Reference News Network, January 22 report: According to the UK's Daily Telegraph website on January 20, the Canadian Armed Forces have conducted simulated military exercises to prepare for a potential U.S. invasion. This follows statements by U.S. President Donald Trump expressing his desire to annex Canadian territory.
The plan is believed to be the first time in over a century that Ottawa has prepared a contingency plan against a potential attack from its southern neighbor, the United States.
According to the Canadian Globe and Mail, military officials said that due to the overwhelming military advantage of the U.S., Canada would have to turn to unconventional warfare.
The simulation predicted that Canada would have to adopt tactics similar to those used by the Afghan "mujahideen" organization against U.S. occupation forces, such as hit-and-run ambushes carried out by soldiers and armed civilians.
The report said that drones could also play a significant role, causing mass casualties among U.S. soldiers occupying the country.
The simulated military exercise highlights how the U.S. is gradually moving away from its role as the cornerstone of the Western alliance since World War II during the Trump administration.
However, the exercise clearly showed that the likelihood of the U.S. attacking its northern neighbor Canada is very small.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stated on January 20 that the world order had experienced a "breakdown" after Trump demanded control of Greenland.
Trump has repeatedly expressed his desire for Canada to become part of the United States. He mocked Trudeau, the predecessor of the current prime minister, as the "governor of the great Canadian state," and joked that Canada was the "51st state" of the U.S.
According to reports, Canadian defense officials believe that if the U.S. invaded from the south, it could break through Canada's defenses within just two days.
The military plan developed by the Canadian Armed Forces will be similar to the 20-year war waged by the Afghan "mujahideen" against the U.S.
The Canadian Armed Forces currently have about 71,500 active personnel, plus 30,000 reserve personnel, while the U.S. military has around 2.8 million troops, far exceeding Canada's size.
The U.S. Marines have about 186,000 active personnel and 40,000 reserve personnel. The Marines are likely to be the main force in an attack on Canada.
To compensate for the manpower gap, Canadian Chief of Defense Staff Jennie Carignan previously announced a plan to form a reserve force of 400,000 volunteers to repel any invading force.
A senior defense source said that once initial signs indicate the U.S. military begins to mobilize, Canada would have at most three months to prepare for a land and amphibious invasion.
The planning documents indicated that Canada would request assistance from allies such as the United Kingdom and France.
Trudeau warmly welcomed French President Emmanuel Macron in Davos, Switzerland, to show solidarity. The two shook hands and embraced.
Macron has been leading a counterattack after Trump publicly released his private messages and reiterated his intention to annex Greenland.
Mike Dye, a former future strategy planner for the Canadian Armed Forces and retired major general, said the idea that the U.S. would actually invade Canada is "pure fantasy." But if an invasion were to occur, even the U.S. would not have enough forces to occupy all major cities in Canada.
He analyzed, "The only hope for the U.S. is to rely on the assumption that other regions of Canada would surrender after capturing the power center in Ottawa. But I believe even if the capital falls, we would never give up resistance."
As tensions between the U.S. and Canada increase, Trump imposed a 35% tariff on Ottawa in August last year, but later reduced the rate.
Recent reports by NBC News indicated that Trump still remains "obsessed" with making Canada part of the United States. (Translated by Yang Xuelai)
Original: toutiao.com/article/7598108259412705807/
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