Canada open to military campaign against Syria, John Baird says
Sean Silcoff
Ottawa — The Globe and Mail
PublishedSunday, May. 05 2013, 12:32 PM EDT
Last updatedSunday, May. 05 2013, 1:48 PM EDT
67 comments
The Canadian government is open to discussing a military campaign against the Syrian regime, spurred on by a concern that the embattled Syrian leadership is using chemical weapons against civilians, Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird said. But he remains opposed to arming the rebels.
“Obviously we’re talking with our allies,” Mr. Baird said on CTV’s
Question Period when asked if Canada supported discussions under way among Canada’s allies about a campaign. He said evidence from the United States and Israel suggested chemical weapons have been used in Syria. While he said Canada “can’t validate specifically” who has used them, “we strongly suspect it’s the regime.
“Obviously the use of mass chemical weapons against civilian populations causes deep concern,” Mr. Baird said in the interview.
As the international community discusses a campaign against Syria in support of the rebels, Israel this weekend launched its air strikes against targets in Syria. Israel says the strikes targeted sophisticated weapons destined for the militant group Hezbollah , its Syrian-backed enemy in Lebanon.
Syria said the Israeli attacks aim “to give direct military support to terrorist groups,” which is how it refers to the Syrian rebels trying to overthrow the government. Syria’s Information Minister Omran Zoabi said the attacks “open the door to all possibilities,” but did not hint at a concrete course of action.
Despite Canada’s potential involvement in supporting an international campaign against Syria, Mr. Baird said the Canadian government, unlike many of its allies, remains opposed to arming the Syrian opposition over fears that the weapons will fall into the hands of “radical jihadists making [their] way into Syria and infesting part of the opposition. This causes us great concern.
“It’s no longer just a few hundred al-Qaeda affiliated people, it’s a substantial number of radical extremists that have come from all over the world,” Mr. Baird said.
