Prime Minster Justin Trudeau has denied Canada has any combat role in Iraq, despite last week’s much-celebrated record-breaking sniper kill.
“What happened there is something, first of all, to be celebrated for the excellence of the Canadian Forces and their training and their performance of their duties,” Trudeau said in Ottawa while taking questions from journalists on Tuesday morning.
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“But also, it’s something to be understood as being entirely consistent with what Canada is expected and Canadians expect our forces to be doing.”
Canada’s ongoing mission in Iraq is qualified as an “advise and assist” role, which is supposed to entail training and advising the Iraqi security forces in identifying, detecting and defeating the so-called Islamic State.
The role is not supposed to involve any frontline combat role.
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Last week, however, National Defence confirmed a member of Canada’s elite Joint Task Force 2 special forces unit shattered a record upon targeting and killing an ISIS fighter in Mosul who was almost 3.5 kilometres away.
Asked why the government will not say Canada’s role in Iraq includes combat, Trudeau said Canada’s role has “always included an element of defence.”
“That is something that is integral to our mission, and that is something that has always been followed,” he said.
“Defence of our coalition partners is something that is expected of Canada.”
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One day after news of the kill shot made waves, NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair raised some concerns, specifically about the Liberal pledge to keep Canadian soldiers away from any combat role in the international fight against ISIS.
The fight to destroy ISIS will likely require at least another year of battles in Iraq and Syria, according to Brig.-Gen. Daniel MacIsaac, who assumed command of the mission, called Operation Impact, in March.
READ MORE: Canadian sniper in Iraq makes longest confirmed kill shot in military history
In an interview with Global News earlier this month, MacIsaac said he fully expects the government to extend Canada’s mission beyond the current end date which is coming up at the end of the week.
Canadian warplanes with bombing capability were pulled out of the mission in early 2016, after the Liberals won a majority government. Still, hundreds of Canadian men and women remain in place to assist with training, reconnaissance, medical operations and other support roles.
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