I admit that I am no expert but has there been a more outspoken Chief of Defence Staff than General Rick Hillier in the last few decades? Seems to be a no nonsense kind of guy.
...Hillier, who commanded NATO's International Security Assistance Force in Kabul for six months last year, said Canada has "a very big profile," regardless of what role its military plays in the Muslim world.
As a member of the G8, and as a highly rated Western society that values rights and individual freedoms, Canada already represents "the exact opposite of what people like Osama bin Laden, Mullah Omar and those others want."
"These are detestable murderers and scumbags," Hillier said. "They detest our freedoms, they detest our society, they detest our liberties."
He said they want power to dictate people's lives, money to maintain and expand their power, and immunity from responsibility for their actions.
"It doesn't matter whether we are in Afghanistan or any other place in the world. We are going to be a target in their sights . . . and I don't believe being in Afghanistan changes one aspect of it."
General Hillier is a military man so you would expect him to want to...you know...do his job.
..."There are those who
might say that by doing that we make ourselves a target in Canada here for terrorists. I would come at it this way. . . . We need to take a stand."
Unfortunately the most logically come back is, yeah, you and what army?
Update: It is official. Gen. Hillier is speaking the truth because Bourque wants him to shutup.
Update II: Courtesy of Babbling Brooks comes this quote from the Globe and Mail.
..."These are detestable murderers and scumbags, I'll tell you that right up front. They detest our freedoms, they detest our society, they detest our liberties," Gen. Hillier said.
He stressed the new face of the Canadian Forces, which he said are now focused on the first job at hand: protecting Canadian interests at home and abroad.
"We're not the public service of Canada, we're not just another department. We are the Canadian Forces, and our job is to be able to kill people."
Like I said, a no nonsense guy!
