Message: RIGHT HONOURABLE BRIAN MULRONEY I would like to extend my sincere greetings to the men and women of the Canadian Forces stationed in the Persian Gulf. You are doing a tremendous job and are admired and deeply respected for the professionalism with which you are carrying out your duties. Each of you is certainly missed a great deal and I know all Canadians are proud of your courage and dedication. OTTAWA 1990 EDITOR's NOTE: ®MDBO¯This report is devoted to you®MDNM¯, Canada's serving men and women of Operation Scimitar. Our regular readers will be delighted to learn that with the invaluable help of Air Transport Group (ATG) at CFB Trenton and Lahr, and ALCE in Qatar, we are able to bring this specially written issue of our weekly publication to hundreds of Canada's serving men and women in Qatar, Bahrain, Cypress, Lahr, and at sea in the Persian Gulf aboard HMCS ®MDRV¯Athabaskan®MDNM¯, ®MDRV¯Terra Nova®MDNM¯, and ®MDRV¯Protecteur®MDNM¯. We hope our new readers enjoy this special edition. Speaking for myself and all of our staff and contributors, we certainly enjoyed preparing it for you. ®MDRV¯Editor®MDNM¯ Message: DEFENCE MINISTER BILL MCKNIGHT ®MDBO¯I would like to thank the publisher and staff®MDNM¯ of ®MDRV¯The Wednesday Report®MDNM¯ for this opportunity to send greetings to our Canadian Forces personnel serving in the Persian Gulf area. ®MDBO¯You are part of a major international effort®MDNM¯ driven by the United Nations, and inspired by the principles of international peace and order which it embodies. Those principles include the determination to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, faith in fundamental human rights and dignity, and an affirmation of the equal rights of nations large and small. ®MDBO¯Canada -- a founding member of the U.N.®MDNM¯ and a peace-loving nation -- had to take a stand with the world community against Iraq's flagrant violation of international law and civilized values. We and our allies have learned the lessons of history -- that we must not turn our backs on aggression, but unite our strength to maintain world peace and security. ®MDBO¯Whatever your individual tasks and roles,®MDNM¯ in whatever capacity you serve, you can take pride in your contribution to this great multinational effort involving more than 25 nations. I hope you will also take heart from the solid support and admiration of Canadians for the work you are doing. The crisis in the Persian Gulf area has reminded us, once again, that the Canadian Forces are a vital asset for a sovereign and mature nation like Canada. ®MDBO¯On behalf of the Department of National Defence,®MDNM¯ my colleagues in government and the Canadian people, I want to express my deep appreciation to all of you for your dedicated service. You are in our thoughts daily, as we work for an early and -- we hope -- peaceful resolution to this crisis. Hon. Bill McKnight Minister, National Defence Comment: ATTITUDES ®MDBO¯While Canadians were busting each others chops®MDNM¯ -- literally, figuratively and verbally -- throughout this past summer and into the fall, we here in the little farmland town of Aurora north of Toronto were watching from a somewhat existentialist viewpoint. Close enough to be involved, but sufficiently remote to look on as spectators. ®MDBO¯Since the ill-fated 1987 defence white paper,®MDNM¯ the world -- and Canada -- seems to have been going through a metamorphosis. I think the truly ugly stage for Canadians (not fluffy caterpillars, and not yet pretty butterflies) is now. Or did we just go through it? ®MDBO¯The past summer was ugly/bad/great.®MDNM¯ It really tore deep into the gut to see Canadians behave the way they did over the Meech Lake thing and at Oka and Kahnawake. Too many put their own interests well ahead of their country's. But it was summer. ®MDBO¯We each have our own thing.®MDNM¯ For me, like my dad and grandad, its aviating and motorcycling -- each a good way of `getting away' and clearing out the cobwebs. As editor of ®MDRV¯The Wednesday Report®MDNM¯ I put in long hours, but like every Canadian, I find ways. Mornings during the summer, often as the sun barely glinted, I would roll out of bed (thud), skip the shave, stumble down the stairs (bumpety-bump), and head for the fresh outdoors. Straddling my gleaming second-sweetheart, a sleek `Harley' freedom-machine, I'd stir the birds with it's deep rumbling thunder, twist the throttle, squirt a gulp of fuel-mix into her massive 1200 cc engine, and chuff down the highway. Five hundred meters from home the town ends and rolling farmland glides past each shoulder. ®MDBO¯Motoring along at 80 kilometers,®MDNM¯ the rush of dawn's cool air this far north of Toronto is crisp and clean. There is a delicious, mixed, sight and scent of pines, maples and fertile farmlands, warm on the hills, chilled in the valleys. At the end of the half-hour run is a sweet little restaurant nestled in the trees near Orangeville; as you approach you can sniff the back bacon from across two valleys. Ahhhhh, breakfast. Life is great. ®MDBO¯The ritualistic reading of the ®MDRV¯Globe and Mail®MDNM¯ ®MDBO¯and other morning papers®MDNM¯ ®MDNM¯while sipping breakfast's orange juice, became a rude intrusion. Sylvia the waitress says she doesn't read the papers or watch the news any more, she hears all she needs from customers. "Meech On ... Now Off ... Canada's Breaking Up ... Partisan Politics Killing Canada ... It's Mulroney's Fault ... Police Attack With Machine Guns ... Recession ... Peace Negotiations In Oka, ... The Army Moves In ... Saddam Hussein Invalids Kuwait ... Saboteurs Knock Power Transmission Lines Down ... Senators Threaten To Hijack Parliament." ®MDBO¯It's colder now.®MDNM¯ The air is still fresh, farmers have taken off their crops, and life is still great. Too often it rains. But, when the skies are dry the eyes open to autumn's myriad patterns of golds, reds and bronze as nature signals, "button-up warm". The ritual won't hibernate till the snow flies. The relaxing early-hour trip home for a shower, shave, shirt and stroll to the office has comprised many hours of reflection. The daily headlines have been a diary to ponder, of a country behaving like a teenager -- a teenager with an `attitude'. ®MDBO¯It has now been some 12 weeks since Iraqi troops invaded Kuwait.