Fall 2010 Closure
CTV News disclosed on October 6, 2010 that the Canadian Forces might be closing a facility at a base near Dubai, United Arab Emirates. An unnamed source in the Government of Canada stated that the Government of the United Arab Emirates had threatened to revoke the Canadian Forces' access to the facility if the Government of Canada did not grant civilian landing rights to Emirates and Etihad Airways at the Calgary International Airport and Vancouver International Airport in Canada. The Government of Canada source continued by stating that Canada was "essentially a pawn in a heavy-handed blackmail scheme and the demands were unacceptable." It was announced on October 11, 2010 that the facility would be closed. On the same day, a military transport aircraft carrying the Canadian Defence Minister and the Chief of the Defence Staff returning from a visit to Afghanistan was refused landing permission at the airbase housing Camp Mirage. The UAE responded to the incident in the media saying that the Canadian government was distorting information about the incident saying that the plane had been notified ahead of time that landing rights had been suspended, and that the Canadian government was resorting to "fear tactics" to spin a negative light on the UAE in the Canadian media.
All Canadian Forces personnel and equipment had departed Camp Mirage by 05 November 2010.
Read more about this topic: Camp Mirage
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