(Ottawa) The American-British “precision strikes” against areas of Yemen controlled by the Houthis, to which members of the Canadian Armed Forces contributed, are “in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations”, and demonstrate the desire to “ defend freedom of navigation and international trade in the Red Sea,” according to Canada.
Canadian military support was provided by Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) personnel deployed within United States Central Command. They contributed by supporting “planning” as part of Operation Foundation, the Ministry of National Defense said on Friday.
As part of this operation, the CAF works with the United States and other countries to combat terrorism. “No FAC military equipment was used in carrying out the strikes against Houthi positions,” the Ministry of Defense specified.
Canada condemned Friday “the reckless attacks by the Houthis against commercial ships and their crews operating in the Red Sea,” Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly and National Defense Minister Bill Blair said in a joint statement. .
“We call on the Houthis to stop their attacks immediately, and reaffirm that they must face the consequences of their actions. We remain committed to working with our partners in the Middle East to help bring lasting peace and security to the region,” they added.
The military action has the full support of Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre. “The Houthis are [un groupe] which is supported by the government of Iran which threatens international security, and which harasses and threatens the soldiers of our allies,” he said at a press briefing in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
The strikes against the Houthis did not go through the mail in the United States, where elected officials, including some Democrats, have criticized American President Joe Biden for not having consulted Congress before moving to the action.
Here, NDP MP Heather McPherson expressed a similar sentiment. “Parliamentarians were not consulted. In this dangerous time, liberals are making dangerous choices,” she criticized on X, Thursday evening.
“Canada should push for a ceasefire in Gaza. Instead, liberals are joining in another military action without any idea of what might happen next,” she continued on the same platform.
The government does not need Parliament’s approval before making military decisions.
Canada’s contribution to the operation was first revealed by Washington.
The Canadian announcement came several hours later, late Thursday evening.
The strikes were carried out by the armed forces of the United States and the United Kingdom with the collaboration of Canada, Australia, Bahrain, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand , and South Korea.
“Our goal remains to defuse tensions and restore stability in the Red Sea, but our message is clear: we will not hesitate to defend lives and the free flow of commerce in international waterways,” the nations said in a joint statement on Thursday.