Canada refuses to withdraw troops as Trump promises to strike Iranian cultural sites
(CNN/Google Images)
Written by: Aidan Jonah
US President Donald Trump threatened to destroy 52 important Iranian cultural sites during a Twitter rant, one day after the suspension of all Canadian-led NATO training activities in Iraq.
A war of words
The statement comes only hours after a senior Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps general told Tasnim News Agency that Iran had the right to avenge the US’ killing of Major General Qassem Soleimani.
General Gholamali Abuhamzeh, who leads the IRGC in Iran’s southern Kerman Province, commented that Iran had determined 35 crucial American and Israeli targets which it was ready to strike.
The Canadian connection;
Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister François-Philippe Champagne came out with a statement on the death of General Soleimani on Jan. 3., which was described as “cowardly” by Queens University historian Christo Aivalis. Champagne urged “all sides” to exercise restraint and pursue de-escalation, despite the US being the only country involved to have launched airstrikes in the region.
Canadian soldiers have yet to be withdrawn from a NATO mission they were leading in Iraq, meaning that they are still in the main conflict zone. Training activities have been temporarily suspended, and soldiers will focus on ensuring the security of the bases they operate at. Given Canada’s support of the strikes, if President Trump follows through on his threats to bomb Iranian sites, the 200 Canadian soldiers are bound to be inserted into any following conflicts.
US President Donald Trump has called General Soleimani the “number one terrorist in the world,” ignoring the fact that he played a key role in the defeat of ISIS in Syria and Iraq. Without Soleimani’s influence in the region, Canadian soldiers will be forced to take greater responsibility in the region.
Despite President Trump’s volatile nature and the murder of the regional leader in the fight against ISIS, Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan said in a statement issued Saturday. “We are taking all necessary precautions for the safety and security of our civilian and military personnel.”