Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - May 30, 2000, Winnipeg, Manitoba Focus a11 Winnie my Fri May 2000 turkish military dont mix turkeys military has always believed maintaining stability in its country takes precedence even Over the rights of parliament and the Rule of and whenever it became convinced Turkey was con fronted by anarchy it has been Quick to overthrowing three civilian governments since with such an obsession Over Security and National it is not surprising the generals were not particularly pleased with the nations newest president chosen by the country parliament this from their Security obsessed he could be perceived As a potential danger by the conservative military caste self appointed guardians of the nations stability since Kemal Ataturk founded modern Turkey eight decades notwithstanding such on May 16 a Man with no National Ahmet Necdet was elected pres ident by a Las minute com Promise when efforts by old guard politicians to pass a constitutional amendment permitting outgoing presi Dent Suleyman Demirel to extend his term of failed to win the Neces sary unlike All of turkeys past presi Sezer is neither a politician nor a military he is a highly respected chairman of the nations constitutional and this is precisely what May cause concern for turkeys military and other some of them fear sewers respect for the Rule of Law due process could undermine existing Security regulations and constitutional provisions limiting the right of free ultimately undercut Ting the authorities and military ability to restrict activities considered inimical to Public journalists and human rights activists have fre imprisoned for trying to report on the kurdish some senior turkish officers report edly have already expressed concern Over sewers in his capacity As Sezer chairs the Allim por Tant National Security Council half of its members military officers that formulates the country internal Security and foreign in this is the body that really runs the put some in the turkish Mili tary May regard Sezer As far too Liber Al for their As a Sezer has been quoted in the past As indicating the need for greater Freedom of As a he it is place far greater emphasis on the rights of individuals and authentic parliamentary democracy unhindered by the turkish he has already said that sentences handed Down by military courts trying subversives should be subject to while the military May be concerned that Sezer will be softer on fundamental human he is unlikely to cause them similar concern about the country secular in As a he upheld decisions Banning pro islamic political parties that purportedly violated constitutional provi Sions against no secular under military turkeys first pro islamic prime Necmettin was forced to resign two years ago for allegedly try ing to Isla Mize state relations Between Turkey and Greece have taken a marked turn for 1 the better Over the past greek prime minister Costas Simitis seems to have decided that better relations with Turkey should be Given More Pri not Only would it help Lessen ten Sion Between the two countries Over the volatile Cyprus but it could also Lay the groundwork for reaching understandings on disputes Over territorial Waters and air they once almost went to War Over a tiny islet inhabited solely by in recognition of last year Greece played a key role in an agree ment accepting Turkey As a formal candidate for eventual membership in the european subject to Turkey meeting eur requirements on human rights and parliamentary and it is precisely Here where Sezer could play a significant role by Back ing the Rule of Law and encouraging greater respect for human rights for All including language and Cul Tural rights for turkeys whereas his predecessors always had to walk a precarious Tightrope vis a vis the turkish Sezer is free from past political scandals and is thus in a stronger position to exert greater moral Harry a former is an Otta abased he served in the future of cab Shilo moving troops to Shilo Best for City and Rural economies by John Thompson the doer government does not have a mandate to decide the future of cab but its continuing equivocation on this Issue will surely contribute to an outcome that will not serve either our defence needs or the Overall interests of no matter what spins May be imparted by what Ever Stripe of the facts and imperatives surrounding this Issue Are Clear and will not change during the pending decision making process by the department of National i believe that it is useful to summarize the More compelling of these for All who Are interested in seeing the Best results for Pur army and our first and the German army is leaving Shilo this no replacement for them has been found nor will one be found in the Geo Strate Gic world of today where we and our allies Are shrinking our armed forces because of changing needs and financial for 25 years the germans have borne a Large share of the Shilo operating their departure Means that the Canadian forces must assume the full costs of the Shilo this is untenable in today fiscal situation where similar circumstances have caused a Large number of Mili tary base closures and unless a Canadian military alternative to the germans is Shilo must inevitably close and its major lodger 1 Royal Canadian horse be relocated most probably to Edmonton with the remainder of 1 Canadian Shilo provides excellent manoeuvre and Field firing areas for army together with the Camp Wainwright training area in Alber can continue to provide the optimum training opportunities for army units in Western Shilo complements and enhances the train ing benefits of Wainwright for Edmonton based units by relieving congestion there while providing the Best of training advantages for Shil based whenever possible it is the preferred Mili tary solution to station army units adjacent to their Field training areas so As to maximize training opportunities and operational there is simply no substitute for ready Access to Field training areas to teach and confirm tactical especially with the myriad of intricate weapons systems and vehicles used by the army of today and other than in land forces Western this stationing arrangement is the Norm across Canada with All army Field units now based at the Val Cartier and Gagetown training locating an army Field unit in a Large metropolitan where it is divorced from a training and must expend time and funds to commute for is an undesirable anomaly that is clearly driven by other than Mili tary while it would have been desirable to locate army units recently concentrated in Edmonton in Camp this was not feasible because Quality of life support health spousal and other services and Ameni ties required by several thousand soldiers and their families simply exceeded what was available in the adjacent town of Wainwright population this is not the Case in Shilo where such ser vices and amenities