WATCH: Canada has committed to six months of military action in Iraq. Then what?
OTTAWA — The Conservative government is prepared to ask the House of Commons for an extension of the country’s mission in Iraq should it become necessary, Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird said in an interview on The West Block with Tom Clark.
“The resolution before Parliament is authorizing this limited military actions for up to six months,” he said. “If it goes beyond that, we’ll turn to the House of Commons.”
Canada has committed six combat aircraft, three other aircraft and personnel.
WATCH: Veteran journalist Mark Kennedy analyzes the political calculation Canada’s federal parties may have made in choosing whether to support the military mission.
As for what Baird and Prime Minister Stephen Harper might consider success in Iraq, the government’s goal is to work with U.S. President Barack Obama’s administration and other allies to mitigate any spread of the Islamic State’s power, Baird said.
“We can first contain this problem, stop it growing and the beat it back. That would be a significant accomplishment,” he said.
Beyond the military mission, Baird said, the government also has its eyes on providing humanitarian aid and offering training and advice to help Iraqis “deal with this barbaric international terrorist organizations.”
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