The airstrike campaign in Iraq that Canada is preparing to join will not completely eradicate the threat from ISIS forces, says Canada鈥檚 chief of defence staff, who did not rule out Canadian participation in a mission to train Iraqi soldiers.
Gen. Tom Lawson against ISIS, which the federal government announced earlier this month.Six CF-18s, one air refueller and two surveillance aircraft, as well as about 600 personnel, are expected to all be in theatre before the end of November.
Lawson was asked about reports out of the United States that Washington has asked NATO partners to consider a training mission for the Iraqi Army, and whether Canada would consider participating.
He responded that the idea was an 鈥渋mportant part鈥� of discussions held earlier this week with his counterparts from nations participating in the airstrike campaign. He called the airstrikes part of 鈥渢he emergency response to blunt the attack鈥� of ISIS in Iraq, and acknowledged that more will likely have to be done.
鈥淪imply bringing airstrike power to bear will not deal with (ISIS) properly,鈥� Lawson said. 鈥淎nd there鈥檚 broad recognition that it will be Iraqi forces who will be putting the pressure on (ISIS) components in the coming months and there is a requirement to bring them to a level of readiness to be able to do that.鈥�
Part of such a mission includes the ongoing 鈥渁dvise and assist鈥� mission being carried out by Canadian special operations personnel with Kurdish forces in northern Iraq, he added. But nations that are forming the coalition conducting airstrikes against ISIS recognize that broader military training 鈥渨ill be the next part of the strategy,鈥� Lawson said.
Lieut.-Gen. Jonathan Vance, Commander of Canadian Joint Operations, added that part of the 鈥渃ritical path to greater success鈥� against ISIS 鈥渋s the ability to rehabilitate, to the extent necessary, the Iraqi Army, Iraqi Security Forces, get them on their feet and be able to conduct ground operations.鈥�
That would take 鈥渁 training effort鈥� he said, and it is 鈥渘ot unexpected鈥� that the United States is 鈥渓ooking to trusted partners鈥� for help.
Neither Lawson nor Vance said directly whether Canada is considering expanding its own operations to include direct training of the Iraqi Army.
Pilots will limit collateral damage
Both Lawson and Vance said it would be premature to speculate on when Canadian planes will start dropping bombs on targets.
Canadian personnel will be joining a mission already underway, and there is a process for joining a mission in progress, Vance explained.
鈥淎t this stage, it would be premature to say when they鈥檒l drop their first weapons,鈥� Vance said. 鈥淲e guarantee we鈥檒l tell you when they do.鈥�
to prevent or limit the number of civilian casualties, Vance said there are specific procedures and regulations in place to get the 鈥渞ight weapon in the right spot with right limit of harm in place.鈥�
The Aurora surveillance aircraft will play a large role in assessing targets on the ground. But in the end, the pilots will have the discretion to abandon their mission if the situation changes while they are airborne.
鈥淓ven if the target鈥檚 been well assessed and seems to be very valid, the pilot has to assure that the conditions haven鈥檛 changed in theatre,鈥� Lawson said. 鈥淪o they are given discretion to bring their weapon back if they believe unreasonable collateral damage may occur.鈥�
