freespirit
12th January 2012, 07:16 AM
just when you think you've heard it all...
http://news.sympatico.ca/oped/coffee-talk/canadian_military_gear_stolen_in_transit_replaced_ with_rocks/4b4d51d5
Getting military equipment home to Canada from Afghanistan is proving to be a tricky task. When several "secured" shipping containers arrived home, they found rocks instead of gear.
Serious security breaches have left the Canadian Armed Forces wondering where their gear has gone.
Containers shipped to Canada from Afghanistan ended up holding dirt and rocks instead of the equipment packed inside when it left on its trip by sea. Now we know how Charlie Brown felt each time he went trick-or-treating on Halloween: "I got a rock."
Canadian troops have probably seen enough of Afghan soil, so seeing it delivered – at taxpayer cost – to Canada is no treat at all. On the other hand, if anyone would like some dirt and rocks, heck, make an offer.
The contents of the containers were supplies intended for use by our soldiers. The Armed Forces told a reporter that there were no munitions inside the containers; more like "tires, tools and tents."
An investigation into the thefts is underway, but the missing equipment is long gone. It may have been pilfered in Afghanistan, Pakistan or during the long trip by cargo vessel.
Let's add up the whole cost of these thefts. What we've ended up doing is buying equipment for our troops, paying to ship it from here to Afghanistan, then finding out the troops are coming home and won't need the material overseas.
We then paid a Canadian shipping company to transport the gear back to Canada. And we got rocks. And someone else got the equipment and may one day use it to do bad things.
If this was a sitcom, the laugh track would be worn out by now, but unfortunately it's real life. And things may get worse.
The Montreal shipping company that handled the goods, A.J. Maritime, says 182 containers have made it back to Canada so far; presumably including the ones that arrived full of valuable dirt. Another 40 containers are currently in transit, so we may have some surprises when they arrive.
A whopping 448 Canadian shipping containers are still in Afghanistan, which means the riskiest part of the whole process has yet to happen. Who knows how much dirt we may import.
The good news – if it can be called that – is that no Canadian uniforms went missing and the containers weren't booby-trapped, as they might have been if the thieves wanted to kill instead of just steal.
A.J. Maritime's president told a reporter that "all NATO countries have a pilfering problem with their containers," which shouldn't make anyone feel safer. Who knows, maybe other NATO countries are losing arms from their shipments that may one day be used to kill Canadians or Afghan police.
Maybe our Armed Forces should change the way shipments of Canadian military goods are sent home. Could those containers be escorted by security staff, maybe even well-trained protection teams with guns? It's seems a mystery where our Armed Forces could find such people. Hmm.
Should Canadian military equipment be entrusted to third parties? How would you feel if our own equipment was being used by the enemy?
http://news.sympatico.ca/oped/coffee-talk/canadian_military_gear_stolen_in_transit_replaced_ with_rocks/4b4d51d5
Getting military equipment home to Canada from Afghanistan is proving to be a tricky task. When several "secured" shipping containers arrived home, they found rocks instead of gear.
Serious security breaches have left the Canadian Armed Forces wondering where their gear has gone.
Containers shipped to Canada from Afghanistan ended up holding dirt and rocks instead of the equipment packed inside when it left on its trip by sea. Now we know how Charlie Brown felt each time he went trick-or-treating on Halloween: "I got a rock."
Canadian troops have probably seen enough of Afghan soil, so seeing it delivered – at taxpayer cost – to Canada is no treat at all. On the other hand, if anyone would like some dirt and rocks, heck, make an offer.
The contents of the containers were supplies intended for use by our soldiers. The Armed Forces told a reporter that there were no munitions inside the containers; more like "tires, tools and tents."
An investigation into the thefts is underway, but the missing equipment is long gone. It may have been pilfered in Afghanistan, Pakistan or during the long trip by cargo vessel.
Let's add up the whole cost of these thefts. What we've ended up doing is buying equipment for our troops, paying to ship it from here to Afghanistan, then finding out the troops are coming home and won't need the material overseas.
We then paid a Canadian shipping company to transport the gear back to Canada. And we got rocks. And someone else got the equipment and may one day use it to do bad things.
If this was a sitcom, the laugh track would be worn out by now, but unfortunately it's real life. And things may get worse.
The Montreal shipping company that handled the goods, A.J. Maritime, says 182 containers have made it back to Canada so far; presumably including the ones that arrived full of valuable dirt. Another 40 containers are currently in transit, so we may have some surprises when they arrive.
A whopping 448 Canadian shipping containers are still in Afghanistan, which means the riskiest part of the whole process has yet to happen. Who knows how much dirt we may import.
The good news – if it can be called that – is that no Canadian uniforms went missing and the containers weren't booby-trapped, as they might have been if the thieves wanted to kill instead of just steal.
A.J. Maritime's president told a reporter that "all NATO countries have a pilfering problem with their containers," which shouldn't make anyone feel safer. Who knows, maybe other NATO countries are losing arms from their shipments that may one day be used to kill Canadians or Afghan police.
Maybe our Armed Forces should change the way shipments of Canadian military goods are sent home. Could those containers be escorted by security staff, maybe even well-trained protection teams with guns? It's seems a mystery where our Armed Forces could find such people. Hmm.
Should Canadian military equipment be entrusted to third parties? How would you feel if our own equipment was being used by the enemy?