ABOVE: National Defence Minister Rob Nicholson confirmed to the House of Commons Thursday that Canada has been given the green light by Kuwait to begin launching airstrikes
OTTAWA – The Conservative government has announced that Canada’s fighter jets and surveillance planes bound for the war against the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant will be based in Kuwait.
A status of forces agreement with the emirate, which already hosts a Canadian military supply hub, has been concluded.
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The base will host CF-18 jet fighters, two CP-140 Auroras and a C-150 Polaris.
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It will be about three weeks before the aircraft are in place and ready to conduct operations.
New Democrat foreign affairs critic Paul Dewar says the delay makes a mockery of the government’s reasons for shutting down debate on the motion that saw Canada join the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq.
Defence Minister Rob Nicholson says they could have debated “30 years” and the NDP would have not supported the combat mission.
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