®MDNM¯ A recent Gallup poll here in Canada shows that a softening 58 percent of the Canadian population continue to support Prime Minister Brian Mulroney's decision to send you to the Gulf region. We see two different ways of looking at that. ®MDBO¯Firstly, we at ®MDRV¯The Wednesday Report®MDNM¯®MDBO¯ are somewhat embarrassed by the demeanor®MDNM¯ of our countrymen. Very recent Gallup polls show quite a different disposition among European and American peoples. Seventy percent of Americans said they supported Bush's decision to move troops into the Gulf. Eighty-six percent of Britons back military action to free Kuwait. When other Europeans were asked by Gallup if they support military action to free Kuwait, 75 percent of France's population said "Yes." Similar positive support came from Germany (63 percent), Italy (59 percent), and Spain (66 percent). Canada's 58 percent is the lowest. ®MDBO¯The second view, and likely the most practical and least subjective®MDNM¯ would put the Canadian statistic in the context of a nation that today is wrangling with a bratty, adolescent phase of nationhood. If you have or once were a teenage son or daughter who hit that stage of irrational, cranky, obstreperous behaviour, maybe you can imagine an entire population acting out in the same manner. ®MDBO¯Fifty-eight percent is pretty good®MDNM¯ in the context of a nation wherein the politics of grievances has become obsessive. When geriatric Senators beat the hell out of their desks and blew kazoos in that so-called high place they call the "Upper chamber"; native Indians stormed about with AK-47s, M-16s, homemade bombs and God-knows-what-else; after every tiny minority group has taken to the streets to demonstrate; and when nobody agrees with anything, the population as cranky as the devil; fifty-eight percent is the highest consensus you'll get on any issue today. ®MDBO¯I guess what I am trying to tell you my friends,®MDNM¯ is that no matter how many Chicken-Little-Says-The-Sky-Is-Falling headlines you might read, we are all behind you. All the way. And when your mission is done, the beautiful rolling farmlands, the pine stands, the maple trees and the clean, fresh, country air, they're all here; Canada, waiting for you when you return. God Bless. Come home safe. Micheal John O'Brien SADDAM HUSSEIN ®MDBO¯He has an unsophisticated astuteness®MDNM¯ for the nuances of terror and psychological warfare and he employs that knowledge to the fullest. A pseudo-fundamentalist Moslem with a serious antisocial personality disorder by any definition, Saddam Hussein is also intelligent, credible, cognitive of the axioms in the `science' of mass manipulation, and has an impassioned desire to control the moment. He seems to know very little about the West, and too little of the value that western cultures place on human life. But he is certain of the West's vulnerabilities. ®MDBO¯He is practically unable to distinguish right from wrong®MDNM¯ within the set of values established by most civilizations of the world. He too, as did Hitler, has an uncanny ability to identify weaknesses in his prey and work the hell out of any vulnerability he may discover. Thus, Saddam has an incalculable capacity to ignite tensions and erupt the violence ever-burbling in the Middle East. ®MDBO¯By early summer this year,®MDNM¯ Hussein was losing some control and saw the tedious progress in negotiations with Kuwait over war debts and oil rights to be a direct challenge to his personal power. Typical of one with his disordered personality he invaded Kuwait knowing that his soldiers, in uncontrolled fashion, would rape, pillage, brutalize and steal from the helpless people of that kingdom. ®MDBO¯Although not so utterly disordered as was Adolph Hitler,®MDNM¯ and it is a very serious disorder in any measure, Saddam Hussein (also spelled "Husayn") is given to dramatic, gruesome action. Don't let anyone fool you.®MDNM¯ He is a vile yet savvy aggressor with infinite ambition. No, he is not the only villain on earth, nor is he likely the worst, but he is now the most powerful. He has threatened the globe with pervasive, naked aggression. He has wrecked the lives of millions. ®MDBO¯Saddam Hussein is inclined toward radical action®MDNM¯ more so than he his prone to sit back and issue threats. He does not need any large measure of assurance that his actions will yield what he seeks to achieve, he is satisfied merely in their doing, happy that he is in control of the moment. Beyond that, little matters to him. He will indiscriminately hurt, and that hurt will be directed at anyone as it suits his purposes. Even little children. ®MDBO¯Fear and hurt are his chief operative.®MDNM¯ Imagine your horror if the youngsters in your family came home from classes telling of their school's air-raid drill during which they were taught how to wear a gas mask. Think about your revulsion when civil emergency authorities out of necessity must teach mothers how to treat oozing blisters on their babies' flesh. Saddam has threatened to destroy half of Israel with "dual chemicals". Although there is no evidence to indicate Iraq has matured development of binary nerve gas, no one was certain about what agents Saddam was referring to, Israeli leaders must nonetheless redirect resources to civil defence training and equipment. In Israel, school children routinely don gas masks as part of their air-raid drills. Recently, a process began to equip each Israeli with gas masks as well as antidotes and remedies for nerve gas and blistering agents. Worse, with the passage of time, the threat may expand to include agents of biological origin with the help of another scoundrel, Muammar Gadhafi. Saddam must be stopped. ®MDBO¯He is a coldblooded murderer.®MDNM¯ He has indiscriminately gassed and killed more than 50,000 Iranian soldiers and citizens. Not even as an act of war, in March, 1988, the Kurdish families of the Iraqi town of Halabjaby, by Hussein's order, were condemned to the same painful and undignified death as were the gassed Iranians. His thirst for gore braces his grip on power. He imprisons, tortures and kills his political opponents. ®MDBO¯He is a manipulative tyrant.®MDNM¯ That the Arab countries of the Middle East are no more than desert tribes with a flag, there is little doubt for him. His masterful manipulation of the fundamentalists, the Palestinians and the extremists has sent shock waves through the region and set his Arab state adversaries into a frenzy of fear. Hussein has set the `cat amongst the pigeons' with his hot-blooded plea to the steamy fundamentalist masses for a "Holy War". Jordan's leadership is tied up in knots with conflicting loyalties and a pro-Iraqi public. Religious leaders and extremists like George Habash support him while legitimate Arab rulers are desperately afraid of Saddam. Tension in Egypt has been heightened with the recent assassination of a government minister. ®MDBO¯Yes, he must be stopped.®MDNM¯ He intends to control the Arab world. But forces allied under the aims of the United Nations have not just entered a `pissing' contest with a misbehaved heathen over a lust for cheap oil. We are dueling with a wily, powerful dictator, who, like Adolph Hitler, has the worst traits of a psychopath. With absolute power in his own country and with his recently blooded million-man army he has his own set of keys to destruction forged by followers, some of whom live within nations George Bush now calls "friends". ®MDBO¯The Middle East has for all its time been a place of treachery and deceit,®MDNM¯ many of its people sharing the belief that our world is evil and should be destroyed at any cost in lives. ®MDBO¯There may be more bloodshed in the Middle East®MDNM¯ before the scourge of Saddam Hussein has been terminated. Be wary. Don't let his cunning and treachery dissuade you from your purpose nor your belief in justice and freedom for all peoples of the world. Your will to protect weaker nations from the tyranny of stronger ones is your strength -- a strength and virtue far