Canadian Forces Still Seeking Staging Base for Afghan Ops

After being ousted from the UAE last fall, the military is using two unsuited civilian airports in Cyprus to get to and from Afghanistan.

Wanted: one rent-free airbase between here and Afghanistan. Sources say the Canadian Forces aren’t happy about makeshift arrangements made after the military was kicked out of UAE’s Camp Mirage last year. The ouster has cost the government $300 million and forced the military to use Cyprus as a stopover point for personnel while shipping cargo to Afghanistan through Germany. Canadian troops are being housed in Cyprian hotels while they await transport. The UAE never charged Canada for the use of its airbase, but wanted Ottawa to approve more flights to Canada for its airlines, a request the Conservatives refused to grant. Another Gulf state or one of the “Stans” north of Afghanistan are reportedly prime locations for a Canadian base.