Harper needs to define limits on mission to Iraq

When it comes to combat in Iraq, Canada needs to draw a line in the sand. While our nation has a role to play in combating the rampaging terrorist scourge Islamic State, the government must clearly define that role in advance.

Thus far, Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s handling of the issue has been less than reassuring. In New York last week, Harper gave more information to a U.S. journalist than he had provided to our elected representatives in the House of Commons.

On Tuesday, Harper said there will be a debate and vote in the House, but reading between the lines, it sounds like his mind is already made up.

The Conservative caucus was briefed Wednesday on a U.S. request for Canadian assistance in its battle against Islamic State. The government has promised a decision by week’s end on whether Canada will send CF-18s to join airstrikes by the U.S., Britain and other countries.

It also must decide whether to extend a 30-day mission — scheduled to end Saturday — in which 69 Canadian military advisers have been deployed to northern Iraq to aid U.S. advisers and support Iraqi security forces. It is reassuring Harper is vowing to avoid a protracted battle.

But at the same time, he said Canada will act with its allies to make sure Islamic State’s abilities to continue its “genocide” against people in Iraq and Syria “are degraded in a way that they will not continue to be a threat to this country.”

Noble goals, but considering the ability of terrorist entities to metastasize and regroup elsewhere in another form, it sounds like an open-ended strategy for waging such a war. Canada does have a duty to combat Islamic State. But while most Canadians would likely support bombing raids, sending ground forces into Iraq is not something Canada should agree to now or in the future.

We must avoid jumping quickly into another ill-defined action. Our support should be limited and specific, while putting pressure on countries that helped spawn Islamic State — such as Saudi Arabia and Iran — to spend their blood and money fighting the monster they created.