more powerful than the cowardly dictator who bullies and kills his gentle neighbour. Saddam and his ruthlessness must be stopped before he gathers so much momentum that the price in blood to free the oppressed from their aggressor is more than any group of nations can afford. Micheal John O'Brien CONTENDING WITH FEAR ®MDBO¯My soft-spoken friend, recently-retired army Colonel Glen Decker®MDNM¯ suggested to me in a chat last week that, "With a crackpot like Saddam Hussein on the loose,®MDNM¯ any serving man or woman stationed in the Gulf who says `I am not afraid'®MDNM¯ is certainly putting on a courageous face." From my own experience in the cockpit I think I can understand what he meant. We probably all know that a healthy balance of confidence/fear for a well-trained individual -- especially when there's a demon like Saddam Hussein on the loose -- could be as high as 80/20. ®MDBO¯Long ago, a combat-veteran flight instructor explained®MDNM¯ to me that the best way to see a ripe old age was to climb into the cockpit with eighty percent confidence based on one's trust in his mates, his training and instincts; and twenty percent fear based on an honest appraisal of the threat and the risk. The wise old flyer also said, "Fear is normal, panic is abnormal, the difference is training." ®MDBO¯Good continuous training works.®MDNM¯ It builds confidence and prepares one for the test that any emergency can pose. ®MDBO¯We think that you, the Canadian Armed Forces are the best prepared®MDNM¯ in the Gulf. For each man and woman, the Canadians to your left, right, top and bottom are the best you could ask for. Be good to them. Count on them. ®MDBO¯The Canadian Forces is an all-volunteer organization trained by the best®MDNM¯ and the brightest in the world. Whereas Canadian serving men and women have not `fired a shot in anger' since the last U.N. effort, the Korean War, they are part of a defence force that is focussed, without distraction, on being totally prepared. And we believe you are. In August we told Canadians at home that we knew "Canada has mustered an impressive Middle East Task Force." We firmly believe that to be truthful. Micheal John O'Brien OPERATION SCIMITAR: DEALING WITH NAKED AGGRESSION ®MDBO¯Should Iraqi aggressors `pick a fight®MDNM¯' with our sailors, they'll get an awful `bloody nose'. If ®MDRV¯HMCS Athabaskan®MDNM¯'s crew with their standard equipment, 2 quad-launchers of Sea Sparrow don't do the job first, gunners aboard the three ships will repel or punish attackers with 3"-50, 3"-70, and 5" medium calibre ordnance; .50 calibre machine guns; 40mm L60 Bofors guns; and 20mm gatling guns of four Phalanx CIWSs. ®MDBO¯Any Iraqi pilot ®MDNM¯who is stupid enough to think he can penetrate the barrage should be warned about the sharp-eyed, air defence marksmen of the 119th Air Defence Battery, Royal Canadian Artillery (RCA) from Chatham, N.B. who will be aboard ®MDRV¯Athabaskan®MDNM¯, ®MDRV¯Terra Nova®MDNM¯ and ®MDRV¯Protecteur®MDNM¯ comprising 15 detachments equipped with the Shorts "Javelin" Mk 1. What they see they'll hit. ®MDBO¯But, the gunners may not get their chance.®MDNM¯ The dingbat Iraqi flivver-flyer turned aggressor will likely be jumped first by the best fighter pilots in the world flying the hottest fighter aircraft ever to go sonic, Canada's CF-18. Such is the potency of Operation Scimitar; such is the mindset of its resourceful, well-trained, highly-skilled personnel. ®MDBO¯If the aggressor will not back down peaceably,®MDNM¯ if rights and freedom are not returned to his victims, our Canadian Forces personnel are just as capable as any Western nation's to `link heart and mind together with peace defenders of other countries and go full-tilt boogie for freedom and justice'. Yes sir! ®MDBO¯Throughout NATO, Canadians are renowned®MDNM¯ for their resourcefulness. And they come by it honestly. A joke about CF-18 pilots®MDNM¯ from the Hornet's early days, in an odd sense, tells why. ®MDBO¯"How many CF-18 pilots®MDNM¯ does it take to screw in a light bulb?" (You've heard this, right?) The answer is "Ten! Yes. One climbs the ladder, removes the old bulb and screws in the new one. The other nine pilots huddle at the base of the ladder bickering that `®MDRV¯the old one was better®MDNM¯'." ®MDBO¯Hidden there is a stunning reality.®MDNM¯ Those innovative pilots did miraculous things with their venerable, comparatively crude CF-104s. Thus, when our fighter pilots got their brand new CF-18s, they were able to teach the world's best a thing or two about how to fly 'em. ®MDBO¯Our sailors too have learned to be resourceful. ®MDNM¯Soon they will sail new patrol frigates, the first of which is a splendid beauty, ®MDRV¯HMCS Halifax®MDNM¯. But for more than twenty years there has been a steady decline in Canada's naval strength due to the critical aging of equipment. With an increasingly disinterested population, deteriorating public awareness, and no budget nor government will to slow the pervasive "rust-out" until lately, the men and women of Maritime Command have learned to make do with what they have. ®MDBO¯But let's all be certain of one thing.®MDNM¯ The crews in the Gulf serving aboard the venerable fighting ships ®MDRV¯Athabaskan®MDNM¯ and ®MDRV¯Terra Nova®MDNM¯ will kick-ass if that's what's required of them. Nobody will do any U.N. sanction-busting if it means they have to get past our sailors. Saddam had better wake up, pay attention to what the whole world is telling him, and get his butt out of Kuwait. ®MDBO¯An all-volunteer, highly educated, well-trained force,®MDNM¯ Canadian soldiers, sailors and airmen have collectively become the most resourceful, innovative and effective military team in all the world. And when they tell you that they can do a particular job -- believe it. What was accomplished dockside in Halifax N.S. was nothing short of miraculous for mere mortals, but it was a cakewalk for `our boys'. And when they say they will do Canada's share in making effective the will of the united nations of the world and enforce U.N. sanctions against a roguish Iraqi tyrant, you can bet they will. Micheal John O'Brien IF YOU DON'T LIKE WHAT YOU READ, `BEEF' ABOUT IT ®MDBO¯There's quite a gulf between the sands and waters of the Middle East®MDNM¯ and the peaceful town of Unionville, Ontario where this Toronto writer for ®MDRV¯The Wednesday Report®MDNM¯ keys words into his computer. Here the trees are turning gold and red, and people are cleaning up their yards while the local markets sell pumpkins and Hallowe'en candy. In over-the-hedge conversations my neighbours talk of simple, homey things -- roses, or the new porch they plan to build next spring. We have our concerns too. ®MDBO¯The population here in Ontario got pretty cranky this summer.