TORONTO (AP) — Canada plans to launch airstrikes against the Islamic State militant group in Iraq following a U.S. request.
A senior government official says Prime Minister Stephen Harper will announce details later Friday. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the official was not authorized to speak publicly about the plans.
The deployment still needs to be voted on in Parliament but Harper’s Conservative government has the majority of seats so it is expected to pass.
Canada is among dozens of countries that have signed up to the U.S.-led coalition fighting the Islamic State militant group in Iraq and Syria.
Canada’s former Liberal government refused a request to send troops when the U.S. invaded Iraq in 2003, straining ties between the two neighbors. Canada then stepped up its Afghanistan mission.
Comments are not available on this story. Read more about why we allow commenting on some stories and not on others.
We believe it's important to offer commenting on certain stories as a benefit to our readers. At its best, our comments sections can be a productive platform for readers to engage with our journalism, offer thoughts on coverage and issues, and drive conversation in a respectful, solutions-based way. It's a form of open discourse that can be useful to our community, public officials, journalists and others.
We do not enable comments on everything — exceptions include most crime stories, and coverage involving personal tragedy or sensitive issues that invite personal attacks instead of thoughtful discussion.
You can read more here about our commenting policy and terms of use. More information is also found on our FAQs.
Show less