Canada's next contribution to the fight against ISIS in Iraq will be the deployment of "several dozen" members of the Armed Forces to provide security advice, Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced today.
A release from the government calls Canada's contribution "an advisory and assistance role" to help prevent any escalation of the humanitarian crisis.
Speaking to reporters at the NATO Summit on Friday, Harper condemned the "barbaric acts" of ISIS — also called ISIL, the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria is the jihadist group behind recent beheadings of American journalists and other mass killings of civilians.
The expansion of the caliphate, Harper said, not only threatens millions of innocent people in the region, but if left unchecked, would present a direct threat to Canada and its allies.
CBC News has learned about 100 Canadians will be deployed. Iraqi forces would receive strategic and tactical advice from the Canadians before they commence tactical operations against ISIS.
Harper said Friday that U.S. President Barack Obama suggested sending military advisers based on the Americans' assessment of the needs on the ground.
The initial deployment will be for a period of up to 30 days, the announcement says, and "will be reassessed after that time." Iraq still needs to give its final consent to Canada's offer.
Supporting Kurdish forces
Sources tell CBC that this assistance, while funnelled through the Iraqi government, is intended primarily to bolster Kurdish fighters in Iraq's north, considered to be a more effective fighting force than other Iraqi forces.
Officials doubt the will of some Iraqi generals to take on fellow Sunni Muslims who are part of ISIS. But the Canadian government hopes that over time, ISIS could be pushed back into Syria.
The move is a Canadian initiative, not part of a wider NATO mission. The officers are expected to be advising from Baghdad, not fighting in the field.
"While it's low risk, it's not without risk," Harper said, later telling the CBC's Terry Milewski that the risks of the deployment are "manageable and acceptable."
"Our men and women are ready to answer this call, and I thank them," the prime minister said.
2-pronged strategy: advice and aid
Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird was in Iraq earlier this week, visiting the Kurdish front lines and camps for displaced Iraqis fleeing the violence. He announced additional humanitarian assistance from Canada.
The NDP and Liberal foreign affairs critics went to Iraq with Baird, and the Harper government's announcement Friday noted that Opposition leaders are being briefed on this decision to deploy.
Harper said he sought and received approval from his cabinet for the military deployment.
New Democrat Paul Dewar characterized Baird's visit as "a multipartisan trip to assess what's happening in Iraq, to assess what Canada can do."
Liberal Marc Garneau told The Canadian Press that "we all have the same interests here. ISIS is a scourge and we have come together to help Iraq here."
The press release Friday said "a special meeting of the House of Commons standing committee on foreign affairs and international development will be convened at the earliest opportunity so the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and National Defence, as well as the Chief of Defence Staff, to provide information to Members of Parliament."
Speaking to CBC News on Friday, an official from the NDP suggested "any new mission of substance should be approved by the House."
'Core coalition' against ISIS
On Thursday at the NATO leaders' summit in Wales, U.S. President Barack Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron called on the 28-member military alliance to deal with the emerging threat of ISIS.
Defence and foreign ministers from 10 countries, including Canada, met on the sidelines of the summit Friday. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry characterized the group as a "core coalition" to fight ISIS.
"We need to attack them in ways that prevent them from taking over territory, to bolster the Iraqi security forces and
others in the region who are prepared to take them on, without committing troops of our own," Kerry said.
"Obviously I think that's a red line for everybody here: no boots on the ground," he said.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper arrives at Cardiff Castle to attend a reception during the NATO Summit in Cardiff, Wales on Thursday, September 4, 2014. CBC News has learned Canada is preparing to send military advisers into Iraq to help in the fight against ISIS. (Sean Kilpatrick/Canadian Press)
Harper had bilateral talks with French President François Hollande and British Prime Minister David Cameron on the sidelines of Friday's summit. Briefings provided to the media suggested security issues were a top concern.
New NATO forces
During these talks, Cameron has been focused on the creation of a 10,000-strong expeditionary force outside of NATO.
Those troops would serve as reinforcements in a crisis for the alliance's existing 13,000 rapid response force, which leaders are proposing to bolster with an additional 4,500 high-readiness soldiers that can deploy within 48 hours of an emergency.
The additional forces are meant to address concerns by NATO's Baltic states about possible Russian aggression. Despite moves Friday towards a ceasefire in Ukraine, the allies worry about what Russian President Vladimir Putin could do next.
The Harper government was eager Thursday to promote a laundry list of military exercises meant to reassure jittery allies, including the temporary repositioning of a Canadian frigate into the Black Sea this month as part of a NATO task force.
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