Canada to End 'Vengeful' Bombing in Iraq and Syria

[eridani]

http://www.commondreams.org/news/2016/02/09/canada-end-vengeful-bombing-iraq-and-syria

Canada will end its bombing campaign in Iraq and Syria this month and refocus its efforts in the fight against the Islamic State (ISIS or ISIL) on supporting long-term stability in the region, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on Monday.

During a press conference Monday night alongside Defense Minister Harjit Sajjan, International Development Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau, and Foreign Affairs Minister Stephane Dion, Trudeau said that ISIS was not a credible threat to civilization and that engaging in "heated, over-the-top rhetoric" against the group would not resolve the conflict.

The announcement comes just a few months after Trudeau took power. He said on his first day in office that he would end Canada's participation in the U.S.-led mission against the militant group.

"We are for what will be effective, not for what will make us feel good to say at any given moment," he said Monday. "The people terrorized by [ISIS] every day don't need our vengeance. They need our help."

The Liberal administration said it would end its air strikes in Iraq and Syria by February 22, although it will keep some surveillance and refueling jets in the region. It will also deploy additional troops to the region to help train Kurdish fighters in northern Iraq, increasing the number of soldiers there to about 200.