Should Canada send it's Army engineers into Iraq

Ok, I never cared much for that war, but face it that country needs to rebuilt. The quicker the infrastructure can be rebuilt the better. But, what if Canada sent its core of army engineers into Iraq? We technically wouldn't be involved in the fighting nor part the initial invasion force. If it would speed of the process of stabilizing Iraq, there for saving civilian lives. But can we do it, the our megar military aready is pretty stretched.

I think not...I believe we would be much more usfull in Iraq by helping making sure the elections were not fraudulent as I believe Canada has a bit more credibility in that regard then the USA. Not saying this the pissoff some of the US members on this board but with world opinion the way it is, if the USA runs the election itself then it will probably be called invalid. However if say Canada and a few more countries who were not part of the Coalition oversees the election it could give it more legitimacy.

we should not be getting involded in the iraq in any source until the united nations has allowed it .

Originally posted by flukemol
we should not be getting involded in the iraq in any source until the united nations has allowed it .

What do you mean until the UN allows it? The UN has reconized the Allawi government as the legitimate gov't in Iraq. If the Allawi gov't asked Canada for help, you would have to get UN approval?? I don't understand, Canada does not make it's own decisions??

As far as elections, that's something the UN could help with, but they do not seem to have any desire to do so. That's a pity for the Iraqis, imo.

I say if Canada offers help to Iraq, and Iraq says yes, then by all means, Canada should go in and try to help.

I believe that most of the reconstruction contracts has been awarded to haliburton.

Remember US stand by no bid contracts.

Actually, the only no bid contract to Halliburton was cancelled, and has been broken up and put back out for rebidding.

The big one, that everyone likes to cite, was the firefighting contract. It was approved for up to $7 Bn., but very few oil wells were set ablaze, and only a few million was actually paid out. Something like just over $6 Mil, IIRC.

The one that was under scrutiny was the contract for providing fuel and food services, that one has been scrapped.

well i was never a fan of the war but the people in iraq are just that, people. I think that we have a moral obligation to help clean up the mess, you hear Us canadians always talk about how things there are so bad but we are unwilling to get in there and right the wrongs we see, its sorta hypocritical in a way. I am very afraid that a canadian might be killed though. Prehaps a volunteer program?

BTW my first post, yeh haw for me

Super Strokey, welcome to ATS!

I think what you'll find is that even though 70+% of Canadians are against the war the last poll i saw that is(and so am I). I'm even more positive that roughly the same amount of people will be supportive of Canadian involvement in some of the reconstruction efforts(as long as it doesn't involve fighting), and personally I believe that the elections would be the best place for us.

Unfortunetly if we help out, it will have to be at a time when things are more stable and right now I don't really see the stability. Allthoguh even if it were stable some Canadians will probably die. It's the nature of the work unfortunatly .

The RCMP has been training Iraqi Police in Jordan for quite some time now and isn't Canada thinking about sending military instructors over just as long as they're training in Jordan too?

It seems like just a matter of time until you guys get sucked in there some how.

If possible Canada should sent special forces to hunt down the insurgents. Given the sercuity situation in Iraq special forces would achieve more then a team of engineers

Originally posted by xpert11
If possible Canada should sent special forces to hunt down the insurgents. Given the sercuity situation in Iraq special forces would achieve more then a team of engineers

This will not happen, hopefully. USA got herself into this war so its her fight not ours. We will help with rebuilding but not fighting, our special forces are probably tied up in Afghanistan anyways(which is where they are needed the most right now IMO)

[edit on 4-12-2004 by sardion2000]

I think that any form of assistance in rebuilding Iraq will send a message that it was ok to decontruct it in the firstplace. And although I am an humanitarian in many respects and do feel empathy towards the plight of Iraqis, even the insurgents, I would not feel that our government was acting responsibly in assisting in any shape or form.

The United States did not wait to build a strong enough economic alliance aswell as a military one before they invaded Iraq, and so they can pay for it, not Canadians. And since the American public sees fit to reelect the most irresponsible leader in the last 60-70 years, then they can find a way to pay for all of his administrations half assed programs "for a better tomorrow" or whatever.

Anways thats the way i feel, Canada made a strong statement by staying out of Iraq and it would be shame to back down from that statement now, even if it may hurt our beef exports.

Personally, I think we should do what we would do for any other war-torn country - provide humanitarian aid, sponsor local development programs, act as observers for the elections... even building or rebuilding schools and hospitals.

But as far as enforcement is concerned... the U.S. created the insurgency, the U.S. has to deal with it, IMHO.