With less than two days left on a Parliament-mandated deadline to relocate to Canada persecuted Yazidi refugees from northern Iraq, the federal government says it remains devoted to meeting its commitment but has yet to unveil any details.

“Canada has made a commitment to resettle vulnerable persons who are survivors of Daesh by February 22, 2017, and we are working towards meeting that commitment,” said Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada spokesperson Johanne Nadeau in an email, referring to ISIS by its Arabic acronym. “Further details will be made public in the coming days.”

However, citing security concerns, officials at IRCC have been very tight-lipped about any details of this operation, leading the opposition to suspect that Ottawa is not showing the same level of urgency in bringing Yazidi refugees as it did in the much better publicized campaign to bring in Syrian refugees.

• Thousands of Yazidis are ready to move to Canada: NGO
• What Canada can learn from Germany’s Yazidi refugee relocation program

“They’ve had four months, and they haven’t brought anyone to date,” said Conservative immigration critic Michelle Rempel.

The Yazidis are a Kurdish-speaking religious minority spread across northern Iraq and Syria, southeastern Turkey and Armenia. Their millennia-old religion has made them targets of religious discrimination and persecution for centuries.

Denounced as infidels and devil-worshippers, the Yazidis in northern Iraq have been targeted by ISIS militants over the last two years. Thousands of Yazidi men were killed, while thousands of women and girls were carried off, bought and sold in slave markets, forced into sexual slavery, when ISIS forces overran their ancient homeland in northern Iraq in 2014.

In June, a United Nations report said ISIS was seeking to wipe out the 400,000-strong Yazidi community in its ancestral homeland of northern Iraq.

Rempel, who spearheaded the October 25, 2016, unanimous motion in Parliament to recognize the ISIS campaign against Yazidis as genocide and to bring to Canada some of the most vulnerable survivors,  demanded to know last week why “zero government-sponsored refugees have arrived from the Yazidi community.”

“We are proud of the fact that members of this House voted and expressed their support to resettle victims and survivors of Daesh into Canada,” Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Ahmed Hussen said in response to Rempel’s question in the House of Commons last Thursday. “We fully committed to meet that goal. We have an operation that is already under way. I will be providing details in the near future.”

• Ottawa will have to think outside the box to bring Yazidi refugees: Conservative MP

Rempel said she worries the government plans to bring in a few Yazidis from UN camps in neighbouring Turkey instead of the women stuck in camps for internally displaced people in northern Iraq.

“I worry that this is just another Liberal broken promise, but this is a broken promise that will cost lives,” Rempel said.

About 60 members of the Royal Canadian Air Force’s 408 Tactical Helicopter Squadron, based in Edmonton, Alberta, departed for northern Iraq on Monday to relieve their comrades in arms from Quebec who’ve been in Iraqi Kurdistan for the last six months.

The air crew and support units from 3^rd Canadian Division Support Base will assume the duties of the Tactical Aviation Detachment of Air Task Force-Iraq as part of Operation IMPACT, the Canadian Armed Forces’ commitment to the fight against Islamic State militants in northern Iraq, officials said.

They will fly and maintain up to four CH-146 Griffon helicopters, co-located with the Canadian-led field hospital at Camp Érable, in northern Iraq.

“The Royal Canadian Air Force is proud to be part of the Canadian Armed Forces’ contribution to the ongoing fight against Daesh,” said in a statement Maj.-Gen. Christian Drouin, Commander 1 Canadian Air Division, referring to the Islamic State by its Arabic acronym. “We provide air power that integrates with and supports our CAF and coalition partners. The tactical helicopter detachment is a crucial component of this commitment.”

The Canadian government first deployed CH-146 Griffon helicopters and personnel to Operation IMPACT in May 2016. Currently there are four CH-146 Griffon helicopters in theatre.

Canada also has deployed to the region one CC-150(T) Polaris air-to-air refuelling aircraft, and up to two CP-140 Aurora intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft, both of which are based in Kuwait.

There are about 830 Canadian military personnel based in both Iraq and Kuwait, including dozens of special forces soldiers who’ve been training Kurdish peshmerga fighters involved in operations against Islamic State militants in northern Iraq.

A Canadian sniper team, members of an elite military group, have set a new, almost unimaginable, and probably unbeatable record for a sniper shot, over three and half kilometres.

Factors such as wind, distance, arc of the trajectory, and thermal currents all have to be accounted for in such extreme shots.  Additionally, in this case the height of the Canadian team’s tower location versus the insurgent on the ground also had to be considered, and at such a distance even the curvature of the Earth is a factor for the spotter and shooter.

The confirmed record kill took place sometime during the last 30 days in Iraq. Names and the location have not been revealed for security reasons but Canadians were last reported to be in northern Iraq advising security forces and Kurdish Peshmerga in a major operation to recapture Mosul.

From an observation post in a high-rise building, the soldier with Canada’s special force “Joint Task Force-2” managed to break up a Daesh (ISIS) attack on Iraqi security forces.

Military sources say use of snipers is preferable in built up areas for its precision as opposed to use of airstrikes to break up attacks which may harm civilians.

The shot, which took several seconds to hit the Daesh terrorist, broke up the insurgents planned ambush as they had no idea where they were being attacked from.

The 3,540 metre shot was confirmed by video and other sources.

A group of Canadian Forces personnel are in advisory positions in Iraq to help security forces there. The action was sanctioned as falling within the CF role to assist Iraq in efforts to defeat Daesh.

The previous confirmed record kill was 2,475 metres by a British soldier set in 2009

Three of the five longest confirmed sniper kills have been by Canadians.

Canadian Forces have several models and calibres of sniper rifle. In this case the .50 calibre McMillan TAC-50 was used,

Additional information- sources

• Globe and Mail: R Fife: Jun 21/17
• Mail Online: R Tingle: Jun 22/17
• USA Today: M Diebel: Jun 22/17

Canada is extending its military mission against ISIS by another two years, Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan and Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland said in a joint statement today.

The mission will now go to March 31, 2019.

The extension includes providing training for new potential partners within the Iraqi security forces and a CC-130J Hercules aircraft for tactical airlift.

“Our new defence policy has made it very clear that Canada is ready and willing to do its part for the global community,” Sajjan said in a statement.

“This includes confronting security issues that threaten our shores and those of our allies and partners. We must continue working with the Global Coalition against Daesh and to address the security challenges which confront Iraq, Syria and the region,” he added using the Arabic acronym for ISIS.

Aircraft, field hospital and special forces

Canada will also continue to contribute existing capabilities, including aerial refueling and surveillance aircraft, tactical helicopters, training, advising, and assisting Iraqi security forces, capacity building in Jordan and Lebanon, a field hospital and a contingent of special forces, and intelligence support.

The extension includes the authority to deploy up to 850 Canadian troops to the region.

This extension is expected to cost Canada about $371.4 million over two years.

Combat or advise and assist?

It also comes as debate rages over whether Canada is actually involved in active combat in northern Iraq, after a Canadian special forces sniper shot an ISIS fighter from a record 3,540 metres, the longest confirmed kill shot in military history.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau dismissed criticism from the opposition New Democratic Party that the record-breaking sniper shot “seriously calls into question your government’s claim that Canadian forces are not involved in direct combat in Iraq.”

Trudeau said the shot was to be celebrated, and it was “entirely consistent” with Canada’s advise and assist role.

Lifesaving shot

The record-breaking shot saved lives of Iraqi security forces, the deputy commander of Canadian special forces said Wednesday.

The shot killed one fighter and sent the rest scattering for cover, effectively breaking up a surprise attack, said Brig.-Gen. Peter Dawe.

“This attack was massing unbeknownst to our partner forces, because it was happening very quickly in a very dynamic sort of environment,” Dawe said.

“And so our team was able to engage, and not only successfully that particular enemy fighter, but pre-empt a mass attack. So that’s a significant achievement.”

On Thursday, Chief of the Defence Staff, Gen. Jonathan Vance said he is “extremely proud” of the CAF accomplishments in the region.

“As the situation on the ground evolves, we must continually re-evaluate how Canada’s military can be most effective in support of the coalition,” he said. “I am confident these additional authorities will help us be more agile and flexible as we respond to the needs of our allies and partners.”

With files from CBC News and The Canadian Press

The federal government has extended its congratulations to Iraqi forces for their victory over Islamic State militants in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul.

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi formally declared victory over Islamic State in Iraq’s second largest city on Monday, marking the biggest defeat for the group since it declared a caliphate three years ago.

A 100,000-strong alliance of Iraqi government units, Kurdish Peshmerga fighters and Shi’ite militias launched the offensive to recapture Mosul from the militants in October, with key air and ground support from a U.S.-led coalition.

