Prime Minister Stephen Harper says Canada is “weighing our response” to a U.S. letter asking for more help in the fight against Islamic State militants in the Middle East.
But any military action against extremists in Iraq and Syria would have to be debated by the government first, Harper said Wednesday.
U of C Political Scientist, Michael Zekulin says he’s not entirely sure that there is an appetite in this country for an expanded role, but still expects the government to offer up at least something to the current effort.
He says that the military resources that Canada does have are nowhere near as numerous as other countries, like the US or the UK, which they understand.
Zekulin says that if the government does agree to expand its military presence in the Middle East, the next question is what Canada can contribute and how much, but if they say “no” our image could take a hit.
The US and it’s Arab Allies, which include Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Jordan continue to hit airstrike targets in the area.
Agencies/Canadajournal