OTTAWA — Prime Minister Stephen Harper is set to recommend to his caucus Wednesday that Canada take part in airstrikes in Iraq, but not all Conservative MPs are onside with the plan.

Speaking in the House of Commons Tuesday, Harper described the war against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) as “necessary” and the international response as “noble actions.”

“When we think something is necessary and noble, we do not sit back and say only other people should do it,” Harper said. “The Canadian way is we do our part.”

The Prime Minister did not announce what assistance Canada would provide – he only pledged to bring a combat mission to the Commons for a vote. Several sources reported, however, that the government’s contribution, at this stage, would involve a contingent of CF-18 fighters and a tanker aircraft for in-air refuelling. A final decision is expected to be made by week’s end with a vote as late as next week.

Cabinet discussed the matter Tuesday and Harper met with U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson who was in Ottawa, in part, to build the international coalition against ISIL. Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, Britain and France are, or soon will be, dropping bombs on the terrorist group in Iraq.

Edmonton Conservative MP Laurie Hawn told reporters he believes there is “absolutely” unanimity in the Tory caucus for a combat role, such as airstrikes.

“The air force is the obvious player, and I think that’s the lowest risk option with the highest impact,” Hawn, a former air force commander, told reporters.

“Somebody needs to put boots on the ground. Personally I don’t think that should be us,” he added.

“This is not our operation. Whatever we do is going to be in support of what’s going on in the region.”

Iraqi forces, the Syrian opposition, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey and countries in the region that are more directly affected should be more involved than Canada, he said.

Some Conservative MPs, however, are questioning whether Canada needs to be involved in combat at all.

“I don’t know whether we need to at this stage,” Brad Butt, the Tory MP for Mississauga–Streetsville, told HuffPost in an interview.

“I think there is universal agreement that Canada should play its role on the humanitarian side,” he said. “The humanitarian side is equally as important.”

A month ago, Butt travelled to northern Iraq with the aid group One Free World International to visit camps for internally displaced persons in Erbil and Duhok.

He suggested Canada could provide the Peshmurga – Kurdish fighters – with better weapons to fight ISIL, but he hoped that the Conservative government would endorse a “balanced approach” with financial aid directed towards NGOs able to help desperate people with no place to go.

“Seeing the situation, children, and other displaced people talking about friends’ being beheaded in front of their faces, it was just so surreal,” Butt said.

“You just can’t believe that you are sitting on the ground, behind a tent, on a Sunday night in Iraq talking to people whose lives have been completely changed by this. One o’clock in the morning, ISIL just walks into their village and starts opening fire,” Butt recounted.

“What do you say? What do you say to these people? Canada will try to help you, it’s all you can say.”

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