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The future of Canada’s Iraq mission is still being determined. But in a recent interview with journalists, Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan was asked about the mission and how it might unfold.

Sajjan was asked whether he saw Canadian troops committed on the ground for the whole of 2017. Here is how he responded:

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tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Canadian Forces will re-evaluate Iraq mission once Mosul is retaken, says Sajjan Back to video

“Yes. Keep in mind just because we’re in Mosul and we talked about defeating Daesh, it’s not going to happen that (when) we take Mosul, Daesh is going to completely disappear. We want to make sure that we solidify the gains that have been made and not leave immediately and put the situation in jeopardy again.

We want to make sure that the right troops have the right training. But the situation and what we decide will be determined after Mosul. We need to anticipate what type of Daesh (will emerge), where their displacement may occur and what type of adjustments they might make. We want to be sure that the Iraqi security forces are going to be able to hold their own for the long term.”