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Mulcair also asked if Canada had informed the United Nations of its plan to launch such attacks in Syria, as is required under Article 51 of the UN Charter. Article 51 lets countries respond to any armed attack against them, or at the request of a country that has been attacked. It was also central to the U.S. position last year.

Harper did not specifically answer either question. Instead, he said Canada was following the “same legal basis” as the U.S. and other allies.

“I’m not sure what point the leader of the NDP is making,” the prime minister added. Then, to laughter from government benches, he added, “If (Mulcair) is suggesting that there is any significant legal risk of lawyers from ISIL taking the government of Canada to court and winning, the government of Canada’s view is the chances of that are negligible.”

Mulcair responded, “Extraordinary, Mr. Speaker, living in a Canada, where that sort of idiocy passes for an argument.” The comment drew a mild rebuke from House of Commons Speaker Andrew Scheer.

A Conservative source later told the Citizen the government will be sending a letter to the UN in the coming days.

Photo by Dean Tweed / National Post

Questions about the legality of air strikes in Syria, and whether Canada might be breaking international law, were swirling even before Harper and Mulcair faced off during question period.

Flanked by a group of Iraqi-Canadians in the foyer outside the House of Commons, Defence Minister Jason Kenney told reporters that the military’s top lawyer, the judge advocate general, had assessed that dropping bombs in Syria was justified under Article 51 of the UN Charter.