Tell the truth about Iraq mission

Canada’s combat mission in Iraq is still going strong, despite Justin Trudeau’s insistence it’s over.

Forget the word games, Mr. Prime Minister. When the battle to liberate the Islamic State stronghold of Mosul in Iraq began this week, Canadian Forces were part of the action and at least some of them were playing what could only be described as a combat role at the battlefront.

This cold reality may be hard for Trudeau and the Liberals to admit in public. They won the federal election a year ago this week, and with this solemn platform pledge: “We will end Canada’s combat mission in Iraq.”

That promise, which also said, “We will refocus Canada’s military contribution in the region on the training of local forces, while providing more humanitarian support,” accomplished its goal.

It branded the Liberals as compassionate caregivers who could solve global crises with kind words and smiles — in marked contrast to Stephen Harper’s mean, warmongering Conservatives who had sent Royal Canadian Air Force jets screaming in to drop bombs on Islamic State fighters in Iraq. That just wasn’t the Canadian way, the Liberals insisted, and enough voters agreed to hand them a majority.

The mission of those warplanes ended in February, as Trudeau ordered. But here’s what the Canadian military is doing in Iraq this week.

First, as many as 210 Canadian special forces troops are advising Kurdish militia fighters who, along with Iraqi government forces, Sunni tribal fighters and Shia militias, are fighting to capture Mosul. Even as the Liberals deny this involves combat, Canadian special forces soldiers are guiding the Kurds from the front lines and, at times, exchanging fire with Islamic State fighters. Canadian military officials admit our troops have shot to defend coalition forces and protect civilians. All this goes far beyond “training local forces,” with the implication this activity would happen far from enemy lines.

Second, in the sky above, an RCAF Polaris tanker is refuelling coalition warplanes embarked on bombing raids. And finally, two Canadian spy planes are gathering information to help the coalition choose which Islamic State targets will be bombed.

Returning fire with the enemy, directing bombs, refuelling allied bombers — all this sounds like combat or so close to combat that to quibble is patently absurd. By the way, for the Liberals’ benefit, the Canadian Oxford Dictionary defines combat as “an armed encounter with enemy forces.” We rest our case.

In making this argument, we are not playing “gotcha” journalism. It is important to hold the Liberals accountable for their election promises and call them out when they distort the truth. Moreover, it is a disservice to the Canadian soldiers and aircrews who are risking their lives to defeat a heinous enemy when the government downplays their valuable contribution and the risk to life it entails.

It’s time for this government, especially Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan, to be more forthcoming about what our Armed Forces are doing in Iraq. The Conservatives were still in power in the first year Canadian Forces joined the campaign to defeat the Islamic State. In that time, National Defence provided 12 technical updates on what those troops were doing. Since the Liberals came to office a year ago, there have been just three such briefings.

Canadians, including the families of our soldiers and aircrew engaged in the Middle East, deserve to know more. As a start, Minister Sajjan could tell us how many firefights our soldiers have been in, and if they will enter the city of Mosul when the Kurdish militia does and the battle really heats up.