September 3, 2014 - Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird was in Baghdad today to meet with government officials and discuss the critical humanitarian and security situation in Iraq. He was joined by an all-party delegation consisting of Paul Dewar, Member of Parliament for Ottawa Centre, and Marc Garneau, Member of Parliament for Westmount-Ville-Marie.
In meetings with Iraqi President Fuad Masum and Iraqi Foreign Affairs Minister Hoshyar Zebari, Baird discussed the situation regarding the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and Canada’s commitment to provide assistance to the thousands of Iraqis, including Yezidis and Christians, who desperately need it.
“I’m here in Iraq to demonstrate Canada’s commitment to Iraq’s stability, security, and prosperity,” Baird said. “ISIL’s barbaric and expansionist advance in Syria and Iraq is further destabilizing the region and poses a very real threat to not only regional but also global security. Canada has taken action with the government of Iraq and our allies to counter ISIL’s activities.”
Baird also called on Iraqi leaders to come together and govern for all Iraqis, regardless of religious and ethnic background, and announced further funding for security measures.
“Canada will not stand idly by while ISIL continues to murder innocent civilians, including members of ethnic and religious minorities,” added Baird. “Canada will make an additional contribution of $15 million to support security measures. We will continue to monitor the situation, and provide further assistance as needed.”
This contribution includes $10 million in non-lethal security assistance to provide equipment such as helmets, body armour and logistics support vehicles to security forces in Iraq combatting ISIL. It also includes $5 million to support regional efforts to limit the movement of foreign fighters into Iraq and Syria.”
To help in the delivery of critical military supplies from contributing allies to security forces in Iraq fighting ISIL, Canada has deployed a Royal Canadian Air Force CC-130J Hercules and a CC-177 Globemaster, along with their crews of about 30 Canadian Armed Forces personnel. This measure is in addition to the $5 million humanitarian assistance package Canada has already provided to the country.
A backgrounder follows.
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Since the beginning of 2014, Canada has allocated more than $21 million to respond to humanitarian needs in Iraq, of which more than $11.8 million is for populations affected by civil unrest and $9.6 million targeted at Syrian refugees. On June 2014, Iraq was added to the list of Canada’s development country partners.
In coordination with its allies, the Government of Canada is taking action with the Government of Iraq to protect innocent civilians and counter ISIL’s barbaric activities and expansionist agenda, which pose a very real threat to regional and global security.
During his visit to Baghdad on September 3, Foreign Affairs Minister Baird John Baird announced a contribution of $15 million in security programming that will directly benefit the people of Iraq. This will include:
- $10 million in non-lethal security assistance for equipment such as helmets, body armour and logistics-support vehicles to assist security forces combating ISIL; and
- $5 million to support regional efforts to limit the movement of foreign fighters into Iraq and Syria.
The non-lethal support announced will be provided through the Government of Canada’s Counter-Terrorism Capacity Building Program (CTCBP) and Global Peace and Security Fund (GPSF). The CTCBP will fund the project limiting the movement of foreign fighters.
Created in 2005, and managed by DFATD, Canada’s CTCBP provides training, equipment, and technical and legal assistance to help states prevent and respond to global terrorist activity. CTCBP priority areas include: law enforcement, military and intelligence cooperation; border and transportation security; and legislative assistance.
Global Peace and Security Fund programming supports stabilization and reconstruction initiatives in fragile and conflict-affected countries. The Stabilization and Reconstruction Task Force (START) administers programming funded by the GPSF.
