Report card on war with ISIL says Harper government ignoring key concerns
OTTAWA - An independent report on Canada's war against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant says the extremist threat is real, but perhaps exaggerated, while the Harper government ignores other important political concerns.
An analysis by the Canadian Defence and Foreign Affairs Institute released Monday says the violence being meted out by extremists is just the latest expression of Sunni alienation in Iraq and is rooted in a philosophy to which few Canadians can relate.
"The threat to homeland security, first, is real, but it should not be overstated," said Thomas Juneau, an assistant professor at the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Ottawa.
"According to the government, a few dozen Canadians have travelled to Iraq or Syria to fight or train with (the Islamic State) and other extremist groups. Some of them have been or will be killed, while a majority will return home without ill intentions. This leaves a handful who could attempt attacks."
Canada's endorsement of airstrikes and the training of local security forces will not be enough to defeat the Islamic State, and a more long-term vision needs to be developed, he added.
"Ottawa has not clearly articulated its views on a long-term strategy to defeat (Islamic State), though officials have made a number of statements suggesting that Canada broadly endorses the U.S. strategy," the report said.
READ MORE: http://www.nationalnewswatch.com/2015/05/11/report-card-on-war-with-isil-says-harper-government-ignoring-key-concerns/#.VVFMyWx0zIW
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