The fall of Mosul, the largest urban centre controlled by the militants, effectively marks the end of the Iraqi half of the Islamic State caliphate, which also includes territory in Syria. The group still controls territory west and south of the city.

“Canada joins the partners of the Global Coalition Against Daesh in congratulating Iraqis and Iraqi forces on the liberation of Mosul from Daesh control,” Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland, Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan and International Development Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau said in a joint statement, referring to Islamic State by its Arabic acronym.

“We salute Iraqi civilians, soldiers and police, who fought side by side against the threats posed by Daesh. Their sacrifices have made their country safer and the region more secure.”

Victory with Canada’s help

The three ministers also thanked “the women and men of the Canadian Armed Forces who trained, advised and assisted the Iraqi forces throughout this battle and served selflessly.”

Canada has several dozen special forces soldiers in northern Iraq training and assisting the Kurdish Peshmerga fighters involved in the operation to recapture Mosul.

Ottawa extended its military mission in Iraq by another two years at the end of June.

The mission will now go to March 31, 2019.

The extension includes providing training for new potential partners within the Iraqi security forces and a CC-130J Hercules aircraft for tactical airlift.

Canada will also continue to contribute existing capabilities, including aerial refueling and surveillance aircraft, tactical helicopters, training, advising, and assisting Iraqi security forces, capacity building in Jordan and Lebanon, a field hospital and a contingent of special forces, and intelligence support.

The extension includes the authority to deploy up to 850 Canadian troops to the region.

This extension is expected to cost Canada about $371.4 million over two years.

“In its ongoing role in Iraq, Canada will continue to work on the protection of human rights and the protection of minorities,” the ministers said.

“Canada remains committed to helping the Coalition to defeat Daesh. In response to the threat, and to the impacts on the broader region, Canada’s $2-billion multi-year engagement in the Middle East will continue to support Iraqis in rebuilding their communities.”

Canada’s contribution includes humanitarian assistance to help internally displaced persons, as well as support to strengthen and reform Iraq’s security sector and ensure justice and accountability for all Iraqis, the government said.

With files from Reuters

Nofa Zaghia got a phone call from her brother on Sunday saying he saw a photo of her 12-year old son posted on Facebook by the Iraqi army. Zaghia, her husband and six children were captured  along with other members of the minority Yazidi community by Islamic extremists in in Iraq in 2014.

Zaghia was separated from her husband and two oldest boys and had not seen them since. She told CBC reporter Jillian Taylor that she was beaten by ISIS militants for refusing to give up her small children.

Escape and refuge in Canada

Zaghla and the remaining children eventually escaped during an explosion and sought refuge in Canada. They settled in the western city of Winnipeg five months ago.

She said she was saddened to see the photos of Emad Mishko Tamo covered in dirt soon after he was rescued by the Iraqi army. He was treated for a bullet wound in his arm and stomach injuries. But in a later video he looked better, said he was okay and wanted to be with his mother in Canada.

Efforts to expedite case

The Yazidi Association of Manitoba is supporting Zaghia in her quest to have her son brought to Canada. The process can be long and the association’s leader told Taylor he is lobbying to have this treated more quickly as a special case.

Zaghia still has no news of her husband or other son.

Canada will deploy up to 20 police officers to Iraq to help re-establish local police forces in areas of the country liberated from Islamic State (IS) militants, the federal government announced Wednesday.

The deployment, which is made through the International Police Peacekeeping and Peace Operations program, is part of Canada’s contributions to the Global Coalition Against Daesh, Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland and her cabinet colleagues International Development Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau and Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale said in a statement, referring to IS by its Arabic acronym.

Canadian police officers will contribute to the stabilization of Iraq and will help establish a more secure environment in newly liberated communities where police infrastructure was nearly wiped out by the so-called Islamic State, the government said.

“Progress has been made in Iraq with the liberation of Mosul, and Canada remains fully committed to supporting the Iraqi government and its people,” said Goodale. “Canada’s policing contribution will be targeted at building key capacities of Iraqi security institutions and enhancing local policing skill sets, including in areas such as community policing.”

There are already three Canadian police officers deployed in Iraq with the Italian-led Carabinieri police training mission and a forth one will be deployed soon, the government said.

Ottawa can also deploy some of the 20 Canadian police officers to Iraq under other international organizations and initiatives, the government said.

Up to 150 Canadian police officers are deployed annually to peace-support operations and other stabilization efforts, according to government statistics.

Canadian police have been participating in international peacekeeping missions since 1989.  Since then, more than 3,000 Canadian police have been part of more than 53 missions around the globe, according to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).

Police officers from participating police forces apply voluntarily to take part in these deployments. The program is a partnership among Global Affairs Canada, Public Safety Canada and the RCMP, which contributes up to 30 per cent of officers on these missions.

It is believed there are up to 2,000 Daesh (ISIS)  holed up in the northern Iraqi city Hawija,one of their last strongholds which they have held since 2014.

A battle for the city of about 150,000 in northern Iraq has begun, aided by Canadian military personnel.

A Department of Defence press release yesterday said, “As part of Canada’s whole-of-government strategy in response to the crises in Iraq and Syria, and following the liberation of Mosul by Iraqi Security Forces (ISF), the Canadian Armed Forces are now providing advice and assistance to ISF in the area around Hawija, Iraq”.

In an interview with PostMedia Major-General Mike Rouleau said that Canadians will be continuing their role in planning for the battle. Although Canadian military are not to take part in front line action, they are allowed to use lethal force to protect themselves or Iraqi or Peshmerga forces if needed.

Canadian special forces teams have previously directed air strikes and launched anti-tank missiles against Daesh militants. Snipers have also taken out militants in aid of the Iraqi Security Force.

The Defence press release notes that Canada has also sent a small team of military engineers to observe ongoing explosive threat training that the ISF are receiving under the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Training and Capacity Building – Iraq mandate. This is the first step in plans for highly-skilled Canadian combat engineers to provide this training to ISF later this fall.

Even if or when Hawija is freed from Daesh control, Canadian Brigadier General Steve Whelan, the senior Canadian officer overseeing international efforts to train local forces, says the fight will be far from over. He suspects the militants will shift to typical terrorist tactics like suicide bombings.

In this current battle however the Kurdish Peshmerga will not take part in the attack on the city in an area which both the semi-autonomous regional government of the Kurds and the central Iraqi government claim as their territory.

The Kurds plan to hold a referendum on September 25 towards declaring an independent state in northern Iraq, an act which is creating tension between the ISF and Peshmerga. Many nations are urging the Kurds to call off the referendum plan, noting it will likely hurt the fight against militants and could result in fighting between the two groups currently allies against Daesh.

Additional information- sources

• Canadian Press (Star): L Bertiaume: Sept 15/17: Canadian special forces- new battle
• PostMedia: D Pugliese: Sep 21/17: battle for Hawija.
• CBC: M Brewster:Sep 21/17: Canada sends bomb disposal experts
• Presse Canadienne:et Raphael Bouvier Auclair –Radio Canada Nov 16/16 (FR) 

It’ll be slightly smaller, but the Liberal government announced that the Canadian combat hospital in Iraq will stay on.

On the other hand, the approximately 200 Canadian Forces Special Operations personnel who have been advising and assisting both Iraqi and Kurdish forces has been told to suspend their activities for the time being.

The combat hospital mandate was to expire at the end of October. It had actually been expected that the hospital would start packing up after Mosul was retaken from Daesh (ISIS)  earlier this summer.

The Liberal government however announced the hospital in Erbil, northern Iraq, would stay on until April 30 of 2018, although personnel would be reduced to about 35 from its current 50 members.

As for Canada’s special advisors and training, that has been suspended since tensions flared between Iraqi and Kurdish forces following a Kurdish vote for independence.  This has led to violent clashes between the two groups which had been allied in the battle against Daesh.

Although a helicopter detachment, refuelling for Coalition fighter jets, material transport and reconnaissance and intelligence gathering will continue, the future of the mission known as Operation Impact, the role of the Canadians in Iraq has become slightly less clear with the apparent defeat of most of Daesh forces and the current tensions between Iraqis and Kurds.

The situation is likely to come up in discussions, possibly privately, with UN defence ministers when they meet in Vancouver on November 14 and 15^th.  It is also expected the Canadian government may announce when and where it will send peacekeepers as part of a promise to the United Nations made in 2016

Additional information –sources

• CBC: M Brewster: Oct 20/17: hospital in Iraq stays on
• CTV: J Lagerquist: Oct 27/17: Special forces- pause
• Canadian Forces: Op Impact

Canada has been with the Coalition forces to defeat Daesh in Iraq since 2014. This year Brigadier-General Daniel MacIsaac took over command of the Canadian contingent.

I spoke to him from a Canadian base in Kuwait about the mission and the evolving situation.

The role of the Canadians has been changed this month.

About 200 elite Canadian troops have been in an “advise and assist” role with Iraqi and Kurdish forces up till recently.

In that role, although not theoretically to be actively involved in any combat, a Canadian sniper set the record for a confirmed kill shot at over 3 kilometres, a shot which apparently broke up a Daesh ambush, likely saving many Iraqi soldiers lives.

That advise and assist role however has been placed on hold as tensions between the formerly allied Iraqis and Kurds increased dramatically after Kurds voted in September for an independent territory in northern Iraq.

The special ops forces are not under BGen MacIsaac’s command and so he did not directly answer a question relating to their activity. Questions on activities of Canada’s special ops forces are very seldom answered by the military or government citing security issues.

However, as Daesh has been pushed out of their previous strongholds, a vast number of improvised  explosives and booby traps have been left and Gen. MacIsaac said a team of 20 Canadian engineers will now be training Iraqi engineers on demining and dismantling of the deadly devices.

BGen MacIsaac says its part of the “train the trainer” approach so that these Iraqi engineers can go on to train others in the clean up effort. MacIsaac says many civilians are injured by these explosives scattered in the rubble as they attempt to return home.

The training, at a base in Besmaya, Iraq will continue until early next year.

The last of Canada two Aurora surveillance planes will also be going home after flying hundreds of missions to locate Daesh fighters and strong points.

A second Hercules transport plane will be arriving to add further capacity to the Coalitions needs for transport of material and personnel, in addition to an air-to-air refueler.

The Canadian medical team has also had its mandate extended into 2018.

Kill foreign fighters

As for foreign fighters, the French, U.S., British, and Australian forces have all suggested to varying degrees that anti-daesh forces should kill any foreign fighter rather than allow them to return home with the potential to carry out terror attacks.

Gen. MacIsaac said capture of foreign fighters is a consular issue.

A Canadian official responding to a CBC question wrote, “”Returning foreign terrorist travellers and their families, specifically women and children, require the appropriate disengagement and reintegration support”.

Additional information

• CBC: E Dyer: Nov 17/17 Foreign fighters
• Canadian Military Engineers Assoc.- BGen MacIsaac
• Arab News: (AFP) M Moutot: Oct 6/17: Defeating virtual caliphate

Canada is contributing $12 million to help rebuild areas of northern and western Iraq recently liberated from Islamic State militants, the federal government announced Tuesday.

The funding will support the rehabilitation of critical infrastructure in Iraq, as well as help internally displaced people in Ninewah and Anbar provinces return home safely and support the clearance of unexploded bombs, mines and booby traps left by IS militants, said Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland.

“Today’s announcement will contribute to the reconstruction of critical services in areas that have been liberated from Daesh and will concretely encourage women’s empowerment in Iraq by promoting their participation in reconciliation efforts and advancing the economic involvement of women in their communities,” Freeland said in a statement, referring to Islamic State by its Arabic acronym.

Part of the funding will also go towards building up community policing programs, anti-terrorism training for regional police, Freeland said.

Tuesday’s announcement comes as a donor conference in Kuwait was told that Iraq would need at least $88 billion US in coming years to rebuild after three years of war with the group Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

An Iraqi unit searches for mines and bombs near the site of an explosion in the city of Mosul, Iraq March 19, 2017. (Youssef Boudlal/REUTERS)

Iraq declared victory over ISIS in December, having taken back all the territory captured by the militants in 2014 and 2015.

As part of its Middle East strategy, Canada is contributing $2 billion over the course of three years toward security, stabilization, and humanitarian and development assistance in response to the crises in Iraq and Syria and their impacts on neighbouring Jordan and Lebanon, Freeland said.

Canada is one of 74 members of the U.S.-led Global Coalition against ISIS.

Canada has dozens of elite special forces commandoes deployed in northern Iraq on a mission to train Kurdish peshmerga forces, however, that mission is facing uncertainty after the Kurdish autonomous region voted for independence from Iraq, sparking a swift crackdown by authorities in Bagdad.

The Canadian military, however, still operates a military hospital in Erbil, in northern Iraq.

With files from Reuters

The commander of a Canadian military hospital in northern Iraq has been relieved of his duties and is facing disciplinary charges related to a drunken incident during his pre-deployment training, Canadian defence officials said Tuesday.

Lt.-Col. James Jonasson, Commander of the Role 2 Medical Treatment Facility in Erbil, faces two charges – one charge of Ill-treatment of a subordinate under section 95 of the National Defence Act and one charge of drunkenness under section 97 of the National Defence Act, the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) officials said.

The charges relate to an incident that is alleged to have occurred in October 2017 during pre-deployment training in Canada but was reported in January 2018, after the deployment to Iraq, the CAF officials said.

“We hold Canadian Armed Forces personnel to a high standard of conduct when representing our country at home and abroad,” Lt.-Gen. Stephen Bowes, Commander Canadian Joint Operations Command, said in a statement.

“We will respect the judicial process thoroughly while ensuring the Canadian-led Role 2 Medical Treatment Facility in Erbil continues to operate effectively.”

Jonasson is presumed innocent until proven guilty, officials said.

Brig.-Gen. Andrew Jayne, Commander of Joint Task Force – Iraq, immediately separated the complainant and Jonasson and relocated him from Erbil to Kuwait pending the results of an investigation.

Jonasson’s second in command has been acting as interim commander of the unit since January 2018 and will continue to do so until a replacement commanding officer is deployed to Iraq, officials said.

KW08-2017-0117-V02 from CF Combat Camera FC on Vimeo.

The medical treatment facility provides life-saving medical and surgical care to coalition forces and provides both emergency and non-emergency care. The hospital has treated over 1,220 dental and medical patients, including at least three wounded Daesh fighters, officials said.

Canada has led the military hospital since November 2016. About 35 Canadians work at the hospital alongside other coalition medical staff.

The CAF has extended its leadership role in running the facility until Apr. 30, 2018 or “until no longer required.”

Canada remains committed to lead the military hospital in Erbil under Operation IMPACT in Iraq, officials said.

“I wake up and I witness war everyday,” says 10-year-old Rahaf who lost her parents and her younger sister along with 10 other members of her extended family in a missile strike in her native Mosul last year.

“I don’t want to go through another war. I don’t want other children to become orphans. It is enough that I am an orphan in this world.”

An Islamic State fighter dug Rahaf (not her real name) out of the rubble of the house and eventually her uncle was able to get her treated for shrapnel injuries in her legs. But her mental scars are taking longer to heal.

And Rahaf is not alone.

Rahaf, 10, is photographed with her uncle, Abdullah, 35, (not their real names) at his house in West Mosul, Iraq, on July 17, 2018.
(Sam Tarling/Save The Children)

A year after Iraqi forces drove out ISIS from Mosul, the city’s children are still living in near-constant fear for their lives, trapped by memories of devastation, displacement, bombing and extreme violence, according to a new report from Save the Children.

With hundreds of thousands of children living amidst the rubble left by the U.S.-led aerial bombardment and fierce house-to-house fighting to recapture the former ISIS stronghold and Iraq’s second-largest city, even teenagers report being too scared to venture out alone or stay without their parents or guardians.

Children are reporting serious emotional problems, depression, extreme anxiety and have been pushed to breaking point, says the report entitled Picking Up the Pieces: Rebuilding the lives of Mosul’s children after years of conflict and violence.

More than 80 per cent of adolescents surveyed said they did not feel safe walking alone and almost half did not feel safe away from their parents.

Vestiges of violence

Iraqi people carry bags in Mosul, Iraq, January 10, 2018. Picture taken January 10, 2018. (Ari Jalal/REUTERS)

Almost half of children surveyed felt near-constant grief. Fewer than one in 10 children could think of something happy in their lives.

“A year after the dire reality of an adolescent in Mosul is a constant presence of experiences that they’ve had over four years either being caught in Mosul or being in an internal displacement camp,” said Save the Children Canada’s President and CEO, Bill Chambers.

“There is still vestiges of the violence all around them, their schools have not been rebuilt – they’re still finding bodies – and just to the west of Mosul in the countryside there is active conflict and violence happening, so there is no way of just moving on.”

(click to listen to the interview with Bill Chambers)

That’s having serious consequences on the mental health and well-being of adolescent children in Mosul and their ability to live normal lives, said Chambers who visited Iraq earlier this year and witnessed the effects of war on children firsthand.

Focus on the ‘future of Iraq’

UNHCR Special Envoy Angelina Jolie meets Falak, 8, during a visit to West Mosul, Iraq June 16, 2018. (Andrew McConnell/UNHCR/Handout via REUTERS.)

With about 60 per cent of Iraqis being under 25 years old, the report focused on adolescents between the ages of 13 to 17 years old.

