OTTAWA, Canada\u00a0\u2014 As it searches for ways to expand its presence on the ground in Iraq, Canada’s military is weighing\u00a0the option of providing troops to help train a new Kurdish special forces unit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Canadian special forces have already been training and advising Kurdish troops for more than a year in northern Iraq and that contingent is seen by the Canadian military as greatly contributing providing a significant contribution <\/span>to coalition efforts against to fight <\/span>the Islamic State group. of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n On Dec. 16, Canadian special forces helped the Kurds fight off an ISIS\u00a0offensive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Harjit Sajjan, Canada\u2019s defense minister, said he is examining a number of <\/span>options for the Iraq mission, including expanding the expansion of <\/span>the use of Canadian special forces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sajjan said the ability of the Kurds to push back ISIL showed that “the current training mission is extremely vital in this region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Right now our focus is the training and assist mission,” he said. “As events have shown it is having a tremendous impact.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sajjan visited the Canadian special forces contingent near Irbil, Iraq, on Dec. 21, with Brig.\u00a0Gen. Mike Rouleau, commander of Canadian Special Operations Forces Command.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Recently elected Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has promised to withdraw the country\u2019s six CF-18 fighter aircraft from the Iraq war, although he has not yet provided a date. for that to take place.<\/span> Trudeau said\u00a0it will be more effective to increase training for Iraqi security forces than to continue bombing ISIS\u00a0positions since the Islamic State can only be defeated on the ground by local forces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Canada has about\u00a069 special forces personnel in northern Iraq with the Kurds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Canada’s senior military leadership has presented Trudeau with a variety of options, including expanding the special forces training contingent and providing the Kurds with assistance in developing their own special forces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There is also an option to for the <\/span>use of <\/span>regular Canadian Army personnel to train Iraqi security forces but military sources said\u00a0special forces can deploy faster and need less logistics support. than convention troops.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Another option presented to government is for Canadian special forces to take\u00a0be used to carry out <\/span>direct action missions <\/span>against ISIS. But Foreign Affairs Minister Stephane Dion has publicly ruled out allowing such operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dion has said that Canada is also considering providing police specialists to help train conduct training for<\/span> Iraqi and Kurdish law enforcement organizations. That could be done in conjunction with Italy, Dion said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The US\u00a0has also requested the Canadian government to continue with <\/span>its contribution of a CC-150 Polaris aerial refueling tanker and the <\/span>two Aurora CP-140 surveillance planes. The Canadian government is expected to approve that request, Canadian military sources say.<\/p>\n\n\n\n