®MDNM¯ Peterson's once popular Ontario Liberal government (55 percent in June) got dumped for Bob Rae's NDPers. Did you hear about that? Now that's "cranky". In fact folks were so cranky in September that across Canada they thought the armed Indians shooting up Oka were the `good guys' and the Quebec cops were the `bad guys'. Because DND provides you with pretty good access to Canadian general media sources, you likely heard about that fracas. The army sure did a great job fixing the problem. Nobody was really hurt, but there were plenty of bad tempers among the citizens, some of whom were armed to the teeth. ®MDBO¯We noticed that one of our Canadian sailors®MDNM¯ was a little peeved about an article he read in a newspaper. Us too. I cannot swear to the morale of each and every one of you, but my years of reporting about Canadian Forces personnel tells me what it is collectively. That experience also lets me understand the effect that unbalanced reporting can have on you in the Gulf and on your friends and family at home. ®MDBO¯There is something you can do about it.®MDNM¯ If you see media coverage you don't think is fair, let the appropriate publication know about it. You might want to write a simple, responsible letter. As Master Seaman J.B. Eldershaw of ®MDRV¯HMCS Athabaskan®MDNM¯ found out when ®MDRV¯The Globe & Mail®MDNM¯ published his criticisms of a Paul Koring article on "low morale" on his vessel, it is possible to rebut such jabs. ®MDBO¯"Let me make this very clear:" wrote Master Seaman Eldershaw,®MDNM¯ "our morale is very high. In fact, I have never seen it higher and I've served aboard ®MDRV¯Athabaskan®MDNM¯ for the past four years." That missive told several million Canadians that there was another opinion, one that really counts. ®MDBO¯Well, I hope you find this issue of our publication interesting.®MDNM¯ We sure have been thinking about you a lot. And we've published a lot of articles about the good work you are doing. As a longtime writer for ®MDRV¯The Wednesday Report®MDNM¯, I consider it a privilege and an honour to have this chance to send you my personal best wishes and tell you sincerely that my prayers and those of a great many other Canadians are with you. Keep up the good work and come home safely. Dale Grant Message: GENERAL JOHN CABOT TRAIL, COMMANDER OF THE CAPE BRETON LIBERATION ARMY (a.k.a. Dave Harley, local comedian and Halifax radio personality.) ®MDBO¯"How's she going boys?®MDNM¯ Ya know, there are three things Canadian sailors miss about Halifax: the nude beaches, Bud the Spud, and Friday night fights on Gottigen Street. When the sailors left for the Persian Gulf they took everything -- guns, bullets, bombs, the noonday cannon from Citadel Hill, Ron Wallace's boxing gloves, and the doorman from The Misty Moon. ®MDBO¯I saw where Saddam Hussein made a 72-minute tape for American television®MDNM¯. Too bad ®MDRV¯America's Funniest Home Videos®MDNM¯ is only 60 minutes long. ®MDBO¯The Cape Breton Liberation Army is getting ready to send you help.®MDNM¯ It has a new weapon for the Persian Gulf, a solar powered submarine -- it only comes out at night. Take care, boys and come back soon, and remember, Up the Causeway." FROM THE HALIFAX HOMEFRONT ®MDBR¯The Wednesday Report®MDNM¯®MDBO¯'s Patrick McManus in Halifax, Nova Scotia®MDNM¯ went to work and gathered messages from your local compatriots and dignitaries. They all wanted you in the Persian Gulf to know that you and your families have become foremost in their minds. The Mayor of Dartmouth says if you have concerns, "...just wire me at Dartmouth City Hall". ®MDBO¯"We extend best wishes and the citizens of Dartmouth®MDNM¯ join all Canadians in wishing the sailors a safe mission, a speedy return and Godspeed. We will do everything in our power to make certain the families of those serving in the Canadian Task Group are as comfortable as possible and reassured as we can. If individual sailors have any concerns or questions they can just wire me, Mayor John Savage, at Dartmouth City Hall." -- ®MDRV¯Dartmouth Mayor John Savage, former British army doctor who also served on Red Cross teams in Nicaragua in 1983 and 1985.®MDNM¯ ®MDBO¯"We hope the fact we haven't been called upon to do warranty work®MDNM¯ since you left is a measure of the quality of the work we did to prepare you for your task. We're proud of what you're doing and proud of our achievements to get you there. The prelude to action is the work of the Ship Repair Unit and friends (with apologies to Admiral Jellicoe)." -- ®MDRV¯Captain (N) Roger Chiasson, commanding officer of the Ship Repair Unit (Atlantic). (The organization which retrofitted the naval task force with modern weapons.)®MDNM¯ ®MDBO¯We at ®MDBR¯The Wednesday Report®MDNM¯®MDBO¯ must tell Leading Seaman Gerry Fox®MDNM¯ aboard ®MDRV¯HMCS Protecteur®MDNM¯ that his little Alex sure is remembered by Canadian television viewers. He was the little boy on the wharf telling his dad "don't cry" as the the three-ship task group was about to sail from Halifax harbour. Since then the sweet little face of this four-year-old has appeared in vignettes during several TV news reports. Sorry to single you out Gerry, but we thought you'd love to know that little Alex has become a real hit with folks across the country. We chatted with Shelley. She says, "Tell him we love and miss him very much and hope he comes home soon." Alex too. The little guy says, "Tell him I love him very much too." Take care Gerry. You and your shipmates are in all of our thoughts and prayers. ®MDBO¯"Halifax was happy to be part of the great send-off®MDNM¯ for the ships and men. We are waiting for their safe return which we hope will be soon, and wish them the best on their mission." -- ®MDRV¯Halifax Mayor Ron Wallace, former Royal Canadian Navy Lieutenant-Commander, and fleet boxing champ.®MDNM¯ ®MDBO¯"You are doing the job that we need a navy for.®MDNM¯ We are backing up the United Nations the same way we did 40 years ago. When the government called, the Canadian navy was the service ready to go quickly. That's why we need a navy to protect our national sovereignty. I am proud of you as peacekeepers." -- ®MDRV¯Rear-Admiral (retired) Fred Crickard, former deputy commander of Maritime Command, and professor of strategic studies at Dalhousie University.®MDNM¯ ®MDBO¯"Tell them the base chief sends his best wishes,®MDNM¯ good luck, and hopes to have them back real soon." ®MDRV¯Chief Warrant Officer George Cook, Base CWO, CFB Halifax®MDNM¯ ®MDBO¯"We fully support their role and are thoroughly behind them®MDNM¯, and we're looking forward to the day they come home. We're behind them 100 percent and I hope they know that." -- ®MDRV¯Commodore Charles Westropp, Chief of Staff (Personnel), Maritime Command®MDNM¯ CANADA's SECOND CITY HUMOUR GANG SENDS GREETINGS TO THE GULF ®MDBO¯Throughout their thirty-one years, the hilariously humorous gang®MDNM¯ from The Second City®MDNM¯ have spawned hundreds of great Canadian comedians like Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, and John Candy. The producer, cast and crews all send you their warmest of greetings and thank you for the work you are doing. ®MDRV¯The Wednesday Report®MDNM¯ spoke to Sally Cochrane, Producer of The Second City in Toronto. She said, "We had several possibilities for our Review opening November 1 -- Reviews titled `What'Suddam Funny' and `Between Iraq and A Hard Place' were just a couple. But we so very much hoped that the Gulf crisis would be resolved peacefully in a very short time and would be old news long before the end of our show." ®MDBO¯"New Democrats