Canadian military drawing up plans for extending Iraq military mission
OTTAWA — The Canadian military is drawing up options to extend its mission in Iraq even as growing political instability and competing foreign interests threaten to plunge the country into yet another cycle of bloody violence.
The mission, which includes hundreds of special forces soldiers, transport and refuelling aircraft, a military hospital and counter-explosive experts, recently entered its fifth year and is currently set to expire at the end of March.
But Brig.-Gen. Colin Keiver, the commander of Joint Task Force-Iraq, said the Iraqi government will continue to rely on Canada and other international partners for the foreseeable future despite the Islamic State’s defeat last year.
“They recognize they need continued assistance in order to ensure security and work on stability and prosperity in Iraq,” Keiver said on a call with reporters on Friday.