WHITEHORSE – Stephen Harper is drawing parallels between the Islamist militants who have seized a swath of territory across Iraq and Syria and the Taliban insurgents who controlled much of Afghanistan before the U.S.-led invasion.
The prime minister said Thursday he’s been appalled by the recent violence, notably the beheading of American journalist James Foley by the al-Qaida splinter group known as the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant.
“This is not unlike the situation that we had in Afghanistan prior to 2002,” Harper said during a stop in Whitehorse, Yukon, on the first full day of his annual northern tour.
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“Essentially you had a terrorist group establishing control of a large territory, essentially establishing a form of governance, and potentially using that to become a haven and a training ground for terrorism not just in the region, but across the world.
“And that, obviously, is a very big concern for all of us.”
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Harper said he agrees with U.S. President Barack Obama and others that the actions of ISIL cannot go unchecked.
“The violence – really, just unspeakable barbarism – that is occurring now across a vast territory, the desire to essentially commit genocide against any group of people in the region who are different, these are shocking developments.”
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Two of Canada’s military cargo planes will be shuttling weapons to Kurdish forces in northern Iraq as part of a multinational effort to fight the militants.
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Earlier in the day, Harper revealed plans for a multimillion-dollar Arctic-focused National Research Council program to explore resource development, transportation and shipping, marine safety technologies and community infrastructure.
The federal government is spending $17 million on the program over eight years, and will be seeking another $65 million in co-investments from industry over that same time period.
Harper, who made the announcement after a tour of Yukon College, said the program will help bridge the gap between laboratory research and the marketplace.
Later, Harper gave a campaign-style speech at a barbecue for supporters. On Friday, the prime minister heads to Fort Smith, N.W.T., where he is expected to make an agricultural announcement and later attend another event with supporters.
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