REGINA – Questions surrounding Canada’s role in the fight against Islamic militant group ISIS were address by the Prime Minister in the House of Commons Friday.
“When our allies recognize and respond to a threat that could also harm us, we Canadians do not stand on the sidelines, we do our part,” Stephen Harper said.
Harper’s motion for the country’s combat mission includes deploying CF-18 fighter jets, support and military advisors.
The air strike mission would extend six months, but with a promise of no soldiers on the ground.
Political scientist Dr. Martin Hewson from the University of Regina questioned whether airstrikes are enough to combat ISIS.
“It’s not the option that’s guaranteed to win, it’s the easy low cost option. But there’s absolutely no support in the US or anywhere else for a full invasion.”
However, there is an apparent strong support for Canadian airstrikes against ISIS targets in northern Iraq.
According to an exclusive Global News/Ipsos Reid poll, 64 per cent of Canadians support such a plan, and in Saskatchewan and Manitoba there’s a 56 per cent show of support.
“I’m pretty sure they wouldn’t have supported this before it emerged that some Canadians have travelled over there to participate in this, Islamic state movement,” explained Hewson.
The RCMP was unable to comment on how many, or if there are any, threats of extremist supporting ISIS efforts from here in Saskatchewan.
However, officers explained they’re developing a Countering Violent Extremism Program, to monitor and prevent residents from engaging in terrorist activities.
Meantime, the president of the Islamic Association of Saskatchewan, Munir Haque, said there’s been no threat among members because extremist do not reflect their religious beliefs.
“It isn’t an issue. For us, it’s kind of business as usual because the tenants of our religion do not permit the atrocities happening around the world in the name of Islam.”
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