Vanguard Magazine

t the last WORd 46 FEBRUARY/MARCH 2016 www.vanguardcanada.com Is Canada running away from ISIS by calling home our CF-18s? It was certainly no surprise when newly minted Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that he was calling home the fleet of six CF-18 fighter jets that have been based in Mosul and en- gaged in bombing missions against ISIS since 2014. It was also expected when he announced that Canada will double down on humanitarian operations, boost by 230 the 600 Canadian Armed Forces members deployed as part of coalition missions and triple the number of troops training Iraqi security forces beyond the 69 special operations personnel embedded with Kurdish fighters. All these moves were part of the Liberal's campaign promises, after all. And so, Trudeau found himself in quite a curious position in the House of Commons--being accused by Conservative party inter- im leader MP Rona Ambrose, of running away from the "fight" against ISIS and at the same time being questioned by NDP leader Tom Mulcair for deploying more Canadian soldiers on the ground and putting them in harm's way while claim- ing to be scaling back on missions and not having our troops engage in combat. It's unfortunate that the Liberal govern- ment's move has been highly criticized be- cause generally, it is a good strategy that is consistent with Canada's interests, strengths, and capabilities. Over the next three years, Canada's new contribution to the coalition efforts will total $1.6 billion and will include: • $840 million over three years in humani- tarian assistance • $270 million over three years to "build local capacity" in Jordan and Lebanon (areas with large number of refugees) • $264 million to extend the military mission in Iraq and Syria up to March 31, 2017 • $145 million over three years in non-military security efforts, including counter-terrorism initiatives • $42 million for redeployment of staff and equipment to the re- gion as part of the new military commitment • An increase in diplomatic presence in the region Under Operation IMPACT, Canada will send troops to "paint" targets for coalition partners. Canada will also maintain aircrew and support personnel for one CC-150 Polaris refueling aircraft and two CP-140 Aurora surveillance aircraft. Arguing about whether Canadian troops are in a combat mission or not is futile. If Canadian soldiers, or any force for that matter, are deployed to a combat zone, there is a good chance they will come under enemy fire. It's a given they will be in danger and one could imagine them firing back as well. The sooner the government admits this plainly, the sooner the matter will be put to rest. The training the Kurdish Pasmerga--this could be a double edged sword. The Kurdish fighters are widely considered among the most effective force against ISIS. In this context, supporting them makes sense. However, it is also known that the Kurds have secessionist as- pirations and down the road could become a threat to stability in Iraq. There has also been tension between Kurds and Turkey, which is a NATO ally. The humanitarian missions, as well as the commitment towards regional capacity building should have received more praise. They are truly worthwhile efforts that are needed by people in the region. It serves us well to enhance the capacity of Canada's government partners in the region. Canada has long been associ- ated with humanitarian missions and for good reason. Simply put, we're good at it. Should Trudeau not have pulled out the CF-18s so quickly? I agree with analysts who say the decision to do so has more to do with domestic poli- tics than actual military strategy. However, I think it is a move that doesn't imperil Cana- da's position within the coalition or set back the fight against ISIS as many critics would have us believe. Make no mistake I believe that the CF- 18 pilots and the personnel supporting the aircraft were effective in their mission. It's commendable that the fleet carried out 230 airstrikes, a majority of which were identified as being against enemy fighting positions and as Col. Sean Boyle, commander of Air Task Forces Iraq between April and October 2015, told the National Post: "To the best of our ability we can confirm that there are no civilian casualties." Air strikes are essential to eroding the capabilities of ISIS. How- ever, air strikes are not the only solution for bringing stability in the region. For now, our allies can do without our fighter planes. The con- tention by some that Canada is letting down its allies by calling home the CF-18s would have more credibility if we had more fighter jets in the battle in the first place. In a 2011 interview with Maclean's magazine, Stephen Harper compared the fight against ISIS to the fights against Hitler and Stalin, calling them "those big conflicts where everything's at stake and where you take a side and show you can contribute to the right side." Which makes one wonder, why did he only send six CF-18s? So is Canada in fight or flight mode? I believe we're still very much in the fight, although our focus has changed. fight or flight airs strikes are essential to eroding the capabilities of IsIs, however... by nestor arellano

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