(Ottawa) Canada is extending its military mission in Iraq and the Middle East.
Posted at 10:17 p.m.
Defense Minister Anita Anand announced a 12-month extension on Thursday, just hours before the current term expires.
Canada has steadily reduced its military footprint in the region. The focus has shifted from operations against the Islamic State armed group, to countering Iran’s growing influence.
The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) first deployed troops to Iraq in October 2014 as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) threatened to take control of the country and Syria. They previously had more than 800 soldiers in the region.
Depending on the times, the Canadian mission included fighter jets, transport and surveillance aircraft, helicopters, as well as military trainers and special forces troops working alongside Kurdish and Iraqi forces in their fight against ISIL. .
The mission has since shrunk in size and importance as concerns about ISIL have been replaced by fears about Iran’s growing influence in Iraq, and other crises and threats such as those presented by the Russia, China and the COVID-19 pandemic emerged.
In February, Canada had about 300 members of the Armed Forces assigned to what is called Operation Impact, including about 250 command, intelligence and logistics personnel in Kuwait, the Middle East as well as 50 instructors in Jordan and Lebanon. Only a handful of soldiers were in Iraq.