On The Block"®MDNM¯ is The Second City's new show running in Toronto for about seven months. ("Hope you're back in time to take in a show.") Sally says, "We figured that `Premier Bob' [Rae] would at least be around til the end of our Review." -- a lot longer than that rat Saddam Hussein. SOME 600,000 CANADIANS HAVE A SPECIAL COMMITMENT TO YOU ®MDBO¯Our aerospace and defence industries' men and women®MDNM¯ export most of their products and services. From within a country which exports some thirty percent of its output, the exploits of these Canadians have taught them well about the competitive world within which we must coexist with many different peoples. Patriotism rides high. They are well-travelled Canadians who far more often than others, proudly say, "I am from Canada!". These folks who serve their country in the competitive battles of the international business arena bolster our nation's exports and grow our Gross National Product. They serve their country in a different way. They, like you, have a special love for Canada, for just like you, they stake their careers on it. ®MDBO¯I can't begin to tell you how much support you have among these people,®MDNM¯ your comrades. (As you probably know, many thousands of people in these industries have also served.) When some of these companies, our regular subscribers, heard through the grapevine that our October 24 issue was being shipped to you in the Gulf, they `passed the hat' just a few days before press day and contributed funds that paid half our extra printing costs to get this issue to you. We are just a little company and don't have large resources. For us it was especially nice to know that so many of our readers took that initiative. We really wanted you to know that so many Canadians are thinking about you in such a special way. We invited some of these folks to write you a little message. They are what follows. ®MDRV¯Editor®MDNM¯ PROUD OF YOUR DEDICATION TO PEACE -- MANAGEMENT AND STAFF OF CANADAIR ®MDBO¯To all men and women serving in the Gulf,®MDNM¯ our thoughts are with you in this time of international strife. We at Canadair in Mirabel, Quebec proudly support Canada's fleet of CF-18s, and we proudly support your efforts -- your dedication to world peace. HEARTFELT SUPPORT FROM ALLIED-SIGNAL AEROSPACE CANADA. ®MDBO¯To the Canadian men and women in the Persian Gulf:®MDNM¯ soldiers, sailors, airmen, and all of those CF personnel who are supporting you, the management and 2,400 employees of Allied-Signal Aerospace Canada in Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver send their heartfelt best wishes. We think of you often and support you in your efforts and the challenges which face you. We know how important your role is and we all feel that we share, at least in spirit, in the task at hand. We are behind you completely. We all wish you Godspeed and a safe return home to your loved ones. BEST WISHES FROM OERLIKON PEOPLE AT HOME AND IN THE FIELD ®MDBO¯Seven hundred Canadians in southern Quebec are thinking of you®MDNM¯ each and every day. The people of Oerlikon Aerospace Inc. are fully conscious of your commitment to oppose further aggression in the Middle East and contribute to the successful fulfillment of U.N. resolutions. We pray for a peaceful resolution to the Gulf crisis and are sharply aware of the tremendous contribution you are each making to that goal in which we Canadians have united with the rest of the world. The personnel of Oerlikon in St. Jean-sur-Richelieu and at the training unit at CFB Chatham, New Brunswick bid you Godspeed and a safe and early return home. "A SAFE RETURN TO YOUR LOVED ONES" FROM FOLKS AT PARAMAX ®MDBO¯From all 1,200 employees at Paramax Electronics Inc.®MDNM¯ in Montreal, Winnipeg, Ottawa, Saint John and Halifax, we would like to extend our support and good wishes to all of you stationed in the Gulf. We are proud of your dedication and hard work. Our thoughts are with you and your families and we can only hope that a speedy and peaceful resolution can be found so you can be soon reunited with your loved ones. "GODSPEED IN YOUR MISSIONS" -- 3,600 CAE ELECTRONICS EMPLOYEES ®MDBO¯For many years, CAE Electronics has worked closely with Canadian Forces®MDNM¯ personnel, both in the field and at our plant in Saint-Laurent, Quebec. We are proud of our contribution to the training of CF-18 and C-130 flight crews and our role in support of your CF-18s. To all the men and women of the Canadian Forces, we support and appreciate your role in the Gulf -- and the 3,600 employees of CAE say hello from home, Godspeed in your missions and a speedy, safe return. "SAFE LANDINGS AND A SPEEDY RETURN HOME" FROM INDAL ®MDBO¯The 360 employees at Indal wish you well®MDNM¯ and a safe return for all. Indal Technologies Inc. of Mississauga, Ontario is a manufacturer and supplier of aircraft and cable handling systems and specialized structures. Personnel aboard ®MDRV¯Terra Nova®MDNM¯ and ®MDRV¯Athabaskan®MDNM¯ would know us best. Our Helicopter Hauldown and Rapid Securing Device (HHRSD) also known as RAST (Recovery Assist, Secure and Traverse), telescopic helicopter hangars and hangar doors, handling systems for Variable Depth Sonar (VDS), towed line arrays and torpedo decoy subsystems are in operation by many of the navies represented in the Gulf. LITTON SYSTEMS CANADA LIMITED, PROUD OF YOUR COMMITMENT ®MDBO¯The defence of freedom and the maintenance of peace®MDNM¯ are the cornerstones of the Canadian Forces' proud history. Your outstanding and rapid response to the Middle East mission carries on the tradition that your fellow citizens have come to expect of you. All Canadians join the thousands of us at Litton Canada in wishing you Godspeed and good luck. You will all be in our thoughts in the difficult months ahead. WISHING YOU THE SAFE ACCOMPLISHMENT OF YOUR MISSION: THE MIL GROUP ®MDBO¯The management and employees of The MIL Group®MDNM¯ are proud to join with ®MDRV¯The Wednesday Report®MDNM¯ in saluting Canada's sailors, soldiers and airmen serving in the Persian Gulf. Once again, in responding so rapidly and effectively to this unplanned task, you have demonstrated the high level of dedication and professionalism for which you are recognized worldwide. The MIL Group feels particularly close to Commodore Summers and his officers and sailors charged with implementing the economic sanctions laid down by the U.N. HMCS Athabaskan was built at Lauzon in the Davie shipyard. The employees of MIL Davie participated with pride in the round-the-clock effort to provide the additional weapons and equipment to ensure that your task group has the ability to protect itself. Your cause is a noble one and has the full support of Canadians and the world community. We wish you each a successful and safe accomplishment of your mission, and an early return to your families. CHIEF OF THE DEFENCE STAFF VISITS CF IN CENTRAL AMERICA ®MDBO¯Early this month, CDS General John de Chastelain®MDNM¯ spent five days visiting the Canadian contingent of the United Nations Observer Group in Central America (ONUCA). During a stopover in New York, the CDS engaged in peacekeeping talks with Ambassador Yves