Canada to Stop Bombing IS, Stepping Up Training of Local Troops

The Liberal leader had pledged in the run-up to October legislative elections to end the air strikes, which he described Monday as being good for achieving “short-term military and territorial gains” but not for “long-term stability for local communities”. Bombing began in April 2015 under the previous Conservative government. He said Canada gained valuable experience training local Afghan police and military forces.

Canada’s new role in the U.S.-led fight against ISIL will be revealed Monday.

Overall, the government said it would contribute over $1.6 billion over the next three years on the security, stabilization and humanitarian efforts in the affected regions, including Iraq, Syria, Jordan and Lebanon.

Mr. Trudeau was accompanied by three ministers during the announcement, the Minister of Defense Harjit Sajjan, Global Affairs Minister Stéphane Dion and Minister responsible for CIDA, Marie-Claude Bibeau.

CF-188 Hornet fighter jets deployed from Kuwait to bomb Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria since November 2014 will be withdrawn by February 22.

Trudeau made the promise to end his country’s combat role shortly after being elected, but a recent poll showed that some two-thirds of Canadians support the airstrikes, or even want them expanded, after “IS”-inspired attacks in Jakarta and Burkina Faso killed seven Canadian nationals last month”.

Two surveillance planes will continue to carry out activities there, and the number of Canadian soldiers training local troops in the fights against IS will be boosted.

“The reality is that when we talk about Canada’s new approach to fighting IS…”

“You put more people on the ground in a unsafe place and it’s riskier overall”, Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Jonathan Vance told reporters after Trudeau’s announcement.

Canada’s “train, advise and assist” mission will also grow, with added medical personnel and equipment to assist in training Iraqi security forces.

Trudeau said the new mission would be engaged for at least two years and then re-evaluated. In fact, the prime minister away from our proud traditions by taking our CF-18 and Canada with a combat role against the worst terrorist threat in the world, “Ambrose said”. “I want Canadians to know that we will be involved in engagements as we defend ourselves or those partners who we are working with”. Dedicating $840 million to humanitarian aid and another $270 million to build refugee capacity in neighbouring countries should be money well spent.

The opposition Conservatives criticized Trudeau for ending the combat portion of the mission.