Canadian military team deployed near Libya

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Canadian military team deployed near Libya

Updated: Mon Feb. 28 2011 5:18:38 PM

CTV.ca News Staff

The Canadian military has sent a reconnaissance team and medics to Malta, as

Western countries weigh their options for a possible intervention in Libya,

including a `no-fly zone' to protect civilians.

The 13-member team landed on Monday along with two new C-130J cargo planes and

two C-17 transports. The planes will be used to help get foreign nationals out

of the increasingly chaotic North African country.

" A team of Canadian Forces is now on the ground in Malta. We continue to provide

assistance to those who need it and we encourage Canadians who need further

assistance to contact the Department of Foreign Affairs, " Defence Minister

MacKay confirmed during question period Monday.

The Canadian Press is reporting that special forces teams are also preparing to

deploy.

The United Kingdom have used commandos to escort their transports into Libya and

protected them while on the ground.

One British plane was fired on during an evacuation and took minor damage.

Earlier Monday, the federal government issued tough sanctions against Libya on

Monday and renewed calls for Col. Moammar Gadhafi to resign, with Foreign

Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon saying it was " the only acceptable course of

action. "

Cannon joined the chorus of world leaders urging Gadhafi to heed the call of

protesters and step down.

" A tide of change is sweeping the Middle East and North Africa. Leaders who try

to defy or repress the tide, like Gadhafi or the leadership in Iran, will

eventually be overwhelmed, " Cannon told the United Nations in Geneva, Monday

afternoon.

Earlier in the day, Government House Leader Baird released more details

about sanctions Canada is imposing on Libya and the Gadhafi regime.

He said Ottawa is freezing any Canadian assets belonging to Gadhafi and his

regime and placing a ban on financial dealings with Libya, saying the actions

will help end " the appalling violence. "

Baird said the Harper government hopes the sanctions will help force Gadhafi

from power quickly.

Baird refused to go into details about how much money in Canada was linked to

the Gadhafi regime, or how long it had been here, citing " operational " concerns.

But he said " there were specific instances brought to our attention. "

The Harper government is also banning any Canadian company operating in Libya

from making any transactions with the Libyan government, its agencies or the

central bank.

However, companies will not be banned from operating in Libya, Baird said.

" We are hoping the hard line taken by the international community and the even

harder line taken by our government against the current Libyan regime will bring

about change quickly and the negative impact of these sanctions will be limited

and will be very short term, " Baird said.

He added that the situation in Libya is " deteriorating rapidly " and since

Canadian companies are now evacuating their workers, it's unlikely any

organizations would be looking at expanding any time soon, anyway.

The UN Security Council voted unanimously over the weekend to impose an arms

embargo and urged member states to freeze the assets of Gadhafi, four of his

sons and a daughter.

Prime Minister Harper then said Canada would add to those restrictions

by banning financial transactions with the Libyan government and its agencies.

Canadians continued to flee Libya Monday by any and all means of transportation

possible, amid the ongoing political turmoil. A total of 250 Canadians have now

been evacuated from the country, Baird said.

Harper's communications director Dimitri Soudas sent out a message on Twitter

Monday morning that 33 Canadians were aboard British ship HMS Cumberland that

was approaching Malta, in the Mediterranean Sea.

The ship, which was " due to arrive in Malta shortly, " was carrying a number of

expatriates from other countries as well.

Soudas also wrote on his Twitter feed that a Canadian Forces C17 cargo plane had

carried a load of evacuees, including one Canadian, to Malta.

CTV's Ottawa Bureau Chief Fife reported that the C17 flew into Libya's

isolated southwest region Monday morning.

" The C17 military cargo plane has just landed in Malta carrying Filipino,

Vietnamese, Thais, one German and one Canadian, " Fife said, adding that Canada

has two C130 Hercules aircraft and two C-17s based in Malta.

[Guest guest]

If they do in it will be a terrible mistake. The protesters won't all be welcoming and the first footage of these troops having to defend themselves will turn the lot against them.

In a message dated 2/28/2011 5:37:52 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, no_reply writes:

Canadian military team deployed near Libya