“One of the things that we’re trying to understand is how can we support the group that is just about to go into what we consider adulthood and will and should play a very important role in developing the future of Iraq, finding a way out of the current chaos, frankly,” Chambers said.

The study, which surveyed more than 250 children and caregivers from West Mosul, found very high levels of cumulative stress among adolescent children, he said.

“That’s something that can live with you your whole life and affect how you operate,” Chambers said. “So we need to ensure that in designing the stabilization and reconstruction of society there that we look to also providing opportunities for these young people to work through some of what they’ve lived, regain their sense of resilience and optimism about the future.”

Children, many of whom have lost their parents and are being cared for by members of their extended family or distant relatives , also need tools to help them adjust to and deal with very high stress, depression and ongoing fear and anxiety, Chambers said.

“Their homes are not safe, their homes don’t feel safe, they don’t feel like they can walk alone without their parents and be secure,” Chambers said. “They don’t feel safe at their schools. They’ve come back to schools that are not only damaged and sometimes destroyed but have dead bodies still in them.”

Funding shortfall for mental health programs

Dina (not her real name), 12, does some homework before school in the simple home she now lives in with her aunt in West Mosul, Iraq, on July 17, 2018.
(Sam Tarling for Save The Children)

Given the Liberal government’s focus on gender responsive humanitarian assistance, Canada must ensure its funding includes support to gender and age appropriate mental health and psychosocial initiatives, including the creation of child-friendly safe spaces, he said.

As Canada prepares to renew its three-year funding commitment for humanitarian assistance in Iraq this fall, Save the Children is calling on Ottawa to put the wellbeing of children at the heart of planning for post-conflict Iraq, Chambers said.

Only 7 per cent of funding for mental health programs and services that were identified and requested in the UN humanitarian appeal has been met, Chambers said.

Amy Mills, a spokesperson for Global Affairs Canada, said the government recognizes the importance of providing specialized support and services to respond to psychosocial and mental health needs and gender-based violence, particularly for women and children affected by humanitarian crises.

“This is why Canada is providing $179.5 million in humanitarian assistance funding for Iraq over three years (2016-2019),” Mills said in an emailed statement to Radio Canada International.

This includes emergency education and child protection, including psychosocial support, and specialized services for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence and their children, in line with Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy, she added.

Gov. Gen. Julie Payette visited over the weekend with hundreds of members of the Canadian Armed Forces deployed in Kuwait and Iraq as part of Operation IMPACT, according to her office.

Payette, who also holds the largely ceremonial position of Canada’s Commander-in-Chief, was accompanied by Gen. Jonathan Vance, Chief of the Defence Staff.

During her four-day trip, which concluded on Monday, Payette met with Maj.‑Gen. Dany Fortin, Commander of NATO Mission Iraq, Paul Gibbard, Canada’s ambassador to Iraq, and Louis-Pierre Émond, the Canadian  ambassador in Kuwait.

Canada has deployed nearly 850 troops in the Middle East as part of Operation IMPACT, which has evolved from a combat mission targeting Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria into a training, assistance and advising mission for Iraqi security forces.

The men and women of the @CanadianForces deployed with the Operation IMPACT, in Kuwait and Iraq contribute to helping bring peace and stability in the region. They are away from home, working for Canada and for a better world. They make us immensely proud. pic.twitter.com/mgo6YJdBmO

— GGJuliePayette (@GGJuliePayette) January 21, 2019

Canada contributes to helping bring peace and stability to Iraq and the region, Payette said.

“The hundreds of men and women deployed with the CAF’s Operation IMPACT, in Iraq, Kuwait, Jordan, Qatar and Lebanon, help improve the security structures, training and  professionalism of the Iraqi forces, and contribute to the fight against terrorism,” the Governor General in a statement.

“They are away from home, working for Canada and for a better world. They make us immensely proud.”

Gov. Gen. Julie Payette (left) met with Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Emir of Kuwait and Commander of the Kuwaiti Military Forces. (Master Cpl. Mathieu Gaudreault/Rideau Hall)

The Governor General also met with Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Emir of Kuwait and Commander of the Kuwaiti Military Forces, and Iraqi President Barham Salih.

According to a statement issued by Salih’s office, the Iraqi president stressed “the need for the participation of Canadian companies and businessmen in investing in Iraq and benefiting from their expertise in the industrial and agricultural fields, as well as expanding scientific and cultural exchanges in addition to academic scholarships between the two countries.”

Payette said Canada will continue to stand by the Iraqi people as they work to achieve stability and rebuild their cities liberated from IS militants, according to a readout of the meeting published by the Iraqi side.

In her role as the Governor General and Commander-in-Chief of Canada, Payette regularly visits military units across the country and abroad.

In January 2018, she travelled to Eastern Europe to meet with Canadian military personnel deployed as part of Operation UNIFIER in Ukraine and Operation REASSURANCE in Latvia.

Payette also visited a number of Canadian units across the country, including 5^th Canadian Division Support Base (5 CDSB) in Gagetown, New Brunswick, 12 Wing Shearwater in Nova Scotia, Canadian Forces Base (CFB) in Esquimalt, on British Columbia’s Pacific Coast, CFB 17 Wing Winnipeg in Manitoba, CFB 15 Wing Moose Jaw in Saskatchewan, Joint Task Force North in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, and 5 Wing in Goose Bay, Labrador.

In  February 2014, Russia made incursions into Ukraine, eventually annexing Crimea in March. In April at about the same time as conflict erupted between Ukrainian forces and Russian-backed armed separatists, Canada announced it would send Canadian military personnel to the country to help train Ukrainian forces.

Arriving in 2015 the approximately 200 Canadian Forces personnel began their training mission which was scheduled to conclude in March 2017.

Members of Joint Task Force-Ukraine teach the 55-day training cycle at the International Peacekeeping and Security Centre to the Rotational Training Unit (RTU), alongside the Ukrainian Armed Forces intructors, in Starychi, Ukraine on October 26, 2017.Photo: Joint Task Force – Ukraine  AK51-2017-0008-003

With the ongoing “insecurity” in the country, Canada said it would extend the mission known as Operation Unifier, until the end of March 2019.

Just prior to that date however, and in the face of ongoing tensions in the country, the Canadian government announced it was once again extending the mission, this time until 2022.

Since 2014 Canada has supplied Ukraine with more than $750 million in development, and humanitarian aid including non-lethal military equipment including

• communications systems used for field operations
• a mobile field hospital
• explosive disposal equipment
• medical kits used for military field operations
• night vision goggles

Canada has also announced an extension to its mission in Iraq where there are about 500 military members.

Specially trained Canadian Armed Forces with the close-protection team assigned to JTF-Iraq, participate in ongoing training in early August to ensure they retain their advanced skills and knowledge, during Operation IMPACT.
Photo: Op IMPACT, DND  KW10-2018-0022-002

This includes about 200 on a NATO training mission, and another 120 special forces personnel with the Global Coalition Against DEASH. The Canadian troops are helping Iraqi forces deal with remaining Islamic State insurgents holding our around the city of Mossad.  Both those missions have been extended until 2021.

additional information-sources

• CF: Operation Unifier- Ukraine
• CF: Op Impact- Iraq
• CF Press release- extension Ukraine
• Vanguard: M Sukhdeo: Mar 19/19: mission extended
• Canadian Press (via City News): Mar 18/19: Missions to Iraq, Ukraine extended

In 1986, Jennie Carignan was a bored teenager looking to do something challenging with her life.

So she decided to join the Canadian Armed Forces and enroll at the Royal Military College of Canada. She was among the first women to enter the Combat Engineer trade after all military occupations were opened to women in 1989.

Today, Maj.-Gen. Carignan is one of the highest-ranking women in the Canadian military and is the first and only woman from a combat arms trade to rise to the rank of general.

And in June of this year, Carignan who commanded 5 Combat Engineer Regiment and led a task force of engineers in Kandahar in 2009-2010 at the height of the Taliban insurgency in the restive Afghan province, smashed through another glass ceiling.

She was appointed to lead the NATO mission in Iraq and promoted to the rank of major-general.

“For me it’s a great honour and a privilege to be able to go out and do this,” Carignan told Radio Canada International in a phone interview from Kingston, where she’s undergoing training ahead of deploying to Iraq this fall.

“That’s why we join the military.”

(click to listen to the full interview with Maj.-Gen. Jennie Carignan)

Tough-as-nails

Lt.-Col. Jennie Carignan, commanding officer of the Engineer Regiment of Canada’s Task Force Kandahar, speaks to area resident Yar Mohammad about a retaining wall project near his village along the Tarnak River in the Dand Distrct of Kandahar province on August 12, 2010. Carignan figures she covered 10,000 km of bomb-riddled, dusty roads in Afghanistan as a combat engineer. (Dene Moore/THE CANADIAN PRESS)

Carignan, who will be taking over from another Canadian, Maj.-Gen. Dany Fortin, will command about 580 NATO trainers on the ground in Iraq, including the Canadian contingent of about 250 personnel.

