Frigate sets off (for Libya) with 240 Canadian sailors

[Turborama]

Source: Winnipeg Free Press

By: John Lewandowski
Posted: 03/3/2011 1:00 AM

HALIFAX -- HMCS Charlottetown left Halifax on Wednesday for the Libyan coast to play a role in a humanitarian mission that still has not been fully defined.

The Canadian navy frigate, which is carrying a crew of 240 and a Sea King helicopter, is expected to join an international flotilla assembling in the Mediterranean off the North African coast.

Cmdr. Craig Skjerpen said it could take up to 12 days to reach their destination, depending on sea conditions.

"Right now the mission is about humanitarian assistance and to extract Canadians or others as required," he said as his ship was readied in sunny sub-zero temperatures. "It could be bringing people out or bringing in medical supplies and goods to the area. It all depends on what is required."

Read more: http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/canada/frigate-sets-off-with-240-canadian-sailors-117302578.html

---

12 days to sail from Canada to Libya? It could all be over by the time they get there to carry out this undefined mission.

TBH If I was a Canadian taxpayer I'd be a bit pissed at this boondoggle.

[Kolesar]

1. They need to extract Canadians and it might get violent

good luck to them.

[Turborama]

2. If there are Canadians in Libya now, do you think they'll be hanging around another 12 days waiting

...for this ship to turn up and "extract" them?

I seriously doubt it.

[icnorth]

3. Harper has been awaiting

a meteorological report on wind direction.

[Baclava]

4. Bon voyage

Speaking to CTV's Canada AM, MacKay said he has received estimates that there are about 250 Canadians still in Libya.

"Just under 100 of those have indicated their desire to leave and so we'll continue to work tirelessly to get them out," MacKay said.




Family and friends of the crew of HMCS Charlottetown say their goodbyes


The Halifax-class frigate, HMCS Charlottetown, departs Halifax harbour and heads to Libya

[PavePusher]

5. How do you expect them to get those people out?

And if you have a faster method, please suggest it.

[Turborama]

6. Canada now has two C-17 planes and one C-130 stationed in Malta...

...making it much easier to deploy rescue operations to Libya, MacKay said.

He said officials are trying to co-ordinate departure times from Malta with the arrival of Canadians at the Tripoli airport.

Canadian consular officials are also working with Canada's allies to co-ordinate evacuation efforts, MacKay said.

Full article: http://news.sympatico.ca/home/articles/hmcs_charlottetown_sails_for_libya_coast_wednesday/57381829

There are less than 100 Canadians who want to leave Libya. If Canadian officials and their allies co-ordinate with them properly, they should be out of there a lot quicker than 12 days. In fact, according to that article, they would have been evacuated already if it weren't for a few earlier blunders.

BTW As of 5 days ago, China had managed to evacuate roughly 16,000 citizens without having to send any warships.

Details here...

Factbox: Evacuations by country
Reuters
February 26, 2011

Canada: Foreign Minister Lawrence Cannon said on Thursday nearly 200 Canadians had been, or were about to be, evacuated on planes and ships arranged by other nations. He said a C-17 military transport plane with 156 seats was on its way to Italy from Germany and would fly to Tripoli as soon as Libyan authorities gave permission.

-- He also said a charter plane from Amman would arrive in Tripoli early on Friday. So far, 213 Canadians have said they want to leave Libya.

China: China had evacuated almost 16,000 of its citizens by Saturday, Xinhua news agency quoted the Foreign Ministry as saying. China's Ministry of Commerce has said 75 Chinese companies have operations in Libya, including the state-owned energy giant CNPC, parent company of PetroChina Co Ltd.

More than 3,000 Chinese nationals working in Libya boarded two chartered Greek vessels Friday evening at Benghazi port. They would be taken to Greece before returning home. (See Greece section for further details from Athens.)

Full Factbox: http://www.hindustantimes.com/Factbox-Evacuations-by-country/Article1-667168.aspx

[PavePusher]

7. IIRC, Libya has an Air Force and they are currently using it to strafe their own citizens.

I'd want to be really sure I was talking to the right people before taking a fat, slow cargo plane into a war zone. Or riding it out...

[Turborama]

9. IIRC, Libya has not shot down any foreign aircraft in the past 2 weeks

If they did it could be used as a casus belli.

BTW, Tripoli is on the coast. Malta is an island off the coast of Libya. Hardly risking your life "taking a fat, slow cargo plane into a war zone", as you so dramatically put it.


Map dated February 24, 2011 (http://news.nationalpost.com/2011/02/24/map-libyas-opposition-controlled-areas/">Source)

[sofa king]

8. I heard it was really an American ship trying to avoid nasty looks at the airport.

[neverforget]

10. The east coast of Canada is now unguarded or so says my Canadian FIL

:evilgrin: