WATCH ABOVE: Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s tour took him close to the front lines where the Islamic State extremists are waging war. Vassy Kapelos reports.
ERBIL, Iraq — Stephen Harper got to see the no man’s land of northern Iraq on Saturday as questions emerged about whether Canadian special forces soldiers have curtailed trips to the frontline in the aftermath of a friendly fire death almost two months ago.
The prime minister said he wasn’t going to talk about operational details and suggested the two sides are trying to move on from the painful episode which saw Canadian and Kurdish officials pointing fingers at one another over Sgt. Andrew Doiron’s shooting death.
“It was a terrible tragedy,” said Harper, who indicated that he had not yet read the report in the confused nighttime shooting.
“We’ll get the facts, but let it not obscure, frankly, the respect I think we should have for the Kurdish fighters in this area. Back last summer when ISIS was literally overrunning this entire country with virtually no resistance at all these were the people who stood up and resisted them and stopped them.”
Earlier, he met with Iraq’s Prime Minister Haydar al-Abadi at the presidential palace in Baghdad.
The two leaders discussed security issues facing the region, with a focus on the threat posed by ISIS.
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He met with al-Abadi for close to 40 minutes.
“We’re obviously here to discuss not only our relationship, but the obviously very special issue in terms of countering ISIS,” Harper said.
“We will continue to help Iraq fight ISIS as part of the international coalition against this terrorist group, ” Harper said in a news release. “We will also enhance life-saving humanitarian support to alleviate suffering caused by ISIS”
The federal government announced an additional $139 million to be spread around not only Iraq, but Syria, Jordan and Lebanon to help alleviate the burgeoning refugee crisis precipitated by the rise of the Islamic State.
The cash is in addition to the $67 million dollars Canada has already committed to Iraq.
The Iraqi prime minister praised Canada’s contribution in the conflict with ISIL.
At the end of March the government extended Canada’s mission to fight ISIS by a year, expanding the air campaign into Syria as well.
The decision was a controversial one – both the NDP and Liberals voted against a motion in parliament to extend the mission.
Both parties expressed concern about the mission shifting into a combat one, and pressed the government to focus more on humanitarian aid.
As of last week, Canadian fighter jets have conducted more than 800 sorties.
The Canadian Armed Forces has deployed 600 members on the mission.
— with files from Canadian Press
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