Carignan, who currently commands the 2nd Canadian Division and Joint Task Force East in her native province of Quebec, said she never thought that she’d be making Canadian and NATO military history.

“I’ve basically done things one day at a time, going after one challenge at a time, making sure that I did the best I can,” the mother of four said.

Carignan’s experience as a frontline commander in Afghanistan and a former chief of staff of the army, and a reputation of a tough-as-nails leader will come in very handy in Iraq.

The NATO Mission Iraq (NMI) is a non-combat training and capacity-building mission aimed at building up Iraqi national forces to prevent the re-emergence of groups such as ISIS or al-Qaeda.

The trainers focus on educating Iraqi military instructors, who in turn train their own forces in bomb disposal, armoured vehicle maintenance, civilian-military planning and medical care.

The alliance also advises the Iraqi defence ministry on institutional reform.

Canada maintains a separate contingent of special forces troops in northern Iraq, who advise and assist local security forces in counter-terrorism operations against pockets of Islamic State extremists. While they’ve been defeated on the battlefield, Islamic State is still conducting a guerrilla-style campaign of terror and hit-and-run attacks.

Carignan said she’s been doing a lot of studying to learn about Iraq’s history and culture, and the region’s complex political context.

‘We need female and male warriors’

Brig.-Gen. Jennie Carignan speaks with Ukrainian soldiers being trained by members of the Canadian Armed Forces as part of Operation UNIFIER in Ukraine. (2nd Canadian Division)

Despite the challenges the Canadian military has faced in integrating women and stamping out sexual misconduct in the ranks, Carignan said her experience has convinced her of the advantages of gender-integrated fighting forces.

“We need female and male warriors, we need female and male peacekeepers, we need male and female in everything we do,” Carignan said. “And I think the proof is in the pudding basically. We all know that nations who have male and female participation in all spheres of society are more successful, are more stable, are more prosperous.”

Carignan will begin her deployment in Iraq in mid-November.

Despite the upcoming year-long separation, she has full support of her children, Carignan said.

“They are proud of what their mom is doing, they understand that I’m happy in what I do, that I like what I do, that I enjoy my job,” Carignan said.

In the meantime, Carignan said she tries to squeeze in a bit of quality time with her family and to unwind whenever she can.

“I do a lot of outdoors camping, kayaking and hiking,” Carignan said. “I like arts, music, I’m a flamenco dancer. I get out there and I do other stuff that is not related to the military and I think that helps to take a little bit of a break and come up with ideas when you are exposed to subjects that are completely unrelated to the military.”

With files from Murray Brewster of CBC News

Canada is calling for political dialogue in Iraq as Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi announced his resignation on Friday following weeks of deadly anti-establishment unrest.

The resignation, which came a day after more than 40 people were killed by security forces and following calls by Iraq’s top Shiite cleric for lawmakers to withdraw support, was the latest twist in an unprecedented crisis for war-weary Iraq.

“Canada strongly condemns the escalating violence in Iraq, which has resulted in the deaths of hundreds of protesters and injured thousands more,” Global Affairs Canada said in a statement. “We urge all parties to exercise restraint and refrain from violence.”

Biggest unrest in years

An Iraqi demonstrator carries a wounded man during the ongoing anti-government protests, in Baghdad, Iraq Nov. 29, 2019. (Khalid al-Mousily/REUTERS)

Young, unemployed and unarmed protesters have led calls for a rehaul of Iraq’s political system they say is endemically corrupt and serves foreign powers, especially Baghdad’s ally Tehran.

The people of Iraq deserve stability, prosperity and security, and their human and democratic rights—including the right to protest and freedom of expression—must be protected, Canadian officials said.

“Canada encourages a dialogue to advance political and economic reforms and ensure a better future for all Iraqis,” the statement said.

Abdul-Mahdi was appointed prime minister just over a year ago as a consensus candidate between political blocs.

An Iraqi woman demonstrator holds a slingshot during the ongoing anti-government protests, in Baghdad, Iraq Nov. 29, 2019. (Khalid al-Mousily/REUTERS)

His departure could be a blow for Iranian influence after Iran’s militia allies and its own commanders intervened last month to keep the premier in place despite mass anti-government unrest.

Iraq’s biggest unrest for years pits protesters from Shi’ite heartlands in Baghdad and the south against a corrupt Shi’ite-dominated ruling elite seen as pawns of Iran.

Iraq’s current political class is drawn mainly from powerful Shi’ite politicians, clerics and paramilitary leaders including many who lived in exile before a U.S.-led invasion overthrew Sunni dictator Saddam Hussein in 2003 – including Abdul Mahdi.

Canadian boots on the ground

FILE – Brig.-Gen. Jennie Carignan visited Ukraine in February 2019 as part of Canada’s training mission Operation UNIFIER. (2nd Canadian Division/CAF)

Royal Canadian Navy Lt. Jeff Lura, spokesperson for the Canadian Joint Operations Command, said the unrest has not affected Canadian operations in Iraq.

“There hasn’t been a significant change to our activities in Iraq and Lebanon under that mission,” Lura told Radio Canada International. “Of course, safety is a priority and we keep that in mind all the time. We have various contingency plans based on the situation.”

Canada has up 850 military personnel deployed in Iraq under Operation IMPACT.

Canada currently leads the NATO Mission in Iraq. On Tuesday, Maj.-Gen. Jennie Carignan officially assumed command of the mission from Maj.-Gen. Dany Fortin at a Transfer of Authority Ceremony held at the Forward Operating Base Union III in Baghdad.

The NMI is a non-combat training and capacity-building mission aimed at building up Iraqi national forces to prevent the re-emergence of groups such as ISIS or al-Qaeda.

• Meet the trailblazing female Canadian general bound for Iraq

The trainers focus on educating Iraqi military instructors, who in turn train their own forces in bomb disposal, armoured vehicle maintenance, civilian-military planning and medical care.

The alliance also advises the Iraqi defence ministry on institutional reform.

Canada maintains a separate contingent of special forces troops in northern Iraq, who advise and assist local security forces in counter-terrorism operations against pockets of Islamic State extremists. While they’ve been defeated on the battlefield, Islamic State is still conducting a guerrilla-style campaign of terror and hit-and-run attacks.

In March, the federal government announced that Canada is extending Operation IMPACT until the end of March 2021. In June, Ottawa extended Canada’s command of NATO Mission Iraq until November 2020.

With files from Reuters and The Associated Press

After the U.S. drone strike on Friday that killed Iranian General Qassem Soleimani, and several other important Iranian military or militia leaders on Iraqi soil. U.S. President Trump said Soleimani’s “reign of terror” was over.  The U.S. action appears to be a unilateral attack without consultation with NATO allies.

That strike has caused outrage in Iran and with Iranian expats around the world. Iran has threatened retribution, and NATO is holding an emergency meeting today. Of immediate concern are the many NATO troops in Iraq leading training exercises.  Canada has about 500 troops there and the entire NATO mission is led by Canada.

Christian Leuprecht (PhD) is a professor of political science at the Royal Military College of Canada and Director of the Institute of Intergovernmental Relations at Queen’s University in Kingston Ontario, and Fulbright Research Chair of Canada-US Relations at Johns Hopkins University in Washington.

The attack on Soleimani, 62,  came from a missile armed drone. He was head of Iran’s elite Quds Force which is the special operations arm of the Revolutionary Guard and in charge of Iran’s proxy forces, which has been blamed for many attacks outside Iran including the deaths of U.S. troops in Iraq.

RMC and Queen’s University professor Christian Leuprecht ( Sonja S Photography)

The attack may lead to retribution attacks against the many NATO troops in various locations in the Middle East, or within NATO countries. It is believed there are many sleeper cells of Quds groups in many foreign countries which have the potential to launch what has been termed in recent years as “kinetic” attacks, such as with bombs or guns. Leuprecht notes that Iran may also launch cyber attacks although he says the Iranians seem not quite as sophisticated as some other countries in cyber disruption.

Anti-American protests were staged in cities around the world. Here Kashmiri Shia Muslims shout anti-American and anti-Israel slogans during a protest against the U.S. airstrike in Iraq that killed Iranian Revolutionary Guard Maj.-Gen. Qassem Soleimani, seen in the photographs, in Indian-controlled Kashmir, on Friday. (Mukhtar Khan/The Associated Press)

While the regime is expressing outrage and threatens retaliation, Leuprecht and other experts have also wondered whether the Iranian regime was beginning to feel threatened by the popular military leader. Soleilmani operated largely on his own initiative and was also a substantial drain on already stretched Iranian resources. More so however, he was becoming a powerful political force in his own right as evidenced by his chairing the Iraqi cabinet meeting in December. The suggestion is that allowing him to travel to Iraq may have been an acceptable risk for the regime.

