Canada Votes for Air Strikes on ’ISIL’ in Syria
Local Editor
Canadian lawmakers voted Monday to extend a campaign of airstrikes against the "ISIL" group and for the first time strike at them in Syria as well as in Iraq.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper's Conservatives, wielding a majority in the House of Commons, pushed through a motion on enlarging the mission in a vote 142 to 129, despite opposition parties' vigorous objections.
"Our Government believes that we must act to protect Canadians against the threat of terrorism at home and abroad," he said.
Canada first joined the US-led airstrikes on the in November.
Its expanded air campaign was authorized until March 30, 2016.
Harper has defended the need for sorties into Syria, saying the "ISIL" group "must cease to have any safe haven in Syria."
He pointed to its movement of heavy equipment across the Iraqi border into Syria.
The prime minister also noted that "ISIL" fighters have threatened Canada in propaganda videos.
"As a result of "ISIL's" specific threats against Canada and Canadians, our Government has worked closely for the past six months as part of a broad international Coalition, including our closest allies, to help degrade and disrupt "ISIL's" ability to inflict harm.
New Democratic Party Leader Thomas Mulcair decried the move "expanding a misguided war in Iraq to a dangerous new phase in Syria."
"This is simply not Canada's war to fight," he said.
Canadian airstrikes in Syria are not authorized by the United Nations, nor is it a NATO mission.
Canada has also deployed about 70 special-forces soldiers to train Kurds in northern Iraq.
Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team
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