[IPSM] Israel bombing in Dene lands

[Macdonald Stainsby]

Monday, June 27, 2005 Page A8
Special to The Globe and Mail
By BOB REGULY
Israeli warplanes are practising for precision bombing missions at a
Canadian air force range in Northern Alberta.

Ten F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter-bombers of the Israeli Air Force
participated in Exercise Maple Flag, which ran until last Friday at Cold
Lake, and stayed for some extra training. The U.S.-supplied Israeli
aircraft arrived with an Israeli Boeing 707 aerial tanker for refuelling.

"Israel arrived two weeks early and is staying a few extra weeks to take
advantage of Cold Lake Air Weapons Range, one of the world's largest
unrestricted air spaces," said Lieutenant Sonia Connock, public affairs
officer for Maple Flag. She said Israel was invited as a "friend and ally"
for its first participation in the exercise, held annually since 1987. For
tiny Israel, such free-ranging space as Canada offers is unavailable
elsewhere.

The 11,600-square-kilometre range north of Edmonton has 640 individual
targets, including seven mock airfields and 100 target complexes with
missile launchers, radar and command and control sites.

In addition to Israel, other countries are training together in the
exercise: Canada, the United States, Britain, France, Belgium, the
Netherlands, New Zealand, Singapore, Sweden, plus a NATO AWACS (for
Airborne Early Warning and Control System) contingent.

"We bring in different countries to practise working together," Lt.
Connock said. "This is not to suggest that Canada is planning or
practising for a particular event. The countries gain some experience in
flying coalition groups."

The United States has been putting pressure on Iran to abandon its nuclear
facilities before it develops an atomic bomb. In 1981, Israel had
pre-empted Iraq's threat to build a nuclear bomb with an air strike on
that country's Osirak nuclear reactor. A similar attack on Iran, farther
away, would require aerial refuelling if F-16s were used.

In addition to the participants bringing their own fighter-bombers and
transports, seven other countries sent military ground observers: Brazil,
Argentina, Chile, Greece, Singapore, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
The latter two Arab countries are U.S. allies. Canada is also said to
maintain an officially secret air base in Qatar.




--
Macdonald Stainsby
http://independentmedia.ca/survivingcanada/
http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/rad-green
In the contradiction lies the hope.
--Brecht.