HistoricalDavid

You're taking 'bad guy' too literally. He simply means 'the enemy' in a military sense.

But surely you can't be so narrow-minded as to subscribe to some wonderful isolationist view that the only just war is a strictly defensive one when someone invades your territory...

If Pakistan, that most elegantly stable of countries, collapses and nukes fall into the hands of religious extremists, then various countries such as Canada may take action and justifiably so.

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HD Ready?

gamercube

Yes, I know that he meant "the enemy". And yes, I do subscribe to what you call the "narrow isolationist view" of the only justifiable war being a defensive war.

Lol. But seriously, Pakistan is not Iraq, and even if nukes do fall into the hands of terrorists, there isn't much that the west can do anything about it. What can be done? Invade Pakistan and enforce regime change? I think that would be quite hard to do in a country with a big army and population like Pakistan.

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Hasta la Victoria siempre!

Blademaster

Only with American help. Only with American help.

Officer of Engineers

I have less faith in the PakAF in finding their targets than I do in my own birdbrains, especially when the targets don't want to be found. Kragil should point to you the effectiveness of those AFs.

The CMBG or the Pak Corps in mobilizing? The CMBG was designed as the strategic reserves for an American corps. It has all the artillery, engineering, and the armoured strength of a mechanized division but only the infantry of a regular brigade - hence why it is called a brigade group instead of a brigade. In a prepared defence, it is a divison.

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Chimo

Officer of Engineers

Traditionally, the solution was to warlord the country.

Blademaster

Yes you have all the stuff you need but the truth is, you need American help in getting to the battlefield safely.

Officer of Engineers

No, we needed Russian help. We paid AEROFLOT.

Joking aside, the modern battlefield role envisioned by the CF is a recee bde, determined to win the recee battle before the main force battle.

Blademaster

What about sanitizing the airspace above and front of you? What about fuel? Fuel getting there? You can pull all that off without American help?

Officer of Engineers

The very nature of recee demands that you cannot wait.

Not sure what you're getting at here. We did UNPROFOR without any American assistance. We sent a brigade to Kosovo by renting cargo ships. HMCS PROTECTEUR is a sea going replenishment ship that supplied the allied effort.

Blademaster

What I am trying to get is let's say that the Americans haven't invaded Afghanistan yet. How is Canada gonna get a brigade into Afghanistan and manuever it to meet a Pakistan corps?

The point I am trying to make is that all of this is only possible after America has secured a lane of control and supply. For instance, American forces were able to grab, hold and secure Afghanistan as a base. Only then Canada could bring its forces into Afghanistan.

Without US, there would be no Canadian presence in Afghanistan no matter how hard she wants to be in that country.

Blademaster

You pulled off UNPROFOR because in the first place, you were able to secure an agreement from all sides to let you to get into the area without molesting you. It is another debate that they decided to turn against you. At least you were in place before they turned against you when they decided that your presence was not in their interest.

Officer of Engineers

Gotcha! You're talking about a staging area. The US needs those too, most recently both Kuwait for Iraq and Pakistan for Afghanistan.

CANBAT's staging area for UNPROFOR was CFB Lahrs, Germany. As far as FREBAT, CANBAT, and BRITBAT are concerned, these were fully combat capable and determined Battle Groups. FREBAT was the one who broke the Sarajevo seige from the inside. Seeking the combatants' agreement was a political necessity, not a military one. I don't know one battalion Colonel who did not think they can break through any line, even DUTCHBAT during the disgrace of Srebrenecia. They couldn't hold but they could break through.

Blademaster

Ok I got it. Can you tell me how the Canadians would secure a staging area to bring the fight to a Pakistan corps? Actually, let's be fair here. Let's pit a Canadian Brigade force against an Indian strike corps.

Feanor

Aha. I always knew there was something suspicious about Canadian global force projection

But really, I can see Blademasters point. Canada doesn't have the global network of military bases and obligatory allies that can host it's strike force.

Dwarven Pirate

In upstate New York we were driving along and passed the Ultra Power Mart! It was the strongest store in town!!!!!!!!