About 100 people demonstrated against the drone strike in front of the U.S Consulate in Toronto on Saturday. Similar demonstration were held in other Canadian cities with most concerned about the potential threat of war for relatives still in Iran and Iraq. There was some tension as some held a candlelit vigil for the General, while others, against the current regime expressed opposition. Police however kept things in control.(Angelina King/CBC)

Meanwhile, Jens Stoltenberg, NATO Secretary-General responding to reporters today said he would not speculate on NATO potential actions or reactions as that could only inflame the situation. He said that the members were unified in their support of the organisation and in calling for restraint on all sides. Later noting the attack was solely a U.S decision he added however that all members were concerned about Iran’s role in destabilising the region.

Canadian Brigadier-General Jennie Carignan shown here at Canadian base on July 15,2019, leads the NATO training mission. The future of the mission is currently in some doubt due to tensions from the killing of an Iranian military leader (Sean Kilpatrick-CP)

While the Canadian-led NATO training mission has forces confined to their bases in Iraq as a result of the tensions, the Iraqi Parliament in an extraordinary session on Sunday passed a resolution to expel all foreign forces. The resolution however is non-binding on the government.

Additional information

• CBC: S. Reiger: Jan 4/20: ‘Trump is a killer’: Iraqi Calgarians call for peace in wake of Soleimani assassination
• CBC: S.Nasser: Jan 3/20: Anxiety, anticipation in Canada’s largest Iranian diaspora as news of Soleimani’s killing stuns
• Al Jazeera; A.Ibrahim: Jan 5/20: Iraqi parliament calls for expulsion of foreign troops

NATO plans to stick around in Iraq and resume the alliance’s Canadian-led training mission of the country’s military, despite a recent parliamentary resolution calling for the withdrawal of all foreign troops, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Monday.

NATO suspended its training mission led by Canadian Maj.-Gen. Jennie Carignan following a U.S. drone strike that killed Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani and a top Iraqi militia commander in Baghdad on Friday.

Then on Sunday, Iraq’s parliament passed a non-binding resolution calling on the government to expel all foreign troops from the country.

‘Restraint and de-escalation’

Iranian people attend a funeral procession for Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani, head of the elite Quds Force, and Iraqi militia commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, who were killed in an air strike at Baghdad airport, in Tehran, Iran Jan. 6, 2020. (Nazanin Tabatabaee/WANA via REUTERS)

Speaking to reporters at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Stoltenberg said that while the alliance is “taking all precautions necessary” to protect its troops in Iraq, it is ready to resume the training mission once the situation stabilizes.

The NATO Training Mission in Iraq is an important part of the efforts of the Global Coalition to defeat the so-called Islamic State or Daesh and to make sure that it is not able to return, Stoltenberg said following a briefing for the military alliance’s ambassadors.

“One of the best weapons we have in the fight against international terrorism is to train local forces, build local capacity, and that’s exactly what the coalition is doing and what NATO is doing through our training mission in Iraq,” Stoltenberg said. “We are there by invitation from the Iraqi authorities.”

Stoltenberg said he expects “to have close dialogue with the Iraqi government” over the coming days.

He also called for “restraint and de-escalation” after Iran vowed to avenge Soleimani’s death.

“A new conflict would be in no one’s interest,” Stoltenberg said. “Iran must refrain from further violence and provocations.”

Canadian presence in Iraq

Canadian special forces look over a Peshmerga observation post in Feb. 2017 in northern Iraq. (Ryan Remiorz/The Canadian Press)

Canada has about 500 troops in Iraq, said Capt. Leah Campbell, a spokesperson for Canadian Armed Forces (CAF).

About half of them, under Carignan’s command provide support to the NATO training mission in and around Baghdad, while other half, including elite Special Forces commandos, are based in northern Iraq under Operation Impact, Canada’s training mission in the Middle East.

“The CAF continues to monitor the situation across the Middle East and remain in close coordination with our NATO and coalition partners,” Campbell said.

• Meet the trailblazing female Canadian general bound for Iraq

Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister François-Philippe Champagne discussed the situation in Iraq with his Iraqi counterpart, Mohammed Ali al-Hakim, officials at Global Affairs Canada said Monday.

Here is the readout of my call with my Iraqi counterpart. @Iraqimofa pic.twitter.com/RG05ZC3LRz

— François-Philippe Champagne (FPC) 🇨🇦 (@FP_Champagne) January 6, 2020

“The two ministers agreed that a de-escalation of tensions is necessary as peace and stability are key to pursuing the political and economic reforms underway in Iraq,” said a readout of the phone call between Champagne and al-Hakim.

Champagne also tweeted that he discussed the situation in Iraq with his Jordanian counterpart Ayman Safadi.

Just spoke to my Jordanian counterpart, @AymanHsafadi. We share the view that it is important that restraint be exercised by all parties and efforts continue to achieve de-escalation of tensions for the people of #Iraq and the region.

— François-Philippe Champagne (FPC) 🇨🇦 (@FP_Champagne) January 6, 2020

Canada has provided the Hashemite Kingdom with hundreds of millions of dollars in humanitarian and military assistance to help Jordanian authorities to care for over 660,000 registered Syrian refugees who have taken sanctuary in the country and secure its borders with Syria and Iraq against attacks by ISIS militants.

Given Canada’s limited airlift capability, Jordan’s relatively stable land border with Iraq could be a critical route for Canadian and other NATO forces if they need to withdraw from Iraq in case the security situation deteriorates even further.

With the killing of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani, the entire mid-east situation is in turmoil.

Hundreds of thousands are turning out in the streets of Tehran and other major centres, to mourn the general.

But was there more behind the killing and what of internal politics in Iran?

Ali Dizboni (Ph.D.) is Director of Military and Strategic Studies-MSS and professor in the Department of Political Science and Economics at the Royal Military College in Kingston, Ontario.

Dizboni notes that Soleimani was in Iraq trying to extend Iran’s influence and power in the area. He also says that while reporting to Iran’s leader, the general nonetheless seemed to be operating as a state within a state acting on his own initiative in both foreign and domestic affairs, and as Dizboni says, was to some extent was running foreign policy.  The professor says because of that some in the top echelons of the regime may indeed have wanted to see the general moved out the way to reduce his increasing political influence.  However, while not entirely out of the question, he feels it is unlikely that the dislike would go so far as to have anyone in the regime involved in the general’s death.

Political science professor Ali Dizboni (Queen’s University)

Elsewhere, Dizboni says the U.S. may feel that removing the top military figure will hamper the regime externally in its influence in the region while economic sanctions are squeezing the regime internally.  He believes the U.S. hope is that this will force the Iranian leadership to the negotiating table.

Vast crowds gather in Tehran to hear military officials call for revenge. (via CBC)

For the moment however, the move is having the opposite effect as there is popular unity against the U.S. and the west amid loud calls for revenge.

Protests against the U.S. and allies in Tehran.. Once the anger fades, will Iranians begin to turn against the regime in the face of ongoing economic hardship? (Reuters-WANA News Agency)

At the same time however, the professor notes there is also a very great concern among the population that the country could end up fractured like Syria, or involved in some wider conflict. This may temper the official response to the attack, especially as Dizboni says, the hardship of economic sanctions could begin to turn on the leadership as internal demonstrations in the past couple of years have already shown, and once the immediate anti-U.S. anger dissipates.

A few dozen Iranian-Canadians gathered in Toronto last week to celebrate the death of top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani. Some loud arguments and scuffles broke out between groups supporting the Iranian regime and Soleimani and those opposed to the general and what he and the regime have done to the country. This is the kind of division that Dizboni feels may grow within Iran itself, even though dissent there is tightly controlled (Cole Burston/Canadian Press)

He feels that if that happens, and the economy continues to suffer, there is the possibility that some kind of takeover or at least additional pressure by the military may occur to ensure security and perhaps head to negotiations with the U.S.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau hit the phones Monday to discuss the escalating crisis in the Middle East with the heads of the European Union and NATO, following a U.S. drone strike that killed a top Iranian general, as well as a major Iraqi militia commander and members of his entourage in Baghdad on Friday.

Authorities in Tehran vowed to avenge the assassination of Gen. Qassem Soleimani, the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps’ expeditionary Quds Force, and have announced that they are abandoning the remaining limits of Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.

In Iraq, pro-Iranian factions in parliament have pushed to oust American and foreign troops from Iraqi soil following Soleimani’s killing at the Baghdad airport.

