Motion to join the war against ISIS approved

The House of Commons has voted on what role Canada will play in the fight against Islamic terrorist group, ISIS. And the vote was fairly close.

“Yays/pour 157, nays/contre 134. I declare the motion carried.”

The controversial motion to allow Canadian fighter jets to participate in air strikes in the Middle East passed and has the approval of parliament. Canada will send six CF18 fighter jets along with roughly 600 support staff and military personnel to Iraq for up to six months and beyond that if necessary. Prime Minster Stephen Harper says the terrorist group is a real threat which, if left unchecked, will continue to grow. And that it is the government’s responsibility to protect its citizens. The majority of votes in favour of the motion were Conservative, while the NDP and Liberals were opposed. They argue there are other options besides taking part in air strikes like supplying arms to local fighters battling the group. They also don’t believe the Conservatives are being up front about their plans and timelines for Canada’s combat mission.

MP’s debated for two days whether Canada should join the United States and its coalition partners in a combat mission against the Islamic militants.

Earlier NDP Leader Tom Mulcair told the Prime Minister that our participation in the war could be counterproductive: “The Israeli newspaper Haaretz is reporting that over 6,000 fighters joined ISIS in just the first few weeks after the U.S. Bombing began in Syria and Iraq. In one case alone, 73 fighters joined ISIS in Aleppo right after multiple civilians were killed in the first round of air strikes. Doesn’t the Prime Minister realize that these current tactics, the same ones he wants to follow, will only create more recruits for ISIS and can in fact be disastrously counterproductive.”

Prime Minister Harper: “Mr. Speaker, what the world understand very clearly is in the absence of any response, ISIL was growing like a cancer over the summer, over the entire region — that this constitutes a threat, not only to the region but to the entire global community, and also to Canada. Mr. Speaker, that’s why it’s essential that we work with our allies to undertake steps to make sure we limit the military capacities of this organization.”

Harper is making it clear that Canada’s involvement overseas is an air — not a ground — combat mission. So far this year, the government says more than 28 million dollars has been allocated to humanitarian needs in Iraq.