Friday, September 5, 2014

Canada: Sending "Military Advisors" to Iraq

(photo courtesy Sean Kilpatrick / THE CANADIAN PRESS)

Remember back after 9/11 when POTUS George W Bush was putting together the Coalition of the Willing?   Canadian Prime Minister of the day, Jean Chretien,  infamously did not sign on the Canadian Troops for that mission.  But that was then, and this is now.
From the CBC:

Canadian military advisers join fight against ISIS in Iraq

Harper announces deployment of 'several dozen' for 'up to 30 days' to help Kurds

CBC News Posted: Sep 04, 2014 


Canada's next contribution to the fight against ISIS in Iraq will be the deployment of "several dozen" members of the Armed Forces to provide security advice, Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced today.

A release from the government calls Canada's contribution "an advisory and assistance role" to help prevent any escalation of the humanitarian crisis.

"The fanaticism of the ISIL terrorist group is a real threat to regional security and millions of innocent people in Iraq, Syria and beyond. Left unchecked, ISIL is also a direct threat to Canada and its Allies," Harper said in the release.

[...]

CBC News has learned about 100 Canadians will be deployed. Iraqi forces would receive strategic and tactical advice from the Canadians before they commence tactical operations against ISIS.
  
The initial deployment will be for a period of up to 30 days, the announcement says, and "will be reassessed after that time." Iraq still needs to give its final consent to Canada's offer....


Read more here. 


Let's hope those ISIS terrorists have the memo that these are 'advisors' and not 'combat' Troops.




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