Canadian lawmakers voted on Tuesday in support of the government's contribution to the US-led coalition against the Islamic State (ISIS) in Iraq and Syria. The vote supports Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s withdrawal of Canadian fighter jets from the fight and their replacement with increasing the number of Special Forces to 210. The Special Forces advisers will train Kurdish Peshmerga forces in the Kurdistan Region. Tuesday’s vote by 178 MPs was described as symbolic because “Parliament does not legally need to authorize these kinds of campaigns. Part of the Liberal plan – ending the airstrikes against militants in both countries – has already happened,” according to CBC. Along with the rise in military trainers Ottawa will keep CP-140 Aurora surveillance aircraft and CC-150T Polaris refueling in the coalition. Canada will spend $1.1 in humanitarian aid and continue its intake of Iraqi and Syrian refugees as part of its mission in the Middle East region.
