JTF-2
Where are you?
The Canadian military maintains a special forces component trained in terrorism hostage rescue—this is the unit known as JTF-2. It dates back to the early 1990s, when the mission was transferred from the RCMP to the military. Some documents released via ATIP to University of Toronto professor Tim Sayles and summarised on his substack indicate that initial training courses for JTF-2 were held in 1992, with candidates drawn from existing military units. JTF-2 was formally established in 1993.
The current website description for JTF-2 is brief. With regard to its operational history, it notes that deployment to Afghanistan in 2001 following the Al Qaeda attacks marked its first overseas combat mission.
Some may remember the breaking news story published by the Globe and Mail in late December 2001 about the JTF-2 deployment to Afghanistan, that caused a bit of a stir at the time.
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/elite-jtf2-goes-into-kandahar-war-zone/article4296629/
The government website maintains that JTF-2’s “reputation has allowed the unit to establish effective relationships with its allied special operations forces counterparts.”
There is no authoritative history of post 9/11 missions by JTF-2, but in addition to its Afghan deployment, members of the unit have also been used for protective security details, notably during Prime Minister Trudeau’s first visit to Ukraine in May 2022.
Its original mission of hostage rescue has been considerably expanded since the unit’s creation, but it has been deployed on an international hostage rescue operation at least once, when it joined British and US special forces in 2005-2006 to secure the release of a small group, calling themselves “Christian peacemakers,” including two Canadians, held hostage in Iraq.
Now JTF-2 confronts the most challenging hostage rescue situation imaginable—with the capture by Hamas of up to 150 civilians from southern Israel and their removal to the Gaza strip. The hostages are an international group, that includes Israelis, US citizens, UK citizens, and at least two Canadians.
Israel will lead and command any hostage rescue missions in the Gaza strip. The U.S. Pentagon has offered intelligence and expert assistance from its special forces units to assist the Israelis.
Canada and JTF-2 should follow suit, and put its reputation to work.
Thanks to all for comments. Just for clarification's sake I was not proposing that JTF-2 assistance be announced publicly, only that it be considered and offered, as was done by the Pentagon. I don't underestimate the immense challenges of any hostage rescue operation in the Gaza strip and was not suggesting that JTF-2 be directly deployed unless the IDF feels it would be helpful, rather that any support it could provide might be welcome.
This is not the kind of thing to announce publicly, simply for the sake of hubris. I suspect things are already being done.