Canada’s Iraq mission against the Islamic State

Oct. 7, 2014 Prime Minister Stephen Harper issued a statement outlining a motion passed in Parliament that would see Canada join a combat mission against the Islamic State group, also known as ISIS. Oct. 9, 2014 Rob Nicholson, minister of national defence, announced the government of Kuwait would allow Canada to use its facilities for the fight against ISIS. Oct. 21, 2014 Canadian CF-18 fighter jets headed to the Middle East to join combat operations against ISIS extremists in Iraq. Dec. 9, 2014 It was revealed that Canada would not be part of a group of nations sending 1,500 additional troops to Iraq as advisers to local forces, but would stick to keeping the 69 advisers who were already there. Jan. 22, 2015 Gen. Tom Lawson, Canada’s top military commander, said the situation in Iraq had evolved since he said publicly that special forces would not join Iraqi or Kurdish forces in battle. Jan. 29, 2015 Canada’s top soldier, Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Tom Lawson, told MPs that he authorized troops to help Iraqi security forces to target Islamic State fighters, but denies that they had operated outside their non-combat mandate. Feb. 15, 2015 Canada’s Iraq mission has cost $122 million to date, the defence department revealed. Feb. 17, 2015 A parliamentary budget officer said a six-month mission in Iraq could cost Canada up to $166 million. March 2, 2015 Foreign Affairs Minister Rob Nicholson hinted at the extension of Canada’s Iraq mission during his trip to Paris. March 7, 2015 The first fatality since Canada deployed troops to Iraq in the fall of 2014, a Canadian soldier was killed in Iraq and three others were injured in a friendly fire incident after they were fired on by Iraqi Kurdish forces. Tamara Khandaker