Fortier, Canada's Permanent Representative to the U.N., and called on the Secretary-General of the U.N., Javier Perez de Cuellar before heading to Central America for visits to Costa Rica, Honduras and Nicaragua. DND TO MOVE CLOSER TO CANADIAN SOCIETY WITH NEW COMMITTEE ®MDBO¯The Minister and the CDS want to improve communication and understanding®MDNM¯ between members of the Canadian Forces and Canadians. To help achieve that, the National Defence Consultative Committee on Social Change has been created. It will be comprised of individuals from Large corporations in the industrial and service sectors; university representatives, persons form recognized social agencies, and members of the Canadian Forces. From this group the Minister can seek advice on matters of mutual concern to DND and Canadian society. SOVIET NAVY OFFICIALS VISIT HALIFAX ®MDBO¯As friction heats in one part of the world,®MDNM¯ it certainly appears to be cooling in another. More evidence of this came with senior-ranking Soviet naval officers who were in Halifax last week®MDNM¯ as part of a post-glasnost agreement to make the high seas a little safer for themselves and the Canadian navy. ®MDBO¯The Soviets were in Canada as part of six planned exchanges®MDNM¯ under the Incidents at Sea Agreement signed last November in Moscow by External Affairs Minister Joe Clark and Soviet Foreign Minister Eduard Shevardnadze. The purpose of the agreement is to prevent any near brushes on the high seas which could lead to an international incident with awful consequences. Led by Vice-Admiral D.M. Komarov, First Assistant of the Soviet Chief of Naval Staff, the team was in our country to discuss communications procedures for the two navies, mostly flag and light signals. ®MDBO¯Commander David Cooper, director of Maritime Doctrine and Operations®MDNM¯ in Ottawa told ®MDRV¯The Wednesday Report®MDNM¯ that the agreement is similar to ones between the Soviet Union and the United States, Britain and France. Commander Cooper says the Soviet team, which included international naval arms control negotiator M. Granowskij, visited CFB Halifax as part of the confidence-building aspect of the agreement. The commander also noted that there has fortunately never been a major incident or reported near-miss between the Soviet and Canadian navies. ®MDBO¯The system received an initial testing in Vladivostok in June®MDNM¯ when four Canadian warships on a goodwill visit tested the new communications while leaving harbour. HMCS ®MDRV¯Annapolis®MDNM¯, ®MDRV¯Huron®MDNM¯, ®MDRV¯Kootenay®MDNM¯ and ®MDRV¯Provider®MDNM¯ reportedly cleared the test smoothly. CANADAIR MAKES PROPOSAL FOR CF FLYING TRAINING REQUIREMENTS ®MDBO¯Canadair's Military Aircraft Division®MDNM¯ of Mirabel, Quebec will bid for the Canadian Forces flying training project, together with subcontractors Field Aviation Company Inc., Atlantis Aerospace Inc., and Dynamair Inc. ®MDBO¯If the bid is successful, Canadair as prime contractor®MDNM¯ would manage the contract®MDNM¯ and would be responsible for all flying training under the project as well as the supply of resources, facilities, and infrastructure. As principal subcontractor, Field Aviation would provide maintenance and logistic support for training aircraft. Atlantis Aerospace would participate by providing part task and procedure trainers for PFT (primary flying training) and MET (multi-engine training). And continuation flying training (CFT) would be made available to students at CollŠge Militaire Royale de Saint-Jean by the consortium's fourth partner, Dynamair. ®MDBO¯Along with PFT, MET, and CFT programmes, the Canadian Forces training project®MDNM¯ also includes basic helicopter training (BHT) for which Atlantis Aerospace previously supplied the procedure trainer now used by the Canadian Forces. DND will issue a Request for Proposal in November and expects to award the contract in mid-1991. EMCON's DIPP AWARD MEANS 15 NEW JOBS FOR NEPEANs ®MDBO¯Emcon Emanation Control Ltd. of Nepean, Ontario will receive a contract®MDNM¯ valued at $480,540 under the federal government's Defence Industry Productivity Programme (DIPP). Emcon wants to acquire advanced production, testing and quality assurance equipment to be used in the development and manufacture of Tempest-standard security shields for data processing and data communications systems. The contract will lead to the creation of approximately 15 jobs and is expected to generate incremental export sales of $7.4 million over five years. BRISTOL BAGS $827,000 WSPS CONTRACT ®MDBO¯Bristol Aerospace Limited of Winnipeg, Manitoba has received a contract®MDNM¯ worth $827,000 (U.S.) from Agusta Aerospace Corporation in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The contract calls for the design adaptation and production of Bristol's ubiquitous Wire Strike Protection System (WSPS) for the Agusta A109 military helicopter. The Belgian Army is the first customer for this reconfiguration having placed an order for 46 new Agusta A109 helicopters. Deliveries to the Belgian Army will begin following design adaptation scheduled for spring 1991. Agusta and Bristol have also signed an agreement in principle for WSPS design adaptation for the A129 helicopter currently in production for the Italian Army. CANADIAN FIRMS ABLE TO COMPETE GLOBALLY IN THE 1990s ®MDBO¯Canada has what it takes to succeed in the 1990s®MDNM¯ insists Tom Hockin, Canada's Minister of State, Small Businesses and Tourism. Hockin and Federal Business Development Bank (FBDB) President, Guy Lavigueur addressed participants at the FBDB Young Entrepreneurs Awards ceremony held in Toronto last week. The awards presentation marked the official launch of Small Business Week 1990, October 22-26. ®MDBO¯Hockin was optimistic about the opportunities available®MDNM¯ to Canadian companies in the 1990s, but admits that "complex challenges" facing Canadian entrepreneurs will require "innovative and creative solutions" to guarantee success. "Canadian companies clearly have the ability to seize the tremendous opportunities of the 1990s and I am confident that they will succeed," he told the gathering. NIGHTINGALE LEAVES SJSL ®MDBO¯Arthur Nightingale, the man who guided the Canadian Patrol Frigate®MDNM¯ programme through rough, troubled waters is stepping down as president of Saint John Shipbuilding Limited (SJSL). He officially leaves his post on November 1 to take over as president of a new Irving company dealing with federal and provincial intergovernmental affairs. The press release announcing the move gave few other details, and Nightingale was unavailable for comment. ®MDBO¯In 1985 Nightingale left Saguenay Shipping,®MDNM¯ a subsidiary of a British company, to take over the problem plagued SJSL. The Irving yard had won the $3 billion contract to build six new antisubmarine, antiair frigates for the Canadian navy. It had been bogged down with technical and other difficulties, pushing the delivery date further into the future. ®MDBO¯Under Nightingale's tenure, SJSL underwent a $150 million modernization®MDNM¯. Improvement in modularization construction of the frigates is credited with winning the yard the contract to build all six