequent travel through the Northwest Passage.
Mr. Harper, making his final policy announcement before the Christmas break, said he would demand, as prime minister, that any foreign vessels travelling in Canadian territorial waters get the consent of the federal government.
He brushed off questions about what sanctions he would impose if a country violated that demand, saying Canada has to first be able to detect violators before it can talk about penalizing them.
He accused the Liberal government of failing to make the investments needed to detect incursions by foreign vessels.
"You don't defend national sovereignty with flags, cheap election rhetoric and advertising campaigns," he said.
"You need forces on the ground, ships in the sea and proper surveillance.
"When it comes to the United States, Mr. Martin says he calls them as he sees them. But when it comes to American passage through Canada, he doesn't actually see anything. He doesn't have the capability."
Military experts called the Conservative plan "ambitious" but "doable."
"We have so little capability in the North it's a national embarrassment," said Pierre Leblanc, a retired colonel and former commander of the Canadian Forces' northern command. "Any movement in the direction of additional resources to increase surveillance is most welcome."
Rob Huebert, associate director at the Centre for Military and Strategic Studies at the University of Calgary, said the Conservatives are very good at coming up with long-term plans for the Arctic, not as good at following through with them. "Hopefully this is different," he said.