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 On April 29, a Royal Canadian Air Force Sikorsky CH-148 Cyclone helicopter on a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) military mission, with six Canadians on board, crashed violently in the Ionian Sea off the coast of Greece. It had flown from the Canadian naval frigate HMCS Fredericton, whose home port is Halifax, which was deployed in the area as part of Operation REASSURANCE.
The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) has members serving on Operation REASSURANCE in Central and Eastern Europe. They are there as part of NATO, to reinforce that organization's "collective defence." During this operation, the CAF is conducting training, exercises, and some NATO-specific tasks.
On January 20, HMCS Fredericton set sail for a six-month deployment on Operation REASSURANCE. Since 2014, the CAF have deployed a frigate on a persistent rotational basis to be employed in exercises and operational tasks that are part of NATO's Maritime Command.
HMCS Fredericton's deployment is part of a range of activities that include the provision of military capabilities for training, exercises, demonstrations and assigned NATO tasks and demonstrates Canada's involvement in warmongering in Central and Eastern Europe.
Prime Minister Trudeau, in announcing the crash, described Operation REASSURANCE as "Canada at its best -- bolstering security and stability in Central and Eastern Europe."
 The Communist Party of Canada (Marxist-Leninist) mourns the loss of life of the six Canadians who died and sends its sincere condolences to their families. However, Canada's participation in this aggressive and warmongering military pact cannot in any way be attributed to the defence of Canada. Contrary to what the Prime Minister has declared, it is bolstering insecurity and instability in Central and Eastern Europe. Furthermore, to maintain these exercises during a coronavirus pandemic is leading to contagion on the ships and within the ranks of the troops of several NATO member countries, Canada included. It is unconscionable.
On the occasion of May 9, the 75th anniversary of Victory Day, we expressed our heartfelt gratitude to the peoples of Central and Eastern Europe for their huge sacrifice during World War II, so that humanity could rid itself of Nazism and fascism. But it is not the cause of peace, freedom and democracy that NATO represents but preparations to embroil the peoples of Central and Eastern Europe in aggression and war once again. Canadians want to eliminate the threat of aggression and war so that the world's peoples can live in peace and security and further develop relations between countries based on mutual benefit.
Canada, Out of NATO Now!
Make Canada a Zone for Peace!
(TML Weekly,May 16, 2020 - No. 17)
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