Canadian Forces CF-18 fighter jets may join a U.S.-led effort against ISIS militants. (Cpl Pierre Habib/Canadian Armed Forces/Reuters) |
The federal cabinet will meet next week to discuss deploying Canada's CF-18 fighter jets to join a U.S.-led campaign against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, CBC News has learned.
Sources tell CBC News U.S. President Barack Obama brought the idea of an air war conducted by an international coalition to Prime Minister Stephen Harper in August and asked for Canada 's support.
Harper agreed to send military advisers to Iraq to scope out what Canada could offer. Canada has deployed 69 special forces advisers in Iraq to date.
The United Kingdom, France, the Netherlands and Arab countries in the meantime offered to send fighter jets. With those commitments in mind and with information from Canada's advisers on the ground, Harper decided to take the option of sending CF-18s to his cabinet.
Harper hinted at increased action before
Yesterday, Harper hinted in an interview with the Wall Street Journal that Canada may be ready for an increased role.
"We need to push them to the fringes and make their basic organization and logistical existence very difficult on an ongoing basis," he said. "A lot of that can be done from the air."
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