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PM Harper: No Canadian military mission planned for Syria at present

By The Canadian Press, August 29, 2013 10:20 AM, Source

TORONTO - Canada has no plans for a military intervention in Syria but supports its allies who are contemplating forceful action against that country's regime, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said Thursday.

Harper admitted that lack of international action in light of the apparent use of chemical weapons would set an "extremely dangerous precedent," but added his government has been reluctant to the idea of a western strike.

"Our government has been a very reluctant convert to the idea that there needs to be some western military action regarding the Syrian situation," he told reporters at an event in Toronto on Thursday.

"At the present time the government of Canada has no plans, we have no plans of our own to have a Canadian military mission."

Harper said the conflict in Syria is "overwhelmingly sectarian in nature" and doesn't appear to have any "ideal or obvious outcomes" for a solution at present.

He added, however, that Canada stood behind other western powers weighing the possibility of a mission involving Syria.

"We do support our allies who are contemplating forceful action to deal with this."

Syrian President Bashar Assad has said his country "will defend itself against any aggression," signalling defiance to mounting Western warnings of a possible punitive strike.

Meanwhile, U.S. President Barack Obama declared Wednesday that the Syrian government was responsible for a chemical weapons attack on its own people, laying the groundwork for an expected U.S. military strike.

Obama said the U.S. has concluded that Assad's regime perpetrated a Aug. 21 attack near Damascus, which killed at least 100 Syrians.

But British Prime Minister David Cameron is promising to hold off on any action until a UN inspection team on the ground can complete its investigation.

The UN says the team should wrap up its inspection Friday and report its findings Saturday.

— with files from the Associated Press

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Former Member

Harper now a ‘reluctant convert’ to potential strike on Syria

BILL CURRY, OTTAWA — The Globe and Mail, Published Thursday, Aug. 29 2013, 1:03 PM EDT, Last updated Thursday, Aug. 29 2013, 1:31 PM EDT, Source

Prime Minister Stephen Harper posed for a photo opportunity at Banbury Community Centre in Toronto before travelling to a Dixon Rd. hotel to announce measures to increase punishments for sexual offenders on August 29, 2013. [Peter Power/The Globe and Mail)

Prime Minister Stephen Harper says he has become a “reluctant convert” to the notion that a military response in Syria is required in order to send a message that the use of chemical weapons cannot be tolerated.

While Canada now supports the current contemplation of a military response, Mr. Harper said there are no plans at the moment for involvement by the Canadian military.

Speaking with reporters in Toronto, Mr. Harper noted that he has been discussing the potential for a military response in Syria with Canadian allies, including U.S. President Barack Obama, British Prime Minister David Cameron and French President François Hollande.

“Our government has been a very reluctant convert to the idea that there needs to be some Western military action regarding the Syrian situation. We have been, and remain concerned when we look at this conflict that it is overwhelmingly sectarian in nature and does not have at present any ideal or obvious outcomes,” he said.

“With that all said, in talking to our allies, we are convinced that notwithstanding our reluctance, that the risks of the international community not acting in the face of what appears to be an escalation and likely further escalation without action in the use of chemical weapons as a weapon of warfare is an extremely dangerous precedent. This is a very big risk and we do believe, and we do support, our allies who are contemplating forceful action to deal with this. That said, at the present time, the Government of Canada has no plans, we have no plans of our own, to have a Canadian military mission.”

Mr. Harper’s comments come as President Obama is personally making the case in the U.S. media for a military intervention. Meanwhile the United Nations has asked for more time in order to allow U.N. inspectors to complete their reporting. The Syrian government is denying that it used chemical weapons.

In Britain, Prime Minister Cameron has recalled Parliament to allow for a debate on the situation in Syria. Mr. Harper was asked Thursday by a reporter whether he will recall the Canadian Parliament; however the Prime Minister did not answer that question.

8/29/132:06 PM