The Con bench seals laugh and clap at Steve's joke blowing off the UN and international law because grade six.
Harper went on to explain that Canada will be bombing Syria as part of an international coalition, although the US is the only NATO member currently bombing Syria. The other coalition countries bombing Syria are Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Jordan, Morocco, Qatar, and the UAE.
This same coalition of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Jordan, Morocco, and the UAE minus Qatar also began bombing Yemen today. Egypt and Kuwait will be joining the offensive while Pakistan is still considering it. Nobel Peace Prize recipient President Obama has authorized the provision of US logistical and intelligence support to help bomb the Houthi rebels in Yemen who are fighting Al Qaeda and IS.
The Saudi-led air campaign against the Houthis in Yemen is dubbed “Decisive Storm”.
Harper says IS is a threat to Canada and will extend the mission for another year.
DefMin Jason Kenney says they have no particular exit strategy..
h/t Maclean's for vid.
Update : Kenney whips out his "smart bombs", claiming Canada and the US are the only *coalition* bombing members that have them. David Pugliese shoots it down - both Saudi Arabia and UAE have 'em - in Saudi Arabia's case since 2008.
Harper and Kenney are leaning very heavily on the word 'coalition' in their bomb bomb bomb statements but as to who those coalition members actually are - not so much.
Update2 : Aaron Wherry weighs in tonight on Harper joking about international law :
Stephen Harper on the legality of bombing Syria: LOL
Shorter bonus grade six from Wherry : The government's position yesterday was that under UN Article 51, they 1) would be bombing Syria and 2) would not be informing the UN about it because it wasn't required.
Turns out right in Article 51 it specifies that "Measures taken by Members in the exercise of this right of self-defence shall be immediately reported to the Security Council" so the government has now *clarified* its earlier stance and will be sending notification after all.
World stage.
Update 3 : David Pugliese :
Gen. Tom Lawson tries to dig Jason Kenney out of a bomb crater of his own making
Gwynne Dyer : Yemen: Unintended consequences and
Gwynne Dyer explains why terrorism is overblown and why Islamists want western countries to attack the Islamic State
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