ships in the second batch. But, Nightingale leaves under a grey cloud. The firm is involved in a $1.7 billion lawsuit with MIL Davie, the Quebec yard subcontracted to build three frigates from the first batch. ®MDBO¯Nightingale's replacement is Larry Armstrong,®MDNM¯ a vice-president of J.D. Irving Ltd. Armstrong, 52, is an engineer, a former New Brunswick deputy minister of transportation, and served SJSL previously in 1989 for six months as vice-president of administration. CMC WON PIECE OF U.S. MSE PROJECT ®MDBO¯It's called the Mobile Subscriber Equipment project®MDNM¯ and it provides a huge communication system for American soldiers. Canada got another piece of the action when employees of Canadian Marconi Company (CMC) of Montreal, Quebec®MDNM¯ won a contract recently, valued at $59.8 million (U.S.), to build 1,600 AN/GRC-226(V) radios. The order comes from GTE Government Systems Corporation of Waltham, Massachusetts, the main MSE contractor to the U.S. Army. SOME PEOPLE AT LEIGH TO KEEP JOBS DESPITE SPRING BANKRUPTCY ®MDBO¯You might remember the troubles of Leigh Instruments Limited®MDNM¯ of Kanata, Ontario. They were bankrupt during the spring of this year. Well, it seems that some of the good folks from Leigh will keep their jobs. Spar Aerospace of Toronto has just bought the remaining assets of the firm. Pelorus Navigation Systems Inc. of Calgary had already bought Leigh's DME technology and a team of Marconi of Montreal and I.M.P. from Halifax acquired Leigh's Micronav Limited (Sydney N.S.). The whole package appeared to have been settled by the middle of this month. A relieved Colonel (retired) Frank Driscoll, Leigh's former president, was sipping champagne with Leigh's remaining 100 employees at the end of it all. CANADIANS SHINE AT BUSINESS AIRCRAFT SHOW ®MDBO¯It's kind of nice to hear®MDNM¯ that when a huge international trade show takes place in a foreign city, Canada has one of the biggest and best displays. A new extended-range Canadair Challenger 601-3A/ER,®MDNM¯ featuring an updated standard avionics package and a 500-pound increase in gross weight was displayed alongside a standard Challenger 601-3A at the renowned National Business Aircraft Association (NBAA) show in New Orleans early this month. "We feel that many Challenger operators (DND operates Challenger too) will appreciate the benefits®MDNM¯ of the updated avionics package," said Bryan Moss, Canadair's proud leader of the Challenger division. Attendee's at the show felt that Canada was well represented and some even suggested that "the Challenger stole the show". BOEING GROWS IN WINNIPEG ®MDBO¯The employees and management of the Winnipeg Division of Boeing Canada®MDNM¯ officially expanded into a $31.3 million addition on October 5. The new facility adds 31,679 square meters of fabrication and office space to the 11,891 square meters that was already situated on the 51.8 hectare site adjacent to the Winnipeg Airport. The new wing will allow the division to centralize operations under one roof and accommodate new manufacturing work created by Boeing's record jet sales. Until now, the division was using almost 18,600 square meters of off-site leased facilities. Employment at the plant stands at 1,500, an increase of 400 in one year. TCCCS/IRIS BID EVALUATION PASSES HALFWAY MARKER ®MDBO¯Lieutenant-Colonel Peter Sheremeta,®MDNM¯ Deputy Programme Manager of the TCCCS/IRIS programme is happy -- his project's sophisticated evaluation processes are halfway complete. The PMO (Project Management Office) seeks to acquire Mobile Command's Tactical Command, Control and Communications System/Integrated Radio and Intercommunications System. Two bids are being evaluated. The two industrial team leaders are Computing Devices Company and Microtel SI, a subsidiary of the Lavalin Group. A contract award could come early next year. SPARTON RECEIVES U.S. NAVY CONTRACT ®MDBO¯The employees of Sparton of Canada Ltd. in London, Ontario®MDNM¯ received some good news when they recently learned they had won a contract valued at $1,943,026 (U.S.). It calls for the manufacture and supply of bathythermograph transmitter sets, Type AN/SSQ-36, together with launcher containers, Type LAU-126/A to the U.S. Navy for underwater detection of submersibles. CMC CERTIFIED TO MIL-STD-1772 ®MDBO¯Canadian Marconi Company has become the only firm in Canada®MDNM¯ certified to the military standard (MIL-STD) 1772 in the field of hybrid microelectronics. The United States Defense Electronic Supply Center (DESC) and DND recently made the certification official following a joint audit of CMC in May. The audit was aimed at determining CMC's compliance with MIL-STD-1772 and its inherent specifications, MIL-H-38 and MIL-STD-883C. PRIOR DATA SCIENCES WINS ENVIRONMENT CANADA CONTRACT ®MDBO¯Prior Data Sciences of Kanata, Ontario®MDNM¯ has been awarded Phase 1 of a contract valued at $80,000, with follow-on phases representing a potential value of $3 million. Under the contract, Prior will supply Environment Canada's Atmospheric Environment Service (AES) with complete hardware and software for use with the second generation of Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES). ATLANTIS SPREADS WINGS THROUGH JOINT VENTURE COOPERATION ®MDBO¯Atlantis Aerospace Corporation of Brampton, Ontario and Norcontrol Ltd.®MDNM¯ of Norway have entered a business partnership to increase their respective impact in the marine market through cooperative ventures. Norcontrol is an international leader®MDNM¯ in the design and development of sophisticated maritime technology, Atlantis has earned its reputation®MDNM¯ in the commercial and defence simulation/training market. SED SYSTEMS EMPLOYEES HAVE SOMETHING TO CELEBRATE ®MDBO¯The people at SED Systems Inc. in Saskatoon were quite jubilant®MDNM¯ at the start of this month as the end came to a long period of uncertainty. On September 28, Calian Technology Ltd. of Ottawa, Ontario acquired Fleet Aerospace Corporation's major interest in SED Systems Inc. of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. The company had recovered from the financial setbacks caused by the Canadian Patrol Frigate programme in 1987 and 1988, and posted operating profits in its last two fiscal years. Annual sales are about $25 million with a staff level of 260. Established 25 years ago, SED is the cornerstone of the Saskatchewan high-tech industry. SED will remain a stand-alone operation within the Calian group.