Mulcair raises red flag on Forces’ role in Iraq after Canadian sniper breaks record

NDP Leader Tom Mulcair is forgoing the celebration and raising a red flag following reports that a Canadian sniper in Iraq shattered the world record for the longest confirmed kill.

In a letter Friday to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Mulcair says the incident “seriously calls into question your government’s claim that Canadian Forces are not involved in direct combat in Iraq.”

National Defence says the sniper is part of the Joint Task Force 2 Special Forces unit and was supporting Iraqi forces in its fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant when he shot an enemy fighter 3,540 metres away.

That is more than a kilometre farther than the previous record, held by a British sniper who shot a Taliban fighter in Afghanistan in 2009.

Officials have refused to provide any other details about the incident, including where and when it occurred, citing operational security. But they maintain that the soldier was operating within the established limits of Canada’s so-called “advise and assist” mission in Iraq.

Those limits, however, have been repeatedly questioned over the course of the nearly four-year mission, with much of the debate revolving around whether Canadian soldiers are engaged in combat.

As news of the shot spread like wildfire, Mulcair demanded Trudeau provide answers about the mission in Iraq. “Will you now confirm Canadian troops have engaged in ground combat since your government took office?” he asked.

Canada has about 200 Special Forces operating in northern Iraq.