Are readily available in bran Don for both and an augmented troop Ken of Oliotti free press Leopard tanks from take part in a Field training exercise at cab at the same time that Depar Ture has compelled and to Deal with the future of the military is now confronted with a need to replace the outmoded and costly to maintain 40to 50yearold infrastructure now occupied by 2ppcli in Kapyon recapitalization costs for this Are significant and must be made with at least a 30year it is crucial that this investment can be made in a Way that will Best serve our Mili tary needs Over the Long term rather than to satisfy Short term political or other the cheapest solution is not necessarily the Best military although it has often been portrayed As such in the extensive cuts of the past 10 and has produced a business Case that outlines the costs and implications of six possible options to Deal with the stationing of its army units in Manitoba following the German the most sensible option involves retaining 1rcha in Shilo and relocating 2ppcli to this is neither the cheapest nor the most expensive it offer the Best military value Over the Long in this both 1rcha and 2ppcli would enjoy modern infrastructure already in place for 1rcha and have ready Access to firs class Field training the 2ppcli infrastructure recapitalization costs can be offset substantially by making use of vacant German accommodations suitable for their Overall land forces Western area training needs and future flexibility a prudent and priceless asset Are also achieved because this option con serves the Wainwright training area for the present and future use of the Edmonton besides its obvious military the Shilo option also maximizes the economic benefits of the army presence for the province As a should this debate be allowed to play out in the political Arena with parochial interests of Winnipeg set against those of the most probable outcome will be a political decision to recapitalize infrastructure and retain 2ppcli in this will inevitably drive the closure of Shilo and the relocation of 1rcha to while some Winni Eggers May View such an outcome As a Posi Tive Manitoba As a whole will lose in addition to the military the net effect will be the loss of some 900 military and civilian jobs from the province and a devastating blow to the economic base of our second City and surrounding by the Shilo option results in negligible Overall Job loss no troops leave the province and economic Impact for the although this will mean a Transfer of a portion of the present Mili tary payroll from Winnipeg to win nip Eggers should recognize the continuing economic Impact of their Large air Force contingent considerably augmented by aircraft and personnel from Edmonton in 1994 As Well As continuing Mili tary procurement from Winnipeg Industry and Busi the government of Manitoba will take a bigger View of this Issue and now press vigorously for the Shilo option As the Best Overall for our army and for colonel retd John of was a logistics officer with the Canadian armed he retired in 1996 after 32 years of service and continues to do consulting and training for the letters to the editor the free press welcomes letters from they must include the authors address and Telephone letters May be letters to the 1355 Mountain r2x fax email . Lower taxes dont draw crowds your writers covering the new provincial budget a few people who predict an exodus of Manitoban because their taxes Are not i wonder if those peo ple Are themselves planning to leave most of the people i know have a loyalty to our communities and our province that could not be bought with a few let the Competition be to see which province is the Best place to not which province has the lowest Joh Badertscher Winnipeg Beach daughters still face male violence the Date was May it was on a Beautiful and sunny Friday traffic was heavy on Portage Avenue and Coverdale near the Entrance to Assiniboine people were Rushing Home after a Long week of Rushing off to buy that Las minute mothers Day or to meet with family or it was in this banal setting that Kelly Lynn was murdered by her stabbed to death in front of horrified onlookers in front of an ice Cream my who was 10 years old at the asked Why do so Many men Hurt so Many women it was one of the hardest questions that i have Ever had to she has just turned on the Brink of Young and she is still asking the same but now the voice is More she is representative of a whole new generation of Young women who Are insistent upon some sort of answer that makes it Breaks my heart to have to Tell them that there is no such i would have sacrificed much to protect my Daugh Ter from this particular rite of Pas the realization that some men still regard women As their upon whom they can commit sense less acts of violence up to and including the events of the last two months have shaken my belief that any real and sustained change will be restraining orders and 911 Calls for help Are women Are not protected when they Are most Vul Era in a horrible deja Bernadette Simko was murdered a few Days before mothers on a Public Street in the Broad for Noth ing More than exercising her free will to nothing has what will we Tell our daughters Linda Hutchings Winnipeg Alliance offers Glimmer of Hope a recent Manitoba pcs choose dumb or dumber free May condemns provincial tories for supporting Stockwell Day and Tom the writer perhaps Doest realize How frustrating it is for provincial Many of their Powers have been confiscated by the purse strings Are con trolled by Ottawa for the remaining provincial provincial governments have tasted the arro Gance of the old mainstream Federal parties that has resulted from too much centralized the Federal government has proven that Power Canada has experienced 30 years of flip Flop with the same they take turns condemning government policies when in oppose but continue them once Between the they have accumulated billion in debt and increased taxation to the highest level among g7 which has necessitated a two family income and sent investment increased bureaucracy has far outgrown the increase in population and allowed government to intervene in every segment of our the Canadian Alliance offers a Glimmer of Hope for restoring democracy and the country would again be ruled according to our to Down Rule would be eliminated in order for maps to truly represent their constituents con smaller government would equate to lower Stockwell Day has already proven in Alberta that his policies Canada has been stuck in a time Warp because the electorate has become complacent and taken their Freedom for canadians have an Opportunity to put the country Back on an even dumb and dumber Are citizens who refuse to look past the 30 years of political rhetoric that have proven to be ineffective and Karen Lavonue Oak Bank doonesbury by Garry Trudeau 9ouhat say thinking upon Lukz i to Many ;