TRENTON, Ontario
Prime Minister Stephen Harper introduced a motion Tuesday that will extend Canada’s bombing mission in Iraq and expand to now include Syria.
The move to increase the fight against Daesh was quickly condemned by leaders of the opposition New Democratic and Liberal parities.
Harper’s Conservative party, however, has a majority in the House of Commons so the motion will pass. There is also no requirement for the prime minister to obtain Parliament’s approval to launch a combat mission.
Canada’s six-month mission to join the U.S.-led coalition and bomb Iraq was due to end in April, but Harper has extended it by up to one year.
When the decision to provide airstrikes in Iraq was made, Harper said Canada would strike Daesh “where – and only where – Canada has the clear support of the government of that country.”
But that restriction will be lifted, he said.
“In expanding our air strikes into Syria, the government has now decided that we will not seek the express consent of the Syrian government,” Harper told the House of Commons on Tuesday. “Instead, we will work closely with our American and other allies, who have already been carrying out such operations against ISIL over Syria in recent months.”
The expanded and extended mission will include air strikes as well as Canadian Special Forces continuing to advise and assist Iraqi forces to combat Daesh.
“Our objectives remain the same: we intend to continue to degrade the capabilities of ISIL,” the prime minister said.
But NDP leader Tom Mulcair said Canada could play a more helpful role by aiding refugees such as the ones who have sought haven in Turkey.
“There is a desperate need for humanitarian support,” he said.
Harper said Canada is already playing a humanitarian role.
“We have also been helping support more than 200,000 Syrian refugees in Iraq with food, water, shelter, and protection,” he said. “There is no either-or here between military action and humanitarian aid.”
Mulcair and Liberal leader Justin Trudeau said Harper wasn’t honest about what the original mission entailed, such as Canada Special Forces operators directing targets for airstrikes and the training of Kurdish peshmerga forces.
Trudeau said Harper has not specified objectives and has no exit strategy.
Harper said the current mission has helped stop the “territorial spread of ISIL” but more needs to be done.
“In ISIL’s view, anyone who does not accept its perverted version of religion should be killed,” he said. “It is as self evident to them as it seems insane to us. But it is far from an idle threat,” he added.
