OTTAWA— Canadian fighter jets will soon be pounding Islamic State targets in Syria as the Conservative government pushes ahead with plans to extend and expand its military mission in the region over the strong objections of Liberals and New Democrats.

Harper spoke in the Commons Tuesday morning to unveil his government’s proposal to prolong the ongoing mission in Iraq for another year and to expand airstrikes by CF-18 fighter jets to Syria.

While the multinational coalition battling the militants has helped contain their expansion in both Iraq and Syria, the group’s “territorial hold remains substantial, and its leadership and networking of wider jihadist forces has continued,” Harper said as he laid out the case to remain in the fight.

“ISIL has made it clear that it targets, by name, Canada and Canadians,” Harper said, adding it is “far from an idle threat.”

Tell us what you think

The prime minister raised the prospect of an even longer engagement, saying Canada would remain involved as long as Islamic State poses a threat.

“Our goal here is to deal with the threat to this country. We will deal with it as long as it is there. We will not stop dealing with it before that,” Harper said in question period.

Both the Liberals and New Democrats were quick to condemn the plan, accusing the Conservatives of committing Canada to a drawn-out conflict with no clear exit strategy.

When the mission was launched last fall, Harper declared that Syria was off limits to CF-18s without the approval of President Bashar Assad’s government.

But fearing that Islamic State militants have been taking refuge in Syria, Harper said Tuesday that airstrikes would now proceed without the express consent of the Syrians.

“ISIL’s fighters and much of its heavier equipment are moving freely across the Iraqi border into Syria, in part for better protection against our airstrikes,” Harper said.

“In our view, ISIL must cease to have any safe haven in Syria.”

Under a motion to be debated later this week, the government intends to extend the mission for as long as March 30, 2016. In addition to the bombing campaign, a small team of 69 special forces soldiers will remain in northern Iraq training local fighters.

Their non-combat role would continue, Harper said, adding that Canada shares the view of the United States that “we must avoid, if we can, taking on ground combat responsibilities in this region.”

But the Liberals and New Democrats were unmoved by Harper’s speech and quickly denounced the Conservative plan, especially the move to expand airstrikes to Syria.

NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair, who questioned the legal basis for the strikes on Syria, charged that the prime minister was striking an “alliance of sorts” with Assad, whom he branded a “brutal dictator and war criminal.”

Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading...

Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau said that by launching airstrikes in Syria, Canada would be helping the widely condemned Syrian president consolidate his hold on power.

Both opposition parties had opposed the mission when it got underway last fall and made clear on Tuesday that nothing had changed their view. Indeed, Mulcair declared that if his party wins the federal election in October, it would end the combat mission.

“The fact is, Canada has no place in this war,” Mulcair said. “We are going to pull out troops out. We are going to bring them home.”

The NDP leader accused Harper of misleading Canadians “from the start” about the ongoing ground mission. He said the prime minister vowed during debates last fall that Canadian soldiers would not direct airstrikes or accompany local troops to the front lines.

“We now know that simply wasn’t true,” Mulcair said.

Trudeau accused the Conservatives of “steadily drawing” Canada deeper into combat in Iraq, then expanding the mission to Syria, all “without clearly articulating the mission’s objectives.”

“The Conservatives are proposing an unfocused, unending mission for the Canadian Forces that we cannot support,” Trudeau said.

A spokesperson for Trudeau said later that if elected this fall, a Liberal government would change Canada’s focus to “training and humanitarian assistance as quickly and responsibly as possible.”

The Liberals had taken some heat for opposing the mission last fall. The decision to oppose the extension has some sparked some dissension within caucus but several Liberal MPs told the Star that the decision to expand the mission to Syria gives them “cover” to again oppose it.

Both opposition leaders urged a greater focus on humanitarian assistance to help refugees displaced by the fighting.

Harper defended the government’s humanitarian response, saying the government is providing significant aid to provide shelter, food to refugees in the region displaced by the violence.

“We do not need to choose between fighting ISIL and helpings its victims. We will continue to do both,” Harper said.

Read more about: