Operation PROTEUS

From: National Defence

Operation PROTEUS is Canada’s contribution to the Office of United States Security Coordinator (USSC). Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members serve with the USSC team as part of Canada’s military task force in Jerusalem.

What are CAF members doing during Op PROTEUS?

The CAF members on Operation PROTEUS fill key USSC positions. They are an integrated part of the team. Task Force Jerusalem’s aim within the team is to help the Palestinian Authority Security Forces (PASF) build their capacity.

The members of Task Force Jerusalem:

provide the PASF with training advice and support
help the PASF develop better systems for logistics
support the development of training programs for the PASF. These programs aim to improve professionalism

Task Force Jerusalem works closely with other Canadian government civilian staff in the region. The aim is to:

develop the Palestinian Authority’s ability to keep its citizens safe and secure
promote peace in the region

History and context of the operation

The U.S. Secretary of State established the Office of United States Security Coordinator for Israel and the Palestinian Authority in 2005. It was set up to meet U.S. commitments under the Middle East Roadmap for Peace.

The USSC is a military and civilian team made up from a number of countries. Its members are from different military branches and civilian agencies. American Department of Defense service members assigned to the State Department make up the group’s core. The USSC team also includes military and civilian staff from other countries such as:

Canada
the Netherlands
Turkey
the United Kingdom

Denmark, Finland, Germany, and Greece also provide technical training experts and advisors.

The USSC mandate is to:

encourage Israel and the Palestinian Authority to coordinate security
to build the security capacity of the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank

The USSC’s mission is to:

help the Palestinian Authority to make its security sector more professional
engage with the Israelis and the Palestinians on security initiatives that build trust and confidence in order to meet Roadmap obligations
support efforts by other countries that work toward a negotiated two-state solution

Canada in the Middle East

Canada is a strong supporter of the Middle East Peace Process. It has an active role in working with other countries to achieve peace in the region. It also provides a large amount of aid. Operation PROTEUS is a critical part of Canada’s broader aim in the Middle East Peace Process. It is also important to the region as a whole.

The CAF has been involved in peace-support efforts in the Middle East for more than 50 years. Other CAF engagements in the region are:

Operation JADE, Canada’s role in the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO). The UNSO is also headquartered in Jerusalem; and
Operation CALUMET, Canada’s support to the Multinational Force and Observers (MFO). The MFO is based at El Gorah, Egypt.