Liberal government, military defend letting Canadians shoot first in Iraq
OTTAWA — The Liberal government faced fresh accusations of misleading the public on Tuesday after the country’s top soldier said Canadian troops have been allowed to fire first in Iraq.
Government and military officials have previously said Canadian troops can and have fired in self-defence, including to defend their Kurdish partners and civilians.
Chief of defence staff Gen. Jonathan Vance told a parliamentary committee on Tuesday that such defensive fire includes instances where his troops have taken the first shot against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.
“We are allowed to deal with a threat that is emerging that would overwhelm those we are working with, or ourselves, if we didn’t deal with it,” Vance said after the committee meeting.