NATO mission in limbo

Maj.-Gen. Jennie Carignan leads the NATO mission in Iraq. Canada has also deployed about 250 Canadian Armed Forces members in support of the NATO mission to train the Iraqi military. (Radio-Canada)

The tense security situation in Iraq has forced NATO to temporarily suspend its training mission for the Iraqi military, putting the future of the Canadian-led mission in limbo.

In a phone call with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg Trudeau discussed the situation in Iraq, according to a readout released by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).

• NATO hopes to resume Canadian-led training mission in Iraq

“They emphasized the importance of de-escalating tensions and the need to support security and stability in Iraq and the wider region, notably through ongoing counter-Daesh efforts,” the readout said, referring to the Arabic acronym for the so-called Islamic State. “They agreed on the important role of the NATO training mission in strengthening Iraqi security capacity.”

Stoltenberg noted that the suspension of NATO training activities is a temporary force protection measure and that NATO is prepared to continue its activities when the situation permits, the readout said.

Trudeau, in turn, reiterated Canada’s commitment to the success of the mission, the readout said.

End of the Iran nuclear deal?

A display featuring missiles and a portrait of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is seen at Baharestan Square in Tehran, Iran Sept. 27, 2017. (Nazanin Tabatabaee Yazdi/TIMA via REUTERS)

The prime minister also spoke on the phone with the President of the European Council, Charles Michel.

The two leaders “emphasized the need for de-escalation and dialogue, and called on all parties to exercise restraint,” according to a readout of the phone call released by the PMO.

“Prime Minister Trudeau and President Michel also expressed their shared support for preservation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and its crucial role in regional and global security,” the readout said.

Earlier in the day, EU officials warned that Iran’s announcement on Sunday that it would abandon limitations on enriching uranium could be the first step towards the end of a 2015 nuclear deal with six major powers.

Iranian state television said Iran would not respect any limits set down in the pact on the country’s nuclear work. These include limits on its number of uranium enrichment centrifuges, its enrichment capacity, the level to which uranium can be enriched, the amount of stockpiled enriched uranium and its nuclear research and development activities.

Iran has already steadily overstepped the deal’s limits on its nuclear activities in response to the United States’ withdrawal from the accord in 2018 and Washington’s reimposition of sanctions that have crippled Iran’s oil trade.

Under the nuclear deal, Tehran agreed to curb its nuclear activities in exchange for the lifting of most international sanctions.

With files from The Associated Press and Reuters

The Canadian military has temporarily paused its operations in Iraq and will send some personnel to neighbouring Kuwait “for their safety and security” amid escalating tensions in the region following a U.S. drone strike that killed a top Iranian general.

In a letter addressed to the families of Canadian soldiers deployed in the Middle East, Canada’s chief of the defence staff, Gen. Jonathan Vance, said the Canadian military has suspended operations in both the NATO training mission and the U.S.-led coalition fighting the remnants of the Islamic State, known as Operation Impact.

“The situation in Iraq is complex and it is best to pause our work there in order to fully concentrate our attention and efforts towards the safety and security of our personnel while the situation develops,” Vance said in the letter published on Tuesday.

• NATO hopes to resume Canadian-led training mission in Iraq

Canada has about 500 troops in Iraq deployed under two separate missions, he said.

About half of them, under the command of Maj.- Gen. Jennie Carignan provide support to the NATO training mission in and around Baghdad. Canadian soldiers, including elite Special Forces commandos, are also based in northern Iraq under Operation Impact.

“Over the coming days, and as a result of coalition and NATO planning, some of our people will be moved temporarily from Iraq to Kuwait,” Vance said. “Simply put, we are doing this to ensure their safety and security.”

NATO suspends operations as well

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg briefs media after a meeting of the Alliance’s ambassadors over the security situation in the Middle East, in Brussels, Belgium Jan. 6, 2020. (Francois Lenoir/REUTERS)

NATO officials told Radio Canada International on Tuesday that they are “taking all precautions necessary to protect our people.”

“This includes the temporary repositioning of some personnel to different locations both inside and outside of Iraq,” a NATO official told RCI in an emailed statement. “NATO maintains a presence in Iraq. And we are prepared to continue our training and capacity-building when the situation permits.”

The U.S. drone strike that killed Gen. Qassem Soleimani, the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps’ expeditionary Quds Force, as well as a top Iraqi militia leader and members of their entourage near the Bagdad airport on Friday, has brought simmering tensions between Tehran and Washington to a boiling point.

Authorities in Tehran have vowed to avenge Soleimani’s assassination and have announced that they are abandoning the remaining limits of Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.

In Iraq, pro-Iranian factions in parliament have pushed to oust American and foreign troops from Iraqi soil following Soleimani’s killing.

Dependent on U.S. airlift and fire power

An F/A-18E Super Hornet launches from the flight deck of the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman in the Arabian Sea Jan. 6, 2020. (U.S. Navy/Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Kaysee Lohmann/Handout via REUTERS)

Matthew Fisher, a veteran Canadian foreign correspondent and a Fellow at the Canadian Global Affairs Institute, said Ottawa would have to rely on the U.S. fire power and airlift capability to extract Canadian troops from Iraq if the security situation in the country deteriorates further.

The Canadian military would have to get into Iraq a couple of its C-17 Globemaster or up to four smaller C-130 Hercules transport aircraft to ferry the troops to safety, Fisher said.

But getting the lightly armed Canadian soldiers from the relative security of their bases to the airports could require U.S. support, he added.

“If there are riots or things like that, they [Canadians] would totally be dependent on the Americans and they know that,” said Fisher, who has extensive experience reporting from Iraq.

“The Americans still have Apache gunships in Bagdad, they still have F-15s and F-16s in all the neighbouring countries, they have assault troops – they’ve got 5,000 Airborne now in Kuwait, they’ve got 2,000 U.S. Marines arriving on an assault ship that is going through the Suez Canal right now.”

The U.S. forces also have cruise missile assets either on aircraft or submarines, as well as B-1 and B-2 strategic bombers, Fisher added.

“There are a number of ways they can protect the NATO forces to help them get out,” Fisher said.

In contrast, the Canadian forces in Iraq are armed with personal weapons, light machine guns and a few heavy machine guns, he said.

“So we cannot really defend ourselves,” Fisher said.

All necessary measures taken

Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Jonathan Vance arrives with the first Canadian troops at a UN base in Gao, Mali, on Sunday, June 24, 2018. (Sean Kilpatrick/THE CANADIAN PRESS)

Canada is working in collaboration with its international partners, Vance said.

“First and foremost, let me assure you that all necessary force protection measures that can be taken have been taken,” Vance said.

“The safety and security of Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) personnel is my priority, as it is the priority of my senior leadership. Force protection measures continue to be considered, reassessed, and modified as required on a daily basis.”

Allies caught off guard

The U.S. decision to assassinate Soleimani caught Washington’s allies, including Canada, by surprise.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau discussed the situation in Iraq with a number of world leaders on Tuesday and Monday.

• Trudeau discusses Iraq crisis with EU and NATO heads

Trudeau spoke on the phone with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Jordanian King Abdullah II on Tuesday.

“Prime Minister Trudeau and Chancellor Merkel shared their concerns about the situation in Iraq,” said a readout of the call released by the Prime Minister’s Office. “The two leaders discussed the need to encourage all parties to take steps toward de-escalation.”

Trudeau and King Abdullah agreed on the need to remain focused on fighting the remnants of the Islamic State and “underlined the importance of fostering stability and security in Iraq,” the readout said.

In a phone call with NATO Secretary General on Monday, Trudeau reiterated Ottawa’s commitment to the success of the Canadian-led NATO training mission in Iraq, officials said.

As the Canadian Armed Forces continue to regroup and revamp in the shadow of COVID-19, the Canadian military has announced it is postponing the deployment of a warship and surveillance aircraft to help enforce United Nations’ sanctions against North Korea.

The Halifax-class frigate HMCS Calgary and a CP-140 Aurora patrol plane were scheduled to leave this month as part of Canada’s ongoing contribution to the international effort to prevent North Korea from expanding its nuclear arsenal.

HMCS Calgary will not be heading to the waters off North Korea this month. (HMCS Calgary/NCSM Calgary/Facebook)

Officials say their deployment has been “deferred” for an unspecified amount of time.

The weekend announcement follows an earlier decision to withdraw Armed Forces members from Iraq, scale back Canada’s military training mission in Ukraine and bring back several warships from different parts of the world.

Canada currently has more than 2,000 personnel deployed on approximately 20 missions, many of which have had to alter their activities in response to the pandemic.

