TORONTO, Canada - A group of Kurdish organizations in Canada condemned this week Liberal Party leader Justin Trudeau’s plan for ending his country’s military mission against the Islamic State (ISIS) group if his party wins the upcoming elections.
“Without the military support of Canada and its allies, the Kurdish forces’ ability to fight ISIS advances would be weakened and would lead to further and certain deaths for Iraq’s Christian, Kurdish and Yezidi communities,” said Toronto-based One Free World International (OFWI), in a statement signed by 12 community organizations, among them four Kurdish groups.
The statement described Trudeau’s plan for focusing on humanitarian aid in the war against ISIS as “naïve,” adding it would make “the world a more dangerous place.”
The Liberal Party Leader said in an interview with Canada’s CBC Channel that if he wins the October federal elections his government would end the bombing missions against ISIS in Iraq and Syria and recall the CF-18 fighter jets sent to Iraq last year.
"We'd move away from the CF-18 mission,” said Trudeau.
In return, Trudeau promised he would increase the number of military advisors to train local forces in the ISIS war.
There are currently 69 Canadian military personnel in the Kurdistan Region, working with the Peshmerga forces.
"We would engage Canada's military in something we've demonstrated tremendous ability at in Afghanistan and elsewhere: training up local troops doing the fighting on the ground,” the Liberal leader said.
In their statement, however, the Kurdish and other diaspora groups said that ending Canada’s active military mission would be wrong for Canada and the region.
“To back away and run from this important fight would be dangerous and wrong,” it read.
“ISIS has repeatedly stated they are targeting Canada and Canadians. Failure to fight ISIS where they are today will not only leave a path of destruction in the Middle East, but increase the threat and risk on Canadian soil,” read the statement.
The group also warned the Liberal Party against normalizing Canada’s relations with Iran, as outlined by Trudeau as part of his foreign policy.
“The Iranian regime’s horrible record of human rights abuses against Baha’i, Jews, Christians, LGBT people, political prisoners, and other minorities should not be rewarded with rapprochement,” said the statement, also signed by Iranian and Christian groups.
The current Conservative government of Stephen Harper closed the Canadian Embassy in Tehran and expelled all Iranian diplomats from Ottawa in 2012.
In his interview with CBC, Trudeau said: “I would hope that Canada would be able to reopen its mission. As I understand it, there were security concerns that led to the closing of the mission, but I'm fairly certain that there are ways to re-engage.”
The OFWI said that engaging Iran diplomatically would “only embolden radical clerics to continue their tyrannical way of governing as they grow increasingly desperate for relief from the crippling economic sanctions.”
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