®MDNM¯ No major changes in direction are contemplated and existing SED management will continue to plan and operate the business. COLONEL (RETIRED) JOHN BRICK APPOINTED COLONEL COMMANDANT ®MDBO¯Colonel (retired) John Brick has been appointed to the prestigious position®MDNM¯ of Colonel Commandant of the Dental Branch. This three-year appointment took effect on September 1. Brick succeeds Brigadier-General (retired) William Thompson and has also been named Queen's Honourary Dental Surgeon by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. COLONEL (RETIRED) DAVE HAMPSON JOINS BOFORS ®MDBO¯Colonel (retired) David Hampson®MDNM¯ has been appointed Director of Canadian Operations for Bofors of Sweden. Hampson, who officially moved into the Bofors office at 130 Albert St., Ottawa on Monday will replace Stan Kendall who has been Bofors' Canadian representative for 22 years. Kendall will continue to assist Hampson in his new position. ®MDBO¯Hampson, who has just retired from the Department of National Defence®MDNM¯ where he spent 35 years in uniform and 8 years as a civil servant, was the original programme manager for the Low Level Air Defence (LLAD) project. Although retired from the military he continues to serve as the Honourary Colonel of the 28th Ottawa Service Battalion. GENERAL PAUL MANSON TO BECOME PARAMAX PRESIDENT IN '91 ®MDBO¯General (retired) Paul D. Manson®MDNM¯ has now joined Paramax Electronics Inc. in Montreal, Quebec as Senior Vice President. He is expected to replace ®MDBO¯Dr. W. Lee Shevel®MDNM¯ as president of Paramax in the coming year. Meanwhile, Manson will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of Paramax. He was previously Director of Strategic Planning for Unisys Defence Systems located in McLean, Virginia where for the past year he was involved with the business operations of the company in the area of strategic and operational planning. ®MDBO¯Prior to joining Unisys Corporation,®MDNM¯ General Manson served for 37 years in the Canadian Armed Forces. During his distinguished military career he held various senior positions culminating in his appointment in 1986 as Chief of the Defence Staff. He retired from military service in the summer of 1989. The General is a graduate of the Royal Military College and Queen's University. Earlier this year he received an honourary doctorate of military science from Royal Roads. He is a registered professional engineer. ®MDBO¯Paramax is a major supplier of complex integrated electronic systems®MDNM¯ and a centre of advanced technology for naval combat systems. It is a major participant in the Canadian Patrol Frigate programme, responsible for managing and integrating the combat system which includes more than 20 subsystems, as well as providing the integrated machinery control system for all twelve of Canada's new Canadian Patrol Frigates. The first ship of the class, ®MDRV¯HMCS Halifax®MDNM¯, is currently undergoing sea trials and last week her crew took Prime Minister Brian Mulroney for a brief tour around Halifax harbour. FOR OUR GULF READERS -- ®MDRV¯The Wednesday Report®MDNM¯ EXPLAINED ®MDBO¯Because of the specialized nature of the publication,®MDNM¯ few Canadians are more than vaguely know us.®MDNM¯ Apart from the occasional quote or reference in the general press, many Canadians have never even heard of ®MDRV¯The Wednesday Report®MDNM¯. ®MDBR¯The Wednesday Report®MDBO¯'s readership is primarily,®MDNM¯ but not exclusively confined to senior government; aerospace and defence industry executives and employees; men and women of the armed services (senior officers mostly), students; concerned citizens; veterans; and defence academic levels. A blend of business and defence journalism caters to the broadest possible range of interests. ®MDBR¯The Wednesday Report®MDBO¯ was born as a weekly defence publication,®MDNM¯ the first of its kind in Canada, written for the length and breadth of the defence community. It is a subscriber-based weekly carrying no advertising. The publication's aim is to provide the Canadian defence and defence-industrial community, including government, military and industrial leaders, with timely and accurate information and commentary on all matters pertaining to Canadian defence policy, Canadian defence procurement and the Canadian defence industry. Created within the business publication environment of Maclean Hunter Limited, the publication reaches between the industrial reader and the military carrying a broad mix of news and features, policy and analysis. When the staff acquired ®MDRV¯The Wednesday Report®MDNM¯ from Maclean Hunter, the publication expanded its industrial coverage for the sake of those readers who's business endeavours cycle between commercial and defence markets. ®MDBO¯A blend of military, academic, business and strategic studies backgrounds®MDNM¯ coupled to the common denominator of journalistic skill gives our editorial team a unique flavour. The `old-timers' (and at forty I am not prepared yet to say that I am one) have seen the hot spots, unfurled sleeping bags in strange places, clicked camera shutters with white knuckled fingers, seen the muzzle blasts, and watched the shells fly. Thus, our keen understanding of life within the Canadian Forces and the armed services of other nations, brings us an empathy that reaches deep into the gut. Our thoughts are with you. DROP US A LINE ®MDBO¯If in any way our staff can be of service,®MDNM¯ don't hesitate to let us know. If you want a letter forwarded and don't know the full address, if you need an errand run in Toronto, or at any of the bureaus listed on our masthead, or if you have any kind of hunch that we just might be able to help, just ask. And drop us a line anyway. Your letters will be answered and unless you specify otherwise, published for all our subscribers to read. -- ®MDRV¯Editor®MDNM¯ Write: ®MDRV¯The Wednesday Report®MDNM¯ 27 Yonge Street South Aurora, ON L4G 1L8 CANADA Telephone: (416) 841-1277 Facsimile/Data: (416) 841-4389 MIDDLE EAST BRIEFS ®MDBO¯Naval interceptions to enforce the U.N. embargo against Iraq®MDNM¯ have reached in excess of 2,500 interceptions and 240 boardings over the past two months. In 11 cases, commercial ships were diverted to ports other than their destination after being suspected of carrying cargo bound to or from Iraq. ®MDBO¯ Iraqi Oil Minister Issam Abdulrahim Chalabi®MDNM¯ says Iraq has begun to ration gasoline this week for private cars, trucks and taxis,but not the military. ®MDBO¯Last week, Canada suspended operations at its embassy in Kuwait.®MDNM¯ Department of External Affairs personnel have moved from their embattled embassy in Kuwait City to Baghdad. Saddam ordered embassies in Kuwait closed after he annexed the emirate, and although only the British, French and U.S. embassies now remain open, most nations still recognize Kuwait as a separate nation. ®MDBO¯In Kuwait, Iraqi troops have placed explosives at oil fields,®MDNM¯ gas and gasoline storage tanks as well as on bridges and viaducts, according to Sheik Mishal Mohammed al-Sabah, an exiled Kuwaiti from the emirate's ruling family. ®MDBO¯Iraq via Radio Baghdad has told all foreigners still in Kuwait®MDNM¯ to register by November 5 and says that "anyone who does not get a valid residence visa will be fined or jailed." Jordanians, Egyptians and Yemenis were excluded from the order. Iraq has already warned Kuwaitis that anyone caught harboring a foreigner could face execution. ®MDBO¯The U.S. Air Force will orbit a geosynchronous satellite®MDNM¯ at 460 miles altitude over the Middle East sometime next month. Although details are yet sketchy, various reports suggest that the bird will be a 22,000-pound photo-reconnaissance unit providing real time data on Iraqi troop and vehicular movements. The satellite will be put into orbit when space shuttle ®MDRV¯Atlantis®MDNM¯ flies next month. Tests were to be conducted today.