I'm not entirely sure what to make of this. Apparently, Lt.-Gen. Marc Dumais, head of Canada Command, signed an agreement with a top US military official in Texas on February 14th on the QT which involves shared military activities in cases of "civil emergencies."
According to the Post, the exact nature of the agreement is as follows:
Canada and the U.S. have signed an agreement that paves the way for the militaries from either nation to send troops across each other's borders during an emergency.
...
Canada Command spokesman Commander David Scanlon said it will be up to civilian authorities in both countries on whether military assistance is requested or even used.
He said the agreement is "benign" and simply sets the stage for military-to-military co-operation if the governments approve.
"But there's no agreement to allow troops to come in," he said. "It facilitates planning and co-ordination between the two militaries. The ‘allow' piece is entirely up to the two governments."
If U.S. forces were to come into Canada they would be under tactical control of the Canadian Forces but still under the command of the U.S. military, Scanlon added.
The right-wing US blogosphere must be up in arms about this, assuming the story is getting any play down there. I, for one, can't help but feel a little concerned. Next time some would-be Trudeau implements the War Measures Act (or the Emergencies Act as it's called today) it won't necessarily be Canadian troops answering the call. On the bright side, if Toronto ever gets another really heavy snow storm, maybe they can help our boys shovel.
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