Canadian Forces CH-47 Chinook helicopters participate in a flyover of Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Friday. (The Canadian Press/Justin Tang)

The moves come as the federal government deploys more and more military medical personnel to assist at long-term care facilities in Quebec and Ontario that have been hit hard by COVID-19.

Canadian Armed Forces personnel arrive at the Villa Val des Arbres seniors’ residence in Laval, Que., on April 20. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz)

“For some operations, this decision is the result of a pause in operational activities by the host or partner nations.

“In others, it is preferable to delay the movement of forces in and out of missions at this time.”

The military says it’s keeping some troops on some missions in place longer, rather than replacing them with fresh Forces members as planned. 

Those include nine Canadian peacekeepers in the Democratic Republic of Congo, 10 in South Sudan and 55 in the Sinai Peninsula.

With files from The Canadian Press, CBC News (David Burke, Murray Brewster)

When festivals wish to bring in international artists, their task is facilitated and the tour costs are reduced if they can book the same artists, especially if the dates and locations of the shows are close enough. This collaborative practise, called “group booking”, has been used over the last decades by over 15 North American world music festivals. 

With the COVID crisis, this Consortium of World Music Presenters – which includes members from Albuquerque to Boston, Chicago and Toronto – has teamed up to launch a collective series of online shows. Called the Global Music Month (GMM), the event starts this weekend and will last during the whole month of September – which is when most of the members of the consortium would normally hold their festival. 

The first online presentation will kick off this Saturday night, Aug 29, at Chicago’s Square Roots Festival with six local artists including genres as diverse as soul, Native hip hop, and Afro drumming music from Puerto Rico. Founded by the Old Town School of Folk Music, this free annual event aims at supporting the local community, reflecting the whole mindset of GMM members.

Bringing the community together

“Community” is a word that came up quite often in the conversation with David Chávez and Carlos Tortolero, of Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events (DCASE). The two curators have the best job in town, since they benefit from the most “unique” and “generous” public program in the country. They both select artists for jazz, blues, gospel, house and world music festivals, as well as theatre and dance projects produced by the city’s department. 

Chicago’s multiple cultural events attract some 30,000 people each year. All events are free of charge and the curators say they are focusing on community outreach. 

Chicago’s Virtual World Music Festival will feature four thematic series every weekend in September, starting on Sept. 6 with a tribute to the legendary Indian sitarist Ravi Shankar, for the centennial of his birthday. 

Saraswathi Ranganathan is the first Indian woman and veena artist to win a Chicago Music Award in its 35-year history. She learned veena from her mother. She will play with Dhanajay Kunte (tabla) and Heather Boehm (violin) on Sept.6. (Photo Courtesy of the artist)

Jewish and Eastern European music 

Toronto’s Ashkenaz Festival is also part of the consortium. North America’s largest Jewish art and music festival will celebrate its 25th anniversary over the first week of September. Ashkenaz 2020: Live and From the Archive includes a total of 14 music acts: seven live 20-min pop up shows, as well as seven recordings from previous editions of the festival, available on the festival’s YouTube channel and Facebook profile.

The festival kicks off with a live show by Mark and Marichka Marczyk, a very dynamic Ukrainian duo active in several bands in Toronto. A violinist and singer, Marczyk explains that Jewish music has roots in Eastern Europe, which creates “a lot of crossover”. 

Apart from being the founder and performing in a couple of bands, Mark Marczyk has also launched URGNT last March. Since the very beginning of the pandemic, this online platform has provided a digital stage for Canadian artists who suddenly saw all their gigs cancelled and had all ties severed with their audience.

Marczyk initially intended to take advantage of empty music venues in Toronto and set out to produce 19 shows for 19 days, but as the lockdown was enforced, the project consolidated inside the homes of artists. Marczyk would give them instructions on the format of images to be shot so he could later achieve homogeneity while editing the footage. 

A one-stop shop for Canadian music

URGNT quickly became a one-stop shop for Canadian music as Marczyk partnered with event presenters like the TD Sunfest in London, Ontario, and all the way to Canada’s Northern territories with Whitehorse’s Folk on the Rocks. Since March, over 40 artists have been featured on URGNT’s platform, a majority of them being from visible minorities, Marczyk said.

Eric Steiner, the founder of Ashkenaz Festival, who had been following URGNT closely, contacted Marczyk to ask advice on a digital solution for the 25th anniversary of the Jewish festival, and URGNT took on the production and streaming of live videos.   

Despite its name, the Ashkenaz Fest also includes Sephardic culture, coming from southern Europe. Among the cross cultural programming will be a live pop up show of Moneka Arabic Jazz. The lead singer, Ahmed Moneka, is an Iraqi actor who settled in Toronto a few years ago as a refugee after he was threatened for acting in a controversial film released at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).

‘Music happens, whether we are watching or not’

Ashkenaz’s live pop up shows will be filmed in several outdoor spaces that are “visually dynamic”, and with “a strong sense of community”, such a backyard porch, beautiful High Park or multicultural Kensington Market, explained Marczyk. 

URGNT recently joined GMM and got a slot in the programming to produce a project dear to Marczyk’s heart: an online conference and music market focused on Eastern European culture, developed pre-COVID with the Toronto Ukrainian Festival. Scheduled on Sept. 9 on URGNT website, Slavic Music Meet will offer “brand new, exclusive showcases” from eight artists in Ukraine, Poland, Estonia, Macedonia and the Canadian diaspora, as well as re-runs of URGNT footage shot this spring, with Ontario and Quebec artists such as Socalled, Moskitto Bar or Balaklava Blues. The pan-Slavic event will also feature two panel discussions with music export offices throughout Eastern Europe. 

All Ashkenaz and URGNT shows will be posted on URGNT website between Sept.1 – 9.

‘Exotic’ French music to be found in Montreal

Canadians might not see it as ‘exotic’, but French music is certainly seen like it south of the border, Daniel Seligman, recalled founder of POP Montreal. Indeed, Quebec’s bilingual metropolis is used to switching from one Canadian official language to the other, with sentences mixing both in a sort of Quebecois ‘Frenglish’. 

This year’s calendar, stretching from Sept. 23 to 27, will be a reflection of this diversity with a hybrid edition combining live and virtual events. Although it is mostly frequented by local crowds in this back-to- school period, POP Montreal has built an international reputation as a community-oriented event supporting underground, indie artists.

On the francophone scene, Antoine Corriveau, dubbed “the dark prophet of French folk-rock”, and Jonathan Personne will be some of the new francophone headlines of this year’s edition.

Trans artist from Montreal generating much buzz 

The Zambian-Canadian, transgenre singer and musician Backxwash is a perfect example of an artist that doesn’t fancy being pigeonholed in any music genre, or any sexual genre either, for that matter. Their Sept. 26 show on the rooftop of the Rialto Theatre is already sold out.

All POP Montreal 2020 events will be available on its Facebook page, with surprise pop-up shows, film screenings, art exhibitions, symposium panel discussions, and even a virtual art/artisan sale for its traditional flea market Puces POP.

Read our previous Safe & Sound music columns:

• Montreal’s Mural Estival closes the summer with street art and music
• “Fait Vivir”, a road movie about Canadian music gypsies in Colombia
• Music industry delegates meet online at a new global conference in Toronto
• Brazilian artist Diogo Ramos sings his love for Quebec, diversity and freedom

All Canadian soldiers stationed in northern Iraq are safe and accounted for following Wednesday’s missile attack on the base they share with U.S. troops near the regional capital of Erbil, Canadian officials said Thursday.

Six rockets landed near Erbil International Airport in the semi-autonomous Kurdistan Region on Wednesday, according to a statement released by the Ministry of Interior of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).

The rockets were launched from the borders of the Sheikh Amir village in Nineveh province by the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) who were targeting coalition forces, the KRG counterterrorism service said.

The PMF are an umbrella group composed of mostly Iran-backed Iraqi Shiite militias that is part of Iraq’s armed forces.

The missile attack came amid simmering tensions between Washington and Iran-backed Shia militias that want the Americans to leave Iraq.

According to the statement, the missiles were intercepted and did not cause any major damage.

“The recent attacks on a ‎military base in Erbil did not affect coalition forces,” said a statement by the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF). “All CAF members are safe and accounted for and we continue to monitor the situation closely with our allies and partners in the region.”

Canada is part of the anti-ISIS coalition and has nearly 850 troops stationed in the region as part of Operation IMPACT, Ottawa’s military contribution to the multinational efforts to defeat the so-called Islamic State in the Middle East.

Canada is also taking part in the NATO Training Mission in Iraq.

“Canada remains committed to Operation IMPACT in the Middle East and the NATO Training Mission,” Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan said in a statement.

“The safety and security of our troops is our top priority, and all women and men are accounted for. We are aware of the recent events in Iraq and we are watching for security threats very closely.”