Canada and Islamic State Iraq

Mike Duffy: He showed a softer side, promising to take in 10,000 more refugees from both countries over the next four years and to spend $90 million to help protect artifacts and places of worship from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, according to Guelph Mercury. But when talk turned to Canada aggressive military approach, Harper language grew sharp as he described how ISIL was engaged in "mass slaughter at an alarming, lightning pace" when the Conservative government got involved. "If your policy is humanitarian assistance without military support, all you're doing is dropping aid on dead people," he said during a campaign stop in Markham, Ont., describing the position of "diaspora groups" in Canada. "That not acceptable. With this week return of Mike Duffy promising another barrage of banner headlines and awkward campaign-trail questions, Harper struck a defiant tone as he defended putting Canada front and centre in the global fight against militants in Iraq and Syria. We're a country that can contribute militarily and in a humanitarian sense, and we are doing both." Harper brushed off the criticisms of NDP Leader Tom Mulcair and Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau, who have rejected military action and called for Canada to stick to providing humanitarian aid. Harper said Monday that a re-elected Conservative government would bring in 10,000 additional religious minority refugees from Syria and Iraq, targeting refugees in the region who face persecution or the threat of extremist violence — a promise meant to woo voters in ethnic communities the Conservatives have long targeted. Offering safe haven to refugees simply isn't enough, he added. "ISIS, left to its own devices, will create millions — tens of millions — of refugees and victims on a monthly basis," Harper said. "That why the international community intervened ... President Obama and our allies felt we had no choice." Harper has been busy making headlines of his own so far this week, perhaps hoping to starve the rebooted Duffy trial of oxygen — star witness Nigel Wright, Harper former chief of staff and the man responsible for a controversial $90,000 payment to the disgraced senator, takes the stand Wednesday. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.